Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GameCube, 2001)
The Star Wars franchise has had a strange history when it comes to video games, with some being unbelievably poor, and others regarded as some of the best on their respective systems. Rogue Squadron II definitely fits into the latter category. It took everything that was good about the first in the trilogy on the N64 – modern graphics, brilliant audio and fun gameplay – and updated it with the GameCube’s enhanced power. The story spanned the first three Star Wars films (going by release date, not chronology of story), meaning players could take part in some of the series’ most famous scenes, including the climax of A New Hope and the battle of Hoth scene in The Empire Strikes Back. Sales of the game reached just under 2 million, but most impressive is that in topping the UK chart, Rogue Squadron II became the first third-party title to gain number the one spot during a console launch.
