Top Five Star Wars Video Games
May 24, 2007
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1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
This superb role-playing game hit all the right points: a lengthy and engrossing storyline, an intuitive and deep lightsaber-wielding combat system, top visuals, and the best droid sidekick this side of...wait, this side of nothing, meatbag. Celebrated RPG developer Bioware hit pure gold with Knights' alignment system, which let players sway the development of their character from light side to dark side according to their moral choices.
2. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Harnessing the Quake III engine for detailed, high-performance graphics, Jedi Outcast stars Jedi outcast Kyle Katarn in a first-person tale of redemption, dueling Jedi, and lots and lots of lightsaber action. Featuring cameos from familiar faces like Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian, the single-player mode is a great ride, but to this day it's better remembered for its intense multiplayer modes, where players still gather for impromptu lightsaber duels.
3. TIE Fighter
Remembered by many as the best game of Lucas Arts' 1990s series of Star Wars-based shooters, TIE Fighter cast the player as a lowly TIE pilot in the Imperial Navy. As Star Wars fans will know, TIE Fighters are fast and maneuverable but lack shields, making them a challenge for their pilots. With its atmospheric, voice-clip-heavy briefings (a big deal back in 1994) and appealing sense of gravity and seriousness, TIE Fighter (and its expansion) remains a must play for any Star Wars aficionado.
4. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Who would have thought that a Lego Star Wars game would turn out good? Cute, family-friendly graphics, a convenient drop-in, drop-out two player mode, and a keen sense of humor catapulted this surprise smash to over a million sales in its release week last year. If you're looking for a Star Wars game to share with the kids, it's perfect.
5. Star Wars
Yup, just Star Wars. How could we leave out the 1983 arcade classic that introduced so many to the world of video games? Putting the player in the shoes of Luke Skywalker, X-Wing and all, this space shooter is set at the climax of the very first movie. It has just three levels: one where you fight TIE Fighters, one where you dodge your way over the surface of the Death Star, and one where you make your way down a trench to fire your torpedo. Conversions appeared on just about every home machine of the era, and the machine still turns up for sale now and again.