May the 4th Be With You: The Best Star Wars Games of All Time

By Jim Tanous on May 4, 2014 at 7:32 AM • @mggjim

8. Star Wars (1991)

Platform: NES

Certainly not the most technically advanced game on this list, Star Wars for the Nintendo Entertainment System was the first Star Wars game for many fans. Primarily a side-scrolling platformer, the game took players to Tatooine, let them fly the Millennium Falcon, and participate in the destruction of the first Death Star. The graphics were great for the time, and the sound of John Williams’ Star Wars theme reproduced in 8-bit glory through our TV speakers still makes us giddy. It was also insanely difficult, but making it through to the end in a single session was an incredible achievement.

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Tom Nichols

Nailed it. I fell in love with X-Wing , and Tie Fighter was even better. The only thing I would change is having them 1-2.
Donald Baum Jr.

Star wars galaxies, (before they tried to make it more like World of Warcraft) best game ever.
- Robert Rees
  
  Damn right
- jeremy aldridge
  
  and i’m still playing swg, hehe.
- James Jones
  
  I remember when I quit SWG. It was soon after the patch that added classes, and basically broke the game.
  
  The patch notes were basically “We know you all hate everything we did to this game, but don’t worry WE’VE ADDED JUMPING!!!” I’m serious, they made a huge deal in the patch notes about adding the capability to jump.
  
  I logged in and checked out “jumping.” They’d bound the /jump emote to the spacebar……. So I tried it out. Yup, just the emote, it doesn’t let you jump over terrain at all.
  
  Also, how they got rid of the Jedi perma-death.
  There was that time I was talking to Lord Vader’s hologram. Yeah I was kind of a big deal, we hung out.
  Anyway, Vader was all like “the last of the jedi have finally been wiped out” right as this yahoo with a lightsaber rolls past the door behind me, stops, walks in and asks if I know where the Rebel mission giver is. Much facepalm.
Ender Dreams

Ummm. How did the Force Unleashed not make the list?
- Andy
  
  Wasn’t that complete of a Star Wars game experience to me. No multiplayer kinda kills its chances. It was innovative though, no doubt!
  - DarthDanMan
    
    The PSP version had an excellent 4 player versus mode!
    - Frankie Hazard
      
      The psp version was the best version that game should of been a psp exclusive. ..
  - Frankie Hazard
    
    Because truthfully it wasnt that good. The game play was great but the story had too many holes the game was too short and a lot of the features they promises they didnt deliver on. And the second one… we dont talk about the second one…
- Justin MF Kcco Sanders
  
  I was wondering the same thing!
Ender Dreams

SWBF2 was phenomenal as well.
- Alex
  
  my thoughts exactly cant wait for the third one!
  - Nu nill never no
    
    No, no you can. The game is good, actually one of my favorites, but it is a Battlefield game with a star wars skin. Make no mistake: Pandemic, or at least Pandemic devs, should have been the ONLY people working on this game.
DragonIroh

Where’s Jedi Academy? Best lighsaber combat mechanics of any game.
- Issaltar
  
  it was not, the lightsaber combat mechanics were terrible, it changed
  how good or the purpose of the different stances that was set in Jedi
  Outcast. Though fun, the saber combat was too random and stance changing
  was almost pointless to even bother with. Jedi outcast at least gave a
  purpose to the different stances by giving them different damage
  potential AS WELL AS the difference in what type of attacks can be used.
  Outcast was the far superior but, sadly, the multiplayer has changed so
  drastically due to patching that it has lost much of the charm (for an
  old vet like me). part of the multiplayers charm was the various
  glitches you could perform to get around the maps safely such as
  animation cancellations in the air while dropping from heights that
  would normally hurt you become absolutely nullified due to fast (blue)
  stances uppercuts having their animation canceled. Miniscule things that
  were, yes game breaking at times, added a bit of a unique charm to the
  game that, as I said, has sadly been lost due to patching. I can see why
  JK2 was put on this list and why it’s where it is, JKO is by no means
  as good as JK2 even when JKO came out people came back to JK2 because of
  how much the multiplayer hurt it and the sub par storyline that was a
  continuation of JK2’s story.
  - DragonIroh
    
    Then you weren’t utilizing the stances correctly 🙂
Rob H

1) Knights of the Old Republic
2) Empire At War
3) Battlefront 1+2
4) Jedi Outcast
5) X-Wing series
- Conan D
  
  Agree, although I like EaW the most
- palibakufun
  
  There you go. Add Kotor II with 1, and you’ve got your list.
  - Rob H
    
    Kotor II as it was released is #6. It probably would top the list had it actually been completed before release though… it was such a great concept if you view it as a meta-story.
  - Frankie Hazard
    
    Ugh kotor II was a waste… story slow and boreing, and the graphics disgusting. the first one looked way better.
Demonthedog

Assuming this is in ascending order (1=10th, 10=1st) I don’t understand how the battlefront series could be 10th. I haven’t played all the other games, its true, but definitely its better than the lego starwars series, and I feel like its at least top 5, if not 3rd (1st sounds interesting, and KOTOR is amazing and deserves to be up there).
Phillie Em

Shadows of the Empire was awesome, big chunk of my childhood right there.
Stef Smurph Murphy

I cannot believe Star Wars Pod Racer was missed out on this list. That game gave me absolutely hours of fun!
- Frankie Hazard
  
  Troll
- Barney Estrada
  
  Ditto, Pod Racer on the PC with a force feedback joystick was something that had incredible replay value. Kind of wish they’d make an updated version compatible with full flight sim gear (pedals, stick, TrackIR) and updated graphics…
Rik Bailey

X-wing vs tie-fighter with the balance of power add on was the best star wars flight sim by far. Taking on a super star destroyer in a b-wing used to be epic.
Matt Fry

While it’s a good list, I’m very, very surprised you put Star Wars Rebellion on the worst list. That’s ludicrous! And you say we were vindicated with Empire at War? That was a horrible, horrible game! The fact you had a very small limit of units you could build in space battles really distances me from it. Bad graphics aside, it was a pretty tough game on hard and the fact they made the RebEd editor changed up the game.

But I did really enjoy X-Wing. What a great game. I finished every mission on that one and took me a very long time but it was dang fun. Too bad I couldn’t play it for a while. Thanks for that link to run the game. I’ll have to give that a shot.
Cade McDaniel

Why isn’t Star Wars Republic Commando mentioned?? 🙁
- James Martin
  
  Idk man, i was holding my breath waiting for it and when i didn’t see it around four i knew it wouldn’t be there.
RyThax

Pod racer and empire at war. Forgotten. Thank god the old republic didn’t make the cut….
Robert Rees

For the sake of humanity will someone please bring back Star Wars Galaxies and dump The Old Republic in the garbage masher, on or off the detention level, where it belongs.
- jeremy aldridge
  
  you can still play swg, buddy.
  
  http://www.swgemu.com/forums/index.php
svanloon

Star Wars Trilogy arcade hooks me every time I see it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Trilogy_Arcade)
Ryan

Ok Wait a second, how can Force Unleashed not be on this list?
el_dav0

Anyone else ever play x-wing Alliance? that’s a fantastic game.
Randy

KOTOR should be #1 period. It is truly one of the greatest masterpieces ever created. Along with the 2nd game these two deserve to be preserved in the national archives. If you have not played these two and are a Star Wars fan get to work!
Austin Beckstrom

I’m glad TIE Fighter made it to #1, otherwise I was going to have to throw my computer. 😉
Keating

The force unleashed was an amazing game. Absolutely stunned it’s not here
Benji

Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back SWPMSS takes you to the last level of the game you’re welcome.
happy trees

Star wars galaxies, pre-CU/ngu, was the best video game ever. Hands down.
James Vetzal

Good list, totally nailed the top 3, and battlefront as a whole was better than it’s sequel (most of the best maps were not around in 2)
Except that the pc version of 2 was really easy to mod with every level from the first plus way more. Loved the series, can’t wait for the new installment
- goober74
  
  Although you’re absolutely correct about the maps, i think the addition to play as a hero on the maps make up for the fact that some weren’t there. I thoroughly enjoyed playing as any character from Boba Fett to Luke Skywalker, as well as the space battles. I wish they would’ve added better maps, but the gameplay itself was far superior in SWBF2
geekdude1 .

x-wing alliance was always in my top 50 games of any type, let alone the top 10 star wars games… i still love it to this day. and i still play it too bad it didn’t make the cut
Scott

Rebellion. Rebel assault.
Jordan

Jedi Power Battles for the PS was exactly what everyone wanted out of a star wars game…..to be a gnarly Jedi and destroy all things! Can’t believe it doesn’t get an honorable mention. You could deflect phasers, do super cool lightsaber fights, and play as Qui-gon, Obi-wan, Samuel L. Jackson! Plo-koon (sp?) and some other Jedi chick with tentacles for hair. Darth maul was an unlockable character, as well as amidala and her colored guardian
Zeeshan Qadri

Missed a couple of good ones: Republic Commando, Galaxies, Kotor II, Empire at War (Forces of Corruption?),
Emmanuel Chen

X-Wing Vs Tie Fighter and Rebellion should be on this list.
Shayde

SWG pre-CU was awesome. Too bad they screwed that game up. Also, I think Xwing VS Tie was superior to the two because of multiplayer.
Chris Artis

???? wtf no republic commandos that was one of my fave you left out a few more great ones too from the xbox (idk what else they were on)
Jim

It’s an insult to not see Star Wars Galaxies on the list. Sad ass list..
Brandon Griffin

Battlefront 1 at spot 10, and 2 not even on the list? Blasphemy!
Dan Rizzo

This list is crap. Jedi power battles to me is number one.
Darth TARDIS.

Somewhat disappointed SWTOR isn’t on here. I realise it’s not the most popular MMO, but it’s an amazing Star Wars experience.
Gradynini

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II , should have been near the top. Excellent story, live cutscenes, the ability to choose your destiny and have radically different outcomes. Plus it had good enough multiplayer and a much easier modding mechanism that led to all kinds of replayability . Someone even made a high res mod that improved the graphics 3x .
William Petersen

I used to eat sleep and breathe X-Wing and all the expansions! I really wish they would remake this one!
pRohphet8

I liked Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds, similar to Age of Empires.
cor2879

I had Star Wars on the NES and it was a terrible game. Now, The Empire Strikes Back on NES was gaming gold.
Ben Mudrow

No Jedi knight dark forces or dark forces 2?
Boba Fettuccini

Star wars: Galactic Battlegrounds was always my favorite.
- Thomas Lee Howard
  
  Have you tried Empire at War? If not I recommend it.
ambaryerno

Wait, wait, wait. Jedi Knight II is on the list, but NOT the original?! Fail.
DannyK

Force unleashed should’ve mait but more importantely, Battlefront 2>Battlefront 1
MrRabbit

Kotor and swg(pre nge.) were my favorites by far. Never had a satisfying starwars game experience that could compare to these two.
LucasSW

One game/mod is missing: Star Wars: Movie Battles II, which is kinda best modification for Jedi Academy, it’s like whole new game. http://www.moviebattles2.com
Anthony Michalski

Am I the only one who loved dark forces? Where you had to fight the dark trooper & you played as kyle katarn? This should be on the list, great soundtrack but not the best graphics now. . But back then I played that game over & over until it broke then I went and bought a used copy to have for my star wars video game collection
LaSteve De’Antonio Yung

Where’s podracer?!?!?
Thomas Lee Howard

Empire at War deffinatly deserves to be on this list.
Rhett Betcher

N64… Pod Racer deserves a spot on the list
Stephen Fergerson

Swtor should be on there! And I want to hear no BS about F2P. That’s not how the game was released nor is it how your supposed to play after lvl 10.
Hussain

Im glad Darkforces made the cut,

Sad about Republic commando not making the cut
Lane Mock

Battlefront shouldve been much higher. The gameplay was amazing and the multiplayer was even better. It provided hours and hours of gameplay for me and my friends. Still one of my favorites today.
Ben Wahl

How is Battlefront 2 not on this list?!?!?! By far the best Stars Wars game
Mike

I personally liked GCN’s Rogue Leader, myself. Then again, it had to be played with 5.1 and HD support, or it didn’t seem HALF as good as it actually was.
LD

I played the hell out of Shadows of the Empire, I loved it and its still definitely my favorite
Nu nill never no

Battlefront(Battlefront 2, actually) is the best game ever made and anyone who disagrees with me is objectively wrong.
Studer Andrew

Uh-huh…..No mention AT ALL for X-Wing Alliance…..Better then both X-Wing and Tie Fighter (In my opinon)…..Lame -.-
- nikoliy
  
  It should be on the list, third place after XW and TF 🙂