Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

"The first Star Wars game for the N64"

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi. Instead of controlling Luke though, you are Dash Rendar, a mercenary for hire and old friend of Han Solo...

Graphics: 8/10
The graphics for this game are pretty good. Very detailed enemies, from the standard stormtrooper to the deadly Wampas. You see fiery explosions, laser blasts flying towards you, and the list goes on...

Audio: 10/10
The music in this game is from the movies. With the orchestra in the background, it has the same atmosphere as the movies. The sound of the laser shots and all the other weapons is excellent. In the space battles, you hear the engine going full speed, fierce fighters zooming past you, and the sound of your ship scraping against the side of giant spacestations.

Story: 5/10
The game starts off like this,
It is a time of crisis. Imperial probes, scouring the galaxy for the hidden rebel base, have discovered their outpost on the remote ice world of Hoth.
Darth Vader, obsessed with finding Luke Sywalker, has sent his forces to engage the rebels in battle.
With the dreaded Imperial fleet approaching, a lone freighter has entered the Hoth system...

Sounds interesting huh?

Gameplay: 8/10
Very fun to play. The control is fairly good. Difficulty ranges from easy to Jedi(very hard). The Jedi mode was made to be fairly realistic, meaning, it only takes a few shots to be killed.

Replay: 10/10
There are a few secrets hidden in here to keep you playing.
Collecting Challenge points is just one of the reasons to play this over again. They don't have to be collected, but you will receive rewards for getting them all. Fighting old bosses is also something to keep you playing. You can even play as enemies with a secret code...

Buy or Rent?
Buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/27/00, Updated 07/20/02