STACK #238 August 2024

AND OF THE WORST! 6 OF THE BEST STAR WARS GAMES GAMES OF ALL TIME It’s an enduring movie and, more recently,TV sensation, but Star Wars has also held its own in the game space, with many, many releases through the years. Some have been incredible – and some, well, haven’t. Let’s kick of with six of the best… Words Paul Jones, Amy Flower 2

GAMING FEATURE

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either the Empire or as a Rebel, and having the opportunity to fight in beloved vehicles from the Star Wars universe in either first or third person, and it was almost too much to bear. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) The Emperor has

taken control of the galaxy, the Republic

has transformed into the Galactic Empire, and the remaining Jedi are being hunted down across the galaxy.

We got to step into the space boots of one of the few remaining Jedi, Padawan Cal Kestis, in this outstanding single-player action-adventure experience that marked a welcome return to form for Star Wars games. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022) While the movies let you watch the characters flying around the galaxy, this one let you live it! ”Far better than the movies,” is a quote that you often hear about LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – and we agree. You’d be wrong suggesting that this is just one for the kids, too. Start it up – irrespective of your age – and you’ll find it pretty damn hard to put down. Packed with puzzles, stacks of replay value, and a generous helping of humour, this superb title is fun for all the family.

Star Wars (1983) Played either standing up or sat in a cockpit model with speakers built into the cabinet, Atari’s arcade smash Star Wars utilised 3D colour vector graphics. The first-person rail shooter put players in control of an X-Wing fighter, piloted by none other than Luke Skywalker. The game consists of three phases, and once these are complete it resets, with the difficulty increased. Digitised versions of voices from the film accompany gameplay, and the X-Wing is controlled by a yoke with four firing

well-written, features an excellent blend of turn-based and action combat, and is simply a must-have in any video game collection. Star Wars: Battlefront (2004)

Oh, how we remember discovering Battlefront for the first time! Borrowing heavily from the Battlefield series, the game didn’t disappoint. Being able to participate in any battle set during the original trilogy (and, reluctantly, the prequel trilogy too) was every Star Wars fans’ dream. Throw in the chance to compete online on the side of

buttons. It’s basic, but it remains a must-have for old school arcade collectors. There’s nothing quite like that booming sound of the Death Star going up! TIE Fighter (1994) From the moment they first screamed across the screen in Star Wars , we all wanted to fly a TIE fighter. Back in 1994, we got our chance, and we weren’t disappointed. Even now, the game holds up. A sequel to the popular X-Wing , TIE Fighter was an infinitely better title that delivered just about everything you could possibly want from a space simulator/shooter. It had strategy, solid controls, a compelling narrative, and an excellent combat system that could be played in first or third person. Knights of the Old Republic (2003) We’d dread to calculate the amount of time that we’ve played this. An RPG extravaganza, BioWare decided to bin the era of Star Wars mythology from the films and take the universe back four thousand years. The Sith has decimated the ranks of the Jedi and guess what? It’s up to you, a fledgling Jedi, to restore order to the galaxy. But will you be tempted to join the Dark Side? As to be expected from a BioWare property, it’s

Somebody once mused that we have to take the bad with the good. Sadly, we had to take these two Star Wars stinkers… Star Wars: Masters of Terås Kåsi (1997) MAY THE FARCE BE WITH YOU

Kinect Star Wars (2012) We’d like to meet the creator of Kinect

If we had to crown the winner of the worst Star Wars game ever made, this game would need to write an acceptance speech.

Star Wars – and drop Portugal on their head. When rumours circulated

that a Star Wars-themed Kinect title was coming, excitement mounted. Lounge room light saber duels, Force pushes, Force choke - the list was endless. What we didn’t expect was dancing Stormtroopers…

”Let’s make an exclusive Star Wars fighting game for PlayStation,” they said. ”Imagine Vader vs Fett,” they said. ”It will be breathtaking,” they said. ”It was utter garbage,” we said.

28 AUGUST 2024

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