Star Wars has been getting a good quantity of remasters and re-releases recently, between the re-creations of Darkish Forces, Bounty Hunter, and the notorious assortment that includes the primary two Battlefront video games. Regardless that a few of these titles have been higher than others, sport studios have no less than performed job of preserving basic Star Wars video games on fashionable platforms over the previous few years. It’s pretty simple to hit up one in every of gaming’s on-line shops and discover a bevy of basic Star Wars video games obtainable at an inexpensive worth to re-experience (or even perhaps expertise for the primary time).
Of all of the Star Wars video games to get remastered and re-released, although, one sport has continued to stay elusive, and that’s the Rogue Squadron sequence. Underneath the radar, the Rogue Squadron titles had been extremely properly obtained throughout their period not just for their enjoyable flight-based gameplay however for being main technical achievements on their previous platforms. But, regardless of their earlier recognition, the Rogue Squadron titles aren’t at present obtainable on fashionable platforms. It looks like that ought to be fastened, and the Rogue Squadron trilogy ought to get an opportunity to return on in the present day’s consoles.
Why Hasn’t It Occurred But?
In fact, there may very well be a number of components in the way in which of Rogue Squadron being launched, however just a few of those components might work in a re-release’s favor. Notably, the unique trilogy was beforehand solely launched on Nintendo consoles, with the primary title exhibiting up on the Nintendo 64 and its sequels being unique to the GameCube. They weren’t printed by Nintendo, and it’s been a protracted sufficient time for the reason that launch of those video games that licensing points could not even be near an issue for LucasArts (or writer Aspyr, who has dealt with the re-releases of quite a few Star Wars titles). Bringing these video games again implies that gamers who missed out on them again within the day can lastly play them on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
Possession of the rights received’t be an excessive amount of of an issue, both; positive, the franchise’s authentic developer Issue 5 has closed down, however that definitely didn’t harm the Battlefront video games of their path to their infamous re-release earlier this 12 months. Following Issue 5’s closure, the rights for Rogue Squadron obtained absorbed again into LucasArts, and it appears they’ve free rein to do no matter they need with it. And although Aspyr has largely been answerable for remastering old-school Star Wars video games, they aren’t the one one who has, as Nightdive Studios did work on the Star Wars: Darkish Forces remaster that was launched earlier this 12 months. LucasArts has choices for a way they might deal with a remaster of Rogue Squadron, and maybe it may very well be time for them to provide these video games one other shot at gentle.
With that stated, maybe the writer has been compelled into enjoying the ready sport. In any case, Disney introduced in 2020 {that a} Rogue Squadron movie was in improvement, which on paper might’ve been the correct avenue for LucasArts to revive these basic video games. Sadly, the movie obtained pushed off of Disney’s launch schedule, and whereas it looks like it’s nonetheless being labored on, it may very well be some time earlier than we see it take kind. LucasArts could have been holding off from bringing again the Rogue Squadron video games in hopes of releasing them to tie into the movie, solely to be compelled to vary plans when the movie returned to improvement. Thus, if Rogue Squadron re-releases are really within the playing cards, it might be a very long time earlier than they see a correct launch.
Let’s Do It, LucasArts!
However, the Rogue Squadron video games could be nice to have again, particularly since their emphasis on area battling and flight makes them distinctive from quite a lot of the shooters and action-adventure titles which were re-released recently. Apart from 2020’s Star Wars: Squadrons – itself one thing of a “non secular successor” to Rogue Squadron – it looks like we haven’t gotten as many Star Wars video games that focus as a lot on area fight. Plus, the quieter launch and lack of post-launch content material for Squadrons made it really feel like an unexciting (if nonetheless respectable) follow-up to Rogue Squadron. It’d be good to see the basic titles make a much-needed comeback.
It additionally feels like Aspyr has expressed curiosity in bringing these again. Requested on Twitter a few revitalization of the Rogue Squadron titles, Aspyr gave a somewhat harmless reply however nonetheless famous their love for bringing again old-school Star Wars video games. Basically, if there may be fan demand for a re-release, Aspyr will make it occur. Positive, it’s a fairly customary response, but it surely’s good to no less than see that Aspyr is leaving the door open for a revival of those basic titles. It is probably not something near a assure, but it surely’s no less than one thing to really feel a bit hopeful about.
It additionally looks like Aspyr is just not the one one on board with bringing the trilogy again. Julian Eggebrecht, one in every of Issue 5’s founders and the producer of the Rogue Squadron trilogy, replied to Aspyr’s tweet and pitched that the remaster ought to embrace the content material from the canceled Wii remaster, Rogue Chief. For these out of the know, again in 2008, Issue 5 developed a remaster trilogy of the Rogue Squadron video games for the Wii, and although it was totally accomplished, Issue 5’s monetary points led to the sport by no means seeing a launch. In truth, the workforce had been engaged on the same re-release of the trilogy for the unique Xbox again in 2003, which made a re-release a longstanding objective of Issue 5’s for a number of years earlier than their closure. Maybe a correct re-release on in the present day’s platforms could accomplish that objective for them.
The truth that a correct remaster trilogy exists could be place to start out for a Rogue Squadron re-release. Positive, its path again to fashionable programs comes right down to fan demand, however these are titles properly worthy of being introduced again. Past being spectacular technical achievements for his or her time, they nonetheless maintain up extremely properly and stay supremely enjoyable to play. Hopefully, bringing the trilogy again isn’t too enormous of a hurdle for LucasArts to leap by means of, and Rogue Squadron can obtain new life on fashionable consoles.
