Books Video icon An illustration of two cells of a film strip. Video Audio icon An illustration of an audio speaker. Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. EMBED for wordpress. Three slow approaches on each Walker should be enough to take it out.
Pick off the Probe Droids as previously described. Approach this formation with caution. Survey the enemy layout and skirt the battlefield until your Snow Speeder is behind the Imperial direction of attack. Take out the AT-STs as described previously.
Now engage the AT-AT from behind. Fly in quickly, and, once close, engage the air brake and keep it held. When your computer gives you the go-ahead, launch your harpoon and be ready to pilot your craft from the remote position. To trip an AT-AT, you'll have to circle it about four times. To circle clockwise, the joystick should be held diagonal down right, returning to the central neutral position to fly straight along the longer sides of the Walker.
Beware: i harpoons are limited on every level other than Easy. Approach this battle as before, locating the rear of the battleground and concentrating initially on the AT-STs. Farty Star Wars tie-in made up of numerous subgames, most of which are crap. Even Lucas fanatics should think twice about it. Fab snowspeeder and space battles are ultimately let down by some lacklustre Doom -style bits.
It still has a great Star Wars feel though. From the breath-taking opening battle of Hoth, with your powering Snowspeeder whipping between the legs of AT-AT walkers, buffetted by Imperial fire, Shadows of the Empire appears almost revelatory in its aesthetic glory.
Make no mistake, this is a game designed to 'wow' a generation with its sizzling visuals. LucasArts has wisely rejected - the sim pretensions of X-Wing and TIE-Fighter in favour of a distinctly Nintendo-esque experience designed for the young at heart. This is no kiddies adventure though, and like Mario 64, the term 'interactive movie' is equally applicable. Although Shadows Of The Empire is unquestionably flawed in comparison to the 64's truest killer app, its ambitious and frequently stunning glories ensure its status as a genuine next generation game, and unquestionably the most satisfying and ambitious tie-in ever delivered.
This is the closest you'll get to living and breathing the atmosphere of Star Wars, so much so that it's akin to sitting back on a theme park movie ride, except in Shadows, you're not on rails, but in a war zone. Before you've even adjusted to the sledgehammer ferocity of the Hoth battle,cut-away animated comic strips flash the unrolling narrative and push you into the next chapter. Shadows greatest trick is to never let you catch up The camera rushes through an ice encrusted hanger scattered with snowspeeders, and you receive your introduction to alter-ego Dash Rendar.
Brown and blue fatigues clad your character who stands, edging from side to side with blaster drawn. Flick through the variety of cam modes and you can admire the detail of your next generation, texture mapped hero, sculpted down to the stubble on his face. Crouch and he'll fall to the ground, extend his blaster hand and track as you use the Z-button to scan the surroundings. Pull back to the pre-set view, following Rendar from slightly behind, nudge forward on the analogue stick he'll start walking through the smooth scrolling Rebel hanger.
Hearing activity ahead, you push the stick harder and Rendar starts sprinting, drawing a bead as you move towards an Imperial welcoming committee. Ignoring their calls to halt, you let off a few burst of your blaster and watch the snowtroopers crumple to the floor in a way no other games machine could re-create. Turn into another hangar and the Millennium Falcon lifts slowly into the air, its engine glowing, but as you run to catch up, the engine roars and it accelerates over head, vanishing into the distance.
The enormous sense of depth and high detail of objects at far distances exemplifying the N64's superior aliasing and mip-mapping -there's not a rough edge in the game -and close up, the texture mapping applied to everything from the walls and doors to Render's jacket and glinting jetpack create an illusion of reality that is unrivalled, encouraging you to explore the horizon.
Xizor's palace is quite extraordinary, a cathedral-like labyrinth of corridors, halls and chasms, blending motifs of gothic, Chinese and Imperial architecture, all swathed in fabulously moody lighting. Red strip lights on the stairs and walls throw crimson colours across Render's features, the armour of Coruscant Guards shimmer out of the ethereal mauve fog as they storm towards you, lasers flashing.
Gigantic chasms swathed in mist obliterate your view as you descend into the bowels of never-ending chambers. The grainy filters applied to many interior levels, most prominent in the murky sewers of the Imperial City; accentuate the atmosphere of murky; gritty realism, and contrast beautifully with the crystal clear, bright exteriors of Mos Eisley and Beggar's Canyon, or the opaque beauty of Hoths' ice formations.
Whilst the constant re-introduction of familiar props, from the AT-ST as end-boss, to an Imperial shuttle, roaring overhead as you traverse Gall spaceport on a skiff, homogenise the many varied game styles so that every level feels like a natural chapter in the same. Playing the game as or with a Star Wars fan, the hysteria is immense. Around every corner there's a slice of history exploited with superlative inventiveness.
From the first, gorgeously rendered snowtrooper felled to the last, epic space battle, it's impossible to list all the delightful flashes of joy, although as set pieces go, the confrontation with Bobba Fett which marks the climax of the Gall spaceport section must rank as the most extraordinary.
You find yourself in the middle of a gigantic, circular hanger, the walls above you are hundreds of feet high and laced with ledges packed with power-ups and weapons. A lot of power-ups, you realise. And it's suddenly quiet. Your view cuts to the centre of the arena, from where Bobba Fett casually appears from a lift in the floor. The camera zooms towards him, and for a few seconds, you can admire the phenomenal texture mapping and animation as he leaps Into the air and pounces to the ground, crouched like a lion, targeting its prey.
The camera pulls back to your point of view, and Fett is suddenly accelerating towards you, jetpack roaring, twin lasers blasting. To shoot back seems almost sacrilegious. You just want to look, but taking a deep breath, you power up your own jetpack and blast skyward to engage in an exhilarating battle of wits.
Fett doesn't just try and kill you. He hunts you down! Skulking on the ground, hovering high above or traversing the ledges, he'll suddenly vanish, then appear over your head, blasters trained and shooting with devastating accuracy, hitting harder when you weaken, running for cover If you get some good hits yourself.
Eventually, A he retreats, giving you a breather, until the ground splits in two, and from the darkness, Slave 1 gracefully emerges, twin lasers swivelling on its snout to draw a bead on you Now it gets serious. The mixed reception afforded Shadows on its American release isn't entirely surprising, with the prevailing criticism that the game's too fractured and erratic grounded in fact. Whilst the Hoth battle scores ten on the Richter scale, early Doom sections, particularly on easy mode are relatively sparten, and the simplistic asteroids section also suffers in comparison.
However, it's churlish to criticise LucasArts for its ambition, and considering the enormous variety on offer, it's remarkable that the game delivers as often as it does. Critics who've bemoaned the relatively linear nature of the 3-D exploration sections as flash but insubstantial Doom clones are missing the point.
By placing Rendar 'in' the environment, the sense of scale and involvement when balanced above yawning chasms, or staring up at looming AT-STs blows away any id inspired variant for sheer heightened realism and downright fun.
And as a flagship title, too,Shadows promises a thousand delights for future games. At least half of this game blows away every lesser console and PC title in existence for sheer visceral action and exuberance even the weakest stages, such as the Swoop chase, deliver cutting edge visuals , and itls impossible not to look at state-of-the-art bit titles with a sense of pity.
Set against it's only true peer, the faultless Mario 64, Shadows is inevitably a flawed masterpiece, but LucasArts should be proud of its contribution to the Nintendo 64's successful launch and few will be disappointed with this truly worthy addition to the Star Wars legacy.
The breath-taking introduction to Shadows has Rendar leading a squadron of Rebel snowspeeders helping keep the Imperial ground attack in check as the fleet escapes. Initially, Probots and AT-STs need to be eliminated, but when the first intruders have been dispatched, the gargantuan AT-AT walkers enter the fray, swiftly decimating the rebel defences At full pelt, your speeder whips above the snow like a bullet, but slamming on the air brakes pulls the craft back to a slow attack pace, and alternating speed and is essential to evading enemy fire.
Rolling left or right with the joystick, the appropriate air flaps wink open or shut to steer you, and even your wing men provide invaluable assistance, finishing off weakened enemies and joining in on attack runs.
The criss-cross of red Imperial and blue Rebel laser fire makes for a chaotic battleground, with smoke pouring from your fuselage if hit. But blasting the heads of probots and AT-ST walkers on initial attacks is easy enough. However, when the AT-ATs lumber onto centre stage, serious thought is required. Head mounted blasters recoiling, AT-ATs require an enormous amount of accurate head hits to kill, but if you're feeling lucky and want to earn the challenge points , you can swoop to ground level and shoot a harpoon to their underbellies.
Judge correctly, and the scene cuts away to a rotating movie pan, as you attempt to circle the monsters three times, still avoiding enemy fire yet keeping your lasso tight enough to entangle and topple them. Almost worth the asking price for this section alone, the exhilarating, utterly free play is bolstered by the outstanding music and sound effects that continue throughout the game.
Just as Lucas acknowledged the importance of Ben BurtVS distinctive sound design and John Williams' sweeping soundtrack, so the authentic, familiar sound effects and music of Shadows maximise the Star Wars experience. Whipping between the legs of an AT-AT, slamming on the air brakes, then blasting the head from a rogue AT-ST is as much fun as you can get, but although it's tempting to rush centre-stage blasting initially, it's more fruitful to circle and plot, picking off the weaker AT-STs and probots from the periphery of the battleground, so that no-one's sniping at you when you're trying to bring down the AT-ATs.
Ifs all too easy to chart an attack route on the rear of a lumbering AT-AT without noticing three scout walkers have circled you, and the buffeting you'll receive as they let loose a salvo of lasers is both thrilling and terminal, as your snowspeeder kisses snow in a looping wipeout of flames. Whilst the rest of the Rebels have escaped Echo base, Dash's ship, the Outrider, is trapped in Bay 3, whose doors must be opened from the control centre at the heart of the base.
Imperial forces are sweeping through the corridors in search of stragglers, and as Dash sprints through the labyrinth, armed with just his blaster, the odds seem stacked against him Running around the first corridor, you see the Falcon accelerate out of it's hanger, as the Snowtroopers who were targeting that prize turn their attention to yourself.
Amongst the abundance of camera options, the first person Doom view appears most sensible at first, but in fact the Mario 'over-the-shoulder' camera provides the best choice. Not only does the game run faster, but on the tricky jumps and narrow platforms, It's the only way to achieve pixel-perfect accuracy.
Targeting and blasting snowtroopers and automated gun placements is easy enough, as you push forward into the centre of the base, where the first lift leads you up to the hanger door control room, containing six buttons which must be thrown to activate the two enormous gears that are placed parallel with the central gantry.
Inside these, you'll find two hidden challenge points. Along the way, you'll also find a prison containing Wampas, best avoided as their swatting arms inflict massive damage.
Pushing on through a tunnel which cracks and splits as you traverse it, you'll reach the hanger that interconnects with the Outrider's hanger, patrolled by an AT-ST. Circling this hanger are a series of platforms scattered with power-ups, including an invincibility cloak, which can be reached by climbing up the various crates.
Killing the chicken walker is simple enough if you keep a cool head. Rush straight towards it, then try to keep directly underneath, circling with it to avoid blasts from its front mounted lasers, whilst blasting its chest and head. In later confrontations, pulse lasers and seekers will blast it in a minute, but with just your blaster, you'll have to pummel away for ages before it topples.
Once it's down, blast the crates to collect any extra power-ups and move into the Outrider hanger, killing the few snowtroopers on guard, and boarding your craft. A wide variety of environments in each section, simple and few button punching puzzles, and plenty of action. Although it takes a while to get used to Dash's analogue control system, soon you'll be sprinting across narrow ledges and leaping across chasms with gusto.
It's also a good level to practice strafing holding down the Z-trigger in preparation for more intense levels to come. Dash has escaped Hoth in his freighter, the Outrider, but an Imperial fleet is giving chase and an asteroid field is slowing his escape.
You can't make the escape to hyperspace until you've wiped out the TIE fighters that are following you. Your mechanical co-pilot, LE-B02D9 is piloting the Outrider, leaving you to man the top and bottom mounted blasters. Glowing red asteroids conceal the challenge points you need to collect in order to finish the level clean Whilst the screaming TIE fighters and smoothly rotating Outrider create a wonderful impression, the simplistic action is something of a disappointment.
The inability to steer yourself through the asteroid field is frustrating, but the frenetic, spectacular action provides some compensation. As well as the top and bottom mounted blasters on your ship, an infinite supply of homing concussion-missiles are available, although these must be reloaded every nine shots, forcing you to deploy them with caution. The asteroids themselves are showcase glitz that can be ignored as Leebo charts a path through them.
The attractive graphics and soaring soundtrack enhance what Is essentially a filler level. TIEs that are clipped spin like balls of fire, whistling right over your shoulder, and although the external view is tougher to use, over the bow of the Outrider, it's much more fun to watch your ship spin and dip as the legion of TIEs circle and swoop.
The cockpit view offers more comprehensive HUDs, which flash up graphics of whatever ship you're targeting, and this format is revisited with stunning success in the final battle against Xizor's Skyhook Dash must travel along the scum patrolled train track that leads to the junkyard where IG is lurking, in the hope that he can be persuaded to reveal Fett's location This is the first level to really showcase Shadow's sumptuous fogging effect, which ensures that as the train you 'surf' moves smoothly through derelict wastelands packed with wrecked spacecraft and even crumbling AT-ATs , there's never any pop up.
After the interiors of the Rebel base on Hoth, this section contrasts impressively with its mammoth horizon and abundance of suitably weathered texture maps.
For the first couple of minutes, stood atop a meandering train, you must leap above or duck below supports that criss-cross over your route, whilst avoiding and blasting darting Dogbots rapid firing drones. As you progress through the desolate terrain, your track intersects with new lines and parallel trains, manned by guards and assassin droids which must be traversed to ensure you stay on the one correct route to the junkyard.
Jumping side to side across trains, blasting guards, assassin droids and exploring carriages for power-ups and challenge points, the action is both intense and tricky. With narrow carriage tops to negotiate and plenty of traversing to be done, it's here that you learn the importance of mastering Dash's analogue control system. The difference between edging forward and sprinting to catch your connection is significant.
Get to the junkyard itself, and your problems are only just beginning. The tall mechanoid waits on top of an enormous junk pile, burbling irate white noise, but when he spots you, he leaps to greet you, rifles blasting and giving chase when you run.
As one of the most agile and intelligent bosses, stalking and running away is the key to success here, the most important advice being not to let him out of your sight. A good tip is to listen out for his electronic feedback, which invariably provides a clue to his location if you can't see him. As a one-on-one battle of cat and mouse, this is exhilarating stuff, making any so called boss from Doom look like it's nailed to the floor, and it takes a few practice runs before you can outwit this agile bounty hunter.
The defeated IG has revealed the location of Fett at Imperial moon base on the desert planet Gall. Dash's objective is to track down Fett before he can repair Slave 1 and escape with his frozen cargo. The cut scene zooms down to the Outrider, safely landed on the outskirts of the desert.
The game opens with Dash in the belly of his own ship, access to the cockpit denied by the insistent Leebo! Treading out onto the planet surface, the 'physical1 presence of the game is again accentuated, as you explore the underside of your spacecraft.
You can even climb onto the hull to locate a challenge point. Pushing on, the high cliffs and lethal chasms are populated by stormtroopers, probots. Imperial commandos, IG drones and computer controlled gun turrets. The Tatooine-like planet unravels beautifully, and jiggling between views is essential to negotiate the crevices and chasms that prove all too easy to tumble down.
The seeker proves Invaluable too, for eliminating distant soldiers and previewing upcoming locations. There's even a few 'sand' Wampas lurking inside hidden caves along the cliff face that leads to the Imperial base.
Once at the base, the stormtrooper count increases, as youYe forced to explore the dark interiors, with lifts and corridors providing close encounters at every turn.
On the lifts, it's handy to use the Z-trigger to look up, as often you'll see stormtroopers waiting for you. Halfway through the level, you'll reach an Imperial control tower, and pick up a jetpack, which you'll keep for later levels. The first challenge is jetting across a series of enemy patrolled buttes. The ietpack has a limited thrust and giddy feel, making safe negotiation tricky, but once you get used to it, the extra freedom afforded by it becomes liberating.
Move through the final hangers of the Imperial base, using skiffs and jetpack, and defeating another scout walker, and you'll get to the mamfhoth, exterior hangar that houses Fett and Slave l. Battling Fett,the best tactic is to hug the walls, collecting power-ups and resisting mid-air confrontations, just picking off Fett from afar then running for cover.
And although Slave 1 looks like unreasonable force, it's just a case of circling the underside, a few steps ahead of Its blasters, and slamming seekers into the rear turn the seeker-cam off. A massive level, to be sure but delivering some of the most fun gameplay and powerful visuals in the entire g ame.
Dash's intelligence network inform him that Jabba The Hutt has dispatched a gang of mercenaries to assassinate the Jedi Knight. From the sun bleached city centre of Mos Eisley spaceport to the desolate wastes of Beggar's Canyon, Dash gives chase to the hit squad on his Swoop, a civilian, customised speeder bike After the gargantuan toil of Gall Spaceport this high speed chase through city streets promises a welcome change of space.
Predictably, the convoluted, retrofitted compacts and shops of Mos Eisley are gorgeously realised, whilst Dash himself, astride his weathered hover bike Is superb. The over the shoulder view offers the more impressive display; but the first person option is easier, enabling you to use the airfoils as a guide to precise steering.
This is essential, as the narrow streets and phenomenal pace of the action makes accuracy an Imperative, as you chase the gang of swoop mercenaries through and out of the city; into Beggar's Canyon, a desolate route of canyons whose only occupants are tendril waving Sarlacc monsters.
When a swoop rider is spotted, it's simply a question of following, matching speed, then using the shoulder buttons to ram into their side, smashing them against a wall.
The city is scattered with challenge points and extra lives, usually hovering between speed ramps or nestling in nooks and crannies that must be jumped. Use the strafe button for a speed burst, and the top shoulder buttons to veer left or right, ramming the swoop riders Into walls.
Although this interlude is impressive visually and good fun to play it's incredibly fast , it still seems a wasted opportunity to borrow the speeder bike chase from Return Of The Jedi yet remove the fundamental thrill — the trees. Negotiating tight corners and narrow streets is inevitably less exciting than whipping through a forest of trees, and impact with the architecture merely slows you down, rather than providing high speed crashes.
EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Publication date Topics Windows games , Vintage computer games , Action games. Set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Shadows tell the story of Prince Xizor's quest to replace Darth Vader as the most loved man on the Dark side of the force, and wipe out the Rebels' chances of victory.
The only man that can stop him is you, Dash Rendar.
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