Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (video game)

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
	North American arcade flyer
Developer(s)	Atari, Inc.
Publisher(s)	Atari, Inc.; Domark
Designer(s)	Dennis Harper
Programmer(s)	Dennis Harper
Artist(s)	Susan G. McBride
Composer(s)	Synthia Petroka
Series	Star Wars
Platform(s)	Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum
Release	NA: 1984;
Genre(s)	Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is an isometric scrolling shooter released as an arcade video game in 1984 based on the film from the previous year. It was the second arcade release by Atari based on the Star Wars franchise, but using raster graphics rather than the vector graphics of the first and third arcade games. Several home ports were released by Domark for the Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST,^[1] Commodore 64,^[2] and Amiga^[3] in 1988. The game is included as an unlockable extra on Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike for GameCube.

Gameplay

The arcade attract mode showing the first stage

The player takes control of three different vehicles in stages based upon the Return of the Jedi film. Gameplay is from an isometrically projected perspective and is broken into three stages. In the first, the player pilots a speeder bike to the Ewok village. The next stage involves piloting the Millennium Falcon to destroy a reactor. Another speeder bike stage follows. The final stage involves piloting both an AT-ST and the Millennium Falcon in rapid succession in a fight against a Star Destroyer.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on their February 15, 1985 issue as being the sixth most-successful upright/cockpit arcade unit of the month.^[4]

References

^ "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi". Atari Mania.
^ Star Wars: Return of the Jedi at Lemon 64
^ "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi". Amiga Hall of Light.
^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 254. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 February 1985. p. 23.