Column: Top Ten Star Wars Games

By Aaron N

Some of the best gaming experiences in gaming history have been from the Star Wars franchise.  Back in 1977, George Lucas' space opera took the world by storm and became an overnight sensation.  Merchandise was everywhere.  T-shirts, toys, books, Star Wars has been on everything.  So it was only natural that it would make a transition to video games.  Fans would love to actually be able to play the awesome events of the series.  Who wouldn't love to play as Luke Skywalker or Wedge Antiles in the assault on the Death Star from the first movie?  Or take down an AT-AT with your tow cable?  If there was one franchise that seemed to be made for gaming, Star Wars was it.  From the original Star Wars arcade game to the recently announced "1313", there have been numerous games created.  I originally planned to make a top five list, but since there are so many games and Star Wars has been an obsession of mine since I was young, it proved more difficult than I expected.  So here is a list of my top ten favorite Star Wars games.  Keep in mind that this isn't necessarily the top ten games but a list of my favorite games.  So my top games may not be the best made games, but the games that I had the most fun playing. 
Honorable mentions:
I have to give two games an honorable mention.  The first is "Tie Fighter".  "Tie Fighter" was a space flight simulator for the computer.  It is basically the father to modern Star Wars simulators.  The reason this gets an honorable mention is because unfortunately I never played this game so it would be improper of me to put it in my list.  The second honorable mention is Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.  This took the Nintendo 64's 3D graphics and built a simulator like I never played before.  It really was a first step into a larger world for Star Wars games.  It was fun to play through the timeline of the original trilogy and play an alternate storyline.
10. Star Wars Episode 1 Podracer
While the much hyped prequel movie did not have a favorable reaction from much of the Star Wars fanbase, it did create a pretty fun racing game.  You were able to play as the various racers including Sebulba and Anakin Skywalker.  It expanded upon the race that was shown in the movie and gave more tracks.  Each podracer had a unique handling style which changed things up every time you played.  Plus, what wasn't cooler than hearing Watto sing that Cantina song while you put your initials in for a high score.  This game is filled with nostalgia for me and it had replay value that you could pick up for a quick race and enjoy.
9. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3
The latest installment of the Rogue Squadron series was a fun one for me.  It had both in space and on-food battles.  While the on-foot segments were somewhat lackluster, they still were fun and they brought about a difference in gameplay.  They weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination.  The camera was awkward and the levels became repetitive.  But I feel like they tried to bring something new and with that, plus the great already existing formula for space battles, it will always have a pleasant spot in my memory.  Plus the best part of the game was that it featured a two-player co-op mode where you played through "Rogue Squadron 2".  This is the part that we play the most.
8. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
"Knights of the Old Republic" was the first major Star Wars game that made use of the RPG formula.  It also took us to the time period where the Jedi and Sith were at war.  You could create your own character and play through the story.  You chose who your squadmates were and even what your responses were to characters.  Your actions, whether nice or mean, turned your character light or dark side.  You could even choose the ending of the game.  Regardless of which side you eventually choose, there is a twist at the ending that leaves you speechles.  The fighting scheme in the game took me a little out of the gameplay.  So, I didn't feel as invested in this game as others.  But it is still an incredibly created game, and that is why it makes it into my top ten.
7. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Back when Nintendo Power first released their promo video for the Nintendo 64 it featured three games.  One of those games was "Shadows of the Empire".  It showed the very first footage of the Battle of Hoth, and in the level you flew a snowspeeder and used tow cables to trip the AT-AT.  The footage was mindblowing for its time.  The game itself took place in between Episodes five and six.  Some of the first levels are still burned into my memory, such as shooting a Wampa on Hoth and the aforementioned AT-AT tripping.  It featured space battles, ground battles, and even a weird battle with a squid like monster.  There were some flaws in it but overall it was a great experience and one that I love to go back and play every
so often.
6. Star Wars Battlefront
Everyone knows that the gaming trend for the past decade or so has been first person shooters, so what's better than a Star Wars first person shooter?  "Battlefront" is much more than a Call of Duty knock off.  It was fun to be able to play as the troops instead of the force users.  They would eventually put force users into the second installment of the series, but I feel like it was better without them.  Battlefront was a fun game to play with friends.  You could choose between different troops so it created some strategy.  It was a fun game that put emphasis on the lesser thought of characters.
5. Star Wars: Jedi Knight 2
The second in the "Jedi Knight" series put you into the world of Kyle Katarn.  He was a hero who would learn that he had the ability to use the force.  You had to save the day of course.  But what was so memorable about this game for me was that it was the first time I was able to use force abilities, like throwing the lightsaber among others.  I feel like it paved the way for future games like "Force Unleashed", but it kept it more grounded than that game.  In the grand scheme of Star Wars games, it may not be as memorable as I make it out to be.  But for me, it was a trail blazer and for that I must recognize it in this top ten list.
4. Star Wars Trilogy Arcade
This was a fun little game that I first found in aracades about a decade ago.  It consisted of a joy stick and a huge game cabinet, it was really a sight to see for the first time.  The game itself had three different levels, each based on a movie in the original trilogy.  Each level was split into two segments.  For "A New Hope" it was the attack on the Death Star and the trench run.  For "The Empire Strikes Back" it was the battle of Hoth and a fight with Boba Fett.  For "Return of the Jedi" it was a ground battle on the moon of Endor and a finale fight with Darth Vader.  The gameplay is generic, but the fact that you used the piloting-like joy stick was what hooked me it.  It was as if I was actually piloting a x-wing!  It's kind of archaic looking at it now, but for its time it was awesome.
3. Star Wars Arcade
Here is another arcade game on the top ten list.  This was the first arcade game based on Star Wars.  All it was, was the attack on the Death Star.  The level was a quick in space part that led to the trench run.  Then after you defeat it, you play it again only with a harder difficulty.  The dificulty increases until you lose all your shield and your gaming is now over.  I first played this game on a bonus disc for reserving "Rogue Squadron 3".  It a fun quick game that for some reason I keep getting hooked on. 
2. Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds
When I was a kid I loved playing Age of Empires 2, so what is better than that?...Star Wars edition!  This came out after Episode 1, with an expansion after Episode 2.  My brother and I could play this game for hours.  We knew all the codes, including how to summon Simon the killer ewok.  Simon was unstoppable!  We were playing once when we were called for dinner, so we unleashed one or two simons onto each of our enemies bases.  By the time we were done eating everything was destroyed and only a couple of Simons died, it was amazing.  I think this is the Star Wars game I have played the most.
1. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2
This game had me hooked the first time I played it on a demo for the Gamecube at a local Toys R Us.  It took everything great from the first game and improved upon it.  I couldn't wait to play it when I finally purchased the Gamecube.  They took classic events from the franchise and allowed you to play them.  Plus the graphics looked tremendous compared to the Nintendo 64.  This is actually the game that prompted me to write this article.  I am disappointed that a fourth game in the series will not be made, but for now I can just play this game with friends.  A few years ago my friends and I decided to take on the final level "Strike at the Core" two player style.  It took us so many frustratingly attempts to finally beat it.  The Millennium Falcon does indeed fly like a sleepy hut.  But when we finally beat it, the satisfaction was tremendous.
So there you have it, my top ten favorite Star Wars games.  I'm sure there are a few that you don't agree with, so in the comments post your top ten games if you have any, or even just your favorite games.  Star Wars games will be made until gaming no longer exist, so this list is destined to change.