The 10 best Star Wars video games of all time

There’ve been a ton of Star Wars games over the years, and the good outweigh the bad by a good margin, but these are my favorite of the bunch.

Top ten lists can be an arbitrary affair, and this one is decidedly just that. But for May the 4th (Star Wars day) I thought it’d be fun to have a look back at the best Star Wars games of all time… as far as I’m concerned. The games you’ll see listed below are my personal favorites, picked from a life of playing around in the Star Wars saga, and not some comprehensive listing of the top rated Star Wars games ever, so keep that in mind.

In crafting this little look back, I’ve found that, although there are some true stinkers for sure, there’s an almost abnormal amount of solid to great games set in the Star Wars universe to pick from. Even little throwaway adventures like Star Wars: Yoda Stories on the PC (remember that one?!) was a ton of fun and a great way to spend a few minutes. Here though, I picked games that I truly fell in love with and whiled away the hours on, both when they were released and (in some cases) even now, years later.

So let’s dive in!

10.) Episode 1: Racer (N64, Dreamcast, PC) – Yes, it’s an Episode 1 game, but it’s a really fun one. This game basically made a kart racing game out of the pod racer segment from the first prequel film. Arguably that was the best part of Ep.1 (ahem) and this is a solid reflection of that, providing some excellent racing action and fun tracks based on the movie. Sharp graphics compliment the gameplay too, and if you have a PC, that version really still holds up.

9.) Shadows of the Empire (N64, PC) – This Expanded Universe game was one of the early hits on the Nintendo 64, and proved that a ‘multimedia event’ set in the Expanded Universe could be almost as big as a standalone Star Wars film. SotE had a novelization, comic books, action figures, and this game, which combined multiple gameplay styles and a story that ran concurrent with the original trilogy. You played as the Han Solo-esque Dash Rendar and basically got to do a whole bunch of the things that fans had always wanted out of a Star Wars game… mainly shooting Stormtroopers.

8.) Rogue Squadron (N64, PC) – If the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games on the PC were too much of a sim for you (they were for me), then Rogue Squadron and it’s sequels probably hit the spot. This first game in the series (though they’re all pretty good) was my favorite and emphasized fast, starfighter-based action with characters and settings from the original trilogy. You can’t really go wrong with it.

7.) The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC) – Darth Vader’s secret apprentice Starkiller starred in this Expanded Universe tale. Set against a myriad of different characters from the trilogy, Starkiller’s story was surprisingly well scripted and allowed you to play around with some great force powers, as well as some of the most fun lightsaber combat ever in a game. *the under-appreciated sequel is also decent, but not as good as the first.

6.) Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox, PS2, PC) – I know there are more than a few people who would read this and wonder why the ‘low’ placing for what’s considered such a fantastic game from BioWare. Basically, I didn’t really like the fact that the game took place so far in the Star Wars Universe’s past, and therefor didn’t star any of the characters that we all know and love. Even so though, it is a fantastic and beautifully crafted western RPG with plenty of action and tons of story content.

5.) Republic Commando (Xbox, PC) – An FPS that starred a quartet of Clone Troopers, Republic Commando allowed you to order around all four of the specialized soldiers and lead them into combat against the forces of the Separatists from the prequel trilogy. Excellent graphics and sound, top notch controls, and a good story highlighted this one, which is still one of the best FPS’ to feature the license. Those facts also make the canned sequel all that much more painful.

4.) Super Star Wars (SNES) – Although the entire series of these games is great, the first Super Star Wars title was the one that I remember best, and is easily one of the most purely fun Star Wars titles of all time. It’s big, explosive and over the top, with tons of action and really terrific 2D graphics. It’s also stunningly hard as I remember, though one of those games that you just ‘have to have one more go at’.

3.) Empire at War (PC) – This RTS is far and away the best of the real-time strategy Star Wars games (sorry Galactic Battlegrounds) and finally managed to successfully fuse RTS gameplay with the grandeur of the Star Wars universe. There’s ‘galactic’ scale stuff, ship-to-ship combat, and ground forces to command, all of which is cohesive in its execution. If you haven’t played it (or it’s Expanded Universe expansion pack) and you like RTS games, then do yourself the favor of tracking down a copy.

2.) Star Wars Battlefront (PS2, Xbox, PC) – Including both the first prequel and the original trilogy’s settings, Battlefront gave fans one thing that they had never had- the ability to wage war on a massive (at the time) scale in the Star Wars universe. Playable in first or third person perspective, there’s a reason that the upcoming sequel for this one is so hotly anticipated, and that’s that it delivers on the promise of pure battlefield action in the Star Wars universe.

1.) Dark Forces (PC, PSOne) – One of my favorite FPS’ of all time, Dark Forces is, in many ways, the opposite of Battlefront, but just as purely Star Wars. You play as Kyle Katarn, a mercenary who’s out for himself, and gets mixed up in the Rebellion against the Empire. Although the (very solid) sequels would boost Katarn with Force powers and a lightsaber, this original was down and dirty and gave you a blaster and grenades as an arsenal, as you took the fight to the Empire and its allies.

And that’s just about it for my list of favorites! More likely than not, you’ve got some that you agree with, and some that you don’t… maybe more the latter than the former. And if that’s the case, then I’d love to hear which games you’d include, and which you’d ditch. Let me know in the comments below or on our Facebook post for this story, and have a happy May the 4th!