*apologies in advance for repeating this post in multiple forums, but I NEED feedback!*
You know, I started sort of a rant in this thread about Star Wars games in general, and I felt this would be a thread worthy discussion about the material that exists in Star Wars games, and a good place for some positive/negative feedback.
Basically I wanted to clearify, that I don't HATE the current SW titles already on the market, but I wanted to point out that what I feel really SELLS Star Wars games is the relationship between elements of the movies and the action that follows. Honeslty, the best parts of Dark Forces, were running around and fragging Stormtroopers, and interacting with characters and creatures that appeared in the original films such as Boba Fett, and Jabba The Hutt. I'm not saying the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series had "bad" story elements, but in the end, what made the games fun was being in that Star Wars universe and feeling like your in one of the movies.
First SW game I really ENJOYED was Super Star Wars for SNES . The first time I ran the trench battle at the end of the game, I truly felt like Luke, and after several failures I literally closed my eyes before fireing the torpedoes into the mine shaft, and finally won the game. I was so exited, I literally had a beer party that night in celebration! Friends of mine were so HOOKED on that game. Now granted, it WAS a side scroller, that involved ALOT of TEDIOUS platform jumping, but all in all, for the time, the game was seriously fun, and did the best they could to capture the exitement and pace of the original movies.
Lets face it, alot of the games currently out there are basically clones of games that have already been released. (and some were done alot better to a certain degree.
Jedi Outcast/ Jedi Academy is Quake III with lightsabers.
Galactic Battlegrounds is Age Of Kings II with Star Wars elements.
Star Wars Battlefront is going to be 1942 with Star Wars Elements.
Starfighter/Jedi Starfighter/Rouge Squadron is well.....a flight sim! Flight sims have been around for almost 2 decades!
Even Republic Commando is going to be a FPS based on Unreal technology.
Star Wars Galaxies is basically Everquest, and (arguably) contains Star Wars Elements.
This may get me into some trouble with any wandering member of LucasArts, but I personally feel that there are WAY TOO many titles based on characters from Episodes 1, and 2, and let's face it, not too many of them were too popular amongst serious gamers.
What we want and need is a game that is actually based on the Originally Trilogy, that uses actual characters from The Original Trilogy that utilizes something other than technology that is already been done in other games. Something that has smoothe graphics, and has the same nostalgic feel of the Super NES Star Wars games, without having it be a side scrolling platform jumper. Have characters do what they do in the movies! Don't have Darth Vader fly out from over a cliff and shoot you full of lightning bolts!
I'm not a game designer, but I just know that the Star Wars game I been looking for, has never been released. The best parts of the games that were out there, I only enjoyed, because for a split second or so, I felt like I was in one of the original films.
Even my favorite part of Jedi Outcast, was NOT the SP game, but on MP, where I downloaded maps and models that were based on the movies, and tried to re-create those scenes!
Am I alone on this idea, or is the need and want for a new game based on the original movies long over due?
I open this for discussion, and again, this is not to trash LucasArts, or any of the games being released, it's just an area for some much needed feedback on all the games in general
Well, personally I am glad that several of the games deviate from the path of the movies, and rather expand on the universe that we know and love. Because, after all, there is only so much you can do if you stick directly to the plot and characters of the movies.
For example I loved how X-Wing Alliance (a flight sim aye, but not your average kind) only crossed paths with the plot of the movies a few times throughout the game. It instead showed you just how many bothans died to bring the Rebels that information, just how that imperial shuttle had been stolen. And that while telling the tale of a family trading company like there probably are many in the SW galaxy, and struck by a fate that could have occured to other companies and families too I'm sure.
So it managed to tell an exciting story WITHOUT having to resort to having the main characters from the movie take the spotlight.
Similar to the adventures of Kyle Katarn (and student), why the most exciting aspect for me about Jedi Academy was to create my own little character within that galaxy far far away and have him/her go through a day in the life of a new republic Jedi.
So to me the most exciting Star Wars games are possibly those that expand on the universe rather than taking you down a path we've already gone through before, just more interactive.
And heck, the upcoming Republic Commando will allegedly even partially re-invent the SW universe and make it more gritty, dark and mature than what we're used to of the prequel movies. And I like the aspect of seeing our beloved universe from "a different point of view" to put it in Obi-Wan terms.
I can appreciate both sides of this coin. You are correct in saying that LA has been drifting away from the OT in its games and simply remaking other games, but in the SW universe. I won't be surprised to one day see a SW Pac-Man game come out or even on old "asteroids" version with the Millennium Falcon. But, on the other hand of the devil's advocate, I also enjoy playing as the little known side characters of SW and SW:EU. That is what makes SW great and so large. Ultimately it's what feeds the beast of the fan base.
First SW game I really ENJOYED was Super Star Wars for SNES . The first time I ran the trench battle at the end of the game, I truly felt like Luke, and after several failures I literally closed my eyes before fireing the torpedoes into the mine shaft, and finally won the game. I was so exited, I literally had a beer party that night in celebration! Friends of mine were so HOOKED on that game. Now granted, it WAS a side scroller, that involved ALOT of TEDIOUS platform jumping, but all in all, for the time, the game was seriously fun, and did the best they could to capture the exitement and pace of the original movies.
Lets face it, alot of the games currently out there are basically clones of games that have already been released. (and some were done alot better to a certain degree.
Jedi Outcast/ Jedi Academy is Quake III with lightsabers.
Galactic Battlegrounds is Age Of Kings II with Star Wars elements.
Star Wars Battlefront is going to be 1942 with Star Wars Elements.
Starfighter/Jedi Starfighter/Rouge Squadron is well.....a flight sim! Flight sims have been around for almost 2 decades!
Even Republic Commando is going to be a FPS based on Unreal technology.
Star Wars Galaxies is basically Everquest, and (arguably) contains Star Wars Elements.
And funnily enough Super Star Wars is well...a typical side-scrolling adventure game with Star Wars elements. Is the issue the recent SW games "copying" other gamestyles (in the case of Battlefront an enormous error, granted) and being on the brink of just turning into a copycat game franchise rather than leading the way as we expect from anything tied to the Lucas name or just not being about the original trilogy?
I see your points and I do feel there is enormous potential for a computer game based on the OT but using SSW on the NES as an example of the way it should be is a bit iffy. We all know that computer games based to run along the tracks set by movies are always cack so it'd be interesting to see something that can pull off the OT in one lovely little gaming experience without overly copying another game.
Ummm, Darth, you have to realize that Star Wars games are just using different kinds of genres. Just because Battlefront is a shooter game, it's NOT 1942. Also, the only one that's close enough to another game that you could actually protest is Galactic Battlegrounds being like Age Of Kings, but the box CLEARLY STATES it uses the AOK system, so it's not like they're denying it- it's a mod! But then again, this topic is a year old, so I wouldn't be surprised if this guy doesn't even come here anymore.
How cool would a Lando game be? Seriously.
^ Not very. Lando was a weak character, IMO. I like Billy Dee Williams, but I'm not a fan of Lando (the SOB betrayed Han:p)
Just reading the Thrawn trilogy made me like Lando loads. He has LOTS of cool character points, maybe a game seeing how he got the Falcon and his adventures in it would be good.
I wouldn't complain. Playing as Lando would be awesome. Maybe they could have saabac mini games, or something. Of course, that would depend on the genre, but it would still be cool to have him as a main character.