Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike (GC)

Why do we never get tired of good Star Wars games? Maybe it’s because it took so many years for the Star-Wars-branded games to live up to their famous license. Now that most of them do, they seem to keep getting better and better.

One of the most-beloved SW games was Rogue Squadron, a PC/N64 title that put you in the cockpit of an X-Wing fighter (along with several other ships) for some arcade-style dogfighting action. Its equally well-received GameCube sequel, Rogue Leader, was also an amazing game, becoming one of the few early must-have titles for the GameCube.

While another game in this series would always be welcomed, we have to ask what could possibly be new about yet another Hoth or Death Star level.

Fortunately for us, Factor 5 and LucasArts seem intent on pushing the boundaries and giving us a surprising curve ball that should keep the series fresh for a long time to come. In Rebel Strike, besides piloting ships, you’ll get to go up against the Empire on foot in several third-person levels.

For example, you’ll take over for Luke running around the icy tundra of Hoth, sneaking under AT-ATs, climbing up underneath them and lobbing grenades inside, just like in The Empire Strikes Back.

One nice touch is the addition of a new co-op multiplayer mode. In a cool binus, all of the levels from Rogue Leader are available in this mode. We’re also excited about the addition of speeder bike and AT-ST levels. Best of all, the entire game takes place in and around the classic trilogy of films, so there’s no chance of a Jar-Jar cameo.