
Super Star Wars
Released: 1992
Systems: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Basics
Title
The first 16-bit Star Wars game closely follows the plot of Episode IV; however, some changes have necessarily been made to make the storyline work as a video game. You begin the game as Luke Skywalker, but once you meet up with Chewbacca and Han Solo, you can play as them also. You start out armed with a standard blaster and can't use a lightsaber until you meet Obi-Wan Kenobi. Power-ups for your blaster include flame, seeker, rapid ion, and plasma.
The Details
Opening crawl.
Dune Sea
You will face scorpions, womprats, and other deadly creatures before going toe-to-toe with the Sarlac pit monster. You then receive a call for help from C-3PO that R2-D2 has been kidnapped by jawas.
To the Sandcrawler
On the way to the sandcrawler.
In this 3D landspeeder sequence, you must defeat 12 jawas before heading to the huge jawa sandcrawler where R2-D2 is being held captive. Make sure not to run out of energy for your landspeeder's jet engines.
Outside the Sandcrawler
Outside the sandcruiser.
Fight your way through the Tattooine desert until you reach the massive sandcrawler. Avoid the laser fire and jump from platform to platform until you reach the top. Be careful not to fall off, or you must start from the beginning.
Inside the sandcruiser.
Inside the Sandcrawler
After navigating through the labyrinthine innards of the sandcrawler, only the lava beast Jawenko stands in the way of saving R2-D2.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Land of the Sand People
Obi-Wan Kenobi waits for you at the end of this level filled with jawas and sand people. He will give you your father's lightsaber to use in subsequent levels.
Land of the Banthas
Armed with your lightsaber, you should make quick work of the banthas and sand people on this level.
To Mos Eisley
Your landspeeder is the quickest way to Mos Eisley, so hop in and defeat 20 jawas.
Mos Eisley
Mos Eisley
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." Actually, you'll mostly meet stormtroopers and jawas before you introduce yourself to Chewbacca.
Meet Han Solo.
Cantina Fight
Complete with the famous bar music, you fight your way through the bar until you meet the Kalaar boss monster. Han Solo agrees to take you to Alderaan.
Luke vs. an imperial defense droid.
Escape From Mos Eisley
Stormtroopers are on your tail! Quick, get to the Millennium Falcon! Unfortunately, a maintenance droid and hover combat carrier will try to stop you.
Death Star Hanger Bay
After a speedy exit from Mos Eisley, the Falcon is trapped by the Death Star's tractor beam. Make your way through the hanger, taking care not to fall through the open portholes in the ground.
Chewbacca in action.
Rescue the Princess
Leia sits in a detention center. What are you waiting for? Go get her! The detention guard boss will be happy to thwart your rescue effort.
Tractor Beam Core
With Leia safe, all that remains is to turn off the tractor beam and destroy the Death Star. Do so by draining the tractor beam power level at the end of this stage.
X-Wing
Defeat 20 TIE fighters and destroy 20 gun towers to move on to the trench.
Death Star Trench
"Stay on Target!" Blast the enemy TIE fighters and their incoming laser fire, and soon you'll come face-to-face with the dark lord himself in his modified TIE fighter. After dispatching him, drop a torpedo in the exhaust port, and you're out of there.
The Verdict
Han Solo in action.
From a certain perspective, Super Star Wars is a masterpiece. The characters, graphics, music, and sound effects are top-notch. Mode 7 scaling is made excellent use of in the landspeeder and X-wing scenes, and the SNES' sound processor never sounds better than when it's playing John Williams.
The problem is, Super Star Wars is about as much fun to play as spending a weekend with Jabba the Hutt. All the eye-candy on Dagobah doesn't take away from the fact that you must be a Jedi master to actually finish the game. Even on the easiest setting, the difficulty level is astronomically high, as is the frustration factor. Despite its technical excellence, Super Star Wars is missing a critical element - fun - that is so much a part of the Star Wars experience.
Nex
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