365//365: Day 143 – Super Return of the Jedi (SNES) [Comparison Series]

For this installment of the Comparison Series, we will take a look back at one of the most entertaining franchises – the Star Wars Trilogy. No, not the movies, but the Super Nintendo installments, aptly titled Super Star Wars, Super Empire Strikes Back and Super Return of the Jedi. These three games are often forgotten about in the great debate involving video games based off movies. No one seems to remember how impressive these games were, for its powerful MIDI compositions of the beloved Star Wars tunes, to the gorgeous and colorful visuals. For the most part, these can be considered the greatest trilogy of video games based off a trilogy of movies. But which one of these games was the most well rounded title? Was it Super Star Wars? Was it the one based off what could be described as one of the best sci fi movies of all time, in the form of Super Empire Strikes Back? Maybe it’s the one with the larger cast of character to choose from in Super Return of the Jedi? Lets take a closer look at each title throughout the next three days. As always, during the last day of the Comparison Series, a winner will be select for Audio, Visuals, Gameplay and Replay Value, with each games score following each ranking.

Today’s game will be Super Return of the Jedi.
Super Star Wars and Super Empire Strikes Back both had their strengths and weaknesses when compared to each other, or on their own. While the visual leap was noticeable, the controls had a bit of a problem in the second title. While they are both fairly even in many respects, they are definitely both different experience. Super Return of the Jedi, however, really doesn’t feel any different than either game.

As with the first two installments, you'll face certain enemies after a massive steroid injection.

The early stages are very straight forward, somewhat reminiscent of the first title. The one perk to this is the lessened emphasis on artificial difficulty in the form of instant death spikes and pitfalls aplenty. The problem is, the game feels a bit stale now. Not necessarily because of the cheap death removal, but because the path from point A to point B feels a bit too linear. The music seems to have leveled off as well, with no clear improvements, while some tracks sound a bit too MIDI like. Mix in the stock sound effects of the first two titles and you have a really weak, almost careless job this time around.

Other than the vomit inducing speederbike racing section, Super Return of the Jedi does manage to somehow increase the detail and overall look of the game to a higher degree. While the boost in visuals between each game is not a significant change over with each release, like Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo being followed up by Street Fighter Alpha. Each game raises the bar ever so slightly, and makes the overall appearance a lot more pleasing with each passing title.

Super Return of the Jedi is generally a great looking game, that's if you ignore the speeder bike and other vehicular stages.

Unfortunately, even though you are given back the ability to choose different characters depending on what part of the story you are on, playing through the game lacks the luster, entertainment and fulfillment that the first two titles had. The times when you can pick any other character, you realize that they are far inferior to Luke in almost every aspect. Having a whole stage where you can only play as Wicket is pretty much  dull and a bit frustrating, thanks to his lame bow and arrow weapon. Everyone else is as fun as they were in the previous two titles, but you’ll want to choose Luke anytime you have the chance to.

While not a bad game by any means, Super Return of the Jedi isn’t a further evolution of the series that Lucasarts was seemingly demonstrating with every release. The flight stages seem like a regression, the gameplay advancements seem to have stalled and it really doesn’t feel like anything new. It might be a decent game at best, but it’s probably the least best game of the Super Star Wars trilogy.

Super Star Wars (top), Super Empire Strikes Back (middle), Super Return of the Jedi (bottom)

Who Won The Battle Of….

Visual - TIE between Super Empire Strikes Back & Super Return of the Jedi
While Super Return of the Jedi does hold a better quality in character models and background details. Super Empire Strikes Back’s mood is perfectly displayed throughout each stage. It’s not a gigantic leap in visual quality, either, but they both possess some excellent visuals overall.

Audio - Super Empire Strikes Back
Super Star Wars and Super Empire Strikes Back are almost neck and neck here, but the overall production quality definitely favors Super Empire Strikes Back.

Gameplay - Super Star Wars
This is a tough one to assess. On the one hand, Super Star Wars had the best flight portions of the trilogy, as well as mostly solid gameplay all around….once you get the lightsaber (which even then it’s just a little better). Super Empire Strikes Back has a lot of annoyances in the beginning and end of the movie, involving platform jumping, instant death spikes and bottomless pits, but the rest of the game is a delight.

Replay Value - TIE between Super Star Wars & Super Empire Strikes Back
The brutal challenge of Super Empire Strikes Back is quite addicting, although the pitfall deaths and instant death spikes really hurt the game overall. Super Star Wars is simple, doesn’t push the boundaries in the difficulty department as much as Super Empire Strikes Back does. Both titles will garner equal amounts of your attention and want you coming back for more.

Super Return of the Jedi Rating: 6.6
Super Empire Strikes Back Rating: 8.2

….and your winner for this Comparison Series is….

Super Star Wars: 8.3
Final Notes

Overall, the Super Star Wars Trilogy was an entertaining and captivating series of games on the Super Nintendo. You can go almost either way with the first two titles, as whichever one had a certain weakness, the other managed to better structure it. If it wasn’t for the unfair bits in Super Empire Strikes Back, it would have been clear and away the winner, but as it stands, Super Star Wars just edges it out barely. Super Return of the Jedi may have had the best look to it, but it didn’t mask the fact that it wasn’t nearly as fun to play as the other two games, not to mention the vehicular portions were just disastrous. You really can’t go wrong with any of these three titles, although I’d strongly suggest giving Super Return of the Jedi a play test, if possible, before you outright purchase the title.