Rebel Assault

"It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships striking from a hidden base have won their first victory against the empire..." With this familiar introduction, Rebel Assault, thrusts you into the role of a recruit in the Rebel Alliance. The game begins with 3 tough training exercises where you must prove that you are ready to take on the empire. If you manage to survive these tests you will embark on various missions such as attacking a star destroyer, taking part in the battle on the ice planet Hoth and finally attacking the death star itself.

Unlike X-wing and Tie Fighter (other games worthy of your attention), this is very much an arcade game. The controls are very simple, often only requiring you to point and shoot. It features a variety of mission styles, from third and first person flying to "top down" views and even third person shooter segments, so there's always something new to keep you interested. The graphics were unparalleled when the game was first released, and while looking dated compared to today's first person shooters, it is still quite nice to look at. It also features some film clips from the original films which is a nice touch and will be well appreciated by star wars fans.

The game, however, is very hard. The controls are unnecessarily difficult, the damage system is quite unforgiving and the fact that you have a certain number of "lives" makes the game more frustrating then it has to be. The game has no save system but instead relies on passwords given every 3 missions, which means that if you happen to use up all your lives on the third mission, you have to start again from 3 missions back. Despite these flaws, I highly recommend this game due to its cinematic presentation and its fun, simplistic nature. A must have for any Star Wars fan and while it may not keep your attention for long periods of time, it is a good way to blast through a quick half hour.

By: ACE123