With Star Wars‘ 45th Anniversary coming up later this month many people are probably going back to relive some of their old memories with the franchise. Perhaps plopping in an old VHS copy of the original film, opening up and old Star Wars Legends book or perhaps playing an old Star Wars video game.

There have been many great examples of Star Wars video games over the past decades, so let’s take a look at some examples that are worth either playing again or perhaps even discovering for the first time.

– Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (PlayStation 2/GameCube)



Releasing in 2002 alongside Attack of the Clones, the player takes control of Jango Fett in a 3rd person action adventure game set before the events of the second prequel film. Sith Lord Darth Tryanus aka Count Dooku hires Jango Fett to hunt down the Dark Jedi Komari Vosa. Upon completing his mission Dooku asks Fett to use his DNA to create a clone army, setting up the eventual Clone Wars. If you want to know more about the mysterious bounty hunter this is a great way to do so.

– Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Nintendo 64/Windows PC)



Part of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project that included novels, comics and toys, the story takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The 3rd person action game follows Dash Rendar, a close friend of Han Solo, as he travels across the galaxy to aid in the fight against the Empire and Jabba the Hutt. A great side story to enjoy alongside the original trilogy.

– Star Wars: Starfighter/Jedi Starfighter (PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows PC)



Somewhat spiritual successors to the Rogue Squadron series, the Starfighter games follow the adventures of space pirates led by Nym as they battle the Trade Federation. In the first game Nym is accompanied by Naboo pilot Rhys Dallows during the events of The Phantom Menace, and in the second game Jedi Master Adi Galia and Nym battle the mercenary leader Cavik Toth during the events of Attack of the Clones.

– Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox and Windows PC)



An epic RPG set thousands of years before the events of the original film series inspired by the Tales of the Jedi comic series by Tom Veitch. Often considered one of the best Star Wars games ever made with its deep story and iconic characters establishing the old ways of the Jedi and the Sith Wars. Definitely worth playing if you want a deep and immersive experience with customization and choices that can affect the story.

– Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) (Playstation 2, Xbox, Windows PC)



Often called one of the best multiplayer shooters of all time the original Star Wars: Battlefront II by Pandemic Studios gives players the chance to feel as if they are taking part in massive battles during both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War with a large variety of landscapes and vehicles, battling on both land and in space. The game even gives players the perspective of the 501st division in a dedicated campaign mode. To this day the game still has a dedicated player base, including an extensive modding community on PC that adds more maps, units and modes.

There are of course other great games like The Force Unleashed, Republic Commandos, Dark Forces and the old Lego Star Wars games, but these were just a few samples of the many great Star Wars games out there. There are many that you can try out and many of these are now easily available on Steam and Xbox’s Backwards Compatibility Program.

What are some of your favorite Star Wars games?