Gameplay
Star Wars plays like a side-scrolling platformer with two difficulty settings- the Novice Mission and the Pro Mission. Luke uses the Light Saber as his primary weapon and can also use the Force to execute special maneuvers like floating, speeding and stopping time, among others. Energy to activate Force powers can be obtained through diamonds collected after killing an enemy, called "Force Points". At the end of each level the player has to fight one of several apprentices of Darth Vader, who initially look the same as Vader himself, but will change into other creatures when hit the first time. In two levels (the Death Star and Yavin IV) the player actually does get to fight the real Darth Vader. When the characters are rescued, they will help Luke by providing hints and other actions that are important to progress through the game.
Between planets, the Millennium Falcon is forced to fight a wave of TIE Fighters that prevent its entrance to the next planet. The game switches to a first-person shooter perspective.
The final level involves using the X-Wing against the Death Star. While the film's climactic sequence occurred inside a long trench, the game's version can be roughly described as a vertically scrolling overhead maze-like stage, complete with dead ends and intersections. At the end, there is the reactor's duct where the proton torpedoes will be shot automatically to destroy the station. If the player fails to get to the end within a limited amount of time, the Death Star will destroy Yavin IV and the game will be over.
The game is particularly difficult, as the player only has three lives and two continues (activated with enough Force Points), and Luke dies upon touching an enemy. The Millennium Falcon and the X-Wing can sustain only one hit before being destroyed, which could be prevented using one of three deflector shield bursts.
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