1987: Star Wars (Famicom)īy the late '80s, Atari was flagging in the console market, and Nintendo's 8-bit system was on the rise, making it the perfect candidate for a new Star Wars game.
#STAR WAR GAME UPDATE#
1985: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Arcade)įinally, in 1985, Atari closed out the trilogy by releasing an Empire Strikes Back update for the first arcade game, which took you back to Hoth for another go at defending the Rebel base from Imperial forces and their massive AT-ATs. Jedi would forgo the model of the first game in favor of an isometric, on-rails shooter that re-created numerous scenes from Jedi, including the speederbike chase on Endor and the Millennium Falcon's assault on the Death Star. 1984: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Arcade)Ītari took Star Wars back to arcades in 1984, but it leaped over The Empire Strikes Back and instead went straight to Return of the Jedi. It was also the first game based on A New Hope, the first film in the original trilogy.
Not all of these elements made it to the home release, but Atari was able to retain the core gameplay, which was a major step up from the previous games set in the Star Wars universe. The original arcade release featured vector graphics and digitized voices, delivering a revolutionary and influential experience for the time. Ultimately, it was the port of Atari's own Star Wars arcade game that defined the true Star Wars experience on the 2600. 1983: Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Arcade/Atari 2600) But with stationary Jedi and abstract combat, the results were unfortunately underwhelming. It attempted to re-create the excitement of fighting with lightsabers. That same year, Parker Brothers also released Jedi Arena for the 2600. 1983: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Jedi Arena (Atari 2600) It was another simple shooting game, but this time, you manned the iconic Millennium Falcon, shot down TIE fighters, and chipped away at the Death Star before delivering the final blow to the reactor core, destroying the Death Star once and for all. 1983: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Death Star Battle (Atari 2600)Ī year later, Parker Brothers followed up The Empire Strikes Back with 1983's Return of the Jedi: Death Star Battle. It was a simple re-creation of the iconic scene from the film The Empire Strikes Back, but more importantly, it was the first interactive Star Wars experience that you could enjoy at home. Your one and only goal was to defend a secret Rebel base from massive, four-legged juggernauts known as AT-ATs. The Empire Strikes Back dropped you into battle on the frigid planet of Hoth. The first Star Wars video game was created by Parker Brothers in 1982 for the Atari 2600.
1982: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Atari 2600) It all began with the second movie, on a console far, far away: the Atari 2600. Now Playing: The History of Star Wars Games Part 1: 1982-1998 For the first part of our two part look back at Star Wars video games, let's take a look at the most beloved Star Wars games that came out between 19.īy clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Abrams, there are no doubt plenty of Star Wars games on the way, but regardless of what happens in the future, the past still belongs to the fans.
#STAR WAR GAME SERIES#
With a new series of films on the way from director J.J. Sadly, the time of LucasArts has passed, and it was forced to hand over the reins to Electronic Arts when Disney bought the rights to the franchise in 2013. It took a few years before LucasArts began to ship Star Wars games of its own, but they were some of the best Star Wars games of all time. Following the series' humble beginnings on the Atari 2600 in the '80s, Lucasfilm finally broke out LucasArts, its own game division, in 1990. Some are considered classics in their respective genres, and some are perhaps best forgotten. George Lucas' Star Wars is a well of inspiration for video games, and in the nearly 40-year history of the franchise, there have been more than 100 games released across consoles, handhelds, PCs, and mobile devices.