
	Platform SNES Genre Side-scrolling action Developer Sculptured Software Inc. Publisher LucasArts Released 1992
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Super Star Wars

super star wars,snes

Ever since the initial release of A New Hope in 1977, Star Wars has earned billions of dollars in merchandising revenue. It took 15 years for the license to reach Super Star Wars for the Super Nintendo and it was worth the wait.

Super Star Wars (SSW) is a standard side-scrolling shooter that set new standards in graphics and sound. The plot loosely follows that of the movie – and I do mean loosely. A couple of levels are devoted to Luke slaughtering Jawas! The major environments are present though: Tatooine, Mos Eisley, and the interior and exterior of the Death Star. Most of the action is restricted to side-scrolling but there are a few chances to enter a "3D" environment, such as the surface of the Death Star, which showcases the power of the SNES.

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The graphics are first rate. There’s no mistaking which characters are which. And there are lots of characters to "interact" with (read: vaporize) from the Star Wars universe. There’s even the chance to take on one of the chess pieces seen in the movie that body slams an opposing piece. There are Stormtroopers, Sand people, Jawas, Cantina aliens, hundreds of Tie Fighters, interrogation droids, and loads of mechanized

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killers to fight off. To help, players get to choose between taking Chewbacca, Luke, or Han Solo through each level. (This option doesn’t become available until Luke meets up with them.) They don't differ much in ability, although Luke can use a lightsaber and Chewbacca can take more damage. And speaking of damage, there’s a lot of it just waiting to happen. The enemy forces swarm you every chance they get, so if you don’t keep one eye on your health meter you’ll become One with the Force very quickly. Fortunately, practically anything that can be destroyed holds something useful, such as a heart, shields, a blaster power-up, thermal detonators, or a health sword.

Some sections of SSW are incredibly difficult, with an obscene amount of jumping puzzles. For example, the third level tasks Luke with scaling the outside of a Jawa sandcrawler. There are lots of moving platforms and projectiles to dodge. The whole thing wouldn’t be so difficult if the entire structure wasn’t moving as well. I’ve seen players throw controls at the TV in frustration as they fall to the sand for the six or seventh time after a mis-timed jump within sight of the end. The control, which is sometimes iffy, doesn’t help either. The end level is especially difficult because it doesn’t use the standard configuration for flight control. On the other end of the spectrum, end bosses are fairly easy to defeat and many have a "sweet spot" which can be exploited to keep players safely out of harms way while blasting away.

Half the experience of SSW is the music and sound. In short, both are nothing short of superb! The music is some of best I’ve heard for the SNES – the adaptation of John Williams’ score is nearly flawless. The sound effects are taken right from the movie. Special touches include Chewbacca’s roar and the electric buzzing of Luke’s lightsaber. Hook this up through a good stereo system and let the sound carry you away!

While side-scrolling shooters aren’t for everyone, Super Star Wars delivers a good Star Wars experience and a pretty good game, too. Even though it can be tougher than nails at some sections.

- Omni