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Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader cube Game Reviews
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Critic Score
Metascore: 90 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.5 out of 10
based on 45 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 28 votes
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Rate this game

Join Luke Skywalker and the galaxy's most daring pilots as they return to face off against the Empire in your favorite Star Wars battles including the perilous Death Star trench run, a daring space attack on a Star Destroyer and the legendary battle on the ice planet Hoth. Aerial conflict takes place in a variety of craft such as the legendary X-wing, A-wing, and B-wing. [LucasArts]

PUBLISHER: LucasArts
DEVELOPER: Factor 5
GENRE(S): Flight Action
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2001

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
GamePro
Exciting missions, unbelievable visuals and sound, and, like the first Rogue and Naboo, a replay factor through the roof.
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100
Cinescape
A fabulous game. The way it submerges you in George Lucas’ universe and takes you on a wild ride is unmatched.
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100
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.
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100
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.
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100
Nintendo Power
The visuals are astounding, the challenge is incredible, and the action is nonstop. [Nov 2001, p.140]
95
Gaming Maxx
The best graphical looking game of 2001.
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95
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.
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95
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]
94
GameSpot
Making use of nearly every bell and whistle that the GameCube hardware has to offer, Rogue Leader is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous game.
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94
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.
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92
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.
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92
GameZone
It's everything a Star Wars game should be -- exciting, entertaining and breathtaking.
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92
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.
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92
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.
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91
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.
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91
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.
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91
TotalGames.net
Jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
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90
Cheat Code Central
This game may have some of the best use of voice talents ever.
90
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]
90
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.
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90
GMR Magazine
Impressive when you consider it took only nine months to make. [Feb 2003, p.96]
90
All Game Guide
For Star Wars fans, the game is absolutely a dream come true.
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90
Game Over Online
This is, visually, the most impressive Star Wars title, par excellence.
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90
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.
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90
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.
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90
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.
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90
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!!
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90
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.
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90
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.
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90
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.
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90
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.
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88
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.
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87
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.
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87
Nintendojo
If only my girlfriends looked this good!
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86
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.
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86
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.
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85
Cloudchaser
At some points, it exceeds the word challenging and becomes insanely difficult, even for the most experienced gamers.
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83
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.
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83
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.
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80
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]
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.
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80
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.
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80
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.
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70
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.
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58
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.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 28 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Joey K. gave it an8:
The gameplay is very fun. The graphics are outstanding. It's a lot harder than the first one, though, and that can get frustrating for anyone less than a flight sim pro.

Matt P. gave it a 7:
Playing Rouge Squadron II is like being beat over the head with a gigantic breast: it hurts, but man you sure do like it. All the joy in this game comes from piloting the different ships, not from the satisfaction of beating a level, because, frankly, you already know what happens. I suggest getting cheat codes and goin' hog crazy in Slave I.

Cur D. gave it a 10:
I love this game its action, explosions and a lot of destruction.

Uter gave it a 7:
It's a little overrated I think. The missions can be quite frustrating - mostly due to unclear goals. But I would say that this is the best Star Wars flight game.

Mistatop top gave it a 10:
Loved this game all the way through. Its very replayable thanks to the nature of the missions and lots of rewards. Its much better than i expected and one of my favourite games in the past few years. Its a joy playing the missions as you fight to comeplete the objectives. You also recreate moments from the movies while playing. All good stuff. flaws are the amount of missions as there arent enough and due to the length the games has been harder to make it last. Cant wait for a sequel where they spend real time on it.

Marc P. gave it a 10:
This game was great too. the gameplay was obviously terriffic, and the graphics most certainly weren't lacking. some of the levels were a bit overdone, and it was a little short, but all in all a great game.

Shawn T. gave it a 0:
I did not have fun playing it at all.

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