Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Size: 20 Megs
No. of players: 2(Simultaneously)
Got it for: $4.90, complete.
You know the story...the evil Imperial Empire is getting ready to destroy the home planet of the rebel alliance with their giant battle station "Death Star". Not content with just sitting around waiting for it, the rebels set loose a barrage of X-Wing fighters in an attempt to destroy it and rid the galaxy of their evil. Get ready to have your ass whipped in a galaxy far, far away...

What's it all about?
It's an arcade-style flight "sim" that originally appeared on Sega's Model 1 board. Piloting one of two ships you'll cruise around in space destroyinig Tie Fighters and other Imperial nuisances. On top of the stock arcade conversion, Sega has also added a new mode to the game("Super 32X Enhanced Mode") that has all new levels and a lot more missions. Choosing from either the X or Y-Wing, you're set out to accomplish whatever mission lobster-face Ackbar barks at you. Generally it consists of destroying a set number of Tie Fighters, attacking Star Destroyers and other stuff like that. Some missions allow you to have quite a bit of control over where the ship goes while others are completely on rails and you'll just be controlling the cross hair for the most part. A third person view has been implemented, though it's mostly just there for show as when activated you loose the use of your radar and it's harder to target other ships...still, it's pretty hip to finally be able to see your ship. Finally, Sega has also added a two player mode much like the one present in Shadow Squadron. Basically, one of you will be the pilot and the other the gunner. What's nice about this mode is the fact that you can *both* shoot lasers...mowing down Tie Fighters has never been easier...
Graphics - Though everything is flat shaded, just to see the various ships, and especially the Death Star, in 3D glory is quite awesome. The techniques used to squeeze the most out of the models really come off well, and show a lot more depth to the models that you'd assume would be there. The framerate is rock-solid, never really dipping no matter how hectic things get. About the only downside to the graphics are some of the animation techniques used on the various characters who have speaking parts(Ackbar, other pilots, etc)...it just looks insanely cheesy.
Sound - Most of the sound is achieved through the use of digitized music and sound effects, the rest is done off the Genesis' own sound chip. The digitized samples are alright, but unfortunately they come through with a lot of noise that begins to wear on you after a while. The pieces done by the Genesis are kind of weak and don't even seem up to the usual standards. In-game voice is actually pretty good, but that guy who does Ackbar is just way off...but in a very amusing way.
Control - Sort of stiff. You can really only move the crosshairs so far before you begin to move the actual direction of the ship, makes for kind of a jerky view sometimes. You get used to it though, and it's not bad once you do.
AI - Depending on what mode and difficulty setting you choose, things can be relatively easy or ass-rapingly hard. The "Super 32X" mode seems to be pretty fair and sort of eases you in to the harder stages, which is nice. The "Arcade" mode, however, just throws your ass in the frying pan and watches you sizzle. It is hard, real, real hard.
Replay value - If you liked the original, you'll love this one and I think you'll keep playing it until you've beaten both modes...and you may even come back to try out the Y-Wing for another go...
Tips for better gaming experiences:
Photon Torpedoes are your friend, use them any time you get a lock on something.

The game's in-mission timer really isn't needed, so turn that sucker off and worry just about the thousands of lasers headed your way.

Timer Off: Pause the game, then Down, B, B, Up, Right, Left
My rating: 80(out of 100) - An awesome conversion of the arcade original and a great 32X title. Points are lost due to the insane difficulty of the Arcade mode and the less-than-stellar audio...but other than that...
EGM gave it: 7, 6, 6, 6(out of 10)
GamePro gave it: 4.5(graphics), 4.0(sound), 3.5(control), 3.0(funfactor) (out of 5)

Biting me, angrily, for making him play yet another 32X game.
Cat's position: OMG does this game suck! A sad version of the arcade classic, and WAY harder. REOW!

Dammit, I wish my car had an Astromech Droid!
Just like you remember...only flat shaded.
Nothing quite like storming a Star Destroying convoy ALL BY YOURSELF.
The Tie Fighters really seem to enjoy buzzing your ship...
A gift from the maker(s):
One of the programmers on SWA has a site up right now and talks openly on working on the game, as well as others. Steve Lashower's web page should be checked out!
Gameplay Videos:
Attract Mode, Level 1 and 2(Super 32X), Level 1(Arcade, training) - 11:06, 94.5 megs

Immediate Streaming - YouTube
Description: The game's Attract Mode shows off the system's prowess as it takes you through the opening scene of the movie and a few of the more hectic dog fights all in flat shaded polygon glory. The Super 32X levels are new or enhanced versions of the arcade original's, and are flown through using the X-Wing. A quick bit of splicing has me playing the Arcade's mode's Level 1 using the Y-Wing and missing the mission goal by three measly Tie Fighters. Argh!
Note: You'll need the most recent Divx codec to watch these videos. Also, slowdown and jumps in the playback may not necessarily be the fault of the game so much as the method I am using to record them. If you are having problems watching the videos in your browser, just right-click and download them to your hard drive...