The gaming industry has lost one of its true hardware visionaries. Hideki Sato — the legendary Sega engineer behind some of the most iconic consoles ever created — has passed away, leaving behind a legacy that stretches far beyond Sega itself and into the wider galaxy of gaming… including Star Wars. While many players know Sato as the “Father of the Dreamcast,” his influence helped shape an entire era of gaming hardware that also powered some unforgettable Star Wars experiences. And yes — if you’ve ever piloted a speeder in a Star Wars arcade cabinet or blasted TIE fighters in a Sega-built machine, you’ve indirectly experienced his work. The Engineer Behind Sega’s Golden Era Hideki Sato joined Sega in the early 1970s and quickly became one of the company’s most important hardware designers. Over the decades, he played a leading role in the development of nearly every major Sega console,…
Retro Gaming
33 Years Later, X-Wing Still Defines Star Wars Space Combat
Star Wars: X-Wing turns 33 years old, and honestly? A lot of modern space games still live in its shadow. Released in February 1993 on good old-fashioned floppy disks, this wasn’t just another licensed Star Wars title. It helped define what Star Wars flight combat should feel like — tense, tactical, and very, very deadly if you got cocky. For many players, this was the first time the fantasy of sitting in the cockpit of an X-wing felt real instead of arcadey. The Game That Took Star Wars Into True 3D Space Back in the early ‘90s, most space games still leaned heavily on sprites and tricks. X-Wing went another direction. It became one of the first games to use 3D polygon graphics for spacecraft, meaning ships were fully rendered objects in space, not flat illusions. That sounds basic now, but in 1993 this was cutting-edge stuff — especially on…
Star Wars: Demolition Released 25 Years Ago — The Wildest Arena Battle in the Galaxy Turns a Quarter Century Old
Twenty-five years ago, Star Wars: Demolition crash-landed onto our consoles, blending lightsabers, speeders, and chaos into one unforgettable combat experience. Released in November 2000 for the PlayStation and Dreamcast, the game was an explosive mashup of Twisted Metal–style vehicular mayhem and the Star Wars universe — a combination that only the early 2000s could have delivered. So yes, Star Wars: Demolition just turned 25 years old, and it’s time to celebrate the galaxy’s most gloriously chaotic gladiator game. A Galaxy Far, Far Away Meets Vehicular Carnage Developed by Luxoflux and published by LucasArts, Star Wars: Demolition wasn’t about elegant lightsaber duels or Jedi wisdom. This was pure, unfiltered destruction. Players entered an intergalactic deathmatch in various vehicles — from Boba Fett’s jetpack and Speeder Bikes to AT-STs, Podracers, and even Rancors. The premise? Simple but brilliant: after the Galactic Empire banned podracing, Jabba the Hutt created a new spectator sport…
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy Turns 19 — A Nostalgic Look Back
Nineteen years ago today, on September 11, 2006, gamers everywhere popped open a shiny new disc and were greeted with the playful charm of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. What followed was one of the most beloved Star Wars video game experiences ever made—blending humor, accessible gameplay, and the magic of the original films into one unforgettable package. Building on the Prequels’ Success The game followed hot on the heels of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005), which focused on the Prequel Trilogy. But while the first title was a hit, it was The Original Trilogy that truly cemented LEGO Star Wars as a powerhouse gaming franchise. From the deserts of Tatooine to the freezing tundra of Hoth and the forest moon of Endor, every classic scene from George Lucas’ legendary films was lovingly re-created—only this time with slapstick gags, minifig grins, and the freedom to smash…