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Star Wars Namco
In 1987, Star Wars by Namco was released exclusively in Japan for the Family Computer. The game follows a dark-haired Luke in a platforming experience that is based mainly around Episode IV (A New Hope).
As Luke fights through the enemies of the rebellion he is armed with a lightsaber. Defeated enemies will often drop diamonds, which act as “force points”. Once these points add up, Luke can attack with additional force powers such as the ability to float, stop time, shoot lasers, and more. Many popular characters will make appearances throughout the game, and Darth Vader makes appearances as the boss character. A strange spin was put on the these boss encounters as Darth will morph into odd creatures on all but 2 occasions.
Gameplay is varied across the familiar Stars Wars backdrops. What begins as a simple run-n-jump platformer turns into a 1st person space fighter and back into a vertically-scrolling overhead dash to the heart of the Death Star. The game is often embraced for these variations but criticized for its level of difficulty. Offering only 3 lives and single-hit deaths, only the most astute gamers will memorize stages in an effort to win the game.
As fun as the challenging aspects of this game are, they were not fully enjoyable until March 2005, when the first English translation patch was released. The patch was later revised in 2009, fixing many font, dialog, and emulation issues.
If you enjoy a challenge, classic platforming elements, and NES-era graphics, then grab the IPS patch and take a trip through the Star Wars universe. Try it out on NesDS for some portable fun (with the aid of "rewind") or import the actual cart and see how good you really are… I know I did!
Genre: Platformer
Type: Retail Release
Release Date: December 4, 1987
Published by: Namco
System: Family Computer
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