Have you ever wanted to have your own Jedi, so you could love and nurture it, watch it grow, and then send it off to fight in a brutal galactic abattoir? Us too! We'll all have our chance to live vicariously through our little pets later this year, when THQ Wireless releases Star Wars: Jedi Arena. This turn-based combat role-playing game will run multiplayer fights over Cingular's network, which ought to get more-aggressive Star Wars fans excited.

　　I see that my Schwartz is bigger than yours. According to THQ Wireless, you'll be able to cook up your own fighter by choosing your race, gender, lightsaber color, and Sith/Jedi alignment. Your choices will affect your character's strengths, fighting style, and Force powers. From there, you'll distribute "faction points" among your character's stats, which will include attack, defense, speed, force, and hit points. Additional customization options will include Force techniques, which you learn from a Jedi mentor, and various items to be equipped, which are for sale at Hutt's Bazaar. If you play your cards right, you can build a dual-wielding Sith that can zap enemies with Force lightning, or make up a goody-goody Jedi who's into throwing his lightsaber and confusing his opponents with mind tricks. It'll all be up to you.

　　There will be two main ways to test your newly minted fighter's mettle: offline solo battles against so-called notorious enemies from the films--"almost every major Star Wars character that uses a lightsaber," the game's producer told us--or online duels. The combat itself is turn-based. Over the course of each three-round bout you'll have to respond to your opponent's strategies with your entire bag of tricks. The battles will take place against a number of famous backdrops, including Coruscant, Endor, and Geonosis.

　　Star Wars: Jedi Arena certainly sounds like an awesome idea--but, at the moment, that's all it is, as THQ Wireless didn't have a playable build ready for us. We have every expectation that they will deliver on their promises for this game, but we'll have to wait until December or so to find out. Until then, we'll be sure to add more detailed previews to this gamespace, so check back often.