The original Star Wars trilogy couldn't have come at a worse time for console gamers. While arcade games based on the classic series managed to capture bits of the trilogy's magic, the home console offerings required a hefty dose of imagination on the part of the players. The old Atari 2600 just wasn't up to the task of selling the battle between the Imperial Walkers and snowspeeders from The Empire Strikes Back or the Death Star Battle from Return of the Jedi. Things perked up in the 16-bit era with the SNES Super Star Wars games, thanks to tight gameplay, detailed graphics, and great sound. But as good as the games were back then, there were compromises due to the limitations of the hardware. The storytelling and gameplay in the games crammed the movie narrative into the constraints of a polished platformer with some vehicle-piloting segments. Such compromises became things of the past when LucasArts and Factor 5 double-teamed the Nintendo 64 in 1998 with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. Focusing on the vehicle segments that had been fan favorites in Shadows of the Empire before it, Rogue Squadron showcased detailed graphics, excellent sound, addictive gameplay chock full of replay value, and an immersive feel that came the closest to capturing the spirit of the films on a home console. After a three-year wait, fans of the original Rogue Squadron who've ached for a follow-up to one of the N64's best games are in for the mother of all treats as Factor 5 brings the sequel, Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2, to the GameCube in a flurry of blaster fire that sets an impressive standard for both Star Wars games and GameCube titles at large.

President of Factor 5 and director of Rogue Leader, Julian Eddebrecht, and Rogue producer, Brett Tosti, practically glow with pride when they talk about the game and how it further refines elements found in the company's early efforts. The narrative structure in Rogue Leader is a definite improvement over the original: It offers a better flow to the story and still holds true to how Factor 5 told the story in Star Wars Episode 1: Battle for Naboo. In that game, you experienced events from the perspective of a character that was part of the resistance to the Trade Federation invasion, which was briefly mentioned in the film. The creative license let Factor 5 include levels directly lifted from the film, along with original ones, while maintaining a much more cohesive narrative than the original Rogue Squadron. Pleased with the results from Naboo, Factor 5 opted to use the same approach in Rogue Leader. Using the main narrative of the trilogy as a touchstone, Rogue Leader tells the story of how the legendary Rogue Squadron was formed. Given the squadron's pivotal role in the trilogy, Factor 5 is able to offer a great mix of old and new. Starting out with the attack on the Death Star from Yavin, you'll find yourself taking the role of Luke Skywalker in Red Squadron. In the wake of the Death Star's destruction and the loss of Red Squadron's leader, Rogue Squadron is formed, at which point the game then puts you in the role of Wedge, seen to be the leader of Rogue Squadron in Return of the Jedi. In a move typical of Factor 5's attention to detail, Denis Lawson, the actor who portrayed Wedge in the films, was tapped to record voice for the game. As Wedge, you'll find yourself playing through most of the familiar battles from the films, and you'll take on some original missions that probably happened off camera in the movies. For example, following the Death Star attack over Yavin, you'll find yourself escorting a convoy of Rebel ships from Yavin to Hoth as the base is moved.