The Skywalker Saga has finally come to its universally acclaimed close, with Rise of Skywalker uniting fans and critics alike in mutual appreciation and bringing a permanent end to the Star Wars series. Obviously I am “doing a bit”. The new Star Wars has once again send the world into a state of virulent madness, as these children's films are wont to do. And this virulent madness reminded me that Super Star Wars existed.
It's a game that's remembered remarkably fondly for something I've always found shockingly imprecise in its controls and meandering in its level design. Its fidelity to the movie, however, seems to have papered over a fair number of its flaws. Fantastic renditions of John Williams' score and beautifully reproduced images from A New Hope in the cutscenes were above and beyond what gamers had come to expect from movie tie-in games, lending it a very real sense of polish.
But, you know, it's not that good. It's fine I suppose, but it's basically enemy spam from all sides, downright weird jumping (the Sandcrawler climbing stage is an exercise in frustration), “gotcha” deaths (the next level has platforms that drop you straight into off-screen instant-death lava) and bosses with long, long health bars.
Despite its flaws – or maybe because of them and the bodge-job charm they bring – Super Star Wars somehow manages to hang together in a cohesive, satisfying way. Hey! Just like the movies!