[Lupin3]

I've always wanted to play Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire for the N64, but I never got around to do it. Now I'm thinking about giving the PC version a go, but is it worth the time?

Might add that I really enjoy games like Dark Forces, and if I'm not entirely wrong SotE isn't far off from that style?

What's your opinion about it? Good enough? Great? Bad?

[Gravijah]

BATTLE OF HOTH IS AMAZING

rest of the game is hit or miss.

[Vilam]

Awesome. My most memorable Star Wars game. I love the mixture of gameplay styles presented in it - it pulls it all off incredibly well for being an early N64 title.

[Yaboosh]

It was fun when it was released, but there is no way it has aged well.

It was a mixture of third person action platforming and vehicle combat. So nothing like Dark Forces.

[Derrick01]

It was pretty awesome when it came out but like most games from that generation it hasn't aged well at all.

[Neiteio]

Very ambitious game with a sense of adventure that hasn't been quite captured since. Fits in well with the original trilogy (and is actually set between Episode V and Episode VI). However, the graphics are naturally very dated, though it's all full 3D, which is nice. Also be aware that your character controls a bit tank-like... It's not old-school RE controls, it just has a certain clumsiness to it, like you're slip-sliding a bit. Fun, though. The furry white beasts in the Hoth base (Wompas?) are genuinely terrifying! So is the IG-88 boss, which actually benefits from the primitive graphics with a stilted manner of movement due to frame rate that makes it all the more scary!

[Stallion Free]

It aged poorly, but I think it's still worth a visit. The train level is pretty damn impressive for it's time and it doesn't take too long to finish. There is a nice visual and level design variety too.

A remake in the style of Star Wars 1313 would be pretty damn cool.

[Meier]

I loved it at the time but then again, I was like a 13 year old kid. I have a feeling it'd still be a lot of fun for a Star Wars fan.

[Silly.Mikey]

BATTLE OF HOTH IS AMAZING rest of the game is hit or miss.

If you want good space battles play Rogue Squadron 1 and 2.

From what i remember from this game, it was horrible.

[bounchfx]

loved it!

no clue how I'd feel about it now, but the nostalgia is strong with this one.

[moggio]

Apart from the Battle of Hoth it was a mess.

It hasn't aged well.

[Neiteio]

I re-watched the hover-bike level on YouTube awhile ago. Still has a mind-blowing sense of speed. It was F-Zero X before F-Zero X was F-Zero X.

[brandonh83]

The level design was awful but charming. Like Gall Spaceport, I think the level where you fight Boba Fett at the end? It was like a 15 minute long level and that shit dragged.

The vehicle stages, like Hoth and Mos Eisley (bike) were pretty cool. Oh and the last level was really amazing at the time as well. I got really good at flying that craft around.

[Mike M]

The snowspeeder bit was awesome.

The rest of the game was terrible, even at the time.

[destrudo]

I haven't played it in years, but I remember loving it. The game doesn't work in all areas, but it's nice that it tries to incorporate a lot of variety. Mostly I remember the jet pack sections and the sewer part (that last boss scared the shit out of me as a kid). Oh, and crashing a lot in the swoop bike level, ha ha.

[Damian.]

loved it! no clue how I'd feel about it now, but the nostalgia is strong with this one.

This. I tried to play it again recently, and it is awful, but nostalgia makes it awesome.

I still like to grab my N64 controller from time to time and do the debug mode code in where you have to use your nose or chin along with your hands since all of your fingers are tied up. :D

[Entropia]

I played this game so damn much, it was my favorite N64 game for a long ass time.

I played the last level when you blow up the Skyhook a LOT.

[WillyFive]

It aged very poorly.

The Snowspeeder opening was a good tech demo, but you should play the Rogue Squadron/Battle for Naboo games instead.

[DidntKnowJack]

Overall it was never considered a great game, but back in the day the Hoth level was pretty amazing.

[Vhalyar]

Mostly I remember the jet pack sections and the sewer part (that last boss scared the shit out of me as a kid). Oh, and crashing a lot in the swoop bike level, ha ha.

Yup. Fucking terrified of that thing as a kid. Even the little ones made me super nervous because visibility and controls are pretty bad underwater.

[br0ken_shad0w]

Wampa Stompa

The only other reason to play Shadows of the Empire aside from Hoth.

[RedSwirl]

There was a PC version? Shit. Where do you get it?

I bought the N64 version a little while back and it's a lot harder than I remember. The Echo Base level was still fun though. It's definitely worlds away from today's shooters however. Still great presentation-wise though.

[1upmuffin]

The on foot controls are pretty bad but I agree with the others that the Hoth level is very fun.

[JumpingTheGun]

Wasn't this game expensive as hell when it released? I thought the Hoth segments were kinda cool but even they dragged on for far too long.

The book wasn't much better in my opinion.

[brandonh83]

Nostalgia for this is super strong though. Since it came out around the N64 launch I mainly associated the new console with this, Mario, and Pilotwings.

Man... those were the days. I really hope the WiiU brings back some of those memories. The Wii kind of did, but aside from Twilight Princess it didn't really have any awe-inspiring titles for a while.

[ShutEye]

Loved this when it came out. Can't imagine it aged well.
I forgot there was a PC version.

[Lupin3]

There was a PC version? Shit. Where do you get it?

Well... let's just say it's not that hard to find.

Thanks for all your impressions! I don't mind dated gfx or level design, kinda like it actually. It's the overall "star wars feel" I'm after, like the one in Dark Forces. Old School, but lovely! :)

[Roto13]

I remember shooting a guy and seeing him fall off a cliff and that shit blew my mind.

Game's probably terrible by today's standards but I had a lot of fun with it way back when. Flying around in an X-Wing in space was awesome at the time. Not to mention tripping up the AT-AT's and AT-ST's.

[RedSwirl]

Well... let's just say it's not that hard to find. Thanks for all your impressions! I don't mind dated gfx or level design, kinda like it actually. It's the overall "star wars feel" I'm after, like the one in Dark Forces. Old School, but lovely! :)

Presentation-wise it definitely has the "Star Wars feel". They did a very good job making it sound like Star Wars. How hard is it to get the game running on modern hardware?

[brandonh83]

Thanks for all your impressions! I don't mind dated gfx or level design, kinda like it actually. It's the overall "star wars feel" I'm after

Then if you can get over how its aged and some iffy controls, you should really enjoy it. Then again I haven't played it in well over a decade, but I remember the game giving me an incredible Star Wars fix that not even the prequels really did, and I actually really liked those.

SOTE does what a lot of people wanted Lucas to do with the prequels, I think, in terms of atmosphere and tone at least.

[destrudo]

There was a PC version? Shit. Where do you get it? I bought the N64 version a little while back and it's a lot harder than I remember. The Echo Base level was still fun though. It's definitely worlds away from today's shooters however. Still great presentation-wise though.

The PC version is kind of a mess. I spent hours trying to get it to work about a year ago, and when I did there was a ton of graphical problems and the music wouldn't play. Unless someone out there has released a fan-made patch since then, I think the N64 game being emulated probably works better.

[revolverjgw]

Janky when it was new, don't even want to think about how it would feel now. But I have fond memories anyway, a lot of memorable mission designs and settings.

[lethial]

It'll probably be one ugly game by todays standards.

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

It had terrible graphics and gameplay even for a 1996 n64 game and its only remembered fondly because it was one of only a handful of n64 games that came out near launch

[Aku-Audi]

It's one of the few Star Wars games that truly feels like Star Wars.

Some of the levels are just too frustrating though, fuck that Train Junkyard and Boba Fett's hideout.

[LobLob]

It had terrible graphics and gameplay even for a 1996 n64 game and its only remembered fondly because it was one of only a handful of n64 games that came out near launch

You are remembering wrong or never played the game. It was awesome all around. I loved the train level, epic.

[BassForever]

Very good and very ambitious for it's time, hasn't aged well but is worth checking out if you're going though the history of the star wars games.

[Neiteio]

This is really a game they should remake. The core narrative, scenarios, etc, are worth preserving.

This, and Episode One Racer. The latter is deliciously atmospheric.

[Silly.Mikey]

You are remembering wrong or never played the game. It was awesome all around. I loved the train level, epic.

No he isn't, i also remember it having horrible graphics and game play, even then. There was fog everywhere in that game, it was horrible. The best SW games then was Rogue Squadron. That had amazing gfx and gameplay. And that first person flight view, man thats a game id rebuy in an instant if it was remade in HD!

awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_DPF_pHqOg

[XANDER CAGE]

It was a (damn near) launch launch title for the N64 that wasn't Super Mario 64. Take that as you will.

[Dreamcast2]

At the time, it was fun, but far from anything special. I can't imagine it having aged well.

[Jarmel]

It was a great game back in the day. Now? Probably horrible.

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

You are remembering wrong or never played the game. It was awesome all around. I loved the train level, epic.

I recall it getting mainly mediocre-bad review scores when it came out

[Jomjom]

Does this game's narrative actually cover the time between episode 3 and 4? (or is it 4 and 5 or 5 and 6). I just know it's between a couple of the movies.

[Utako]

I hated it.

Terrible graphics, gameplay and level design, even for its day. The vehicle sections feel like a twisted ROM hack, and you're way, way better off with one of the dozen other vehicle-based Star Wars games.

Does this game's narrative actually cover the time between episode 3 and 4? (or is it 4 and 5 or 5 and 6). I just know it's between a couple of the movies.

It starts at Hoth.

[BattleMonkey]

Was awesome back then, now it's pretty bad. Aged very poorly

[Stallion Free]

Does this game's narrative actually cover the time between episode 3 and 4? (or is it 4 and 5 or 5 and 6). I just know it's between a couple of the movies.

Between 5 and 6.

[kodt]

I loved this game on N64. Tried getting the PC version to work but it would run too fast on modern systems so it was pretty much unplayable. Everything moved at warp speed.

Does this game's narrative actually cover the time between episode 3 and 4? (or is it 4 and 5 or 5 and 6). I just know it's between a couple of the movies.

Yes. It's based on the Shadows of the Empire book/comic which occurs between Episodes 5 and 6. The game is focused on just one character though, Dash Rendar. The book/comic covers the actions of several characters.

[Jomjom]

Does that mean the game doesn't cover how Luke gets his lightsaber and how he turns into a bad ass?

[ido]

I remember playing the shit out of this game while listening to No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album in my room at my mom's house.

I loved the game at the time, but like many here have said, I imagine it has not aged very well at all.