6 reasons Star Wars should/shouldn't return to action platformers

Star Wars is a franchise that is very malleable for developing video games. There have been all sorts of games to come out across many different platforms, covering the majority of genres to explore. But one genre that has done very well with the Star Wars franchise is 2D action platformers. Many of the classic Star Wars games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras were highly praised for the amount of fun they provided for Star Wars fans. But in the years following their release, Star Wars games have explored other types of game designs and genres that are far removed from action platformers. This is something many fans wish would make a return in some form, allowing us to jump and shoot our way through a galaxy far, far away once again.

But it’s not something that is entirely good for the franchise. Going back to a style of game that was very popular decades ago might be a step backwards for Star Wars when there are already so many new and unique games being made now. And yet today, there is a lot of nostalgia for that old-school style of game that many grew up playing. Would it be a smart move for Star Wars games to return to the action platformer genre? Here are six reasons why Star Wars games should and shouldn’t return to action platformers, with three reasons for and against doing so.

6

For: It’s a simple style of game

People love playing something simple

Action platformers, at their heart, are very simple games to play. The design of a 2D platformer, even without action, is a straightforward kind of experience that people can easily understand and engage with. For Star Wars, there have been multiple releases across different consoles that were successful with audiences. The player is moving from the left part of a stage to the right, aiming to reach a goal, which is often a boss battle or objective. It’s neither too complicated nor intricate for someone who is a casual Star Wars fan.

Games like the Super Star Wars trilogy on the Super Nintendo are highly praised for being action-packed experiences that keep things simple, while borrowing elements from the films they are based on. You can play different characters from each entry of the original trilogy and traverse stages that are based on locations we see in the films. However, even under the guise of various Star Wars elements, these games are still action platformers that are simple to get into and filled with enough content to play for a long time.

5

Against: Problems with difficulty

Way too hard or easy

Source: (YouTube) World of Longplays

Games like Super Star Wars on SNES are easy to play, but often suffer from being incredibly difficult to get through. The entire Super Star Wars trilogy suffers from this issue, with many decrying how borderline unfair these games can be. But this isn’t a problem limited to these Star Wars games. Previous releases for the Nintendo Entertainment System have encountered similar issues with difficulty spikes. One moment, the game seems easy to understand and play through, and the next, a very harsh obstacle or challenge completely derails a playthrough. It’s something that Star Wars action platformers have not gotten over in years.

But is this just an issue with games being too hard? Unfortunately, not, as some Star Wars platformers suffer from being way too easy as well. Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force on the Game Boy Advance is an example of this. While the Super Star Wars titles heavily inspire the game, it lacks the level of challenge those games were notorious for. Most players are able to breeze through the majority of the game with ease, despite a few spikes in difficulty at some key encounters. This is the other side of the spectrum that makes developing a Star Wars action platformer a hard thing to do, putting it in danger of being forgotten for being too easy. There needs to be a balance where a new game can provide a decent challenge, without impacting the overall fun factor.

4

For: Interesting creative liberties

Testing the waters of creativity

Source: (YouTube) Longplayarchive

One of the most interesting aspects of the Super Star Wars games was how wild and crazy they would interpret aspects of the original trilogy. A small appearance from something in The Empire Strikes Back, like a probe droid, became a full-fledged boss battle at the end of the Hoth stage within the game. The encounter with the Jawas in A New Hope became a stage where Luke Skywalker would have to jump his way through a Sand Crawler to find R2-D2 and C-3PO. These are crazy versions of events that happen in the movies, but are incredibly fun ways to deliver them in video games. Some of the most memorable encounters within these games don’t even involve main characters or iconic events from the films, but the moments that may have taken place just before them. But things don’t even need to go that far, as is the case with the Star Wars games on the NES. Both games were loosely based on the events of the films, but kept close to what happened in them to make everything feel authentic, yet still had enough room to be creatively interesting.

A new Star Wars action platformer based on anything from the movies or other media can have the creative freedom to take ideas to an extreme, not just for the goal of rendering them in video game form, but for enhancing the fun factor of playing through them. If done in the same fashion as the original trilogy was for Super Star Wars, a similar kind of game based on the Star Wars prequel trilogy would have an interesting well to pull from. What would a level based on the lightsaber duel on Mustafar be like if made for a Super Star Wars spiritual successor? Obi-Wan Kenobi could find himself fighting off lava droids before clashing lightsabers with Anakin Skywalker. Or maybe the events of Order 66 can be done with a combination of waves of enemies that culminate in a battle against one of the Clone Army’s machines on Coruscant. The possibilities are endless. And if not as over-the-top, still showing enough of the places and characters we know in more detail outside the films, can still be a lot of fun.

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3

Against: Steering too far away

Not what we know

As interesting as things can be when creative liberties are taken, sometimes things just go too far. At that point, what you have is something that’s less Star Wars and more miscellaneous fantasy. The Super Star Wars titles often did this with how important they made certain encounters in the game that were anything but within the films. A giant sand monster attacking Luke Skywalker may be too random for some people, especially if they think they’re going to play through a game based on the first movie. But that’s not the only time things were taken too far in a Star Wars action platformer, such as the Famicom game based on the original film.

In one encounter with Darth Vader early on, he turns into a scorpion monster that appears out of nowhere. It’s a wild and crazy idea that plays with expectations, but feels unnecessary and out of place for a Star Wars game. It’s a very thin line that can be easily crossed when trying to have new ideas for an action platformer, which often does well when there aren’t many restrictions. However, if a Star Wars game is to be successful, then things can’t step too far out of the realm of a galaxy far, far away without becoming something that Star Wars isn’t. Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing starfighter shouldn’t do anything crazy like becoming a mech to destroy the Death Star in the final battle above Yavin. There are some things that are just too far for comfort.

2

For: Tackling new Star Wars eras

An expansive universe

A new Star Wars action platformer can do something that other Star Wars games often do: explore other parts of the Star Wars timeline. Whether that means going to a different era based on the films or exploring some of the expanded universe material, there are places to go and things to see. Many Star Wars games often find themselves sticking around what people know from the movies, depending on a lot of familiar aspects that people love about Star Wars. But there are a few games that have dared to go into different timeframes or parts of the galaxy and have yielded very successful results.

Imagine an action platformer that puts you in control of Jaina Solo and goes through the events of the Star Wars Legends timeline, including encounters with Darth Caedus and more. It’s these kinds of storylines and eras of Star Wars storytelling that people love and would be excited to see rendered in video game form. There are so many parts of the expanded universe and alternative stories that make for great material to incorporate into a new game. And with how action-packed a platformer like Super Star Wars can be, an inspired game could provide an interesting experience for players looking for something new from the franchise.

1

Against: A limited genre

Can only do so much

Source: (YouTube) World of Longplays

It sounds exciting to have an action platformer that focuses on different characters and locations in the Star Wars galaxy. However, things can only go so far with the genre before everything becomes monotonous. Most action platformers play very similarly and include the same elements that comprise the genre, with not many variations beyond the basics. Some titles might have characteristics of role-playing games or shooting sections to mix things up, but those can only do so much. At the end of the day, 2D action platformers will often play and look similar, regardless of the visual style or presentation they have.

Many new Star Wars games that are released tackle genres with a lot more options to stand out. 3D action games can blend many more genres together to not only provide a unique gameplay experience but also showcase their stories and characters from many different perspectives. Something like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order would probably not have resonated with fans as much if it were held back by being a 2D action platformer. We wouldn’t get to experience the intensity of the lightsaber duels and death-defying challenges that Cal Kestis endures during gameplay, no matter how many cutscenes a 2D platformer could render in between sections.

A genre from a long time ago…

There are many more reasons for or against Star Wars returning to the 2D action platformer genre. It’s a style of game that has resonated with Star Wars fans over the decades and provided many hours of entertainment. One can see there’s definitely an audience for this kind of game, but whether it would be successful nowadays is a different story. Star Wars games have taken the franchise to new heights by exploring interesting territory for how we play in a galaxy far, far away, allowing us to become immersed within a universe many have loved for years. But no matter how much the Star Wars galaxy will change throughout the years, we’ll always have that nostalgia of the fun times we had a long time ago.

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