/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.6292923]

Is SotE any good? I've seen some people calling it a classic and others calling it terrible besides the first level.

[Anonymous No.6292924]

>>6292923
wondering this too. have had it in my backlog forever

[Anonymous No.6292936]

Depends almost solely on how you feel about tank controls.

[Anonymous No.6292947]

Fuck, it's hard to give a fair look at this game.
I'll try to be blunt and direct and say that this is a regular game, I wouldn't call it bad really, but I wouldn't call it good overall either, it has flaws.
First of all it probably has no purpose if you aren't into Star Wars.
If you are into Star Wars, especially the classic trilogy, then yes this game is for you. They nailed the atmosphere, music, characters, everything.
I'm not even a SW fanatic, but back in the 90s I got into SW because of the SW Trilogy thing, SW was everywhere, and I went to see the 3 remastered movies to the theatre, so it was like a mini SW craze, comparable to Ghostbusters or TMNT, it was a revival of SW.
Now couple that hype with the fact SotE is actually an incredible game for 1996. That's why it's hard to be fair, I have too much nostalgia and good memories with it, so I'm a bit biased. But I genuinely think it's a game worth playing today IF you have at least some interest in Star Wars, you will find a good time with it, with some frustrating moments.
The on-foot levels aren't really that bad and are actually super good for 1996. You can also change the view to first person and play doom-style, which is recommended in certain parts.
Most people will say that the worst parts are the bike race, and the sewers, and while those 2 are definitely among the worst moments in the game (although sewer has great atmosphere), the worst part for me was the drone boss in the second to last level. Fucker has 3 phases and if you haven't stocked seeker missiles, you'll have to struggle a lot to defeat him, like I did.
However, there's a reward for going through it, as the last level is also among the best moments of the game, besides the 1st level.
I would't say it's terrible besides the 1st level, more like the 1st and last levels are the highlight, and then you have an OK game with flaws but with a lot of character and atmosphere in the middle.

[Anonymous No.6292953]

>>6292936
Tank control is something like Resident Evil.

[Anonymous No.6293017]

I compare it to Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, because I played it after that game. By that comparison, it comes off very poorly. However, Shadows is the older game, and a whole year was huge in the development of 3d games back then.

[Anonymous No.6293109]

I loved this game but a lot of less-conventional N64 games aren't quite the same thing if you aren't cosying up to the tv in the manner of 199X. So I can't say I'd necessarily recommend it.
However once everyone is quarantined, the hell mouths start opening, and a solar flare takes out the internet it could be a perfect time

>>6292947
>If you are into Star Wars, especially the classic trilogy, then yes this game is for you. They nailed the atmosphere, music, characters, everything.
I remember this game having its own distinct, darker atmosphere. It's definitely rooted deeply in the original trilogy but it does its own thing with it.
Like, if the prequels departed from the originals and went completely the wrong way, SotE instead doubles down on the classic tone and feels even moreso than the originals, in a way.

Also this game wins the award for having the most physically painful cheat code sequence ever

[Anonymous No.6293123]

>>6292923
It's okay. It's fun if you're into sw lore. It hasn't aged well.

[Anonymous No.6293124]

>>6293109
>code

I was convinced that was a playground rumor until I saw my friend do it. I had such shit hand-eye as a kid.

[Anonymous No.6293126]

>>6293123
Games dont age.

[Anonymous No.6293132]

>>6293126
mechanics improve and become refined all the time, but please, continue arguing semantics

[Anonymous No.6293145]

>>6292936
Literally all FPSs have tank controls.

[Anonymous No.6293163]

>>6293145
Literally isn't a dedicated FPS

[Anonymous No.6293164]

>>6293132
Your human brain meat has the ability to partition contexts and appreciate a work in isolation.
Special effects continue to improve but you can still watch a sci-fi horror movie from 1979 even though you know the xenomorph is a guy in a suit.

[Anonymous No.6293168]

Spaceship levels are really underrated, I mustve replayed Hoth and Skyhook hundreds of times.
The action-third-person-shooter part is average, but fun enough to go through, specially the boss and miniboss fights. I thought this game was pretty ambitious considering how massive the levels were, the variety in gameplay they managed to fit in and how early it came out in the N64 history.
The music is also top notch, the Ord Mantell junkyard level was very annoying, but the music was GOAT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEwRcVPxoCE

[Anonymous No.6293175]

>>6292923
Sick as fuck soundtrack
Ok game

[Anonymous No.6293176]

is the pc version good?

[Anonymous No.6293240]

>>6293176
I think it might run better, not sure, but it has different cutscenes with CGI graphics, which... I think aren't as good as the original sprite-based cutscenes, which have that classic LucasArts style (think monkey island, indiana jones games, etc). Back then I would have preferred the 3D cutscenes because TECHNOLOGY, but nowadays I vastly prefer the original 2D ones.

[Anonymous No.6293269]

>>6292953
Tomb Raider, Shadow Man, and Mega Man Legends all have tank controls, too. SOTE also has tank controls.

[Anonymous No.6293272]

>>6293132
If you can't go back and enjoy older games, after getting used to the quirks, you're pathetic. I play just as many modern and old games and games can still be fun whilst being outdated.

[Anonymous No.6293275]

>>6293272
>>6293164
N-NO! I TOLD YOU THESE GAMES HAVE AGED YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO ARGUE, WAAAAH

[Anonymous No.6293279]

>>6293176
I hear that the original copies are a bitch to get running on modern systems, kind of like most Star Wars games from that time.
As for the GoG version, it runs at 60 FPS which will make the bike race level downright unplayable, so you're definitely gonna wanna cap it to something lower.

[Anonymous No.6293290]

It's shit.

[Anonymous No.6293304]

>>6292923
Great official music somehow on the 64. A real marvel of early 3D gaming.

[Anonymous No.6293351]

>>6293290
t. Xizor

[Anonymous No.6293417]

1. Must play if you're a Lucasarts fan
2. Must play if you want to experience the best piece of additional story for the original trilogy
3. Must play if you care about the history of video games and experience one of the most impressive early 3D games.

[Anonymous No.6293468]

>>6293275
Jesus, did you forget this was a retro video game board

[Anonymous No.6293567]

I loved it, rented it all the time from the video store. Revisiting it last year though, I still loved it, but I could not fucking pass the speeder bike level, I know I beat it once or twice as a kid, but now I just can't do it.

[Anonymous No.6293574]

>>6293567
It's all memorization based. Thankfully the game has the save function.

[Anonymous No.6293590]

The game and book compliment each other by negating the shitty parts of the other. The game is pretty good when you look at it in terms of what was available in 96/97.

[Anonymous No.6293592]

>>6293590
What about the comics? I only read like the first 2 issues.

[Anonymous No.6293598]

>>6293592
Can't say I read them much but from what I remember it was Vader-centric but not in a good way, like he hired some character that doesn't appear in the book nor the game. Shame because the book's Vader-centric bits are top tier

[Anonymous No.6293603]

>>6292923
The controls are kind of shitty but I think it's fun to fuck around it. Definitely a game to play, not to beat.

[Anonymous No.6293606]

when you can see what's happening its good

[Anonymous No.6293614]

>>6293603
>Definitely a game to play, not to beat.
I can somewhat agree with this.
As a kid I rented the game a lot and mostly had fun playing the levels up to the jetpack level, where I got fucked by Bobba Fett.
But I still enjoyed it a lot, despite not beating it. I played the first level a lot of times, it's just so good.

[Anonymous No.6293645]

>>6293590
>>6293598
The only thing I remember about the book was how it described some blue prince guy's powerful pheromones making Leia's pussy drip while she was essentially naked in a sheer outfit he forced her to wear.

I remember wondering why they left the most important part of the book out of the game.

[Anonymous No.6293695]

>>6293645
God that shit was awful. Steve Perry really wanted to rub one out over late 70s Carrie Fisher apparently

[Anonymous No.6293718]

>>6293695
I'm considering doing so myself.

[Anonymous No.6293741]

>>6293718
I mean, it's not a bad idea and all but I don't need some lizard fuck made up expressly for the purpose of creating the situation. Just grab a slave Leia picture and go to town

[Anonymous No.6293747]

>>6292923
Its really hit or miss. Probably one of the worst examples of N64 muddy blurry mess out there. The developers at the time didn't even have access to an N64 to playtest on so they just had to guess how it would all look and play when it came out. At the same time its interesting to see how many future games would spawn from the early foundations it laid down. Because its a game that tried to do everything (minus lightsabers) it can really stumble on a few levels, but some other levels are interesting to run around in. The game isn't "bad", its just kinda mediocre by modern standards. Fuck the sewer and swoop bike levels though, just delete them from the game.

Only play it if you're interested in the history of StarWars games, what came immediately after it is far superior.

[Anonymous No.6293750]

It's responsible for the obligatory Hoth level in almost every Star Wars game since

[Anonymous No.6293752]

>>6293750
Actually dates back to Super Empire Strikes Back, but SotE perfectioned it.

[Anonymous No.6293759]

>>6292923
the Hoth level and the Speeder Bike level are both fun
the 3rd person shooter levels and spaceship battle levels are some horseshit

[Anonymous No.6293767]

>>6293614
Yeah the jetpack level is some bullshit if you're trying to beat it, but it's fun as hell to just fuck around in.

Similarly with the train level. The IG-88 boss fight is bullshit but the actual level is one of the most fun in gaming, in my opinion.

[Anonymous No.6293798]

to appreciate shadows of the you have to look at it in context of its era. it was basically an n64 launch game(came out a few months after the console's release, one of the first 10 games out) and one of its initial best sellers. it was basically a tech demo of the n64's capabilities by lucas arts. it included multiple game modes, first person/third person shooter levels, full 360 degree field of attack space ship battle levels, above-air vehicle battles(hoth), a speeder bike race/chase level, and so on. the content offered was highly varied for a console game, and it was all in 3d. to many kids, including myself, it was one of the most impressive console games we had seen at its time. most people were impressed by it but it was by no means a perfect game. being basically a tech demo it had some really weird/hard difficulty spikes for some people and some of the levels were way too long for many people, lots got stuck at the boba fett level due to its length, insta-death jump falls, and the final boss fight against fett itself.

but overall it was super fun and impressive to many people. modern day noob zoomer gamers will likely not be able to appreciate it much at all, the same kids who shit on mario and zelda 64, which were also groundbreaking for their time because they just cant understand because they werent there.

[Anonymous No.6293809]

>>6293017
>I compare it to Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight
not really fair to compare a console game to a pc game back in the 90s. PC's had ridiculous edge over any console at the time.

[Anonymous No.6293821]

>>6292923
Spaceship levels are okay-ish by modern standards. On foot levels are bad by modern standards. However the game isn't unplayable. If you like the original trilogy, I'd recommend playing it once.

[Anonymous No.6293851]

>>6292923
i love it, although the ship levels are by far the highlight, especially the Hoth and Skyhook levels. The on foot levels have definitely grown on me though, with the exception of that fucking sewer level.

[Anonymous No.6293862]

>>6292936
No, it depends solely on whether or not you can get over the games floaty jumping.

[Anonymous No.6293882]

>>6293798
It's not like the SNES star wars games weren't hard as shit too though. Most movie license games were, for some reason. So I wouldn't necessarily put that down to its experimentality.

I beat it as a kid so I have no sympathy for you fags who can't into swoop biking

>>6293614
>>6293603
>Definitely a game to play, not to beat.
It's a lot of fun just to fuck around with the cheat codes and play as a wampa or AT-ST or whatever.

[Anonymous No.6293884]

>>6292923
Its frankly mediocre mechanically, but it has such a wide assortment of unique gameplay types and iconic elements for Star Wars nerd to get excited over, that it's definitely worth trying.

[Anonymous No.6293893]

IG-88 (and to a lesser extent Boba Fett) were my favourite things in the EU, and this game was the only way to get that fix for decades.
But now we have The Mandalorian, which was made with Unreal so it counts as a game, so I guess playing SotE is optional.

[Anonymous No.6293909]

>>6293752
watching this on youtub (my cousin had it but I didn't get to play it much) and noticing that they made some pretty convincing Mode 7 hills in this level. How the fuck did they do that? I don't think I've seen this kind of polygon-like terrain in a SNES game before,

[Anonymous No.6294009]

>>6293759
>likes the bike level
>dislikes the spaceship level

[Anonymous No.6294074]

The Steam version is decent.
I've always liked SotE, but I could only play the N64 version with codes (yeah the hardest code to input ever). I completed the PC version thanks to the improved controls.
I loved the scope of some levels like Gall spaceport, they felt like you were exploring a huge world.

[Anonymous No.6294087]

If it didn't have the start wars name and story attached to it noone would bother. Gameplay wise it covers different genres but never manages to refine any of them properly, sort of a jack of all trades game. IMO it doesn't get anywhere near the quality of classics like TIE Fighter and Jedi Knight/Dark forces. It's a shame because the shadows of the empire storyline has plenty of content to make for some awesome games.

[Anonymous No.6294097]

>>6294087
>Gameplay wise it covers different genres but never manages to refine any of them properly,
The Hoth level was refined enough to spawn the Rogue Squadron series. The thing is, it was just 1 level.
>If it didn't have the start wars name and story attached to it noone would bother.
Probably, but back then everyone turned their head to look at it, Star Wars fan or not.

[Anonymous No.6294105]

>>6294097
The Hoth level is definitely fantastic, especially for the N64 era. It's just the other types of gameplay aren't on par.

[Anonymous No.6294167]

>>6294087
I know most users here won't appreciate your zoomed-out zoomer hot takes Anon, but I want you to know that I don't appreciate them either. Thanks for posting.

[Anonymous No.6294197]

>>6293126
Yeah it always kinda sucked but it used to be kinda neat to see a game running in 3D on your tv. Now it doesn't have that going for it either.

[Anonymous No.6294217]

>>6292923
One of the best star wars games ever made unironically. Controls may be difficult but the game is a literal masterpiece.

[Anonymous No.6294507]

I liked it at the time. some parts were pretty difficult but yeah its an alright game

[Anonymous No.6294534]

>>6292923
I was always fascinated by this game because I read about it in the 90s when the N64 was about to be launched and considering how much of a revival there was with Star Wars with the special edition re-releases on VHS and in theatres and how excited people were to see more star wars merch than ever. It might be hard to imagine this for people who forgot about the late 90s and think more about the controversies with the prequel movies and the movies after the Disney buy-out (or people who simply weren't there) but it was exciting to see even more PC and console games about Star Wars, especially about something that wasn't really adapted before - SotE was based on an EU novel if I remember correctly and less on the original movies.

After all these years and (re-)acquiring several N64 games I found the opportunity to finally play the N64 game over 20 years after its original release and after playing several generations of licensed, 3D and SW related games I wasn't sure if it was gonna be disappointing. To my surprise I was actually having a lot of fun with the first level and the ones after it. Sure it took some time to get used to the controls because they're quite different compared to later N64 3rd person games and I didn't have the manual for the game nearby but I never felt like the game was messing with me or that it became boring too same-y. Not everyone like the constantly changing gameplay structures between levels and honestly I didn't like it either in the battletoads games but in something like Star Wars it felt like it made so much more sense considering how the movies themselves were a combination of so many kinds of movies like revenge stories, war movies, family dramas and so much more. It felt weird at first but after a while everything seems to fit so well together and the different difficulties give it all the more reason to go back and look for more challenges like many classic /vr/ games.

So YES it's great with or without nostalgia.

[Anonymous No.6294617]

It's a bit clunky but if you like Star Wars I don't think it would disappoint.

[Anonymous No.6294680]

>>6293164
Wait it’s not real

[Anonymous No.6294738]

>>6294680
It might be, I don't know. If consciousness is actually the top-down fundament of reality rather than physics being bottom-up, maybe every time we imagine characters or a world we're literally conjuring that reality into existence. The process of watching a movie or playing a game would then imply a window into a sub-reality which would seem perfectly realistic to the people populating it, even if it would seem fictional to us with the benefit of a higher dimension of context. In turn, this implies that your own life is merely someone else's fiction, and so on, nested ad infinitum.

[Anonymous No.6295726]

>>6292923
I've always unofficially considered it the fourth Super Star Wars game, just in 3D and a smidge more fun. Play the game, read the book, ignore the comic except for the one issue where Boba Fett kicks ass, and bask in the hype of Star Wars at it's peak.

[Anonymous No.6295728]

>>6295726
Damn it, didn't intend to spoiler that.

[Anonymous No.6296061]

>>6293574
As a kid I just brute forced it by killing all the swoop gang members but now when I try to do that I end up exploding before I take out the 2nd guy.

[Anonymous No.6296076]

>>6293109
another bonus is the main character is not a Jedi or force sensitive, so you get to see the smuggler's view of the Star Wars verse. Much better than the Han Solo story. Plus they even scored music for the novel the story was so good.

[Anonymous No.6296084]

>>6293168
fuck this level and its speed run time.

[Anonymous No.6296093]

>>6293606
>getting so lost you gotta shoot a disrupter to see where you are going.

[Anonymous No.6296095]

>>6293747
the swoop bike level is like riding a motorcycle in GTA. You just want to go full speed until you crash into some random shit.

[Anonymous No.6296098]

>>6296061
Glad to know I wasnt the only one, I actually thought it wasnt a race, and that I had to kill every last one of those fuckers.

[Anonymous No.6296105]

>>6293798
I think at the time there were some PC star wars games that were better, but if you didn't own a computer with top specs they were off limits. N64 SotE was the first way around that as a kid to experience 3D star wars.

[Anonymous No.6296108]

>>6293851
Hated the train level as a kid but now I get big nostalgia listening to the track and how scary IG-88's backstory was (before the Mandelorian).

[Anonymous No.6296109]

>>6292923
It has great atmosphere and a ton of heart but it's just not very good. Personally I can suffer through bad shit because I love video games and I can see the best of a bad situation. If you aren't feeling it just stop because it doesn't get any better. This is coming from a huge Shadows fan btw.

[Anonymous No.6296110]

>>6296105
Even if you had the best consumer PC in 1996, there was nothing like SotE back then.
I was a PC-only guy then, and seeing the first level of SotE at a friend's house made me feel a bit insecure about thinking PCs were better than consoles. Of course eventually PCs kept getting better, and even we got a port of SotE, but in 1996? That shit was impressive.

[Anonymous No.6296619]

>>6296084
I like that level and I'm pleased to see that the speedrun tactic for fighting Slave-1 is exactly what I did as a kid: running directly underneath it and button mashing while getting shot in the face.

[Anonymous No.6296654]

>>6292923
Still one of my favorite games. It has problems. The combat is a little too stupid and simple. There's little to no strategy involved. Boss fights are often wars of attrition. But it controls pretty well, has really solid pacing, incredible variety, and the level design is still very good with clear signposting and lots of little hidden areas to reward the adventurous. Plus the jetpack is still one of the best in gaming. Obviously incredible soundtrack. Cool story too, back when Star Wars still felt like it had fuel in the tank. It's a good game that takes me back to a time when I was still very interested and hopeful for this franchise, and Shadows of the Empire acted as great supplementary material. It would have been a pretty good action adventure game without the Star Wars stuff attached. The technology was really impressive for its time and it's an early example of 3D action game level design done right. With the Star Wars stuff attached, it's one of the better games the franchise has received.

[Anonymous No.6297003]

>>6293809
>PC's had ridiculous edge over any console at the time.

Not in "in the 90s" in general, no. After 97 is when PCs just started crushing consoles. A more accurate example of what PC gaming was like compared to console is the mid 90s Sonic CD port for Windows, which runs at 30 fps because PCs don't have sprite hardware.

Of course, Dark Forces is late 97, so firmly in the PC master race era.

[Anonymous No.6298879]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlnQSNYa3lA
just take me back

[Anonymous No.6300702]

>>6298879
No matter how good your taste in games is, I'll never forget that you fucked my dad.

[Anonymous No.6300710]

>>6293176
I think there's a DF Retro about it that's helpful

[Anonymous No.6300747]

>>6292953
No, Resident Evil has RC car controls.

[Anonymous No.6300859]

>>6293176
The GOG release is decent but has problems. You should use something to cap the frame rate at 30 or else the physics get all fucked up. It's really apparent when you slide off cliffs for no reason at Gall Spaceport.
The cutscenes won't render full screen at modern resolutions. I think the game is best experienced at 4:3 resolutions. 1280x960 is perfectly fine for example. But you can play it at 1080p widescreen if you wish.
Any resolution past 640x480 renders the starfield incorrectly during levels in outer space and there isn't a fix for it. It's smaller than it should be and tucked away to the top left corner of the screen, so the space levels end up losing a bit of charm.
Also be prepared to configure controls on a level by level basis. Once you're prepared for it it only takes a minute, but it can be an annoyance.
Overall it looks much nicer and runs much smoother than the N64 version. I also like the 3D cutscenes. Some of them look genuinely great (Boba Fett introduction looks incredible) and the voice acting is nice. But like another anon pointed out you miss out on the cool art used in the N64 version.
The PC version is my preferred version for the way it looks and runs though. There's some definite bullshit to put up with but if you want an acceptable frame rate and an image that isn't a vaseline smeared mess, without having to resort to N64 de-blur tricks, the PC version is a great way to play it.

[Anonymous No.6300934]

>>6293909
Not polygons, just horizontal interrupt (or HDMA) tricks. Essentially, modifying the mode 7 parameters at a certain part of the screen to make it look like the terrain changes.

[Anonymous No.6300938]

>>6300934
Do you have a source on that? Clearly it's mode7, but I'm interested in how they did it specifically.

[Anonymous No.6301035]

>>6292923
Better on PC, not N64. Get the GOG release if possible.

[Anonymous No.6301475]

Thread inspired me to replace the PC cutscenes with videos of the N64 cutscenes, but then I realized all the PC cutscenes are in that fucking stupid .san format, so that idea is dead.

[Anonymous No.6301869]

>>6300702
anon, are you ok?

[Anonymous No.6301965]

>>6292923
I played through it all of once as a kid and never touched it again. Most games were like that for me though. I remember enjoying the playthrough a lot. I remember it being a very good game and I appreciated its gameplay variety.

[Anonymous No.6302049]

>>6292923
It's the best Star Wars non-arcade game. Simply amazing, and the sewer dianoga boss scared the shit out of me for a while. It's immersive.

[Anonymous No.6302056]

>>6301475
>but then I realized all the PC cutscenes are in that fucking stupid .san format, so that idea is dead.
Either screen capture your screen, or record your screen with a good camera in ideal lighting conditions when it's quiet.

[Anonymous No.6302065]

>>6302056
I don't want to record or export the PC cutscenes. I want to outright replace them with the N64 cutscenes. Not gonna happen with that format.

[Anonymous No.6302079]

>>6302065
>I want to outright replace them with the N64 cutscenes
OK so capture those? Are you talking about having it be functional in the game? In that case, oh.

[Anonymous No.6302113]

>>6302079
Yes the latter. Obtaining N64 footage is not the problem.

[Anonymous No.6302131]

>>6302113
I wish you all the luck should you decide to work on it. This reminds me of the literal heroes that restore some old films without studio help.

[Anonymous No.6302203]

rank your levels bros.
1. Hoth
2. Skyhook
3. Escape from Echo Base
4. Gall Spaceport
5. Asteroid Chase
6. Junkyard
7. Suprosa
8. Sewers
9, Xizor's Palace
10. Mos Eisley

[Anonymous No.6302229]

>>6293126
games don't age but faggot redditors do

[Anonymous No.6302240]

>>6302049
>he never played tie fighter or dark forces 2

Seriously, give jedi knight a play if you get the opportunity, it's amazing.

[Anonymous No.6302270]

>>6302131
Thanks but unfortunately that format was only used in lucasarts games and was incredibly game specific. It doesn't seem to be something you can take existing video and just convert to. From what I've seen the furthest anyone got with these files is having the ability to play them in scummvm and having the ability to extract their audio. Anything beyond that would require someone far more savvy with this kind of stuff than I. Would love to see it happen though. Those cutscenes + that version of the game would be my ideal Shadows of the Empire.

[Anonymous No.6302495]

>>6302203
nailed it

[Anonymous No.6302505]

>>6293750
>>6293752
>um, actually

[Anonymous No.6302598]

>>6300859
>without having to resort to N64 de-blur tricks
The only trick you need is to run an N64 using the RGB/HDMI mod and enable De-Blur. Only low IQ peabrains mess around with the Gameshark codes.

[Anonymous No.6302606]

>>6301869
I just woke up from a cool dream in which all of society had degenerated into a chaotic suicidal hellscape and the little girl I had a crush on last semester told me she loved me, so I'm feeling fine.

>>6302505
>>6293750
desu I think there might have been a movie or something that inspired all of these

[Anonymous No.6302635]

>>6302606
anon, you are for the win (unironically)

[Anonymous No.6302745]

>>6302606
>desu I think there might have been a movie or something that inspired all of these

No shit, genius.

[Anonymous No.6302824]

>>6302745
>acting like you knew about the movie series "Star Wars" before I told you

[Anonymous No.6303310]

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Shadows_of_the_Empire

Look here.

[Anonymous No.6303315]

>>6292947
You're what's wrong with the internet.

[Anonymous No.6303318]

>>6302824
Oh fuck, I had no idea the classic sci fi movie series I've loved since I was five was called "Star Wars". Thank you, anon, and your infinite wisdom for educating me!

[Anonymous No.6303353]

>>6302203
>Skyhook
Pinnacle of spaceship levels in SotE, the freedom of movement in the second part of the level feels so fucking great, wish the enemy ships posed a greater challenge.
>Gall Spaceport
By far the best third person shooter level, featuring great enemy and ambient variety, introducing a new mechanic, the jetpack, and featuring the best boss fight in the game against Boba Fett.
>Hoth
Great simple recreation of a classic movie sequence, it only suffers from being too short.
>Junkyard
Creative and at the same time frustrating level concept, great OST and great boss fight against another iconic character, IG-88
>Sewers
Rated somewhat high, because of how fucking scary it was to go into the murky water, specially with all the dianogas. The boss fight where you cant see anything also manages to be memorable
>Escape from Echo Base
Pretty good introduction to third person shooter levels. It features a bit of everything, and releasing the wampas at the troopers will never not be fun.
>Xizor's Palace
Best level music in the game, the level itself isnt that special, but it really gives you the feel that your journey has reached its apex.
>Imperial Freighter Suprosa
Outdone by the other 3rd person levels, the level itself isnt very interesting, the closed environments dont help it, feels very repetitive
>Asteroid Chase
Feels pointless and bland after you play Skyhook.
>Mos Eisley and Beggar's Canyon Chase
Would like to have anything good to say about this one, but its really hard. The idea of the level was ok, but awfully executed, driving the bike isnt really helped by the games already clunky controls and you find yourself bumping from wall to wall most of the time. Suppose the music is the only good thing it has going for it, but then again thats true for most levels.

[Anonymous No.6303369]

SotE and Mario 64 were the first two games I got with my N64 on release. It was the first fully 3D star wars shooter I saw before Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2.

3rd and 1st person mode while on foot, on rail shooting sections, as well as land speeder and the capstone space dogfight at the end made for a pretty well-rounded and memorable star wars action experience at the time.

For me, the novelty probably made up for the uninspired levels or poor game design choices. When compared to titles that came along like Turok, and smash-hit Goldeneye, SotE felt unfinished in many respects, but that may have been the choice of game engine to support the different game modes they had. None of that dissuaded my friends from wanting to borrow it for a playthough. Lol.

[Anonymous No.6303380]

>>6302203
I would swap Junkyard with Asteroid Chas and Xizor's Palace with Sewers, but that is otherwise the same ranking I would have.

[Anonymous No.6303404]

>>6302598
ok great
but you'd still be playing a game that runs at 12fps

[Anonymous No.6303452]

>>6302203
1: Gall Spaceport (I even know a minor secret there that very few know)
2: Mos Eisley
3: Hoth
4: Escape from Echo Base
5: Asteroid Chase
6: Xizor's Palace ( awesome level design; those huge 3D gears blew my mind in 1997,when I got mine)
7: Skyhook (I've never submitted my world record time for that level because life)
8: Suprosa- It's ok. Cool beginning and puzzles.
9: Junkyard I appreciate this level for all that it is, but it's one helluva demand on your time if you need to git gud. IG-88 is harder than Boba Fett on Jedi mode by far.
10: Sewers. That level is maybe the first video game to scare me and the murky "water" affect and not knowing what's underneath really activate my primal fears, so it's a rarity that I play it, which ironically preserves its effectiveness. The thing of nightmares already and it's complicated to find every challenge point to boot.

[Anonymous No.6303454]

>>6302240
Would you believe that I own the game on CD-ROM for Windows 95/98 and have a working Widows 98 machine-And I've never played the fucking thing?

[Anonymous No.6303460]

>>6303404
Not that anon, but who cares? Why do you care? It's from 1996 not 2016.

[Anonymous No.6303585]

>>6293606
>'sweet, nearing the end of the level, lemme just fall into this pit of water...'

[Anonymous No.6303589]

>>6303452
The giant dianoga seriously fucked me up as a kid. The water is so dark; all of a sudden a giant tentacle.

[Anonymous No.6303598]

What's his endgame?

[Anonymous No.6303638]

>>6303315
why?

[Anonymous No.6303640]

>>6303460
Because there's a version of the game that exists that doesn't run at 12fps

[Anonymous No.6303648]

>>6303640
and had to sell its soul in the process

[Anonymous No.6303651]

>>6303640
Digital Foundry already covered that the PC version is broken to one extent or the other, even with correct hardware. It was designed for N64, and yes, even for the N64’s performance.

[Anonymous No.6303656]

>>6303460
Does it really run at 12fps?
Anyway, I played the N64 some years ago and the framerate seemed stable enough, especially on the levels where it really matters (Hoth and Skyhook).
Having smoother graphics and more resolution in the PC port helps, but honestly the game was initially developed for N64 and still plays fine. And the plus that is the original sprite cutscenes.
Anyway, let's not get into system wars ITT. People can enjoy it any way they want.

[Anonymous No.6303661]

>>6303656
>Does it really run at 12fps?
Not consistently no but at times yes
>>6303651
>what is a frame rate cap
Problem fucking solved

[Anonymous No.6303663]

>>6303661
>Problem fucking solved
not without freesync

[Anonymous No.6303667]

>>6303648
Please explain for an anon who has never played the PC version.
>>6303656
>Does it really run at 12fps?
I have no idea, but it's just a given that anyone who cares about frame rate in a game from 1996 has bigger problems.
>Anyway, I played the N64 some years ago and the framerate seemed stable enough
Yeah it's a pretty smooth experience.
>Anyway, let's not get into system wars ITT. People can enjoy it any way they want.
Naw, I ain't doing that; well said.
Play nothing but Pong, more power to you, I don't care either.

[Anonymous No.6303669]

>>6293145
Not since Doom invented stand alone strafe keys, m80.

[Anonymous No.6303673]

>>6303667
>Please explain for an anon who has never played the PC version.
it's soulless

[Anonymous No.6303675]

>>6303667
>it's just a given that anyone who cares about frame rate in a game from 1996 has bigger problems.
Not an argument, faggot.
>Yeah it's a pretty smooth experience.
No it isn't.
>Naw, I ain't doing that
Yes you are.

[Anonymous No.6303676]

>>6303661
>what is a frame rate cap
Still get missing effects and such

[Anonymous No.6303689]

It was a cool thread while it lasted.

[Anonymous No.6303690]

>>6303675
>it's just a given that anyone who cares about frame rate in a game from 1996 has bigger problems.
>Not an argument, faggot.
^See what I mean? They needless argue. Look, no one cares, zoomie. The only one who is unhappy is you.

[Anonymous No.6303692]

>>6303689
It's just one faggot, ignore them like I will from henceforth.
I love SotE, it's probably the best SW past RotJ, in our time I mean, since yeah. SotE comes before RotJ in the story.

[Anonymous No.6303693]

>>6303673
>it's soulless
How specifically? SotE is easily in the top three best SW games ever made, at least for the Nintendo 64; so please tell me how the PC version lacks soul.

[Anonymous No.6303694]

>>6303598
Scaring the shit out of anons the first time the play through.

[Anonymous No.6303697]

Best example of aging like milk

[Anonymous No.6303701]

>>6303697
I agree, SotE is like a delicatessen cheese. Only for people with trained palates.

[Anonymous No.6303717]

If you dislike Shadows of the Empire, you are not a gamer, you're a poseur. Most complaints come from anons who have abysmal skills.

[Anonymous No.6303727]

I fucking hate the high pitched squeal the stormtroopers make when they fall off an edge. Why couldn't they have put the Wilhelm scream in the game? It's in the public domain and wouldn't have taken up too much memory.

[Anonymous No.6303734]

>>6303727
>Why couldn't they have put the Wilhelm scream in the game?
It is in the game, but it's random. N64 at least.

[Anonymous No.6303750]

>>6303727
Pleb taste, that scream is hilarious.

[Anonymous No.6303754]

>>6303750
Based
>Ahhhhh-AHHHHHH!

[Anonymous No.6303793]

>>6293168
now that you mention it, it was an ambitious game. with how difficult it was (allegedly) to develop on the n64, how did they do it? Were they in direct communication with nintendo or something? It really does feel more like a 1st party title in quality.

[Anonymous No.6303803]

>>6303793
>with how difficult it was (allegedly) to develop on the n64, how did they do it? Were they in direct communication with nintendo or something?
Nintendo actually provided LucasArts with full documentation

They were one of the privileged few companies along with Rare

[Anonymous No.6303805]

>>6303315
How bout you fuck off.

>>6292947
The atmsophere that this, and the mid 90's star wars revival had felt great.

[Anonymous No.6303808]

>>6303803
I thought rare figured out using microcodes themselves and Nintendo wasn't really found of companies doing that shit? (source: none). Please correct me if im wrong.

[Anonymous No.6303835]

>>6303808
You couldn't really figure out microcodes by yourself since there was no microcode debugger, so you basically needed documentation. Pretty sure they gave full documentation to all of the "Dream Team" developers.

Nintendo didn't want developers having access to microcode tools for a few reasons. First, it gave them more leverage over third parties. Second, they considered the whole microcode thing to be the N64's secret sauce and they didn't want it leaking out to their competitors. Thirdly, it was really easy to fuck yourself with a badly written custom microcode (glitchy 3D would happen) so Nintendo didn't want inexperienced devs to shoot themselves in the foot.

I don't think SotE actually used custom microcode, but just the launch day default microcode (Fast3D). But they would have benefited from being in the Dream Team otherwise.

[Anonymous No.6303839]

>>6294087
>start wars

If you can't even remember that the franchise is names star wars how can we trust that you know what you're talking about?

[Anonymous No.6303843]

>>6303839
Maybe they're stressed, friend. so they made a mistake. Now why don't you relax by watching some Star Track or some Tales from the Darks Sides.

[Anony͜ḿ̵oųs No.6303858]

>>6303836
based infectedposter

[Anonymous No.6303859]

>>6303353
in an alternate timeline, the mos eisley swoop bike level was never made, and in its place the game shipped with an on foot segment better than all of the others combined. This made an already great game, into a perfect game. a 10/10 title in a formative time for gaming which would have lasting effects later.

Regardless of language barrier,s gamers around the world were so inspired by and touched by this masterpiece, it became a world wide phenomenon. The perfect game. Many who played it were so inspired, they craved to exprience a future like the one depicted in SOTE for themselves.

An unprecedented number of people entered the math and science fields, hungry to improve society in hopes that they too could explore the galaxy like Dash Rendar. By 2025 all illness was eradicated and half of the galaxy was inhabited by humans.

[Anonymous No.6303864]

>>6303859
>in an alternate timeline, the mos eisley swoop bike level was never made, and in its place the game shipped with an on foot segment better than all of the others combined
Git gud and stop crying. That level is awesome and you'd not believe how fast it can be done perfectly on the hardest mode.

[Anonymous No.6303876]

>>6303864
so this is the timeline you choose

[Anonymous No.6303880]

>>6303859
FTL travel is impossible, no matter how many 10/10s it gets.

[Anonymous No.6303882]

>>6303876
We are unironically much better off than you could ever imagine. The original Earth is starving.

[Anonymous No.6303885]

>>6303880
Why? Why does muh speed of light have to reign supreme?

[Anonymous No.6303907]

>>6303859
>An unprecedented number of people entered the math and science fields, hungry to improve society in hopes that they too could explore the galaxy like Dash Rendar. By 2025 all illness was eradicated and half of the galaxy was inhabited by humans

Sounds more like Star Trek than Star Wars.

[Anonymous No.6304021]

>>6303697
>aged

[Anonymous No.6304153]

I unironically enjoy the tank control platforming and think it's tense without being bullshit difficult.

[Anón̡̨̨͘y͜m͘ǫu͏s͝ No.6304162]

>>6304153
Based succinct poster.

[An̷̵ò̕n̵̛͟y͞m̶ous̕ No.6304203]

I've caught wampa_stompa

[Anonymous No.6304307]

>>6293645

[Anoǹ̸͝y̨m̨͝ou̢̕͞s҉ No.6304320]

>>6304307
>grool all over her blaster
ew

[Anonymous No.6305425]

>>6303452
>I even know a minor secret there that very few know
well... what is it?

[Anonymous No.6305664]

>>6303598
W A M P A S T O M P A

[Anonymous No.6305670]

>>6305425
You can trap Slave 1 and get a message from Leebo about how you captured Boba Fett.

[Anonymous No.6306184]

>>6306175
Why are voodoo themed horror games so rare nowadays? Not because it's "racist" I hope?

[Anonymous No.6306185]

>>6304349

[Anonymous No.6306186]

Motherfucker

[An̷o͏ń̢y͡m̡ou͢͟ś͝ No.6306209]

>>6303697
>aged
You can always tell the absolute casuals when they use this in the context of games.

[A͡n̶͘ơ̕ņ̕y͜mòu͏s No.6306212]

>>6304153
Good taste. I miss this type of platforming in action adventure games, like Tomb Raider, Shadow Man, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, etc.

[Anonymous No.6306219]

>>6292923
I think it was pretty good for its time. The first level was fun. The normal levels where you're Dash jumping and shooting were alright, but a bit clunky. The space stages were pretty fun.. I recommend trying it out for most people.

[Anonymous No.6307297]

yoooo

[Anonymous No.6308245]

>tfw you were playing this 24 years ago
>tfw games aren't exciting anymore
>tfw games are too real now
>tfw you got one new game every 4 months on N64 if you were lucky so you played the shit out of each one
>tfw it was a special time
>tfw it wasn't that special, they sold millions of the things
>tfw you bring your N64 with all of the best games including Smash and nobody cares
>tfw never have been able to make friends
>tfw finally in a big enough city to find a few normal/decent people with shared interests
>tfw chinky winky coof and stinky put a stop to that

[Anonymous No.6308331]

>>6292923
I had it as a kid but didn't get past the first half of the game until I was an older teen.

Its a pretty short game with only ten levelsbut thats split between normal on-foot levels which are hellishly difficult and often very long and vehicle levels, which are for the most part really short and not very good, more minigames than proper levels except for the final boss.
The on-foot levels are the main meat of the game- they wre excellent for the time and imo still very good today but they kind of blend together as the game goes on. The first few level have you visiting some very distinct planets like Hoth, the toxic garbage dump planet that involves hopping across trains, a spaceport canyon with wide gaps where you get a jet pack, and a mazelike sewer that involves a lot of vertical movement as well as going underwater. The later stages tend to fall more into one category of standard Imperial base aesthetics which loses some of its charm after a while.

[Anonymous No.6308375]

>>6308331
>which are for the most part really short and not very good, more minigames than proper levels
Pure cope. Git gud, swoop bike level is top notch video game excitement on Jedi mode.

[Anonymous No.6308527]

>>6308375
Despite all the hate it gets I actually loved that level, and the sewer also. Its over in seconds though, is my point.

[Anonymous No.6308720]

>>6308375
>>6308527
It's safe to say that even the levels that are the worst are still interesting and can be enjoyed.
I haven't tried it on Jedi difficulty, but the controls and trial and error nature of Mos Eisley made me like that mission the least, but I gotta give it credit that the setting is classic, and riding that bike was badass. Once you finally are able to go through the level it feels good. It's frustrating, but not to the point of ruining the game. Same for the sewer level... its got excellent atmosphere, and one of the most memorable boss fights of early 3D games. It's just very frustrating for a first time player. But not impossible.
SotE really is a very enjoyable game even with its low points.

[Anonymous No.6308805]

anyone know if the models are ripped anywhere? Id like to study the wireframes and textures

[Anonymous No.6308824]

>>6292923
star wars is shit. I'm sorry anon but someone had to tell you. More pathetic are the people who force their spawn to 'appreciate' star wars. Time to move on.

[Anonymous No.6308836]

>>6308824
t. Babylon 5 watcher

[Anonymous No.6308840]

>>6308824
The original trilogy had a lot of charm. I'm not a fanatic but I have good memories watching them in the 90s. I do feel sorry for the kids whose first exposure to the franchise was in recent times, though. I can understand the sentiment of rejection in that case.

[Anonymous No.6310343]

>>6308824
>More pathetic are the people who force their spawn to 'appreciate' star wars.
Who cares? You watch too much youtube

[Anonymous No.6311074]

>>6303669
>stand alone strafe keys
...which was a thing in Wolfenstein 3D already.

And also that's still not what tank controls are. Or at least the impression that I've gotten, is that tank controls refer to the style of controls in 3rd person (mostly overhead) games with fixed camera view where the control work relative to the character's position and not the gamera. That is, pressing up on the d-pad always makes the character go forward - where it's facing - regardless the way it's pointing on the screen.

[Anonymous No.6313442]

>>6308720
>SotE really is a very enjoyable game even with its low points.
It's a game that you can settle into.

[Anonymous No.6313518]

>>6302203
>3. Escape from Echo Base
This gives me the fucking feels, man

[Anonymous No.6313702]

>>6313518
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dx0q4UlTLY

[Anonymous No.6314158]

>>6296108
The IG droid in the Mandalorian is not IG-88.

[Anonymous No.6314229]

>>6314158
It is if you want it to be.

[Anonymous No.6314747]

>>6313702
this is so fucking good

[Anonymous No.6315582]

>>6302203
1. Gall Spaceport
2. Escape from Echo Base
3. Hoth
4. Junkyard
5. Suprosa
6. Xizor's Palace
7. Sewers
8. Mos Eisley
9. Asteroid Chase
10. Skyhook

I was never a big fan of the vehicle sections.

[Anonymous No.6316657]

Good to see some love for the on-foot levels, Echo base and Gall really are amazing levels.
Shit the newest EA SW games might have a lot of QoL "improvements" but are so boring and forgettable in comparison.