The 1990s were an exciting time forStar Warsas the prequels had yet to come out, but thanks to various re-releases on VHS, the Special Edition, and the expanded universe novels, it still had widespread popularity.
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The ever-changing video game industry took advantage of this, creating many Star Wars games. With 3D just becoming viable in the 90s, it was a decade that saw great games that were both 2D and 3D, pushing the genres they were in.
9Super Star Wars Series
Even though the games were challenging, the Super Star Wars series was peakSNESgaming, making good use of the IP in beautiful 16-bit. Along with side-scrolling fare that we have all come to love from early 90s games, the game threw in vehicle levels like flying an X-wing.
The Return of the Jedi entry used Mode 7 on the SNES for a quasi-3D experience. If you’ve ever wanted to take on Jabba The Hutt in a boss fight, this is the series for you.
8Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (1996)
For those Star Wars fans growing up in the 1990s, it did not get much better than Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire on theN64. The all-3D graphics were eye-popping at the time, and the game did a good job of mixing up the gameplay.
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Shadows of the Empire is primarily a third-person shooter, but its opening level Hoth battle sequence is some of thebest flying combaton the console. The game also has some space levels and a memorable swoop bike racing stage. It’s easy to see why Shadows of the Empire sold one million copies, because this game was a galaxy of fun.
7Star Wars Episode One: Racer (1999)
LucasArts' Star Wars Episode One: Racer was so beloved it’s gotten HD re-releases on several modern consoles. It is a fast-paced affair that captures the spirit of Anakin podracing on Tatooine in The Phantom Menace.
Originally released on PC and then ported over to the Nintendo 64 andDreamcast, this game is the best-selling sci-fi racer with over three million copies sold. The console versions had a split-screen mode that many of us could enjoy with friends and go, “now this is podracing.”
6Star Wars: Rebel Assault Series
During the 1990s, game designers went through a phase where they enjoyed full-motion video and pre-rendered 3D graphics. This typically has aged poorly, and many games from the era are largely forgotten. LucasArts' Rebel Assault series pushed the limited tech as faras it could gowhile slapping an enjoyable cinematic experience on it.
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The games were relatively short, but levels were mixed up as a variety of set pieces, and the rail shooter gameplay was pretty snappy. Rebel Assault 2’s B-wing level also created a small generation of fans for the weirdly shaped fighter.
5Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998)
The opening level of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire inspired Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which is one of the best games on the N64 and perhaps has the best graphics on the console. Game designer Factor 5 worked closely with Nintendo to develop this tight game engine.
The space combat withiconic Star Wars space vesselsfeels great, and the story is faithful to Star Wars canon. The game received acclaim for being incredible-looking, as Factor 5 took advantage of the N64’s expansion pack. If you wanted to hit hyperspace, this was the best way to do it in the 1990s.
4Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance (1999)
X-Wing Alliance took the best from the X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter series and super-sized it. You play as Ace, a Rebel Alliance pilot and a space-trading family member during the Galactic Civil War.
The game offered sharp 3D graphics for the time, a great story that complements the movies' canon, and space battles that could have up to 96 ships. It earned several Simulation Game of the Year nominations and carried on the tradition of fun Star Wars space combat games into the 21st century.
3Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995)
Doomspawned an industry of FPS clones in the 1990s, and while Dark Forces has the same DNA, it tries todo its own thing. Released in 1995, it is the first appearance of the beloved Star Wars character Kyle Katarn. He comes across the Dark Trooper project, which makes its way into the Mandalorian TV series many years later.
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Using LucasArts' Jedi Engine, the game broke some ground by having levels with multiple floors and the ability to look up and down. Dark Forces was praised by critics for its level design and ability to recreate Star Wars settings. It wasn’t a key hunt Doom clone, and was considered difficult for its time because of the diverse amount of obstacles in a level.
2Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (1997)
The sequel to Dark Forces upgraded to the Sith Engine, which made the game world fully 3D while adding lightsabers and Force powers. It really caught fans' attention.
The depth of this game far outpaces its predecessor, as you can choose how to level up your Force powers in the way you want. The wide-open game environments made it feel like Star Wars in scale, while the small details in the levels made it come alive.
1Star Wars: Tie Fighter (1994)
Tie Fighter is in the line of the well-received X-Wing series of computer games, but also stands out as one of the best video games of all time. LucasArts took what worked in their prior effort and added gameplay features and graphics enhancements.
Critics named it the top PC game of 1994, and a passionate online community popped up around it. So strong was this community that there are probably some elements of it that are still around today, which is impressive for a game released nearly 30 years ago.
NEXT:Games To Play If You Like Star Wars: Fallen Order
