Star Wars
Vector graphics, voices from the movie and the most famous shot in the galaxy.
Coming soon to UsuArcade
Votes to bring it to the arcade: 0
In the meantime, head into the arcade and play the cabinets that are already there
- Year
- 1983
- Manufacturer
- Atari
- Players
- 1 player
- Genres
- Shoot 'em ups, Vintage classics
- Decade
- '80s arcade games
Sitting down at the Star Wars arcade game was the closest an 80s kid could get to climbing into an X-wing. Glowing colored lines sketching out TIE fighters, towers and the Death Star's surface, voice clips straight out of the movie and a yoke you gripped with both hands.
The big moment was the one everybody was waiting for: the trench run to hit the exhaust port. When someone made it that far, the whole arcade went quiet for a second.
History
Atari released the Star Wars arcade game in 1983, based on the first movie. It used color vector graphics, a display technology that drew crisp, glowing lines, along with digitized lines from the film's characters.
It came in an upright version and a sit-down cockpit, and both became prized collector's pieces. A follow-up based on The Empire Strikes Back came later.
How to play
You move your targeting cursor with a flight yoke that has fire buttons on the handles. There are no lives, just shields: every hit you take, from shots or collisions, knocks one off, and when they're gone, so are you.
Each wave has three phases: first a dogfight in space against TIE fighters, with Darth Vader in the mix; then a low run over the Death Star's surface taking out towers; and finally the trench, where you dodge obstacles and fire until you reach the exhaust port. Hit it and the Death Star goes up, kicking off a tougher round. Make it through the trench without shooting anything but the port and you score a big bonus.
Fun facts
- It used color vector graphics.
- It featured digitized voice clips of characters from the movie.
- There was a sit-down cockpit version you climbed into.
In the arcade
Star Wars isn't on the UsuArcade floor yet, but it's on our wish list. If you want to fly in the arcade, hit Want to Play on this page. The most-voted games get added first.
Meanwhile, the arcade has other golden-age space classics: Asteroids, also from Atari with that vector look; Space Invaders, where it all began; and Galaxian with its dive-bombing aliens.
FAQ
Can I play the Star Wars arcade game on UsuArcade?
Not yet. It's on the wish list and you can vote for it with Want to Play. In the meantime, try Asteroids, Space Invaders or Galaxian in the arcade.
What year did the Star Wars arcade game come out?
It came out in 1983, made by Atari.
How many players is the Star Wars arcade game?
It's a single-player game.
How do you play Atari's Star Wars?
Aim with the flight yoke and shoot TIE fighters, towers and obstacles across three phases until you hit the Death Star's exhaust port. You get shields instead of lives.
