Very fun and very fast with plenty of options, but replayability is limited.
BAD: All pods feel generally the same, with the exception of upgrades made to them; little replayability; very easy
Star Wars: Episode I: Pod Racer is a fun and fast game that's good for instant gratification. However, replayability is limited as after you get through all races the first time, there's not much more content to be had.
As soon as I popped in the game for the first time, I was hooked. The game was addictive and had a great sense of speed. The courses are interesting and most of the individual pods are fun to use. To pass a race, you must place in the top three, and you're offered a variety of choices as to who you race as, the settings for the race, and upgrades to your pod (as your pod can get damaged with time and you can upgrade them between races). There are many courses to race through, but you must progress through them one-by-one and place in the top three to advance to the next one.
However, once you win all of the races (some of which are hard, many of which are very easy), replayability falls sharply. There are no difficulty levels, no bonus tracks, no bonus racers, etc, and while there are plenty of options to choose from, none of them really increase replayability. While each pod has varying starting stats, controlling each one feels fairly similar, depending on how upgraded they are. However, while single player replayability is limited, multiplayer may be different. I never did have a chance to play it though.
The graphics were very good for the day, and still look decent today (except for the character models). The sound is generally excellent. Music only kicks in on the menus, but it's Duel of the Fates, and everybody loves that song. Some of the taunts and lines some of the racers say can get repetitive and annoying, however, but the sounds of the pods, the pods blowing up, and other general game sounds are excellent.
So while the game may be fun and have a great sense of speed, with lots of options to upgrade your pod and lots of races to choose from, the lack of difficult levels to choose from and the fact that most of the races are very easy detracts from the replayability.