lukenuetzmann plays Super Empire Strikes Back - Part 1 of 12

To celebrate the release of the complete Star Wars saga on Blu-Ray on May 4th, 2012, I threw a wrench in the works, went off the beaten path and shook things up PrinceWatercress style!

Here's our old buddy lukenuetzmann, playing the sequel to Super Star Wars...

Super Empire Strikes Back!

There are a few differences here compared to Super Star Wars, and they all translate further into the next game, Super Return of the Jedi. (I'll cover that game eventually; hold your horses.) The first and most important one is that you no longer have to hold Up and jump to Super Jump. Instead, it has been replaced by a double jump that can be performed simply by pressing B after your first jump.

Second, you can now run and shoot at the same time. Hold the Y button, then move wherever you want. You can run and shoot upwards or downwards, too. Just move the D-Pad diagonally! Score!

Third, the game has a password system. When you lose all your lives and you have the option to continue, you'll get a password after inputting your high score (if you achieved one). Nice.

Fourth, Han, Chewie and Luke all have secondary attacks. Luke has Force Powers, Han can throw grenades and Chewie does a spin attack that destroy everyone nearby. All can be performed with the A button, though you'll have to earn the Force Powers for Luke later on before you can do it.

Fifth, the lightsaber is much better balanced now. You can actually defeat enemies and bosses with this thing. You can still use the blaster if you need to, but you'll definitely use the lightsaber for most of the bosses.

Hoth - Path to first cave

The game begins on Hoth. You'll be fighting off wild animals and dodging giant snowballs as you make your way from point A to point B. One of them, strangely, is a light blue version of the flying monsters from the first stage of the previous game. Also, you can destroy the giant snowballs with the double jump slash, but it's not the time, effort, or the amount of damage you take from doing so, even if you get a lot of small hearts for your health bar for destroying it.

Believe it or not, one of the ledges leading up the hill leads to a hidden blaster power-up. Just double jump at the height of your jump when you jump to the left off of one of them, and you'll instantly grab the hidden power-up. Yep, this game has some hidden power-ups as well.

It won't be long before you find a Tauntaun that you can ride on. If you wanna start ridin' dirty through Hoth, jump on the Tauntaun. Simple enough. The Tauntaun has its own energy bar and in case it takes too much punishment and dies, you can still continue on foot without harm to Luke's own energy. It's like having an extra life within an extra life. Of course, you can also kill it yourself with the Blaster if you're a complete jerk, but why would you want to?

Jumping on it will give you a cutscene showing some sort of asteroid hitting the planet's surface (it's really an Imperial Probe Droid).

Hoth - Path to first cave (continued)

It's a little harder to attack while on the Tauntaun unless you're using the blaster. It does have a lot of health, and you dismount and continue on foot if it dies, so don't freak out if it's low on health.

This part shows off a new stage hazard: ice crystal spikes that pop out of the ground when you're right in front of them. You can see where they're planted, it's just a matter of jumping over them (which is easier if you're not on the Tauntaun). You can also shoot them where they lie in order to instantly get rid of them before they're even sprung.

After a while, you'll see another hazard: bridges that explode when you cross them. The best way to avoid the explosions is to jump on the bridge and quickly move across.

A little while later, you'll start seeing Imperial Probe Droids. These things will fly around and shoot down at the ground in an attempt to hit you. Don't fight them unless you absolutely have to. Believe it or not, you can keep destroying them as long as they keep showing up, and the last one drops a weapon power-up, so it's possible to get the Plasma shot before the first cave. You can do this with a lot of enemy spawn points.

After a series of platforms to jump on (which is kinda easy, thanks to the double jump/lightsaber combination) you'll find a cave. Do as the game says and enter the cave.

Hoth - First Cave

This is where it gets a little more difficult.

The hardest enemies to hit here are the bats. You're better off using your lightsaber for these, since they move just fast enough to make the blaster almost useless.

Sometimes, if you double jump at certain points, the air will lift you up into caves where you can use your weapon and uncover hidden power-ups. Just don't touch the spiky walls and ceilings.

The Wampas take a good beating before they finally fall. They can freeze you with their ice breath, and hit you with their claws while you're immobile. You're better off upgrading the gun to at least a Seeker, but the Plasma is ideal as they go down in a mere three hits.

The first time you have the opportunity to move downwards on your way to the boss, go all the way down to the bottom of the screen, you'll find a hidden blaster power-up. Just watch out for the electric eels, and get out of the water when they jump out and dive back in, as the electric current will damage you. There will also be piranhas that will bite at you when you're in range, as you'll find out not long afterward.

If you land in the spike pits, you'll die instantly. Keep your jumps accurate with the double jump if you have to.

When you reach the platforms surrounded by spikes, equip the lightsaber. You'll need it to destroy the bats with a double jump, as the bats will push you around and knock you either out of reach of a platform or straight into spikes. Despite not being powerful at all, they can be a real pain.

If you do a double jump off one of the platform, you'll be taken higher into another hidden nook with a Health Sword and another hidden blaster power-up waiting for you! We have Seekers now? Nice. Now that you have them, switch to the gun on your way back down. The Wampas are much easier now.

You'll have to switch back to your lightsaber, though, as you'll meet the first boss: a giant Wampa on steroids. His pattern is very easy: avoid his right arm, avoid his breath, avoid his left arm, avoid his breath, avoid his right arm, avoid his breath, avoid his left arm, rinse, lather, repeat. Double jump as you avoid his attacks and you'll wipe him out in no time!

Hoth - Path to second cave

You'll be out of the cave, and you'll have another Tauntaun waiting for you. The jumps will be easier to pull off if you're not on the Tauntaun, as there are platforms on top of spike-lined columns that branch out yet again.

It won't be long before you enter another cave.