THE MAKING OF: STAR WARS: REBEL ASSAULT

“REBEL ASSAULT WAS NEVER EXPECTED TO MAKE ANY MONEY”
VINCE LEE

Formed in 1982, Lucasfilm Games made its name in the mid-Eighties with 8-bit games such as The Eidolon and Ballblazer, before later in the decade beginning its successful line of adventure games, mainly based around the popular SCUMM engine. Unable to develop games based around its most famous IP, it wasn’t until 1993 that the company (by now renamed LucasArts) finally released its first Star Wars title. Space combat sim X-Wing was a predictably huge hit, finally giving gamers and Star Wars fans the chance to jump into the cockpit of the famous starfighter and take on the mantle of a brave rebel pilot. Developed at a similar time was another game, one that was intended to reflect its more cinematic origins and take advantage of the emerging CD-ROM technology.

Rather than directly emulate the movies, the idea behind Rebel Assault was to generate a fresh story featuring new characters, yet take advantage of the film’s memorable sequences and action scenes. The player took on the role of Rookie One, choosing either a female or male avatar, and battled through many levels similar to the original trilogy, yet also subtly different in many ways. Like Luke Skywalker, Rookie One grew up on Tatooine; unlike Luke, they are already in the academy and flying out of the rebel base at Anchorhead. Level one sees Rookie One navigating the tight canyons of their