Happy May the 4th! Since the definitive Star Wars experience is a distant memory and we pine for Disney to give us any good Star Wars content to consume, it's a good time to remember the good times with the good old Star Wars games. The Sega Saturn, sadly, doesn't have any games within the universe, but it is interesting to note the ones that are on Dreamcast. Beyond, that, though, these games range anywhere from the arcade experience, all the way through PC, Consoles, handhelds and all sorts of ports throughout the ages. Ever since there were video games, there was a Star Wars game, it seems.
While this may not be entirely true, it does date back to the golden age of Atari systems for the home television and even has a banger of a title on the arcade cabinets of old. While the home console ports were nothing really to write home about, the arcade port was definitely an experience, especially for its time.
When it comes to science fiction, Star Wars is the piece of the pie that I have always taken. The journey of Luke through his turbulent past and finding out who he truly is through sorrow and warfare has always been a great piece of lore for the ages. There were even some Extended Universe bits that still hold true to this day, but I won't bore you with the details. Here starts a lovely little idea for a Star Wars segment on Virtua Neptune. We just hope we don't need to make any deals with a certain Lord of the Darkside.
Star Wars The Arcade Game
Released in 1983 for the arcades, this was a wonder that it even exists. Someone must have really wanted to be an astronaut, because they simulated the experience of fighting in an X-wing almost to a T. This is a game that still holds up today as an arcade experience that anyone should try. If you have the opportunity to play this in a simulated X-wing, do not hesitate to do so! This is mind-numbing, wonderful fun killing TIE fighters and listening to that wonderful old pixelated soundtrack.
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
This game deserves its own review. It is another relic of the Extended Universe with Revan's chapter in the Star Wars franchise. This storyline got a lot more screen time than the other ones and parts of it still exist in what passes as Star Wars lore these days. This is an action RPG and features so many amazing traits you can give your "original character". The highly customizable elements and vast exploratory elements of the Star Wars universe make this a staple for any collection. The sequel is also looked upon fondly, though not as much for several reasons that would suffice in their own entire article.
Star Wars Battle Front 2
The run and gun fun for everyone from the good old version of 2009! Did you really think I would count that intruder among our ranks with the horrible microtransactions and crappy story? HA! Nay! This version is simple: Get to your mission and take down as many battle droids as you can while collecting health and armor powerups! It couldn't get any simpler and you have a limited amount of how many troopers you can use. So, like in real life, your reinforcements are limited to just how good you are and how fast you can get missions done. This is just an all around fun mid-2000's romp with levels from the first game already installed! It's just as good as having both. Enjoy and destroy the opposition!!
Star Wars Jedi Academy
Yet another gem among Star Wars games when you weed through all of them. They really have a great number of diverse titles with a good bit of story involved. Go first person with a blaster or go third person with a lightsaber, it doesn't matter, this game is awesome! The story does take a few too many curves here and there but overall, it's an enjoyable experience. The greatest storywise next to Knights of the Old Republic, if we're being honest. While some of the level progressions can get a bit sketchy and hard to follow at times, this game is definitely worth tracking down and playing for the sheer enjoyment of its retro feel with graphics and gameplay.
Star Wars goes with gaming like peanut butter and chocolate. The titles are vast and wonderful and with this series of articles, I wish to tackle some of the greatest Star Wars games of the eras. There are a lot of titles to go through and I hope you join me on with Planet Virtua throwing its hat into the science fiction universe with this wondrous collection of titles! Hyperdrive set!
