Shadows Of The Empire - Star Wars - http://maxpages.com/dons/Shadows_Of_The

Shadows of the Empire
Released: 1996
Systems: Nintendo 64

The Basics

Title screen.
Shadows of the Empire was part of a line of merchandise released to coincide with the novel, written by Steve Perry, which chronicles the events that take place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The star of the game is Dash Rendar, a rogue mercenary introduced in the novel.

The Details

One more pass...
The beginning of Shadows of the Empire delivers what Star Wars fans had been waiting for since The Empire Strikes Back - the chance to take control of a snowspeeder and topple some AT-ATs in a realistic 3D environment. Super Empire Strikes Back for the SNES gave a small taste of that experience, but the first level of this game delivers the goods.

After that, the majority of the rest of the game puts you in control of Dash in a Dark Forces-style first-person shooter (there's also an option for a Tomb Raider-like perspective). The object is to blast away at your enemies while navigating your way through various buildings before coming upon a boss that must be defeated to move on.

Dash Rendar.
Mixed in between these walking levels are opportunities to pilot Dash's outrider (a spacecraft that looks an awful lot like the Millennium Falcon) and race on a swoop bike through Beggar's Canyon and Mos Eisley.

Battle of Hoth
Destroy probe droids, AT-ATs, and AT-STs in your snowspeeder.

Escape from Echo Base
Find and turn on the emergency generators, then head for the outrider. Watch out for the imperial AT-ST boss.

TIE fighters up ahead!
Asteroid Chase
Target and destroy the incoming TIE fighters while avoiding the asteroids.

Ord Mantell Junkyard
You are riding on top of a train going through the junkyard. Make your way to the front of the train. Watch out for the IG-88 boss.

Gall Spaceport
Boba Fett is hiding in the Gall imperial base. Go in through the back and find him.
There's a mini-boss, an imperial AT-ST, and a regular boss, Boba Fett.

Ready to roll.
Mos Eisley and Beggar's Canyon
Race on your swoop bike and destroy the member of the swoop gang hired to kill Luke Skywalker.

Imperial Freighter Suprosa
The plans for the new Death Star are located on this freighter. It's up to you to find them. On this level, the boss is a loader droid.

Sewers of an Imperial City
The only way into Xixor's palace is through the sewers. Here, the boss is a giant dianoga.

Xizor's Palace
Destroy the space elevator that connects Xizor's skyhook to his palace, then fight the gladiator droid boss.

Skyhook Battle
It's time to destroy Xizor's skyhook.

The story that connects these different levels together is told through cutscenes made up of static photographs and written text instead of animation and voice acting.

The Verdict
Shadows of the Empire bears the mark of a first-generation game for a new console. It's a mixed bag of disconnected gameplay, missing the polish and shine of later N64 releases. Overall, it's an OK game, but the snowspeeder level is so good it leaves you thirsting for more. Luckily, Rogue Squadron came along two years later to quench that thirst.

don_kenobi@yahoo.com

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Page Updated Tue Sep 14, 1999 10:37pm EDT