Rogue Leader is here. Was it worth the hype we went through?

Obviously, one of the most anticipated games for the Nintendo Gamecube was Star Wars Rogue Leader. For one, it is Star Wars. Anything Star Wars is popular (except for Jar Jar Binks which has suffered the wrath of many anti-Jar Jar sites). Many have seen the amazing graphics and the accurate soundtrack. Surely enough, the game holds out and dominates as one of the best Gamecube launch games you can find out there. If you believe the impressions of this game from a variety of sources just plain suck, then let me tell you something.

You are Wrong

The older N64 version of this game was Star Wars Rogue Squadron. It was quite easy to get through the game, and the fights were rarely challenging. The only real challenges were the final three levels. Now, take every element of Rogue Squadron, make completely new missions compared to the older game, enhance every element of the game, and you get Rogue Leader. It is that simple.
The game has rather simple rules. Choose one of the ships that are available, complete your mission objectives, survive, and possibly receive a medal. Oh, if you thought it is THAT easy, then man, you have a lot to learn.
Choosing the ship is easy. Just move your little character to a ship that is available and press A. The mission objectives are a tad bit more complicated. They may seem simple in the first level, but as you progress through the game, they become more difficult to achieve. And example is in the first level, where you must take out the towers so people may start going into their trench run. All you have to do is blow up the towers. There is barely and threats as the turrets have poor accuracy and there isn't a single TIE fighter in site at the moment. While in the later mission with the Battle on Hoth, you must take out the AT-STs shooting the ion cannons which are a key defense in helping the transports get off the planet. However, you must choose whether to have your fleet attack the AT-STs, form up with you in a group, or retreat so they may survive. All of this must be done while you find the best possible way of destroying these darned imperials without blowing up in a blaze of flames!
*GASP*GASP*
All right. I may have gone a little far there. But trust me here. The game is no picnic. It will take you some time to beat the level. Then, to actually discover more joys in the game, you must spend even more time replaying the level and attempting to earn medals. These increase your rank, which entitles you to bragging rights. Getting enough of them activates bonus missions too. Even more excitement is added with the sizes of the levels you play on. All right. Let's get down to the ratings business.

Graphics

Take the newly added in scenes from the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition. Now enhanced the coolness of the graphics, and stick it into Rogue Leader. That is how good these graphics are. The level textures are pure and smooth, with every little detail included. The model and graphic details of the ships, buildings, and other fighters are incredibly smooth moving at around 60 frames per second. The ships have every little mechanical detail featured, down to the little nuts and bolts that are featured on the X-Wings. Although the little character you control on the ship select screen play an extremely minor role in the game, they would be perfect for an action game. They move incredibly realistically, and like the ships, they have every detail featured. This game really brings out the graphic capabilities of the Gamecube.

Sound

Go to an orchestra run by John Williams in person and you will know what it is like to listen to the soundtrack of this game. The music truly has been touched up to perfection. It plays at capabilities of %100 on the Nintendo Gamecube. The sound is also enough to blow you away. If you are behind the engines or jets of a ship, you will hear the loud thunderous rumbles of its flames and engines. The TIE Fighters leave a perfect buzz sound as they zip past you, which also gives you a gameplay advantage for easily taking them out. After all, you'll know they're comming, so why not brake of turn around? The voice acting is also well done, as they seem almost perfect for the characters they are playing. All extremely in character. However, there are a few that make me forget about the music and almost force me to mute the television. An example would be a Rebel Transport pilot who has a pathetically cartoony New York Bronx meets Mafia accent. They are just little pet peeves however, so I am sure you can all handle it.

GamePlay

I think I pretty much covered gameplay up in the first few paragraphs. The sound enhances gameplay and helps you get through the levels. The medals make you strive for perfection. The movie style graphics, entertainment, and sleep depravation kick in when you play this game, giving you the urge to literally glue your hands to your Gamecube controller. Unlike the sound and graphics though, the gameplay is not perfect. Something that really frustrates me is the sudden drops of frame rate in certain levels. The game may be able to handle over 50 TIE fighters and Interceptors flying at you, but at times in other levels with many objects, the frame rate drops from the incredibly smooth 60 to a pathetically irritating 30. At times, it makes you want to rip the newly glued controller out of your hands. It rarely occurs in normal levels, but can easily happen in the Tatooine training, so be sure to watch out.

Lastability

Over seven ships to eventually play from, a real Star Wars feel, five bonus missions, medals, tech upgrades to enhance gameplay, beating the crap out of an Imperial Star Destroyer for hammering you in space, going through the challenges, etc, etc, etc. Why would you want to leave you Gamecube with how long this game will last for you?

Conclusion

This game truly has lived up to its hype. The graphics are amazing, the sound and music are amazing, and the features are amazing. It might have its problems, but should never stop you from buying, playing, and literally living with this game. Rogue Leader is definitely a prime choice for your first Gamecube game.