Licensed video games have often been a mixed bag, but few franchises have the batting average of Star Wars. For decades now, there have been countless Star Wars games released across various platforms, and many of them happen to be quite good. Over the last few years, Aspyr and LucasArts have made a concerted effort to bring many older Star Wars games to modern platforms, from beloved classics like Knights of the Old Republic, to favorites like Episode I: Jedi Power Battles.
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However, there are still a lot that remain missing. ComicBook has come up with a list that includes some high-profile games currently missing in action, as well as some deeper cuts that could use more attention from franchise fans.
5. Super Star Wars Trilogy
The early ’90s were a dark time for Star Wars fans. Prior to the Special Editions and the Star Wars prequels, there wasn’t a lot of new content released outside of books and comics. For that reason, the Super Star Wars trilogy was an oasis in the desert. Released on the Super Nintendo between 1992 and 1994, each game recreated the events of one film in the saga. For some unknown reason, the games have not been made widely available on modern platforms. The original Super Star Wars is on PlayStation, but The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are not. All three can be found on PlayStation and Xbox through a subscription to Antstream Arcade, but a full release on both systems, along with Steam and Switch, would be preferable.
4. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
The vast majority of Star Wars games tend to fall into the action-adventure and space shooter categories. If there’s one genre where Star Wars is somewhat underrepresented, it’s arcade-style brawlers; the handheld version of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith was a rare exception. Released on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS to coincide with the arrival of the final chapter in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith was a unique and fun entry in the franchise.
Players had the option of playing between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, while following through the storyline in the film. The DS version also included some ship combat. If there’s one aspect of the game that has aged very well, it’s the pixel graphics, which perfectly suited the handheld format. Considering how many Star Wars fans might be unfamiliar with this game, and the popularity of recent beat ’em up games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, now would be a great time to see this given a fresh coat of paint on modern platforms.
3. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
As a whole, Shadows of the Empire is still one of the coolest things ever done with the Star Wars brand. Released ahead of the prequels, Shadows of the Empire was envisioned as a multimedia project that would feature everything except a movie. Lucasfilm and its partners put out a novel, comics, toys, a soundtrack, and a video game, all of which fleshed out the era between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The game’s primary focus was a storyline featuring Dash Rendar, a new character created specifically for the project. The game had several memorable moments, including a boss fight against Boba Fett. While Shadows of the Empire has seen a bunch of new merchandise lately, the game itself isn’t available on PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch, only Steam. After all these years, it’s long past time to bring Dash back.
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Like Shadows of the Empire, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II‘s lack of availability on modern platforms is pretty bizarre. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was released on Nintendo Switch a few years ago, but the sequel has never gotten a second release. Given Aspyr’s frequent rereleases of past Star Wars games, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before this one is rectified, but hopefully it won’t be too long before the saga of Starkiller is complete on modern platforms. Though not as well-regarded as the previous game, the sequel still has quite a few fans who would be happy to see its return.
1. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, Factor 5 made Nintendo systems well worth owning for Star Wars fans. The development team released three games in the Rogue Squadron series across N64 and GameCube, as well as Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is arguably the best of these games, and it was one of the first must-own titles released for the GameCube. It’s possible we could see it return when GameCube games are released through Nintendo Switch Online, but it seems unlikely since neither of Factor 5’s N64 games have gotten that treatment. The better option would be an HD remaster of the game, with all of the co-op material incorporated from Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike. At the end of the day, though, most Star Wars fans would just be happy to have the game back in some capacity.
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It’s worth noting that this list is just a small number of the Star Wars games missing on modern platforms. It would be impossible to list every lost and once beloved Star Wars game, and there are some we’ll likely never see again, such as Disney Infinity 3.0. That’s an unfortunate reality with licensed games, as there can be legal hoops that must be jumped through to make re-releases happen. It’s unclear if any of the above games fall into that category, or if there’s a chance we could see them again. Hopefully, more games will get the same treatment we’ve seen for so many other Star Wars classics!
What Star Wars games would you like to see on modern platforms? Is there a game you would have liked to see on the list? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
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Image Credit: Warner Bros.
