The upcoming DICE game Star Wars Battlefront has gamers and fans alike excited that this could be one of the best Star Wars games to date. Much remains to be seen pending our first beta impression, however, it undeniably and faithfully replicates the universe to a key. Let’s not also forget that Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a little more than a month away. To celebrate our personal excitement and over-the-top Star Wars fandom, we bring to you our Top 10 favorite Star Wars video games.
10. Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (PS2, Xbox, GBA, DS)
If you’ve seen Revenge of the Sith, you know what you’re in for when you pick up this game. The story is very linear, following the events of the movie fairly closely, just with the added benefit of you being the one actually swinging the lightsaber around. There are three things that really give this game a spot on this list, however:
1. The events from the movie are expanded enough to become a lot more engaging and interactive. For example, having to clear clones out of the Jedi Temple, as opposed to going there after they’ve all left like in the movie, makes you feel like you were experiencing the movie’s events firsthand.
2. It has a multiplayer, fighting game component that’s surprisingly enjoyable and deep enough to keep you coming back. It also has a good number of characters to choose from.
3. It has an alternate ending where Vader kills both Obi-Wan and Palpatine to become the Emperor himself, long before multiple endings became a popular thing for Star Wars games (looking at you, Force Unleashed). It may not be the most experimental of the games, but it helped start up a lot of the traditions in Star Wars games we know and love today. It’s a good time nonetheless.
~ Donovan
9. Shadows of the Empire (N64, Windows)
Shadows of the Empire is a game I never actually beat. My brother and I had it for the Nintendo 64, but since we played it when we were 6 or thereabouts, I can barely remember much about it beyond that. Still, the game really sticks out to me because of one thing in particular – its opening level. Taking place during the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back, the level (and game as a whole) has you playing as Dash Rendar, a smuggler who is much in the vein of Han Solo. It’s pretty simple overall. You fly around in a ship trying to take out the AT-AT walking gunships that are decimating the battlefield. There was nothing more fun than spending a good minute just circling around the AT-ATs with your tying cables and watching them fall to the ground with a satisfying thud. After that, you played a little bit of a shooter section, running around the Hoth base trying to take out snowtroopers and other creatures within. Since then, I’ve watched through walkthroughs of the game and read the book it was based on. I am severely disappointed that I missed out on a fun, action-packed adventure. Still, that opening level was pretty damn memorable.
~ Donovan
8. Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (PS, Dreamcast, GBA)
A small title for the original PlayStation and the Sega Dreamcast, Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles is a side-scroller, beat-em-up adventure that is an absolute blast. Players may choose from 5 Jedis, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and Plo Koon, to romp through iconic locales all over the Star Wars galaxy. Combing through the jungles of Naboo, trekking the desert canyons near Mos Eisley and jumping rooftops on Coruscant has never been so much fun nor challenging. That challenge, thankfully, can be shared with a friend as the game features one of the best 2-player co-op experiences in a Star Wars game. Also, Jedi Power Battles vaguely follows The Phantom Menace as the game is mainly about brawling through tons of enemies, defeating challenging bosses and upgrading your favorite Force-users.
~ Rafael
7. The Old Republic (Windows)
The Old Republic is an MMORPG that came out a few years back and is developed by BioWare. The game, much like the one it’s based on, has a wonderful narrative. There are unique main stories for every class as well as some very engaging side quests. Despite having been out of the game for awhile, the Revan side quests still stick with me. Aside from narrative, the game has so much more to offer, be it engaging the opposing faction in a huge PvP battle or queuing up for some huttball (the galaxy’s most dangerous game of space football) alongside your friends or fellow guild members. The Old Republic has something to offer not only to Star Wars fans, but to a general gaming audience as well.
~ Jimmy
6. Episode 1: Racer (N64, Dreamcast, Game Boy, Windows, Mac)
There are a few things I think all Star Wars fans can agree on regarding the prequels. The first being that Darth Maul was under-utilized and killed too soon, and secondly, podracing is awesome. A good racing game is always enjoyable, especially when its characterized by our favorite heroes and franchises. I know for certain that witnessing Anakin race Sebulba and co. during The Phantom Menace made me want to experience it à la The Trilogy Arcade. Fortunately for all, it did come not only to arcade, but to other platforms as well. Learning the courses, repairing your pods, and preventing overheating provided a fun, exciting challenge. Taking on the built-in tournaments was just as entertaining as taking on your friends as you essentially rammed each other into every single obstacle you could find. Being able to select from various pods was also fun, if not just to avoid listening to Anakin’s annoying voice throughout each and every race.
~ Zach