With DICE's Star Wars Battlefront hitting shelves this November, I think it's a great time to reflect on the best Star Wars video games of all time, and we've ranked the 30 best titles in this list. Let the countdown begin!
Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Platform: WindowsRelease Year: 1997
Genre: Space Simulation
Why it rocks: Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter is an addictive space combat experience. Although it lacked a storyline, it gave players a chance to experience what the previous space combat games X-Wing and TIE Fighter were missing: multiplayer fun!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Platform: Playstation 2, XBOX, GamecubeRelease Year: 2002
Genre: Action
Why it rocks: The game brought what fans loved about Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - huge battle sequences and fun action.
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
Platform:
,
,
Release Year:
2000
Genre:
Action, Beat'em up, Platformer
Why It Rocks
: In this game, you can choose to play as one of the five prequel-era Jedi, and run, jump, slash, and use the Force. The mechanics are simple enough for your friends to pick up and just have fun. The jumping puzzles, co-op gameplay, and lightsaber combat are enjoyable.
Angry Birds Star Wars .
Platform:
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
Release Year:
2012
Genre:
Puzzle
Why It Rocks:
This fun game is surprisingly faithful to the source material, and brilliantly combines it with the franchise's addictive gameplay.
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo
Platform:
Nintendo 64, Windows
Release Year:
2001
Genre:
Action, Shooter
Why It Rocks
Many compared Battle for Naboo to
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
as it shared the same exciting aerial combat, sturdy controls, and compelling story line.
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Platform:
,
Release Year:
2001
Genre:
Real-time strategy
Why It Rocks
: If you love real-time strategy games and
Star Wars
, this game will rock your world. The game does a great job in re-creating the epic feel of the iconic battles from the
Star Wars
films.
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Platform: Playstation 2, XBOXRelease Year: 2002
Genre: Action, Simulation
Why it rocks: It has good challenges, fun space battle missions, innovative gameplay, and a lot of things to destroy.
Star Wars: X-Wing
Platform:
,
,
Release Year:
1993
Genre:
Space simulation
Why It Rocks
: The game skillfully captures the feel of the Star Wars films, and it was excellently executed and fun to play.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Platform:
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
Release Year:
2008
Genre:
Role-playing game
Why It Rocks
The Force Unleashed
has a compelling story, robust physics, impressive art and soundtrack that work well together to create an fresh and epic adventure that I've never experience in previous
Star Wars
games.
Star Wars: Empire at War
Platform:
,
Release Year:
2006
Genre:
Real-time strategy
Why It Rocks
: With a slick, dual-layered strategy design, and compelling battles, this strategy game delivers a true
Star Wars
experience.
Super Star Wars
Platform:
,
Release Year:
1992
Genre:
Run and gun
Why It Rocks
Super Star Wars
is one of the best action/adventure games back in the day thanks to its fun run and gun platform gameplay.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Platform:
,
,
,
,
,
Release Year:
2010
Genre:
Action-Adventure
Why It Rocks
: In this game, you control a clone of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, Starkiller, and although it's not as good as the first
The Force Unleashed
game, it offers a lot of stunning visuals, massively impressive scenery, and substantial improvements on the game's mechanics.
Star Wars Battle Pod
Platform:
Arcade
Release Year:
2014
Genre:
Rail shooter
Why It Rocks
The arcade game costs $35,000, and for a great reason. The arcade was revealed at the 2014 New York Comic-Con, and it was awesome! If you want to experience the best of what modern arcades could offer, try to find a place where you can play
Star Wars Battle Pod
.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Platform:
,
,
,
Release Year:
2003
Genre:
First-person shooter, third-person shooter
Why It Rocks
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
takes all the fun parts of previous
Star Wars
shooter games, and expands them to create a compelling action game in its own right.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Platform:
Gamecube
,
Playstation 2
Release Year:
2002
Genre:
Action
Why It Rocks
: This third-person action game, which lets you play as the Jango Fett, has impressive production values, level designs, and core shooting.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Platform:
Nintendo 64, Microsoft Windows
Release Year:
1999
Genre:
Racing
Why It Rocks
:
Star Wars Episode I: Racer
holds the Guinness record for the best-selling sci-fi racing game. Who doesn't want to experience pod-racing? This is the closest thing fans could get, and no, the mini-game in
Knights of the Old Republic
don't count.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Platform:
,
Release Year:
1996
Genre:
Third-person shooter
Why It Rocks
:
In the game, the player controls the mercenary Dash Rendar in his efforts to help Luke Skywalker and rescue Princess Leia from Prince Xizor's hands. This is one of the best Nintendo 64 games I've played. I love how the diverse and immersive environments of the game enhance the fun gameplay that made me feel like I was a part of that world.
Star Wars: Galaxies
Platform:
Release Year:
2003
Genre:
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Why It Rocks
: Before
Old Republic
, there was a
Star Wars
MMORPG game that fans enjoyed:
Galaxies
! The game's graphics are remarkable.
(realistic character models, detailed architecture and lush environments), and the massive world is immersive and well-developed.
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Platform:
Playstation 2, Playstation Portable, Microsft Windows, Xbox
Release Year:
2005
Genre:
Action, Third-person shooter, First-person shooter
Why It Rocks
Star Wars: Battlefront II
was an enjoyable experience that any
Star Wars
fan could easily pick up and play with friends. Like the first
Battlefront
game, it does a great job re-creating the epic battles from the Star Wars films while giving you a variety of gameplay modes to enjoy. And the inclusion of space battles here is just the icing on the cake.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Platform:
,
Release Year:
1998
Genre:
Action, Shooter
Why It Rocks
This is one of the most technically-polished
Star Wars
games ever made. The game's
surround sound was an important gameplay element. The audio signals helped players determine enemy positions and direction of travel.
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Platform:
Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Mobile OS
Release Year:
2005
Genre:
Tactical shooter, First-person shooter
Why It Rocks
:
The best feature of
Star Wars: Republic Commando is the squadmate order system which lets the player control the three squadmates that round out the four-man commando team. The tactical aspects of the game made it unique and more fun than most
Star Wars
games.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Platform:
,
,
,
Release Year:
2004
Genre:
Role-playing game
Why It Rocks
:
If you love games with well-written characters and an epic story,
Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords
is the game for you. Fans of the the first Knights of the Old Republic weren't disappointed in this game because it continues the
tradition of not fixing what is not broken. Some of the planets are more developed than the ones we've seen in the original. Hands down, this is one of the most compelling
Star Wars
game ever made.
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Platform:
DOS, Macintosh, Playstation, PSN
Release Year:
1995
Genre:
First-person shooter
Why It Rocks
: This first-person shooter game had a lot of creative challenges that are fun to play, and the levels were intelligently designed.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Platform:
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
Release Year:
2007
Genre:
Action-adventure
Why It Rocks
:
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga is a time-sucking package that the whole family could enjoy. The amount of content, co-op fun, and humor here make this game outstanding and addictive.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Platform:
Nintendo Gamecube
Release Year:
2001
Genre:
Action, Shooter
Why It Rocks
:
The game's stunning graphics, intense action (including force-feedback rumble support in the controller!) and familiar
Star Wars
themes all work together to create an awesome experience from beginning to end.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Platform:
DOS, Macintosh, Windows 9x
Release Year:
1994
Genre:
Space simulation
Why It Rocks
:
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
, hands down, isn't just one of the best Star Wars games ever created, it's one of the best PC games of all time. Compared to X-Wing, TIE Fighter had a lot of improvements, including the artificial intelligence and in-flight information systems.
Star Wars: Battlefront
Platform:
Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Mac OS, Mobile
Release Year:
2004
Genre:
Third-person shooter, First-person shooter
Why It Rocks
:
The Star Wars: Battlefront
is the best multiplayer-centric
Star Wars
game ever made. When I first played this game on the Xbox with my brother, I was surprised at the wide range of things I can do in the game. This game sets the bar high for future
Star Wars
shooter games, including its sequel and DICE's upcoming reboot.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Platform:
Microsoft Windows
Release Year:
2011
Genre:
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Why It Rocks
:
With hundreds of hours of content, top notch voice acting and music, fun quests, and entertaining story,
Star Wars: The Old Republic
is the total package that offers an amazing experience.
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Platform:
Windows, Mac S X, Gamecube, Xbox
Release Year:
2002
Genre:
First-person shooter/ Third-person shooter
Why It Rocks
:
This highly addictive, over-the-top
Star Wars
game is a masterpiece that all FPS players must see to believe. The game feels so authentic, and if you enjoy lightsaber battles, this game offers the best lightsaber duel experience you can ask for.
Jedi Knight II's
fantastic graphics, intelligent level designs, exciting puzzles, and authentic gameplay make it one of the best
Star Wars
games ever.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Platform: Xbox, Windows, Mac OS X
Release Year:
2003
Genre:
Role-playing Game
Why It Rocks
: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
is the best
Star Wars
game ever made, and I don't think anything comes close to the achievements it earned. This masterpiece won over 40 Game of the Year awards, and it's a game that a lot of Star Wars fans would still play today. The ability to align your characters to the Light or Dark side adds a cool dynamic to the game. The story, which takes place approximately 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, is one of the most epic I've experienced in any game ever. The battle system was well-polished, and the characters are unforgettable.
I also enjoyed the Pazaak card minigame.
