Since the 1980's Star Wars video games have been steadily cropping up into gaming culture. In today's article I will be listing off what is in my opinion the 10 best Star Wars Video Games.
10. Super Star Wars
Super Star Wars (Franchise) has been the go-to for Star Wars-related video gaming on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System since 1992. As expected, the three games follow the plots (albeit loosely) of the three original Star Wars movies with some "added" content to act as padding.
The first of the games starts you off on Tatooine fighting your way through canyons and badlands filled with "beer can-chucking" Jawas on hover-layZboys and mutated muppets, ultimately putting you in the pilot's seat of an X-Wing Starfighter on a mission to blow up the Death Star. But who can forget the memorable giant Wampa fight, or the fight with Bib Fortuna who shoots lasers from his head-tails? With entire levels and boss fight music based solely off of the Imperial March "dum dum dum dadada dum dum dum dadada" Super Star Wars truly is an unforgettable gem.
9. Star Wars: Obi Wan
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| Image from www.starwars-holocron.net |
8. Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi
Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi is a late 90's fighting game for the playstation console and was a first of its kind at the time as it was the only Star Wars-based fighting game. The game features returning favorites such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca and EU-favorite Mara Jade and a bunch of new characters like Ardyn Lyn, a Jawa, a Gamorrean and a Sand Person or something.
7. Star Wars: Jedi Academy
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| Image from love cincao nix |
Jedi Knight Academy is a 2003 sequel to Jedi Knight featuring oddball FPS and hack & slash action as well as a multiplayer setting with unlockable aspects. The game has you taking control of Jaden Korr, who is racially and sexually ambiguous individual - who is the apprentice of Kyle Katarn and will is destined to either become a Jedi Master or a Dark Lord. The plot is basically you chasing down rogue members of a fledgling cult that has arisen in the last few years since Jedi Knight and Jaden Korr i.e. YOU the player will have to make various light or dark side-oriented decisions throughout the game.
6. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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| Image from www.gamershell.com |
The Clone Wars is an obscure gem from 2002 released on the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube consoles. It takes place after Attack of the Clones and during (supposedly) the bulk of the Clone Wars. None of the events in the game are as far as I know 'canon' but it features giant spaceships, massive battles, lasers, and explosions, which makes it rank slightly higher than Jedi Academy. The game was included for free on some Xbox consoles bundled with a knock-off version of 'Tetris'.
5. The Old Republic
The Old Republic is a 2011 Massively Multiplayer Online RPG for PC and what some would say is EA/Bioware's answer to KOTOR 3. I have The Old Republic a middle of the road ranking in that the game features familiar combat and gameplay ala KOTOR & TSL, with new and what some would consider to be 'improved' features implemented.
The game takes place 500 years after the events of KOTOR/TSL, and features and entirely new cast of characters, the plot being once again a battle of light vs darkness or "good vs evil", only this time the battle is set on a much larger stage as predicted by Kreia in KOTOR II. In TOR you are allowed to create anywhere from 2 to 16 characters either on the Republic or Galactic Empire side, ranging from Human, Cyborg, Zabrak, Chiss, Sith Pureblood, Cathar, Mirialan, Miraluka, Twilek, and Togruta and/or Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, Smuggler, Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, or Imperial Agent.
Released initially in 2011 as a subscription-based MMO, by around 2012 or so the game became free-to-play, with FTP members being allowed to play from 3 "basic" races; Human, Cyborg & Zabrak and all of the classes with subscribed members having full access sans Togruta and Cathar, which requiring unlocking in the Cartel Store.
My thoughts? I like the game, like a lot...probably too much. In some ways this game really is the sequel to KOTOR/TSL, just not exactly the KOTOR III we all had in mind but that's okay. The gameplay is like I said familiar, and the interactions with companions and NPCs is bumped up from its predecessors (having obviously taken notes from Dragon Age Origins/DA2). The game excels in PvP combat and world exploration and the endless (if not repetitive quest chains) make the game replayable, however as I said repetitive. The cons are that by in far too may things require actual real world money to be spent in the cartel shop in order to add flavor or to "spice up" your game experience. The whole cartel shop, legacy points, light side/dark side tokens and what not is confusing and sort of makes the whole business of accumulating credits (the currency of Star Wars) rather superfluous, especially when the limit (yes there is a limit) is 350000. All in all The Old Republic is a great game, just perhaps not the great KOTOR sequel that we all had our hearts set on. Regardless it is an awesome experience, and now that it is free to play there is really no reason to not at least give it a go.
4. Shadows of the Empire
Shadows of the Empire is a 1997 action-adventure game for the Nintendo 64 console that is based off of the novel and comic book of the same name, taking place in-between the Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. The game has you taking control of Dash Rendar, a smuggler and contemporary of Han Solo, the game is basically a retelling of Shadows of the Empire from the point of view Dash Rendar, memorable boss fights include AT-ST, Boba Fett and the Slave I, IG-88 and a giant Dianoga.
3. Bounty Hunter
Bounty Hunter is an Action Adventure game released in 2002 for the Gamecube and Playstation 2 consoles. The game takes place a decade before Episode II and places you in control of Mandalorian bounty hunter for hire, Jango Fett. Anyone who has seen Attack of the Clones knows what fate awaits the poor hunter, as well as the primary plot of said movie - this game focuses on the template of the clone wars, Jango Fett and his Bounty Hunter Mission or Missions serves as a test or trial to see if he is worthy of being the progenitor of an army of master soldiers.
This game is an awesome mix of Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid, which essentially means you can attack people in the street and go covert for stealth-based missions. The dialogue and cut scenes in this game are excellently acted and animated, and the characters are engaging and likable to a point and the gameplay is a good balance of third person-shooter and platformer.
2. Lego Star Wars
Lego Star Wars is awesome, like it's probably one of my favorite Star Wars games ever. It's fun, quirky, and falls on the side of lighthearted even when dealing with serious issues such as Anakin's Emo behavior and Order 66. The game has a fair bit of extra or hidden content that can be accessed by collecting various coins or parts during each level. You can even create your own lego star wars character using a variety of existing parts. All in all Lego Star Wars is an excellent game, it follows the plots of the main movies without taking itself seriously and the gameplay is fun and rewarding without being too challenging.
1. Knights of the Old Republic|The Sith Lords
Okay It's a tie, I was originally going to give this spot to KOTOR and make TSL much lower on the list but since it's only a ten item list, I caved. So...KOTOR is a 2003 role-playing game for the XBOX console, and was later ported to windows and Android phones.
KOTOR I:
Where do I start with this, KOTOR I is a masterpiece, to me it is the Earthbound of Star Wars games (though a bit more mainstream, and thus popular). I love everything about this game and it is all great imho; the lore, the setting, plot, the plot-twist, the cast, the space fights, the music (composed by Morrowind composer Jeremy Soule FYI). I really enjoy playing this game my very first time, I would wile away the hours staying up past midnight trying to level my party up and romance Bastila just perfectly, while deciding on whether learning light side or dark side powers on my level up. All in all KOTOR I is a masterpiece, sure it has its flaws and is not everyone's cup of tea. There is a handful of cut content, though said cut is microscopic in comparison to it's 2004 sequel. It is a game beloved by many and one that I proudly and fondly refer to as my favorite post highschool RPG.
KOTOR II: TSL
The Sith Lords, like I said earlier this one was going to get a much lower ranking on the totem pole here but because of the ten item limit I decided to give in and merge it with K1. Now to begin, TSL is a great game, honestly it is; it takes what already was established in 2003 by KOTOR and adds onto it as well as greatly darkens the atmosphere and theme of the franchise. KOTOR II improved on a lot of things (imo) such as combat, party approval, emotion and lore. I was not crazy about the plot, I felt like the game was already so dark that you could feel the despair reaching to you and it was worse playing as a Dark Jedi, which really made you feel like a bastard for your choices. Kreia is probably the best thing about this whole game, she is not for everyone as she can easily become "tiring" and "repetitive" and seems hellbent with the "her way or the highway" attitude, but she is a well-written character none-the-less. All in all while I wholeheartedly think that The Sith Lords is an excellent game, to me the obvious lack of content took away from a potentially excellent game. The Sith Lords Restoration Project for PC restores all of the cut content, however my first impression of the game has already been set in place. It's a great game, if not lacking...a lot, and the characters are definitely either love or hate, there is no middle road for the companions of TSL.
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