In honor of May the Fourth, 2022, we are republishing our list of the 30 best games that take place in a galaxy far, far away, this time with updated entries for four new Star Wars games that have been released since the last time this list was published in 2017. Before reappearing in 2017, though, this feature was originally published in December 2015.
Image source: Platypus Comix
Image source: The Strong
Game developers saw the potential Star Wars had in the video games realm from the moment the film debuted on the silver screen in 1977. Some of these creators were so certain this science-fiction universe would transition to the interactive space that they didn't even get the rights for the Star Wars property, but still decided to release their games. In 1978, a year after Star Wars: A New Hope opened in theaters, the reputable Apple Computer released an unlicensed Star Wars game called Starwars on cassette tape for the Apple II. The game, which you can play in your web browser today, is an enjoyable little TIE Fighter shooting gallery.
The first officially licensed Star Wars "video game" arrived a year later in 1979. Dubbed Electric Battle Command, this Kenner developed game prominently displayed an X-Wing, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia on the game's standalone hardware, but the gameplay didn't have much to do with Star Wars at all, and pushed the player to avoid black holes and locate the "Force-giving star."
A true console Star Wars game didn't arrive until Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released on Atari 2600 in 1982 (two years after the film graced theaters). Like most games of the era, Atari shunned the movie plot and focused specifically on one action element: the Battle of Hoth. The only gameplay offered allowed the player to pilot a snow speeder and take out an endless stream of AT-ATs by shooting their glowing exhaust ports.
As crude as it was, the success of this title made Star Wars a permanent fixture in video games, from popular RPGs like BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic to oddities like The Yoda Chronicles for mobile devices. In the decades that followed, there are dozens of Star Wars games every Star Wars fan should get around to playing, and dozens more that they should avoid like Jabba the Hutt's bathroom.
Many members of the Game Informer staff have played more Star Wars games than they can recall, and are avid fans of the films, expanded fiction, and collectibles. We spent a few days bickering over the best Star Wars games to date, and spent a few more arguing over the order they should be arranged in on our Top 30 list. Why 30? That's the cutoff between the playable and fun games and the prequel-like missteps.
We hope you enjoy this journey through video games' exploration of a galaxy far, far away.
As always, we welcome all discussions, arguments, and personal Star Wars video game lists in our comments section below. Enjoy the read, and may the Force be with you!
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30. Star Wars: Rebel Assault II – The Hidden Empire
Sega CD, 3DO, PC – 1995
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II is by all intents and purposes a terrible game, but it’s also a hilarious one that uses live-action Star Wars footage to tell a story that is as jaw-droppingly bad as the Star Wars Holiday Special. To put it another way, it’s so bad it’s good. If you haven’t played this game yet, track it down, Star Wars fans. You need to see the story of Rookie One, a Tatooine farmer who isn’t Luke Skywalker, unfold in horrible ways with some of the worst acting to ever grace a video game.
29. Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC – 2002
The sleek Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor (more commonly known as the Jedi starfighter) is the centerpiece of this excellent space shooter from LucasArts. Serving as a side story to Attack of the Clones, Jedi Starfighter follows the exploits of Jedi Master Adi Gallia and a mercenary named Nym. Gallia flies the Jedi Starfighter while Nym provides bombing support in a Havoc.
Although not developed by Factor 5 – the team behind the Rogue Squadron series – the influence of those games is strongly felt in the dogfighting mechanics and mission designs. Force powers are also sewn into the mix in a unique but befuddling way. At any point, Gallia can use the Force to deploy shields, lightning, shockwaves, or enhanced reflexes. These elements make the gameplay more dynamic, but don’t hold true to the Star Wars lore from the motion pictures.
Another interesting twist are hidden mission objectives in each mission. Once discovered and completed, the player is rewarded with new spacecraft (including Maul’s Interceptor), as well as additional stages and bonuses. Jedi Starfighter is never talked about in the same breath as Rogue Squadron or X-Wing, but is surprisingly one of the classic Star Wars games Sony added to PlayStation 4. The game still holds up well today and is worth a look.
28. Star Wars: Empire at War
PC – 2006
The Star Wars universe is a perfect fit for the real-time strategy genre, and Petroglyph Games’ Empire at War shows us just how fun huge clashes can be. Battles unfold on planet surfaces where ground troops and vehicles march for victory, and in orbit where capital clash starships like Star Destroyers share the same space as microscopic sea of X-Wings and TIE Fighters.
Although Petroglyph employed a number of key members from Westwood Studios’ Command & Conquer team, Empire at War was a unique strategy game, moving away from the model of building bases for resources to controlling the galaxy for currency to build armies.
The flow of battle is dictated mostly by vehicle-based strategies that have a surprising amount of depth, but the tide can quickly turn when a hero or villain like Darth Vader or Leia Organa Solo rallied the troops. The victory states are just as fun as the core game, pushing the player to kill the Emperor or Mon Mothma, and blow up or use the Death Star.
27. Star Wars
Arcade – 1983
One of the most popular arcade games of all time, Star Wars did its best to capture the intensity of the Rebel’s battle against the Death Star. The game’s stylish 3D vector graphics capture the detail of the Death Star, deliver the sensation of roaring through its trenches, and despite their age, still look stunning today.
Star Wars is a short game, allowing most players to see it through to the end from just a handful of quarters. The action unfolds across three missions, all seen from the first-person vantage point of Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing. The first stage is a confrontation against Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter. The next stage is on the Death Star’s surface, tasking the player to take down turrets and towers. The final (most memorable) stage is the trench run, complete with the “one-in-a-million-shot” moment. If you, the player, doesn’t hit the exhaust port, they are placed back in the trench for another run, only with less shielding. Atari even pumps Obi-Wan’s voice through the arcade’s speakers to get the player into the moment.
Star Wars was successfully adapted to numerous consoles of the day, including the Atari 5200 and Commodore 64.
26. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
PC – 1994