Star Wars – the Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back was released at an interesting time. By 1992 16-bit really took off and NES releases were drying up. Super Star Wars was the game I’m sure most were interested in and so TESB kind of fell by the wayside. Even now reviews for it are pretty sparse. Compared to its predecessor this is a pretty straightforward action platformer and fixes some of the more frustrating aspects of that game. It also has a number of problems of its own that bring it down unfortunately. You are better off going with the SNES game released the following year if you really want to capture the film in video game form.

The Empire Strikes Back eschews the free form structure of the first game and is a traditional side scroller. Unlike the previous game the game is strictly told from Luke Skywalker’s perspective. It cuts down on the variety but is more focused as a result. In terms of abilities Luke has both his lightsaber and blaster from the start. Although you don’t start out as a Jedi you can perform a few extraordinary feats such as super jumping, which is absolutely critical to the game. New force abilities are found throughout the game (and weirdly enough before you meet Yoda) and run the gamut from super speed, an attack booster, to even levitation.

Although the open structure of Star Wars is gone that has little effect on the level design. Each map is absolutely huge with more than one path to the end. The developers have gone to great lengths to include all the signature elements of the film. You start off in the ice caves of Hoth riding a Tauntaun before hopping in a snowspeeder to take out a set number of AT-ATs. It isn’t as thrilling as its depiction in Shadows of the Empire however Lucas Arts/JVC have done an impressive job of letting you take these behemoths down, be it in vehicle or on foot just like the movie. The jungles of Dagobah are an imposing lot to navigate on the way to meeting Yoda but is followed up by a turn in an X-Wing on the way to the final battle in Cloud City.

I have to give the game credit for being so direct. My major problem with Super Empire Strikes Back is that it dragged on far too long. I can appreciate adding levels to showcase characters like Han and Chewbacca but it also meant that you spent far too long in one location a good deal of the time. There really is no need to have 12-13 stages set on Hoth. The variety is made up by having a few vehicle segments. By focusing on Luke it moves at a brisk pace, capturing the best moments of the film in short bursts and moving on.

That being said it does share a vicious difficulty level with its 16-bit cousin. I like the animation but it also makes the controls sloppy. Luke tends to flail around a bit when jumping around and doesn’t react to your input immediately. There is a tedious amount of platforming and with the imprecise controls you’ll suffer many a cheap death. Even worse death throws you back to the beginning of that level, even if you’ve reached the boss. Considering some stages can take up to 20 minutes to navigate this is a particularly brutal design decision.

Speaking of bosses they are terribly designed. Bullet sponges are a pet peeve of mine and the Empire Strikes Back is egregiously bad with it. If you rely on your blaster it can take close to ten minutes to whittle them down if you survive that long. Using the lightsaber is quicker but you open yourself up to being juggled and dying within seconds. You get one life and six measly continues which just isn’t enough. It’s a shame as this could have been great with a little bit more time.

Developer Sculptured Software worked the NES pretty hard and the results show. Empire captures the look of the movie about as well as can be expected and is pretty damn impressive. The environments are extremely detailed and the game does a good job of providing some variety despite the film taking place in a mere 3 locations. The animation is the most impressive however. The Empire Strikes Back has some of the smoothest animation on the system in my opinion. The music admirably attempts to recreate the John Williams score with the sound being a step above its predecessor. There are numerous voice samples and though simplified that you’ll recognize key pieces of music from the movie. But you can tell the game is taxing the hardware as the music frequently cuts out.

In Closing

Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back is a step in the right direction but that doesn’t mean it is good. This could definitely have used some more polish before being released. The core of a good game is there but is buried under a mountain of frustration. I have my issues with its SNES counterpart but I would still recommend that game over this.