Born for Wii: Rogue Squadron (page 2)

From a story standpoint, one challenge facing the continuation of the Rogue Squadron series is apparent: you can only destroy the Death Star and bring down the AT-ATs on Hoth so many times before it becomes a total bore. Thankfully, the series has drawn from other sources of Star Wars material, a prime example being the battle against the World Devastators from the Dark Empire comic series. Rebel Strike also featured several on-foot missions that were certainly a new experience for anyone familiar with the Rogue Squadron series, but these were fairly shallow and did little to add value to the overall package.

The proverbial well that is the original Star Wars movie trilogy may be mostly dry when it comes to worthy battles for another Rogue Squadron title, but that's by no means a bad thing. The Star Wars Expanded Universe is as vast as it is deep, and contains an absolute treasure trove of appropriately epic space battles, conflicts and confrontations. Imagine leading the charge against Grand Admiral Thrawn at the Battle of Bilbringi, hunting down the rogue Warlord Zsinj, or holding out against the overwhelming forces of the Yuuzhan Vong as they lay siege to the galaxy. Or, if you're not that much of a Star Wars nerd, take my word for it-it'd be awesome.


The gameplay in Rogue Squadron consists largely of what you'd expect -- taking on waves of TIE Fighters and other enemy ships, protecting Rebel convoys, and raiding Imperial bases. Each mission is often broken up into primary and secondary objectives, and medals can be achieved based on just how well each task is performed. Factor 5 has always been generous with unlockable content, though earning those bonuses is easier said than done -- I still remember devoting entire days of my life to the pursuit of gold medals in the original Rogue Squadron.

Though the X-Wing is the prominent snubfighter in the Rebel arsenal, the Rogue Squadron series includes far more than the iconic ship. Each available fighter has its own strengths and weaknesses -- the A-Wing is fast but lightweight, while the heavier B-Wings and Y-Wings make up for their sluggishness with heavy loads of torpedoes and bombs. The trusty Snowspeeder inevitably shows up to tow cable Imperial AT-ATs into submission, but that's not the end of the line. Through unlockable content and special missions, you'll find yourself in command of tons more ships, ranging from TIE Interceptors to the legendary Millennium Falcon itself.

Piloting each and every craft is fairly simple due to the arcadey control system in the Rogue Squadron games. Rogue Leader and Rebel Strike on the GameCube employ the same setup: the Left and Right Triggers handle deceleration and acceleration, the control stick moves, and the A and B buttons are responsible for primary and secondary weapons. The Z button can also be used to roll the ship, while Y calls up the targeting computer, X switches camera modes, and the C-stick offers limited camera manipulation. Finally, the D-pad confers limited, though useful, commands to your AI squadron mates.

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