May 4 is Star Wars Day, in honour of, well, the fact âMay the 4thâ sounds a bit like âMay the forceâŚâ. Silly, I know, but it also gives us a chance to look back on the amazing video games the sci-fi franchise has given us over the years. And by years, I should really say decades
While movie tie-ins to this day remain something to generally be wary of, Star Wars â perhaps thanks to the fact it has a life well beyond the silver screen â is an exception, having provided not just some of the best film adaptations of all time, but some of the best games of all time.
There have been some good ones, to be sure. Galactic Battlegrounds, Republic Commando, Force UnleashedâŚYoda Stories. But weâve saved spots in this gallery for the greats (and even then, only one game from each of the great franchises).
In recent years, sadly, the quality of Star Wars titles has slipped, a decline in the quality of development at Lucasarts coinciding with a new trilogy of films that was never the greatest source material in the first place. But oh well. Weâve always got the past! And who knows, maybe even the future!
Total Recall is a look back at the history of video games through their characters, franchises, developers and trends
Star Wars (1983) â The original Star Wars arcade game, released by Atari. It doesnât look like much now, but back then, she had it where it counted. Namely, having cutting-edge vector graphics able of recreating a 3D space, something most other games could only dream of. It was followed by a slightly more absurd sequel, which had you shooting AT-AT walkersâŚin space.
Tie Fighter (1994) â There were four games in the X-Wing series of space combat simulators, and itâs tough choosing a highlight from the bunch. In the end, I have to go with Tie Fighter, because it took a little more imagination coming up with the storylines. That and itâs fun to be the bad guy once in a while.
Dark Forces (1995) â Before the Jedi Knight series got all obsessed with, well, Jedi Knights, the first game in the franchise had you playing as a dishevelled Rebel commando, running around shooting everything in your path. No lightsabers. Dark Forces was a great shooter, but what made it amazing was the fact itâs probably still the best realisation of the âfeelâ of the Star Wars universe in a video game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBpYE_GI3Xk
Super Empire Strikes Back (1993) â History has strangely forgotten the three Super Nintendo adaptations of the classic trilogy, which is odd, considering theyâre not just great Star Wars games but also some of the best platformers available for the system. Which is saying something. Empire is probably the pick of the three games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDbex2JzSPU
Star Wars Episode I: Racer (1999) â I donât think I like any game based on the new movies. With the exception of this one. And thatâs because, when you get past the Phantom Menace adaptation, itâs a top-shelf WipeOut clone, and on PC was one of the slickest, fastest games around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBjxiUVJsu4
Knights Of The Old Republic (2003) â One of the only Star Wars games around that lets you actually live in the universe, instead of just whizzing through it in a ship blowing shit up. Marrying BioWareâs obsession with story-telling with a more action-oriented combat mechanic, it remains one of the best role-playing games ever made.
LEGO Star Wars II (2006) â If you only ever play one family Star Wars game (or one LEGO game), make it this one. Cute, simple, accessible and most of all hilarious, itâs as lovable a parody of Star Wars as youâll ever see, especially since it keeps so much of the original trilogyâs spirit in tact at the same time.
Rogue Squadron III (2003) â Did you know this GameCube title was the first time anyone had seen Star Wars footage on a disc-based media format since the 1980âs? Well it was. It was also a great game, some forgettable on-foot sections more than made up for by the seriesâ best ship combat sequences. Though really, you canât go wrong with any of Factor 5âs space (and air) combat games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORhOxerr9vo
Battlefront II (2005) â Itâs Battlefield. Only with Star Wars units. And you can fly into space.
