The Best and Worst PlayStation Star Wars Games

May the fourth be with you today. Despite originating from a pretty bad (by which I mean great) pun, there’s no denying that May 4 has become an important day for Star Wars fans. The fan holiday has become an excuse to celebrate all things about George Lucas’ legendary franchise, and has become recognized by the brand itself. It’s a positive celebration of a series that has transcended mediums to bring fans together.

An important part of Star Wars‘ ongoing success is due to Lucas’ insistence on making sure the series lived on through video game installments. Ever since 1983 there have been video game adaptations of the films, and these have ranged from exceptional (TIE Fighter) to truly awful (Yoda Stories). Regardless of quality, these adaptations have always been interesting, so we took a look at the series’ long history on PlayStation.

Check out the slideshow below to take a trip through memory lane and look at the over 30(!) Star Wars games that have been released on PlayStation consoles.

We hope you enjoyed our look at the history of Star Wars games on PlayStation. While we took a look at over 30 titles, it’s worth noting that the series has had plenty of cameo appearances in other PlayStation games. The inclusion of Star Wars was a big selling point for Disney Infinity 3.0, and Soulcalibur IV featured Yoda and Darth Vader as playable characters. Other notable appearances include Darth Maul in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Han Solo appearing in Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction.

Let us know in the comments below which Star Wars game has been your favorite, and if you regret purchasing any of the less than stellar adaptations over the past 20 years.!

Star Wars Video Games

Star Wars on PlayStation
Super Star Wars (1992)

Originally released for the SNES, Super Star Wars was an adaptation of the first film. The 2D action game would later be released on PS4 and Vita in 2015. The enhanced port features modern conveniences such as leaderboards and trophies, but stays true to the original's high difficulty.
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire (1995)

The first Star Wars game to appear on a PlayStation system, Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire was a rail shooter that featured live-action footage. It used actual props from the films, and was the first live-action Star Wars footage to be filmed since Return of the Jedi. While the video production was of a higher quality than other games at the time, the actual gameplay left something to be desired as it was way too easy to beat.
Star Wars: Dark Forces (1996)

Dark Forces is a first-person shooter in the vein of Doom. It's pretty darn good on PC, but sadly the PlayStation port was a poor version of the shooter. Not only were the graphics worse, but the game had a wonky frame rate that made it more difficult to enjoy playing.
Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi (1997)

A Star Wars fighting game sounds great, but sadly Masters of Teräs Käsi was a complete mess. Aside from a solid roster, the game had little to offer fighting game fans. The combat wasn't fun in the slightest, and players were stuck with a game that didn't come close to reaching its full potential.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

The video game adaptation of The Phantom Menace was developed by Big Ape Productions. The action-adventure title was a middling affair. It mirrored the plot of the film closely, but some terrible controls and repetitive combat make it a slog to get through.
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (2000)

Another title based upon the first film of the prequel trilogy, Jedi Power Battles is a beat 'em up that builds upon the mechanics of 1999's release. Sadly, it doesn't build that much upon it, and some really bad platforming sections make the game more frustrating than fun. Throw in overly long levels, and that means both adaptations of Episode I are worth skipping.
Star Wars: Demolition (2000)

Due to the success of Twisted Metal, it's natural that Star Wars: Demolition would find its way to PlayStation. LucasArts' take on the vehicle combat genre could've been an interesting release due to how many rad vehicles the series has to offer, but sadly a clumsy control scheme holds it back. Offering little more than the Star Wars name, those looking for a quality car combat game should play Twisted Metal instead.
Star Wars: Starfighter (2001)

This Phantom Menace spin-off fared far better than the games based upon the actual film. Called Starfighter, the player gets to control several different pilots that help protect the planet of Naboo from invaders. The game ended up being a success for LucasArts, and built upon gameplay that was previously seen in N64 Star Wars titles by Factor 5.
Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing (2001)

There are some pretty fun Star Wars racing games, but Bombad Racing isn't one of them. This arcade racer played similar to Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing, but without nearly as much polish. Throw in some ugly deformed versions of iconic characters, and it's a completely forgettable title.
Star Wars Racer Revenge (2002)

Much better than the previous racing game, Racer Revenge is the follow-up to the well received N64 game Star Wars Episode I: Racer. It features some challenging and fast-paced racing, and a solid single-player mode. It was recently released on PS4 as a PS2 Classic title, and it holds up surprisingly well.
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (2002)

Similar to how Starfighter was based upon Episode I, Jedi Starfighter takes place right before Attack of the Clones. Reception was once again positive, as it offered up a similar gameplay experience, but one that was more polished. It was recently released on PS4 as a PS2 Classic title.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002)

An ambitious action game, Bounty Hunter allows players to play as Jango Fett. In this Attack of the Clones prequel, Fett attempts to track down a Dark Jedi by the name of Komari Vosa. The game is available on PlayStation 4 as a PS2 Classic, but the gameplay hasn't aged particularly well with the controls feeling clunky.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2002)

One of the earliest games developed by Pandemic Studios, The Clone Wars allows players to get in the awesome shoes of Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker. Split between on-foot missions and vehicle sections, the game had plenty of variety. It was a solid action game, and one that showed how talented Pandemic was.
Star Wars: Battlefront (2004)

2004 would see the release of one of the most iconic Star Wars titles with Battlefront. This was Pandemic Studios' second crack at a Star Wars game, and the studio really showed that they learned from their past experience. The third and first-person shooter allowed players to really get a taste for the scale of space combat, and the game's strategy elements helped it find an audience online.
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005)

2005 was packed with three big Star Wars games including the debut of LEGO Star Wars. While the puzzle-platformer may feel tired in 2017, it was absolutely fresh 12 years ago. The LEGO aesthetic was a unique way to reimagine the prequels, and the great sense of humor made the platformer enjoyable for both kids and adults.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Out of all of the 2005 Star Wars releases, the game adaptation of Revenge of the Sith ended up being the worst. It was a step up from previous efforts, and it ended up being a decent, if monotonous, action game, but the bar had been raised by Battlefront and other titles. One cool feature of the game was a multplayer duel mode that allowed players to fight each other with lightsabers.
Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)

In a perfect example of history repeating itself, Battlefront II's big addition was a narrative-based single player campaign. In this mode, players took control of an Imperial stormtrooper that had a lengthy career on the battlefield. The game was considered a step up from the original, especially for players not interested in multiplayer, and it fixed a lot of rough edges. It's an example of a sequel done right, and hopefully the new Battlefield II will do the same.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006)

Following the success of the original, it was only natural that LEGO Star Wars II would focus on the beloved original trilogy. Thanks to being based off far better films, the sequel ended up being even better than the first game. Other improvements include a bigger focus on vehicle levels that helped spice up the pretty standard gameplay.
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance (2006)

Released for PlayStation Portable, Lethal Alliance was an Ubisoft Montreal joint that helps bridge the gap between Episode III and IV. Despite an interesting concept that had players taking control of a female Twi'lek, the game's mediocre gameplay led to a less than stellar portable experience. The PSP version was however better than the DS version, which had a focus on touch controls.
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (2007)

Despite being a console hit, the Battlefront series would continue on PSP (Battlefront II had been ported over previously). Called Renegade Squadron, the game was an improvement upon the previous PSP title, but wasn't nearly as good as the console titles. This was due to an awkward control scheme that left players using lock-on if they wanted to play well.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007)

The Complete Saga was LEGO Star Wars' first entry on PlayStation 3. It was a high-definition compilation of the two previous title, and allowed gamers to relive all six Star Wars films. Some levels were added and redesigned, but it was mostly the same game that players had previously played.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008)

One of the most heavily hyped Star Wars games ever developed was The Force Unleashed. The pitch for the action game was to allow players to use awesome Jedi powers to wipe the floor with enemies. In that regard, the game was definitely successful, but some poor level design made the game overstay its welcome. Regardless, it was a strong debut, and it wouldn't be the last time that players would see the series.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes (2009)

By 2009, it had seemed that the days of terrible Star Wars games were in the past. Here to prove that idea was The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes, which was an excruciatingly boring co-op action game. It had very little to offer other than simplistic combat, and was highly disappointing from a visual perspective.
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (2009)

The final Battlefront title until 2015, Elite Squadron was yet another portable-only offering. It suffered from some of the same issues as the prior game, as the controls still felt awkward due to the PSP lacking a second analog stick. It was an improvement in some ways, though, as the game featured a better single-player campaign, and had a ton of customization options.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010)

Starkiller returned in The Force Unleashed II. Sadly, the game once again failed to live up to the hype as the repetitive nature of the gameplay was unimproved from the first game, and a disappointing story. It goes to show that sometimes the second attempt isn't much better.
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (2011)

The third entry in the LEGO Star Wars series focused on The Clone Wars. That's certainly less interesting than being based on hit films, but thankfully developer Traveller's Tales had polished the gameplay enough by 2011 that it managed to stay interesting despite that. Still, since nostalgia is one of the main drawing points for these titles, a lot of players ended up being disappointed.
Angry Birds Star Wars (2012)

In one of the weirdest corporate crossovers, Angry Birds Star Wars somehow came into existence. The game isn't bad, as Angry Birds is a highly enjoyable mobile game, but some of the magic was definitely lost in the transition to consoles. Not helping matters was a $50 price point that made the game get raked over the coals by critics at the time.
Star Wars Pinball (2013-2017)

Since 2013, Zen Studios has been creating pinball tables based upon Star Wars properties. The partnership has spanned several years, and even the most recent film, Rogue One, has received a licensed table. The tables are available as DLC for Zen Pinball 2, and join other licensed properties like Archer, Alien and South Park.
Star Wars Battlefront (2015)

In 2015, DICE put out the highly anticipated revival of Star Wars Battlefront. Based largely upon their work on the Battlefield series, the game felt awfully familiar to players at the time. While it looked gorgeous, the gameplay lacked many draws to keep players coming back for more, and the non-existent single-player campaign left many players wanting more bang for their buck.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016)

The most recent entry in the LEGO Star Wars series is an adaptation of The Force Awakens. While it didn't change anything major to the formula, it managed to feel fresher than most recent LEGO games thanks to more variety in the gameplay. From Star Fox style space shootouts to going on some memorable side quests, this is one of the best Star Wars titles to appear on PlayStation.
Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)

Coming later this year, Electronic Arts will release Star Wars Battlefront II. It looks like developer DICE has learned a lot from the prior installment, as it'll feature a campaign for players to play, and they are working on making sure the game retains players by adding depth to the action. It's shaping up to be one of 2017's biggest games.