Play Star Wars - Shadows Of The Empire Online

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire came out for the Nintendo 64 in 1996, a LucasArts release that landed right in the middle of the console's early life. It was one of those games that felt like a big deal at the time, a major Star Wars story that wasn't a movie but you could play it. The N64 library was still growing, and this was a significant third-person action title that tried to cover a lot of ground from the expanded universe.

You play as Dash Rendar, a mercenary who gets tangled up in the events between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Your main goal is to track down and rescue Han Solo from the clutches of Boba Fett. The gameplay shifts between different styles; you spend a lot of time on foot in third-person combat with your blaster, but you also pilot your ship, the Outrider, in intense vehicle-based shooting sections. One of the more memorable mechanics is the use of a jetpack in certain levels, which adds a vertical element to the exploration and firefights. The difficulty can be punishing, with some sections requiring precise platforming and quick reflexes against waves of enemies. It feels like a rough but ambitious project, a game that throws a lot of ideas at the wall to see what sticks.