Play Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire Online

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire came out for the Nintendo 64 in 1996, developed by LucasArts. It was one of those early N64 titles that tried to capture the scale of the films, even if the hardware was still finding its feet. You got a taste of that ambition right away, with big environments and familiar Star Wars set pieces that felt huge at the time.

You play as Dash Rendar, a mercenary working alongside the Rebellion. The goal is to track down and rescue Princess Leia from the criminal organization Black Sun. You spend a lot of time running through corridors, shooting Stormtroopers with a blaster, and piloting vehicles like the snowspeeder on Hoth. The on-foot combat is straightforward, but the vehicle sections, especially the speeder bike chase, stand out for their speed and challenge. The game can be unforgiving, with some awkward camera angles and tough enemy placements, but pushing through those sections gives a real sense of accomplishment. It feels like a rough but earnest attempt to drop you right into the action of the Star Wars universe.