There are some games that you expect to be awesome. Ones like the latest Lego release, or the official tie-in to a blockbuster movie. Sometimes, though, there are smaller games that can be just as entertaining and surprising in their quality.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars–Jedi Alliance was released in 2008, exclusively for the DS, and it packs in quite a few features that make it stand out in a crowd of other Star Wars related games.

The story revolves around a shipment of Kyber crystals being stolen from a Republic transport by a mysterious enemy. Over the course of the game it’s revealed that the enemy is actually the Nightsisters, who’ve joined with the Separatists to harness the power of the Force through the crystals and create a superweapon that can destroy planets.

The first noticeable feature is that almost all of the controls are touch-screen based. In fact, there’s no need to use the cursor or ABYX buttons at all, only L and R. This separates the game from many similar titles, such as Lego Star Wars, particularly in the lightsaber fights, and marks it out from most action games.

There’s a choice of six playable Jedi characters: Obi Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, and Kit Fisto, which gives a good amount of variation, with characters having their own fighting styles and combos. You can also unlock new costumes by collecting Force Orbs, obtained by smashing crates and other items throughout the levels.

On certain levels, you also have to play as two franchise favourites, R2-D2 and C-3PO, which adds another dimension to the game, downplaying the action elements (though R2 can attack enemies with his electric shock), and making more out of puzzle solving elements. It’s made all the better by the fact C-3PO is voiced by the incomparable Anthony Daniels.

The graphics of the game are also quite impressive, considering this isn’t a flagship release, keeping with the style of the Clone Wars series, but making some wide vistas and detailed backgrounds that give the game a feeling of quality and scale. Likewise, the characters are well-rendered and easily identifiable, with several cutscenes included that feature appearances from Padme, Dooku, and Yoda, among others.

While there are undoubtedly longer and more intense games in the Star Wars franchise, Jedi Alliance still offers plenty of entertainment, especially if you like destroying B1 battle droids and engaging in lightsaber fights. So if you’re looking for some retro DS fun from a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars: The Clone Wars–Jedi Alliance is certainly worth a look.