Star Wars[1] is a 1993 arcade game developed by Sega and based on the original Star Wars trilogy. Combining elements of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, the game has players pilot a Rebel starship and battle against the forces of the Empire. Sega developed Star Wars for their Model 1 system, the same arcade hardware that powered Virtua Fighter and Virtua Racing. Like those two titles, the graphics in Star Wars are rendered entirely using polygons. The game was given a home port under the name Star Wars Arcade, as an exclusive for the Sega 32X's launch in 1994.
The game has three levels which include intercepting TIE fighters in an asteroid field, destroying a Super Star Destroyer and making an assault run on a Death Star. The arcade cabinet allows two people to play, with one serving as pilot and the other as gunner.
In Japan, Game Machine listed Star Wars Arcade in its June 15, 1994 issue as the sixth most-successful upright/cockpit arcade unit of the month.[9]
Electronic Gaming Monthly described it as a decent but disappointing launch game for the 32X. They praised the excellent graphics but complained about repetitive gameplay and limited movement.[4]GamePro similarly assessed that the game is a decent demonstration of the 32X's graphical capabilities but suffers from repetitive gameplay. They also criticized that the controls are convoluted when using a standard three-button gamepad, and that in cooperative mode the second player's cursor is difficult to see against certain backgrounds.[10]Next Generation called the 32X version: "An excellent translation of a good game, and a good hint of what to expect from 32X."[5]Flux magazine reviewed the 32X version and praised the graphics, the digitized sound bytes although they criticized the "tough" controls. They recommended the game for Star Wars fans.[8]
^"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 474. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 June 1994. p. 25.
