Star Wars (1983 video game)
Star Wars is a first-person rail shooter designed by Mike Hally and released as an arcade video game in 1983 by Atari, Inc. It uses 3D color vector graphics to simulate the assault on the Death Star from the 1977 film Star Wars. There are three connected gameplay sequences: combat against TIE fighters in space, flying across the surface of the Death Star, and the final trench run. The sequence repeats with added complications and the Death Star regenerating for each. The player's X-Wing fighter has a shield which only protects against damage a certain number of times, then the next hit ends the game. Speech synthesis emulates actors from the film.
| Star Wars | |
|---|---|
North American arcade flyer showing the upright and cockpit cabinets | |
| Developer(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Arcade
Parker Brothers Domark Broderbund |
| Designer(s) | Mike Hally |
| Programmer(s) | Greg Rivera Norm Avellar |
| Composer(s) | Earl Vickers |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, MS-DOS, Macintosh |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Rail shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Developed during the golden age of arcade games, Star Wars has been included on lists of the greatest video games of all time. Home ports were published by Parker Brothers, Domark, and Broderbund. It was followed by a lesser-known arcade sequel, sold as a conversion kit for the original, in 1985: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.