Page 39 - Star Wars Insider #195

DESTROY THE DEATH STAR

BOARD AND had to orbit the Death Star until they 01
could line up with the superweapon’s
ELECTRONIC equatorial trench to make an attack run
on the exhaust port. As the disk rotated,
GAMES players could suddenly fi nd themselves

under attack from TIE fighters or even
Darth Vader himself.
In the U.K., Palitoy designed a very
different Destroy Death Star (1978)
game that was based on their 1976
“All pilots to electronic naval warfare game, Salvo!
your stations.” Players moved their X-wing fi ghter and

TIE fighter pawns into battle and tried

One of the first opportunities for fans to maneuver a hidden light under the Star Assault Game from Parker Brothers

to relive the final battle from Star Wars: A board to “hit” either Yavin 4 or the was a cross between a board game and a
New Hope (1977)—months before action Death Star, and thereby win the game. pinball machine. Players used an X-wing
figures had even hit stores—came in the In 1995, Decipher’s Star Wars fighter shooter to launch steel ball

black plastic form of Kenner’s Star Wars Customizable Card Game let players “proton torpedoes” at TIE fi ghter targets
Electronic Laser Battle Game. The device, build their own custom light side or dark on the Death Star’s surface. One direct
which featured electronic sound effects side decks of characters, locations, and hit on Darth Vader destroyed the Death

and lights and included a Death Star at equipment, and it became one of the Star and sent Vader flying into the air!

its hub with two fighter control panels most popular collectible card games of Set during the time of Star Wars:
at opposite ends, pitched two X-wing the era. The A New Hope expansion pack Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars:
pilots against each other added the first Death Star The Interactive Video Board Game

to see who could press a The Death Star to the dark side player’s was released in 1996 and featured
button the fastest after Assault Game arsenal, with the power a combination of traditional board
the game’s “go” signal. to “blow away” entire game elements with all-new Star Wars
from Parker
Each victory brought the planets. Rebel starfi ghters footage on a VHS tape acting as a timer
pilots one step closer to Brothers was a could attempt a trench on the game. As “Force-sensitive rebel
the Death Star, and the run, but the dark side saboteurs,” players were sent on a
winner was rewarded cross between player could respond with mission to plant explosives inside the

with a brief audio snippet TIE fighters. The Death second Death Star, maneuvering their
of the main Star Wars a board game Star II expansion added rebel counter and trusty R2 unit on a
theme while the Death and a pinball the second Death Star to game board version of the Death Star.
Star flashed brightly as the game in 2002, which The included video tape played for

it “exploded.” machine. became fully operational 60 minutes, revealing Darth Vader’s
Just in time for that only when its reactor core machinations to foil the rebels’ plans,

Christmas, Kenner released Star Wars was put into play. Rebel fighters had to including attempts to sway players to
Destroy Death Star, a board game in hit its core and escape before being the dark side. The specially shot footage
which players commanded their X-wing caught in the resulting blast. featured the return of David Prowse
squadrons from the rebel base towards Also released in 1995, during a period and James Earl Jones to their shared
the large, rotating Death Star disk at the in which there was a resurgence in Star role as, respectively, the body and
center of the game board. The ships then Wars-related merchandise, the Death voice of Vader.
02 01 Hasbro
released
Angry Birds
Star Wars
Jenga in
2012, with
a pig-shaped
Death Star
02 Star Wars
Electronic
Laser Battle
Game gave
fans their first
chance to
destroy the
Death Star.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 39