Table of Contents Categories
  Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
  supported by EncyclosphereKSF

Super Star Wars

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 10 min

Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
North American box art
Developer(s)Sculptured Software
LucasArts
Publisher(s)JVC Musical Industries
Director(s)Kalani Streicher
Producer(s)Kalani Streicher
Designer(s)Kalani Streicher
Programmer(s)Peter Ward
Ryan Ridges
Artist(s)Harrison Fong
Jon Knoles
Composer(s)Paul Webb[1]
Platform(s)Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single player

Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, also known as Super Empire Strikes Back, is a 1993 action video game developed by LucasArts and Sculptured Software and published by JVC Musical Industries for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is based on the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back and is the sequel to Super Star Wars. The game was followed by a sequel, Super Star Wars in 1994. Unlike its predecessor, Nintendo wasn’t involved in its publishing. The game was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in North America on August 24, 2009[5] and in the PAL regions on October 2, 2009, alongside the other games in the Super Star Wars series.

Gameplay

Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back follows closely the standard set by its predecessor, with multiple playable characters and Mode 7 quasi-3D vehicle sequences. The controls are very similar to the first game, but feature a double-jump. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca return as playable characters although the character-select option was removed.[6]

Unlike the original game, this installment allows each character the use of a primary and secondary weapon. Following one of the swamp planet Dagobah missions, Luke Skywalker can also collect Force Powers for use in later levels. Luke can now block incoming attacks using his lightsaber, allowing him to deflect blaster fire. Han Solo can now throw grenades and Chewbacca has a new power up: a spinning attack. Sith Lord Darth Vader appears as the final boss in the video game.

Development

An "asteroid chase" stage using Mode 7 effects was cut from the game due to lack of cartridge space.[7] In late 1992 a contest was launched exclusively in Electronic Gaming Monthly,[8] which required the contestants to answer six multi-choice questions, and for which the "Grand Prize" was to have the person's likeness appear in this forthcoming game. The winner was Jeff Crosno, for whom the developers placed his appearance on a Rebel soldier in an Ice Fields of Hoth cut-scene, replacing the already existing facial graphics.[9]

Cast

  • Clint Bajakian as Darth Vader (voice)
  • Peter McConnell as Yoda (voice)
  • C. Andrew Nelson as Luke Skywalker (voice)

Release

In 1996 THQ announced that they would re-release Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Super Star Wars in February 1997 in order to coincide with the "Special Edition" of those films appearing in theaters.[10] The re-release is identical to the original version.[6]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings78.17%(3 reviews)[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[13]
EGM28/40[15]
IGN7.5/10[12]
Super Gamer85%[14]
Power Unlimited92%[16]

In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling SNES game in February 1994.[17]

The game was met with positive reviews. IGN gave the game a 7.5/10 rating, praising the games enhanced Mode 7 graphics.[12] Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Empire Strikes Back positive reviews noting the games graphics and sound and the reviewers praised the gameplay following the theme of the source material and having excellent cinematic displays, although there was criticism on the controls, hard difficulty and the large number of enemies that appear on screen.[15] Allgame gave a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars praising the game’s soundtrack, voice effects, graphics and action scenarios for being faithful to the film and giving praise to the password feature making the game less frustrating to beat the game and giving criticism to the game’s blind jumps and cheap hits from enemies off screen concluding “but this doesn't spoil the overall greatness of the game.”[13] Super Gamer magazine gave the game a review score of 85% stating "Super Star Wars is reworked with new graphics. A bigger, harder and marginally, better game. The Mode 7 AT-AT attack is absolutely stunning."[14] Power Unlimited gave a review score of 92% and noted the game is identical to its predecessor and citing the challenging difficulty and fun gameplay.[16]

Accolades

Nintendo Power staff rated the game as the fourth best SNES game of 1993.[18] GamePro named it the best SNES game of 1993.[19] IGN placed the game 91st in their Top 100 SNES Games of All Time.[20] In 2018, Complex ranked the game #20 on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time." They praised the game saying it’s the best Star Wars game on the Super NES although they felt the game was the most difficult of the three games.[21]

See also

  • Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the NES game from previous year

References

  1. ↑ "Composer information for Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back". SNES Music. http://www.snesmusic.org/v2/profile.php?selected=2855&profile=set. 
  2. ↑ "Super Empire Strikes Back is out!!!". https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.nintendo/c/4hv3snaxAPw/m/Y-1eI7oIpOYJ. 
  3. ↑ "Grand Opening Celebration At All Locations". The Honolulu Advertiser: pp. 57. November 12, 1993. https://www.newspapers.com/image/264875014/?terms=%22super%22%20%22empire%20strikes%20back%22&match=1. ""Super Empire Strikes Back" $69.99" 
  4. ↑ "Screenshots". Reading Evening Post: pp. 46. February 4, 1994. https://www.newspapers.com/image/807149960/?terms=%22super%22%20%22empire%20strikes%20back%22&match=1. "Title: Super Empire Strikes Back//Format: Snes//Publisher: JVC//Price: £59.99//Available: 18 February" 
  5. ↑ "Jedi Battles, Marvelous Bubbles and Frantic Underground Action" (in en-US). 2009-08-24. https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/OMdpfXYFV0iAQCyFkNx0BJVbpxIGH6nR. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Super Star Wars Trilogy Soars". GamePro (IDG) (103): 92. April 1997. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_103_Volume_09_Number_04_1997-04_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n95/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ "The GameMakers: The Artists". GamePro (IDG) (85): 36–38. October 1995. https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c1/GamePro_US_075.pdf. 
  8. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, December 1992, page 142, "JVC, LucasArts & EGM Want You!" Issue 41.
  9. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, October 1993, Issue 51, page 216. "EGM Contest Winner Update" A picture of 'Jeff Crosno' is seen with two screenshots from the game. The before and after images of the character's facial changes.
  10. ↑ "16-Bit's Final Hurrah". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (88): 22. November 1996. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/89/EGM_US_088.pdf#page=22. 
  11. ↑ "Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back review score". https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/563221-super-star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back/index.html. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" (in en-US). 24 August 2009. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/24/super-empire-strikes-back-review. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Brett Alan Weiss. "Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Review" (in en-US). http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2626. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Super Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Review". Super Gamer (United Kingdom: Paragon Publishing) (2): 123. May 1994. https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-02/page/122/mode/2up. Retrieved March 9, 2021. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Super Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Review. EGM media. December 1993. pp. 44. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_53/page/n45/mode/2up. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Power Unlimited Game Database" (in nl). November 1994. Archived from the original on September 8, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030908181237/http://www.powerweb.nl/database/index.php?&query%5border%5d=platform&ending=ASC&query%5bstart%5d=3800. Retrieved November 25, 2022. 
  17. ↑ "Charts". Computer & Video Games (Future plc) (149 (April 1994)): 12. 15 March 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/7/7f/CVG_UK_149.pdf. 
  18. ↑ The Top Titles of 1993. January 1994. pp. 80. https://archive.org/stream/NintendoPower1988-2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20056%20%28January%201994%29#page/n81/mode/2up. 
  19. ↑ "Editor's Choice Awards". GamePro (IDG) (55): 22. February 1994. 
  20. ↑ (in en) Top 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com, https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-snes-games, retrieved 2021-01-26 
  21. ↑ Knight, Rich (April 30, 2018). "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time" (in en). https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-super-nintendo-games/. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Super_Star_Wars:_The_Empire_Strikes_Back&oldid=670124"
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Software:Super_Star_Wars:_The_Empire_Strikes_Back
1 | Status: cached on January 22 2026 17:21:40
↧ Download this article as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF