The first Rogue Squadron, released during the N64's heyday, garnished a plethora of high reviews, as not only was it well made, but in a genre of half-assed attempts and poorly conceived gameplay, Rogue Squadron was like a shining beacon of hope for the much-vaunted Star Wars license.

Fast forward to the GCN's debut, coinciding with the release of Rogue Leader. Much like its predecessor, Rogue Leader pushed Nintendo's hardware like no game at the time, and even added new vehicles and film clips from classic Star Wars moments. Not choosing to wait to leap to next generation hardware again, Factor 5 debut's its latest Star Wars game in its Rogue Squadron series, Rebel Strike.

Like Rogue Leader, Rebel Strike brings over the branching paths you can take to progress through the game. The two characters you will play as, Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, each have their own route through the game. In general, Luke's campaign comes across as land vehicle heavy, while in Wedge's campaign you dogfight more using the X-Wing etc. This is a nice change from past Rogue Leader's where you were mainly forced to only fly spacecraft, and if you became stuck on a level, tough. Thankfully, this branching pathway mechanic allows you to alternate campaigns at any time if you happen to get stuck or just want a refreshing change in scenery.

Rebel Strike's story picks up right after the Death Star is destroyed. Imperial convoys and a massive air sortie impend upon Yavin-4 to strike back, and it's your duty to show them just how much the TIE fighter sucks. From here, the story takes the usual backseat to the action, relying on the tried-and-true Star Wars clichés of having to remain independent form the Empire. By having RS take place after the first three films' events, it enabled Factor 5 to craft wholly new missions on planets you have never heard of. However, there are still a healthy number of "classic" Star Wars missions, including the Death Star attack and Jedi training on Dagobah. All of the missions ripped from the movies feature near-DVD quality snippets, which further to immerse you in the experience. All of these classic missions you unlock by the points you received from medals you were awarded in prior missions.

Rebel Strike's action has remained relatively the same over the years, with only small improvements and additions peppering an otherwise quaint gaming experience. Not one to fix what isn't broke, Factor 5 continues its time-honored tradition.

However, there are some new additions you can expect to see. Land-based vehicular combat has been expounded upon, and occupies a good chunk of Luke's campaign. Some notable vehicles you will pilot include the speeder bike, AT-ST, AT-AT, and even the ever-versatile Ton-Ton on the game's Hoth level. Land combat feels just as polished and enjoyable as the game's space missions, and I liked them best for the mere fact that they were a solid diversion from the game's tried-and-true space combat.

Speaking of space combat, Factor 5 has barely touched it. Gameplay mechanics remain the same, you still have the same flight maneuvers, and handling has been untouched. They have however added in new space vehicles, including the badass TIE Interceptor and a one-mission only Jedi Star fighter complete with those bombs that suck the sound out of the environment.

Perhaps the biggest new addition to RS are the multiplayer options available. You can play cooperative through the entire game of Rogue Leader, and Rebel Strike. That's a lot of gaming for your buck. There are also some verses modes, including dogfight and capture the flag. These feel like they were thrown in at the last minute, and Rogue Squadron's gameplay does not lend itself well to player vs. player combat. Still, a nice addition nonetheless.

A trivial but neat aspect of RS is the two unlockable classic Star Wars arcade games. These games with their vector based graphics and atrocious audio serve as a pleasant but short-lived blast from the past.

The only qualm I have with the game's combat is with the on-foot missions. By now, you have most likely heard exaggerated horror tales of these missions, and to avoid them like the plague. For the most part, they are getting more criticism than they deserve. First, with no argument, any on-foot mission is not as well made and entertaining as the game's space combat. However, on the missions where you only spend some of the time on the ground, such as the game's opening level, they are adequate and complement the game experience - a little bit. The problem arises when the game forces you to play on only on-foot missions, no vehicles, nada. This is where the lack of polish rears its ugly head. Repetition soon sets in, as 99% of the time you are merely mashing the "A" button. Sure, you can use thermal charges, but why waste the time and effort when you can just either run past the storm troopers or pelt them with your infinite lasers. These missions feel more and more like a slap in the face, especially since in almost all of them you are simply running from point A to point B with no branching paths, save for the occasional manned turret you can harness. To add insult to injury, there are virtually no platform elements, but with the way your character controls, that just might be a blessing. Luckily, ever so luckily, on-foot missions occupy only a small amount of the game, and good portions of them are only unlockable and not integral to the completion of the game. I commend Factor 5 for attempting to add some spice to the missions, but they only serve to hamper the otherwise outstanding action.

If you played the first two Rogue Squadrons, then you by now know Factor 5 likes to push the hardware. Rogue Leader was the most visually impressive title at launch, and Rebel Strike lives up to that legacy brilliantly. All of the vehicles have been tweaked and tuned, and over the top bump mapping on some of the ships has been smoothed out. The new vehicles look fabulous, most notably the AT-ST, which features excellent animation for its two legs and swivel head. Almost all of the levels are visually impressive with only a few duds among them. Even the clichéd Hoth level has been spiced up, thanks to a new player perspective (Ton-Ton riding) and even more amounts of imperial ships littering the landscape complete with a new lighting engine that blows the old one out of the water.

RS runs fast, 60fps most of the time, and has impressive textures for planets and the best water effects on the GCN. The only recurrent hiccups in RS are the models and animation used for the on-foot missions. They appear at first glance plump and thoroughly drawn, but in motion their actions are jerky and exaggerated, including a heinous jump animation. However, since the on-foot missions take place in the beautiful environments, it's akin to complaining about no mint on your pillow at a five-star hotel in the Caribbean - you're missing the point. All said, I usually don't stress a game's graphics as I do not consider them absolute, but with the Rogue Squadron series, they would be half as fun if they came across ugly. Thankfully, RS is one slick cat.

Factor 5 prides itself in their audio technology, as they even helped design the GCN's audio capabilities. This shows through in RS, which features a quality John William's score. In what has to be a first, RS supports 7.1 Dolby Pro Logic II - as good as it gets for the GCN. Hearing a TIE fighter's instantly recognizable screech sends chills down your throat, especially when you can actually hear it circle you in a full arc as it attempts to unload on you. My only complaint with the audio, besides the poorly done Han Solo impersonator, is the game's John William's soundtrack. Nearly every Star Wars game has it, and frankly, I'm sick of it. Bioware knew to cut it and instead implore something new, and yet, Factor 5 continues to trudge along with a soundtrack that ran out of steam years ago.

When all is said and done, Rebel Strike is a better game than Rogue Leader. Some might be disappointed over the on-foot missions, but to give up on the game for that sole, small reason is a waste. RS is one of the GCN's best looking and most entertaining games you can buy right now. Even if you think the Rogue Squadron series' gameplay is merely average, it would still be worth it, for no other reason than you get some serious bang for your buck. Always entertaining, even with its flaws, RS is a worthy addition to the Rogue Squadron legacy. Don't miss it.

Dec 11, 2003 | 3 comments
Zack