Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

GamePro

Exciting missions, unbelievable visuals and sound, and, like the first Rogue and Naboo, a replay factor through the roof.

Cinescape

A fabulous game. The way it submerges you in George Lucas’ universe and takes you on a wild ride is unmatched.

G4 TV

In one stage, Imperial walkers are deployed into shallow water. You see the walkers' reflections in the water, and the sand beneath the water can be seen as well, with the walkers' feet crushing it as it lumbers up to the shore.

Hot Games

With sleek modeling on all the craft, breakneck action and speed in all the levels, and detail that only a Star Wars fan can appreciate (like the Snowtroopers running towards the Hoth generators), this game is as superior in the graphics category as you can get.

Nintendo Power

The visuals are astounding, the challenge is incredible, and the action is nonstop. [Nov 2001, p.140]

Gaming Maxx

The best graphical looking game of 2001.

GamerWeb Nintendo

Incredible design, highlighted by events such as Tie-Fighters blazing towards the player amidst the nebula of the Ison Corridor and AT-AT’s attacking the Rebel forces on the beaches of Kothlis, make Rogue Leader a must buy for anyone with a GameCube.

Game Informer

It looks much better than it does in the movies. This is a blasphemous statement for George Lucas fanboys, yet one that speaks volumes. [Dec 2001, p.96]

GameSpot

Making use of nearly every bell and whistle that the GameCube hardware has to offer, Rogue Leader is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous game.

Armchair Empire

Never have I played a Star Wars game that so captures the films – the feeling of actually taking part in the events of the original Trilogy.

N-Insanity

The gameplay is next to perfect and truly fun to learn, and eventually, master. The graphics are still some of the best to this day and the sound lives up the expectations for a Star Wars game.

GameZone

It's everything a Star Wars game should be -- exciting, entertaining and breathtaking.

GameCube Europe

This is a hard game, and it will take you a lot of time to complete if you hope to collect all the gold medals in the game and find all the tech upgrades.

Gamezilla!

I would buy a GameCube for this game only and not be disappointed. If I never play another game on the system, I already feel I got my money's worth. That is how good this game is.

GamingTrend

For those people who own a HDTV, you are in one heck of a visual treat. It’s unfortunate that some minor gameplay and voice issues bring down the overall quality of the game.

IGN

Quite possibly the most beautiful title we've seen on any home console...There are a few issues with a still unpolished camera scheme and unrefined ship physics. But in the end the play experience is damn near great, if a little short.

TotalGames.net

Jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Cheat Code Central

This game may have some of the best use of voice talents ever.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Despite the difficulty, it’s almost impossible to put Rogue Leader down, and that’s the sign of a truly great game. [Dec 2001, p.258]

Gamestyle

To be able to seek out rogue Tie Fighters amongst the laser blasts from their sound position from a five speaker set up is a joy to behold in itself.

GMR Magazine

Impressive when you consider it took only nine months to make. [Feb 2003, p.96]

All Game Guide

For Star Wars fans, the game is absolutely a dream come true.

Game Over Online

This is, visually, the most impressive Star Wars title, par excellence.

GameBiz

Be warned there are a few glitches in the missions when you select a different ship from the default ship, during a cutscene you’ll sometimes come across the default ship instead of the ship you’ve chosen to play as. But, it’s a small price to pay that doesn’t really effect the gameplay aspects.

Playboy

The combined package of beautiful graphics, intense action (including force-feedback rumble support in the controller!) and familiar Star Wars ditties all work together to create an immersive, outstanding experience from beginning to end.

NintendoWorldReport

A visual and aural masterpiece. The game has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a next-generation game including bump mapping and 480p support on the visual end, and five channel surround sound via Dolby Pro Logic II on the aural end.

Nintendophiles

The game plays perfectly, just like the original. However, that is the problem. The game has nothing new, nothing different, nothing innovative, and nothing that changes the gameplay from original except the targeting computer, which you are penalized for using!!

Eurogamer

The absolute pinnacle of Star Wars games. It’s bloody hard in places, but it pampers the nostalgic and conveys so effortlessly the beauty of the galaxy and the sheer tyranny of the evil Empire that you will Force your way through it until there’s no stone left unturned.

GameSpy

The voice acting doesn't come off as well as the music and sound effects...you've heard these lines all too many times before, and this time i[t] comes off about as convincing as when "fan boys" try to imitate their heroes at a sci-fi convention.

Total Video Games

It’s still an arcade shooter that lacks the depth of the X-Wing/TIE Fighter series. However it’s the rare case when the slick presentation just improves everything beyond belief.

Electric Playground

One nice touch is that "finishing" a mission is not necessarily the same as finishing it--any scruffy nerfherder can earn the game's bronze medals, but it takes a serious attention to detail (and the ability to succeed without overzealous use of the targeting computer) to earn Gold medals.

Voodoo Extreme

At times, Rogue Leader is mind-bogglingly repetitive and frustrating, but in a strange way that's one of the reasons why I like the game - it's a real challenge.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Rogue Leader can be a little simplistic and the learning curve is insane - some levels are frighteningly difficult and unfair.

Nintendojo

If only my girlfriends looked this good!

netjak

A few other levels could have easily propelled this to Game of the Year status. If there was a way to incorporate a multiplayer aspect to the game, it could also have helped the longevity of the title.

GameShark

The controls and general feel of the game are very shallow. At no point did I feel like I was in a truly 3D environment, and I never felt like I was actually cruising around in space.

Cloudchaser

At some points, it exceeds the word challenging and becomes insanely difficult, even for the most experienced gamers.

Game Revolution

Even though I'm amazed that such a good game came together in such a short amount of time, I would have preferred to have waited for a few more levels. It's really a bummer, too, because the game is so much fun.

Gaming Age

A bigger problem on the visual side is the framerate. A lot of the time the game is running at 60 fps. But depending on the level, there can be considerable slowdown...Other than it being short and containing a few minor problems, it’s an excellent launch title that is extremely fun to play.

Next Generation Magazine

The game does get insanely difficult near the end. While that’s typical for a shooter, the incredibly steep learning curve (which starts really ramping up about halfway through) will no doubt catch some casual gamers by surprise. [Dec 2001, p.80]

Cincinnati Enquirer

If there was ever a reason to purchase this compact new console, this is it...[but] there's no multiplayer mode. It would have been fun to fly alongside or against another player in some of the missions.

Maxim Online

More than a Jedi mind trick to make you buy Nintendo’s new whiz-bang console, this is the closest a video game has come to recreating a Star Wars movie.

GamePen

Replay value and game length should not and can not be interpreted from how many times it takes you to get through a mission because of the insane difficulty level. By the last few missions you are literally ready to tear your hair out.

Yahoo! Games

Many of the missions in the game are just re-hashed from Star Wars games of the past, and though they are epic, they're not very exciting anymore.

XenGamers

The game falls short of putting you in the cockpit. The whole idea of a dogfight is non-existent. The enemy crafts move too quickly, abandoning any thought of pursuit.