Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (SNES, 1994)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-8 Control-6.5 Challenge-7 Story-6.5
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-7/9* Fun-6.5/4* Originality-5
Overall Score-6.5
*Second part of the escape sequence
+
Double jump (replaces the high jump, easier to use)
Even better sprite work and effects
Move while shooting (need to be moving before shooting for it to work though)
Shoot in 7 directions (still not directly downwards)
Slide move
Light saber somersault (as useful as before)
Gun upgrades (5 levels for Luke's pistol - all beams are the same as in the first game)
Multiple characters to play as (new here is Leia (spin move) and Wicket (an ewok who can create platforms with his arrows like in Quackshot; can be switched between in-between stages or after losing a life, fewer stages where you can't choose a different character)
Upgradeable life bar (doesn't carry over to the next substage though...)
Decent variety overall (new mode 7 stage (speeder segment with some platforming - pretty fun)
Smart bombs (there's a time limit as you pick them up; use before it runs out or the bomb disappears)
Shield power up (very short though and you can't keep it for later use)
Decent cutscenes in-between stages (mostly stills and scrolling text though)
Decent bosses overall (more distinct patterns and sometimes multiple phases; some large bosses)
Mini-bosses
Force powers (here you begin with them; no new ones and the flight and slow ones were removed sadly)
Good art direction
Difficulty options
Can bounce/reflect enemy shots back at them using the light saber - The Magic of Scheherazade
Password save
Some hidden items
Less intense enemy respawning
The crouching after landing from a jump was fixed (for Luke; for the others you need to be moving forward or they'll crouch upon landing)
Smoother initial difficulty curve
Smoother force selection
+/-
More power ups spread around the stages
No time limit
Random element to power ups (means uneven difficulty)
Checkpoints (fairly far between them sometimes)
Most enemies drop something
Can't swing your sword while walking (can do it while jumping)
Slight delay before jumping
Limited continues (Normal)
The script was simplified/reworked (?) and enemies and bosses not seen in the movie were added
Luke doesn't have a gun here
Still need to crouch to pick up some items while others just need to be touched
Can't go very far backwards in a stage
Fewer auto-scrolling segments?
The spin move is overpowered (long invincibility time)
Same secondary attacks for Han and Chewie as in the prequel
Some medium to large size enemies can easily push the player sprite around
Can't choose which character to play as for some stages
Easier to rack up extra lives (more point items in the normal stages)
-
The escape sequence after the final boss (first part is a long and boring corridor, second part is super tough and disorientating)
Slowdown (about the same as in the prequel)
Some control issues (sloppy hit detection overall (can't shoot a small enemy if standing too close to it, squeeze trap hits from the side, tricky to go down the stairs in one of the stages before Darth Vader, the large beam in the power generator stage, etc.), so-so jump height control, can't throw grenades while jumping or crouching (here Han stands up if you're crouching), can't manually revert to a previous gun level (such as the homing missiles), the player character still keeps jumping if you hold down the jump button (can be a problem in some platforming segments), can't look down while jumping, Wicket can't move while shooting - have to pick him for the tree village stages)
Some unavoidable damage
Trial & error (Leia changes abilities (to the same as Han's) near the end, the power generator stage, enemies spawning very close to the player or quickly moving in from off screen, leaps of faith here and there despite being able to look up and down, unexplained mechanics (speeder, grenades and extra health don't carry over to the next sub stage), boss patterns)
Enemy drops can get stuck inside walls
Sometimes uneven difficulty (spikes: the first boss; dips (the prison/cave level before the rancor pit, Jabba the hut's stage - lots of hidden health, tree village bosses, second falcon stage, first part of the escape sequence)
Weak sfx from hitting a boss
No auto-fire in most vehicle segments
Some parts with overly resilient enemies (slows you down)
Wicket shouts every time you jump
Han kind of sucks here
Somewhat weak jet bike and falcon stages
Tedious platforming in the moon base stage
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-7/9* Fun-6.5/4* Originality-5
Overall Score-6.5
*Second part of the escape sequence
+
Double jump (replaces the high jump, easier to use)
Even better sprite work and effects
Move while shooting (need to be moving before shooting for it to work though)
Shoot in 7 directions (still not directly downwards)
Slide move
Light saber somersault (as useful as before)
Gun upgrades (5 levels for Luke's pistol - all beams are the same as in the first game)
Multiple characters to play as (new here is Leia (spin move) and Wicket (an ewok who can create platforms with his arrows like in Quackshot; can be switched between in-between stages or after losing a life, fewer stages where you can't choose a different character)
Upgradeable life bar (doesn't carry over to the next substage though...)
Decent variety overall (new mode 7 stage (speeder segment with some platforming - pretty fun)
Smart bombs (there's a time limit as you pick them up; use before it runs out or the bomb disappears)
Shield power up (very short though and you can't keep it for later use)
Decent cutscenes in-between stages (mostly stills and scrolling text though)
Decent bosses overall (more distinct patterns and sometimes multiple phases; some large bosses)
Mini-bosses
Force powers (here you begin with them; no new ones and the flight and slow ones were removed sadly)
Good art direction
Difficulty options
Can bounce/reflect enemy shots back at them using the light saber - The Magic of Scheherazade
Password save
Some hidden items
Less intense enemy respawning
The crouching after landing from a jump was fixed (for Luke; for the others you need to be moving forward or they'll crouch upon landing)
Smoother initial difficulty curve
Smoother force selection
+/-
More power ups spread around the stages
No time limit
Random element to power ups (means uneven difficulty)
Checkpoints (fairly far between them sometimes)
Most enemies drop something
Can't swing your sword while walking (can do it while jumping)
Slight delay before jumping
Limited continues (Normal)
The script was simplified/reworked (?) and enemies and bosses not seen in the movie were added
Luke doesn't have a gun here
Still need to crouch to pick up some items while others just need to be touched
Can't go very far backwards in a stage
Fewer auto-scrolling segments?
The spin move is overpowered (long invincibility time)
Same secondary attacks for Han and Chewie as in the prequel
Some medium to large size enemies can easily push the player sprite around
Can't choose which character to play as for some stages
Easier to rack up extra lives (more point items in the normal stages)
-
The escape sequence after the final boss (first part is a long and boring corridor, second part is super tough and disorientating)
Slowdown (about the same as in the prequel)
Some control issues (sloppy hit detection overall (can't shoot a small enemy if standing too close to it, squeeze trap hits from the side, tricky to go down the stairs in one of the stages before Darth Vader, the large beam in the power generator stage, etc.), so-so jump height control, can't throw grenades while jumping or crouching (here Han stands up if you're crouching), can't manually revert to a previous gun level (such as the homing missiles), the player character still keeps jumping if you hold down the jump button (can be a problem in some platforming segments), can't look down while jumping, Wicket can't move while shooting - have to pick him for the tree village stages)
Some unavoidable damage
Trial & error (Leia changes abilities (to the same as Han's) near the end, the power generator stage, enemies spawning very close to the player or quickly moving in from off screen, leaps of faith here and there despite being able to look up and down, unexplained mechanics (speeder, grenades and extra health don't carry over to the next sub stage), boss patterns)
Enemy drops can get stuck inside walls
Sometimes uneven difficulty (spikes: the first boss; dips (the prison/cave level before the rancor pit, Jabba the hut's stage - lots of hidden health, tree village bosses, second falcon stage, first part of the escape sequence)
Weak sfx from hitting a boss
No auto-fire in most vehicle segments
Some parts with overly resilient enemies (slows you down)
Wicket shouts every time you jump
Han kind of sucks here
Somewhat weak jet bike and falcon stages
Tedious platforming in the moon base stage