This game starts off with one of the most memorable and nostalgic levels for me; The Battle of Hoth. As my cousin was a member of chat that day, he and I reminisced about how many times this level was replayed in the living room growing up. Throughout this play through, I focus on dying as little as possible, as those lives are hugely necessary at the end of the game and they are cumulative from the beginning. Much like most first levels, this one goes down with minimal casualties.

After a flight level, it’s time to play as the main protagonist on foot. Features I appreciate are the strong auto-aim and persistent enemies. Over half of the game is played while on foot, and the controls are very floaty. The developers utilize those physics to throw platforming challenges at the players; it is extremely nerve wracking. Apart from the physics, elevators are the other major obstacle. Most elevators open on a different side than where I entered, or on multiple sides. The enemies always seem to know where I am and unless I check the elevator shaft, I won’t have an idea of where they are. Approaching the end of the stage, I got to relive a terrifying mini boss; an AT-ST. The sound effects in this game are top notch in notifying me where enemies are, when they’re hit, and when they die.

On the chase to find Boba Fett, I leave Hoth and have to pass through an asteroid field. Although I’m in the Outrider, this is actually an on-rails stage where I totally focus on shooting down a specific number of Ties and six challenge point asteroids. Landing in a junkyard, this is where the developers really test my patience with their physics engine. Moving up, down, and between trains is a surprisingly difficult challenge when all things are considered. After a few restarts and a handful of lives lost, I make it one of my most feared foes as a child; IG-88. Right from the start, while trying to get up on a ledge, IG-88 lands on my head and freaks me out. I proceeded to acquire the challenge points, collect the goodies across the arena, and unload seekers into the robot; stage complete.

Gall Spaceport is the longest stage in the game and it’s full of pitfalls. This is a memorable stage for me; due to all the ledges, there are many opportunities to hear the infamous Wilhelm scream from the troopers falling off; another nod to the sound development. I mostly take a cautious stroll through the level while following the challenge point guide and it’s uneventful until about halfway through. Obtaining the jet pack marks the middle of the level. Combined with those tricky physics, the jet pack adds a different element to the platforming. Shortly after the jet pack, I encounter the second and final AT-ST seen on foot in this game. A bit more jet pack platforming and a hover transport ride later, brings me to the arena to fight Boba Fett. The fight is in two parts, fighting him on foot and then while he’s in his ship. Despite the poor controls, this is a fun boss battle.

This game throws more variety at me with a speeder race against some bandits. Those with much more skill than I, can defeat the bandits and get all the challenge points at once. I decided to defeat all the bandits first, then go for the challenge points without the pressure of time. I crashed the speeder a few times but finished the level, in the positive, for lives.

Except for the final stage of the game, I typically did not play the 7th, 8th, or 9th levels as a kid. These next few stages were all too scary for me. It’s finally time to tackle them after 24 years. The freighter is a relatively quick level with a bit of platforming throughout, culminating in a boss fight with an evil vacuum cleaner. The droid hits pretty hard, but is easy to eliminate.

On my way to Xizor’s castle, I have to travel through the sewers to get there. On the bright side, I get the jetpack for the entire level, but on the down side, I have the jetpack the entire level. The developers introduce using the jetpack in water which slows down it’s percentage usage and refresh. If the freighter was more of a puzzle, the sewers is more of a maze. Very tiny droids, that are incredibly accurate, are spread throughout the stage and are the cause of most the damage I sustain. In short time, we encounter the stage’s boss; another childhood fear, the Dianoga. Not only is this a hideous boss, it has a hideous sound to go with it. After dispatching the Dianoga, the sewers are cleared and Xizor’s castle awaits.

Although there is a stage after Xizor’s castle, this is the real challenge prior to the end of the game. The enemies deal considerable damage, the castle is a maze, and it’s lengthy to boot. If I take my time, I shouldn’t have any real issue getting through. One big advantage of getting all the challenge points is gaining many lives, but also, collecting many weapons as they typically are co-located with challenge points. I’ve been earning lives and hoarding weapons all for this stage. At the end, the developers throw the toughest challenge at me; a three phased boss battle. Not only does the boss get more difficult to hit with each phase, the arena turns into a giant maze making it more difficult to move around. Perseverance, a heavy arsenal, and an overabundance of lives are a winning formula.

The actual final stage of the game is more of an incredibly fun victory lap, piloting the Outrider. First comes an on-rails section to defeat as many of Xizor’s army as possible, and second we finally get to control the Outrider while destroying Xizor’s Skyhook. The last piece of the game has notes of nostalgia for any fan of the original Star Wars trilogy. After mission completion, I am treated to a small credit sequence and the bonus for collecting all challenge points on medium difficulty.