I am one of the biggest Star Wars fanatics around. Shadows is a solid performer with dazzling good looks, but not the breakthrough superstar the buzz might have led you to expect. Then again, aspiring Jedis will enjoy feeding their jones with Shadows of the Empire. The crisp polygons are sometimes obscured by murky fog effects. However, there are plenty of familiar, well-rendered Star Wars foes such as Stormtroopers, Wampa monsters, and Probe Droids.
Fully orchestrated music, some of which is sampled directly from the Star Wars movies, follows you wherever you go. Even in the murky sewer areas, the moody music heightens the tension.
Effortless shooting is tempered by sometimes imprecise walking and jumping controls. Turning corners on ledges is especially tricky, as is making chasm jumps. It must be reiterated--if you're a fan of the Star Wars films, this game is for you. Others may want to reserve their N64 money for other titles.
Shadows will dish out top-end challenge. The game will consist of 10 locations, which in turn contain several stages each. Although completing the game will require linear progression through the levels, there are multiple pathways through the game. Also, every stage has Challenge Points, which are hidden areas or pathways that test your skills and reward you with power-ups and special items if you successfully complete them. You'll fly a snowspeeder against Imperial forces on Hoth, then fight a blaster battle on foot with Stormtroopers at Echo Base.
Later, you'll race on a swoop bike against a gang of assassins, Shadows even places you in a shooter-style dogfight as you blast TIE fighters and TIE bombers from the gun port of your ship, the Outrider. The preview cart's graphics were a knockout! The Star Wars universe was beautifully rendered, and obviously LucasArts ensures that fans will find familiar characters, vehicles, and situations.
You can switch among behind-the-vehide, behind-the-character, and first-person views. Lando, and Chew-bacca are hot on Fett's trail. Luke is oft perfecting his Jedi skills.
Dash Rendar. The N64 game "shadows" the "Shadows of the Empire" novel and the Dark Horse comic book by featuring the basic situations and most of the characters, but it won't follow the exact same story line. One of the most eagerly awaited games of the year is Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, a LucasArts game coming exclusively to the Nintendo The most exciting facet of the game is its plot: Shadows delivers a fully developed story line that fits snugly into the chronology of the three original Star Wars movies.
It's the placement of the Shad ows story that's unusual. Rather than being tacked onto the end of the trilogy, the Shadows plot bridges the second installment The Empire Strikes Back and the denouement Return of the Jedi. Thus, in Shadows Darth Vader is still the Emperor's right-hand man, Han Solo is still a frozen wall ornament, and Luke and Leia still don't know they're related.
For Lucas fans, playing Shadows will be like going home The level Shadows story describes a power struggle between the Emperor's number-two henchman, Darth Vader, and a powerful new character, the Dark Underlord Xizor pronounced "she-zore".
The green-skinned Xizor is a ruthless crime lord who wants to assassinate Luke Skywalker and usurp Vader's power. The story then moves to the Imperial City, an imposing place where Vader and Xizor have palaces.
Despite a flight through Smuggler's Gorge and a fight inside a spaceport, the Rebels are unable to keep the bounty hunter Boba Fett from escaping to Tatooine with the carbomte-frozen Han. Mos Eisley is the setting for subsequent shooter action and the disclosure of Xizor's sinister intentions. More run-n-gun action leads to a hidden fortress in the Imperial City where Leia is being held captive. When Xizor dashes off in a shuttle, Darth and his armada of TIE Fighters fly in to kill him, joined by Rebel fighters in a wild aerial melee.
What's the best way to sell a new game system? Use a well-known license to develop games. And if you haven't heard of Star Wars, then you probably haven't heard of video games. Shadows of the Empire, which takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, looks like it should push the N64's hardware and provide solid, multifaceted gameplay. With levels that vary from outer-space flying to Doom-style shooting and featuring appearances by Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt, and Darth Vader, Shadows looks like the perfect game for SW freaks and video game junkies.
The Empire is primed to strike back in dramatic fashion. You'll spearhead the Rebel Alliance's forces by flying several types of Star Wars spacecraft from cock pit and outside-the-ship views.
Early demos featured the snow-speeders, but expect to fly X-j wings and speeder bikes, too. Of course, the evil Emperor's forces will feature classic Empire hardware like the Imperial Walkers.
It's not yet clear how much of a participant Darth Vader will be. But rest assured that the Dark Side of the Force will be in full fury. I know what some of you are thinking: I gave this one a 9. Actually, if anything, that would make me review it more closely.
Shadows is the coolest Star Wars game I've ever played. It's better than anything on the consoles or on the PC. The graphics are incredible with few polygonal flaws. The music is the best I've heard on the N64 thus far. It's great that there are different types of levels. It's not Just all one genre.
There's Doom -lsh levels, flying levels and racing levels--It's like several games in one. Plus, each of the different level's control i is as great as the other. I find myself applauding the variety put into Smote, but at tile same time, the only level In the game that I truly enjoyed was the Snow Speeder Stage the gem of this cart. All of the--if you Will-Doom levels really bored me. They didn't offer anything that I haven't experienced before, and the fog shading was poured on a tad thick.
I was mildly entertained in the Asteroid and Skyhook areas, but I found myself only wanting to refight the snowy Battle of Hot. Fans of the movies should check this game out; the prevalent Star Wars theme masks much of the game's shortcomings. Wars fans need not apply. Shadows tries to be several games in one-a first-person shooter, a flight-combat game, a driving game-and it does a pretty good job at pulling off each style of play. Of course, some levels are better than others.
The first stage, which has you piloting a snow speeder over Hoth, is outstanding and looks like it's straight from the movie. The first-person stages, however, are less Impressive. They're plenty long one takes more than an hour to complete , but they hold few puzzles and can get a little lean on action sometimes.
The hovertraln level, on the other hand, Is revolutionary. Shadows' music and sound effects are also superb.
After all the hoopla surrounding Shadows, I was expecting a lot more than what was presented here. Essentially what you get is a poor first-person shooter on top of an awesome Hoth battle sequence. Let's just say the first four stages very short are to die for. After that, you get a mish-mosh of first-person, racing and skeet shooting. Probably the most irritating thing about the first-person portion is the horrid control. Dash Rendar is a clumsy beast, for sure.
He doesn't side-step, his boots need traction and other than the Doom-style view, the views are blocked by Dash's body. Too bad this happens in over half the game. With the home movie release of the Star Wars Trilogy, Nintendo thought it proper to give U64 users the chance to climb into the cockpit of the Snow Speeder and defend the rebel base from the Imperial Walkers.
Battling in an arctic setting, you and your comrades are battling against not only the AT-ATs, but also the Scout Walkers and possibly even the Probots.
As with most of the Nintendo titles, not much of the game is being shown so early in its development, so everyone will just have to wait and see until Nintendo releases more info on these titles.
Be sure not to miss this Star Wars release, because Nintendo has the exclusive rights to have this one solely appear on the Ultra In other words, don't plan on seeing it available on any other system. Battle against Imperial forces invading the Rebel base on the frozen planet, Hoth. This title looks to be more of a flight simulator as seen in the computer release, X-Wing, but appears to have more action allowing you to get a real feel for the smooth flight and incredible action as a Snow Speeder pilot.
Star Wars fanatics should not miss out on this one, because its graphics and play appear to be outstanding. A decidedly dodgy Star Wars cash-in that was hugely over-rated when it was first released because of N64 euphoria.
Time hasn't treated Shadows kindly, though -it's a kind of third-rate Tomb Raider meets Starfox, with some very lumpen subgames that should have had their throats crushed at birth.
This one does not. The usual Imperial tactic for ground attack is to deploy a group of four Probe Droids in advance of the major land forces. Rebel intelligence has discovered a weakness in this formation. Thus, by flying to the edge of the engagement area and flying air-braked up behind the Walkers, Snow Speeders can be immune from their fire. As you approach the" Walker, pull out of your run and turn back before flying past and thus into the line of fire of the Walker's cannon fire.
Three slow approaches on each Walker should be enough to take it out. Pick off the Probe Droids as previously described. Approach this formation with caution.
Survey the enemy layout and skirt the battlefield until your Snow Speeder is behind the Imperial direction of attack. Take out the AT-STs as described previously. Now engage the AT-AT from behind. Fly in quickly, and, once close, engage the air brake and keep it held.
When your computer gives you the go-ahead, launch your harpoon and be ready to pilot your craft from the remote position. To trip an AT-AT, you'll have to circle it about four times. To circle clockwise, the joystick should be held diagonal down right, returning to the central neutral position to fly straight along the longer sides of the Walker.
Beware: i harpoons are limited on every level other than Easy. Approach this battle as before, locating the rear of the battleground and concentrating initially on the AT-STs. Farty Star Wars tie-in made up of numerous subgames, most of which are crap. Even Lucas fanatics should think twice about it. Fab snowspeeder and space battles are ultimately let down by some lacklustre Doom -style bits.
It still has a great Star Wars feel though. From the breath-taking opening battle of Hoth, with your powering Snowspeeder whipping between the legs of AT-AT walkers, buffetted by Imperial fire, Shadows of the Empire appears almost revelatory in its aesthetic glory.
Make no mistake, this is a game designed to 'wow' a generation with its sizzling visuals. LucasArts has wisely rejected - the sim pretensions of X-Wing and TIE-Fighter in favour of a distinctly Nintendo-esque experience designed for the young at heart. This is no kiddies adventure though, and like Mario 64, the term 'interactive movie' is equally applicable. Although Shadows Of The Empire is unquestionably flawed in comparison to the 64's truest killer app, its ambitious and frequently stunning glories ensure its status as a genuine next generation game, and unquestionably the most satisfying and ambitious tie-in ever delivered.
This is the closest you'll get to living and breathing the atmosphere of Star Wars, so much so that it's akin to sitting back on a theme park movie ride, except in Shadows, you're not on rails, but in a war zone. Before you've even adjusted to the sledgehammer ferocity of the Hoth battle,cut-away animated comic strips flash the unrolling narrative and push you into the next chapter. Shadows greatest trick is to never let you catch up The camera rushes through an ice encrusted hanger scattered with snowspeeders, and you receive your introduction to alter-ego Dash Rendar.
Brown and blue fatigues clad your character who stands, edging from side to side with blaster drawn. Flick through the variety of cam modes and you can admire the detail of your next generation, texture mapped hero, sculpted down to the stubble on his face.
Crouch and he'll fall to the ground, extend his blaster hand and track as you use the Z-button to scan the surroundings. Pull back to the pre-set view, following Rendar from slightly behind, nudge forward on the analogue stick he'll start walking through the smooth scrolling Rebel hanger.
Hearing activity ahead, you push the stick harder and Rendar starts sprinting, drawing a bead as you move towards an Imperial welcoming committee. Ignoring their calls to halt, you let off a few burst of your blaster and watch the snowtroopers crumple to the floor in a way no other games machine could re-create.
Turn into another hangar and the Millennium Falcon lifts slowly into the air, its engine glowing, but as you run to catch up, the engine roars and it accelerates over head, vanishing into the distance. The enormous sense of depth and high detail of objects at far distances exemplifying the N64's superior aliasing and mip-mapping -there's not a rough edge in the game -and close up, the texture mapping applied to everything from the walls and doors to Render's jacket and glinting jetpack create an illusion of reality that is unrivalled, encouraging you to explore the horizon.
Xizor's palace is quite extraordinary, a cathedral-like labyrinth of corridors, halls and chasms, blending motifs of gothic, Chinese and Imperial architecture, all swathed in fabulously moody lighting. Red strip lights on the stairs and walls throw crimson colours across Render's features, the armour of Coruscant Guards shimmer out of the ethereal mauve fog as they storm towards you, lasers flashing.
Gigantic chasms swathed in mist obliterate your view as you descend into the bowels of never-ending chambers. The grainy filters applied to many interior levels, most prominent in the murky sewers of the Imperial City; accentuate the atmosphere of murky; gritty realism, and contrast beautifully with the crystal clear, bright exteriors of Mos Eisley and Beggar's Canyon, or the opaque beauty of Hoths' ice formations.
Whilst the constant re-introduction of familiar props, from the AT-ST as end-boss, to an Imperial shuttle, roaring overhead as you traverse Gall spaceport on a skiff, homogenise the many varied game styles so that every level feels like a natural chapter in the same.
Playing the game as or with a Star Wars fan, the hysteria is immense. Around every corner there's a slice of history exploited with superlative inventiveness. From the first, gorgeously rendered snowtrooper felled to the last, epic space battle, it's impossible to list all the delightful flashes of joy, although as set pieces go, the confrontation with Bobba Fett which marks the climax of the Gall spaceport section must rank as the most extraordinary. You find yourself in the middle of a gigantic, circular hanger, the walls above you are hundreds of feet high and laced with ledges packed with power-ups and weapons.
A lot of power-ups, you realise. And it's suddenly quiet. Your view cuts to the centre of the arena, from where Bobba Fett casually appears from a lift in the floor. The camera zooms towards him, and for a few seconds, you can admire the phenomenal texture mapping and animation as he leaps Into the air and pounces to the ground, crouched like a lion, targeting its prey.
The camera pulls back to your point of view, and Fett is suddenly accelerating towards you, jetpack roaring, twin lasers blasting. To shoot back seems almost sacrilegious. You just want to look, but taking a deep breath, you power up your own jetpack and blast skyward to engage in an exhilarating battle of wits.
Fett doesn't just try and kill you. He hunts you down! Skulking on the ground, hovering high above or traversing the ledges, he'll suddenly vanish, then appear over your head, blasters trained and shooting with devastating accuracy, hitting harder when you weaken, running for cover If you get some good hits yourself.
Eventually, A he retreats, giving you a breather, until the ground splits in two, and from the darkness, Slave 1 gracefully emerges, twin lasers swivelling on its snout to draw a bead on you Add to Cart. View Community Hub. To do that, he must eliminate young Skywalker. Watch out for infamous bounty hunters and deadly stormtroopers! See all. Customer reviews. Overall Reviews:. Recent Reviews:. Review Type. All Positive Negative All Steam Purchasers Other All Languages Your Languages Customize.
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Set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Shadows tell the story of Prince Xizor's quest to replace Darth Vader as the most loved man on the Dark side of the force, and wipe out the Rebels' chances of victory.
The only man that can stop him is you, Dash Rendar. Shadows of the Empire is based on the novel of the same name, with locations including Ice panet Hoth, Mos Eisley and the sewers of Imperial City, all in full 3D. There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write a review.
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