Super Star Wars

An opening fanfare, yellow crawl text receding into the depths of space — and then the game hurls you into a hell you'll have to claw your way through with gritted teeth. Super Star Wars is a notoriously demanding action platformer that turns the beloved film trilogy into a merciless test of reflexes and patience, and it does so with infectious energy.

The game guides you through key moments of the story, casting you in the roles of heroes like Luke Skywalker and his companions. Most of the time you run, jump, and slash or shoot your way through crowded levels, but the game doesn't forget the flashy touches either — old-timers swear by the pseudo-three-dimensional driving sequences that pushed the SNES's graphical capabilities forward and lent the experience a cinematic grandeur.

What Super Star Wars earned above all, however, is a reputation as a hellishly difficult game. Enemies attack you from all sides, the platforming jumps are unforgiving, and your health drains at a desperate pace. It's a title from an era when difficulty was worn as a badge of honor and when the player was expected to memorize levels and repeat them until they mastered them perfectly. For some it's frustrating, for others it's exactly the right kind of challenge.

The combination of a strong license, technically impressive presentation, and brutal difficulty made the game one of the standout titles of its time, kicking off an entire mini-series adapting the further episodes of the trilogy. For Star Wars fans and for players craving a proper test of skill, it remains an unmissable entry in the SNES library.

Today you'll appreciate it best going in with your eyes open: awaiting you is an adventure full of the atmosphere of a galaxy far, far away, but also bitter tears and a great many retries. If you're not afraid of a proper trial, it will reward you with a powerful sense of hard-won triumph.

Why play: An action platformer based on the cult trilogy with flashy presentation and legendary difficulty — for Star Wars fans and players who love a hard, old-school challenge.