| DATA | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Super Empire Strikes Back |
| Developer(s) | Sculptured Software, LucasArts |
| Genre | Run and gun |
| Platform(s) |  |
| Release date | 1993-11-12 |
I've been postponing this moment, because one of my rules is not to snatch screenshots from the web, so I have to replay games in order to take them myself. And frankly, with this particular piece of software my desire to do that was below zero (specially after the objectionable first part; read its article to know what you're up against). But years ago I took a vow to sacrifice myself for mankind, so here goes nothing.
I concluded that previous article by stating that the sequel was even worse. I stand by that. Sculptured Software multiplied the original by two, but that didn't just apply to the length, it also included the difficulty. The screen can barely fit all the things that want to attack you! Blows and plasma shots will rain down mercilessly, so many that almost all enemies leave a little bit of health behind upon dying and even so it's not enough. It can be exasperating, and it's lucky I played it on emulator, otherwise the console and TV set would have been tossed out of the window.
The bosses require pixel-perfect movement accuracy, and so do the platforming sections. So it all boils down to memorization of patterns, and a lot of patience for your thousandth retry. The only good thing I've got to say here is that a password system has been added, so now you won't have to play through the whole damn game if you run out of lives. You may even skip the levels you find impossible.
The graphics have been slightly improved. The backgrounds are a bit nicer, but it still isn't enough to earn some merit as the best-looking game for the SNES (because it isn't, not by far). The cutscenes that explain the story are as bland as always.
And talking about the story, it follows the movie's, but you will find that once again a certain degree of artistic freedom was taken with the design of some sections. I never thought I would live to see Han Solo battle robotic spiders in Hoth... only to be killed moments later by a falling light fixture!
You'll no longer be able to pick between different player characters. The developers probably realized that it made no difference at all, so in this sequel who you control is determined by the plot. The vehicle sections are as irritating as always, I guess you really have to "feel" the force in order to know where your shots will hit. In summary, I can't understand how anybody in 1993 could find this a suitable entertainment for the young minds.
After reading my rave, maybe you've taken a glance at the score below and are wondering "But why doesn't this DaSalba guy fail the game then?" Because of a few reasons. Firstly, it IS playable from beginning to end without segmentation faults or blue screens, so it meets the minimum requirements to be considered a video game. Secondly (and most important), thanks to the new password system it doesn't feel as discouraging as the previous one, even if the difficulty has been increased. Without this, it would have gotten a 4 or so (and yes, I know that passwords are irrelevant when playing on an emulator with savestates, but I'm thinking about those poor youngsters back in the 90s).
Lastly, it is somewhat longer than the first in case you're feeling masochistic enough.
Playing
I already did it for you, spare yourself the pain.