Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

From 1999 to 2005, Star Wars was the license you couldn’t escape. Three movies, dozens of games, a zillion action figures – was there no end? The merchandise got out of hand, but when the final movie arrived, it was hard to watch the conclusion knowing that movie theaters would never go to another galaxy far, far away.

Though there will likely never be another midnight launch event for new Star Wars collectibles, there is one place on Earth where lightsabers won’t ever disappear: video games. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the next big title, but you can expect others, including the long-awaited (and still mysterious) lightsaber game for the Wii.

Back before the prequel trilogy came to a close, Star Wars made its debut on mobile phones. There were space shooters, mini-game packs, and other titles to tantalize any Jedi-wannabe. The latest film to make its mobile debut is Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Designed as an action game for anyone and everyone, The Empire Strikes Back is one of the easiest action games you’ll ever play. But in a shocking twist no one saw coming, the gameplay is more fun and user-friendly than most of the Star Wars games released for platforms of superior power – such as the Game Boy Advance.

Gimme a Mission

The Empire Strikes Back’s is made up of eight different missions that span the film’s story. In the beginning you’ll take on the mission that has been featured in more video games than any other: the Battle of Hoth. The gameplay is simple but compelling. You dodge laser beams by pushing left or right, which causes your ship to perform an evasive maneuver in the pushed direction. Once an AT-AT walker is approached, a quick combo (such as down-down-up) must be entered to unleash the hook that Luke uses to tie the walker’s legs. While circling the walker to secure its destruction, players will have to balance their ship by keeping it centered. This is done by tapping left or right when the balance meter appears. If the balance weaver is kept within the green area of the meter, the walker will go down. If not, you’ll have to try again.

Hardcore gamers might be rolling their eyes right now. In a few years, this [hopefully] won’t seem too impressive. But right now, there aren’t too many mobile games have demonstrated this height of playability.

Once the Hoth battle concludes, it’s off to Dagobah to search for Yoda. This mission is all about survival, Pitfall-style, from an isometric view. Players move with the directional buttons. While exploring, Luke will come to swamps, monsters and other things that need to be jumped over. You’ll avoid these hazards by pressing the OK/select button as soon as the notice appears on screen. Though I’m not usually a fan of games that are this simplistic, the controls work well and are generally intuitive.

The Asteroid Field stage is another level where you’ll have to dodge enemy attacks. This time you’re controlling the Millennium Falcon during an escape from the Death Star. Its tractor beam poses another threat – when launched, players will have to jam on the OK button to prevent the ship from being sucked in.

After escaping you’ll head back to Jedi training, where Luke continues developing his powers on Dagobah. This time Yoda comes along for the excursion, hanging on Luke’s back while he shows the Jedi Master what he’s made of. The user-controlled elements are replaced with mini-game-style content, where reacting to danger (push the OK button at just the right moment) is your first objective. Next you’ll have to prove you have what it takes to levitate. Yet again, a mini-game is used. Each object is represented by one directional button. Those buttons must be pushed repeatedly until all of the objects are lifted into the air.

In the next mission, Luke arrives at the Cloud City after his friends have been taken hostage, resulting in a stage that’s a bit more action-oriented. The isometric view returns, and this time players will have control over Luke’s movements. You’ll have to run between rooms and sneak past enemy-guarded openings to reach the end. With a blaster in hand, Luke can retaliate on some of the enemies, freeing the area for further exploration. After defeating enough Storm Troopers, his lightsaber becomes active. Use it to attack and deflect laser beams by pressing the OK button.

 
Vader wants YOU to join the Dark Side.

The sixth mission, Bespin Vaults, isn’t that different from the last. Luke continues to fight through legions of Storm Troopers using only a blaster and a lightsaber.

During the “I Am Your Father” stage, Luke is told to resist turning to the Dark Side. For the player, this means having to push the OK button when a small circular icon matches up with the two green spaces. Once Vader starts throwing garbage at Luke, you’ll have to immediately push whatever button(s) appear on screen.

The battle is finished after Luke learns the truth about his father. Han Solo comes to Luke’s rescue in the final mission – Clouds of Bespin. Control the Millennium Falcon as it fights through a group of TIE fighters. At the start, you’ll only be able to evade attacks. Retaliation comes when the Millennium Falcon sneaks behind the TIE fighters. When the square lock-on symbol appears, use the directional buttons to line it up with the enemy ships. Once aligned with a TIE fighter, push the OK button to fire and blast it away.

Gameplay: 7.5
Variety is the key to The Empire Strikes Back’s success.

Graphics: 7.8
Lots of colors, details, animations and environments. This one is above the average mobile game, no question.

Sound: 7.5
This ringtone-quality soundtrack uses snippets of The Empire Strikes Back score.

Difficulty: Easy
Really, really mainstream.

Concept: 7.9
Asteroid evasion, lightsaber battles, a duel with Darth Vader – The Empire Strikes Back has more variety than some of the Star Wars games released on PSone and PS2.

Overall: 7.5
This concludes our visit to The Empire Strikes Back. It isn’t a long trip but is pretty fun, cramming a fair amount of variety into one very tiny package. If you want a solid novelty to play on your phone, this is a worthwhile purchase.