"Best looking GameCube game so far!"

Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2 is, without a doubt, the best looking launch title for the GameCube. While Luigi's Mansion has the best lighting effects, Rogue Leader's realism outperforms and outshines anything else on the GameCube thus far!

Graphics: 10 out of 10
Rogue Leader is packed full of everything to make it shine like no other game before it. The amount of detail in the individual ships is staggering! Tie fighters fly in in groups of three or more, and everyone looks just as good as the next. Some levels have so many different things going on at once it is impossible to catch everything without crashing your ship. While the explosions, in my opinion, could have been done slightly better there are far more good things that you hardly notice the bad, and there aren't that many bad things in terms of graphics either. Just looking at the Star Destroyers make my mouth water.

Play Control: 10 out of 10
The first Rogue Squadron was so easy to pick up and use it isn't surprising that nothing has changed in terms of play control. Break, gas, shoot, change camera, not much to learn. Easy to pick up and play, but only true masters will earn the skill it takes to earn a gold on all the missions, and the bonus missions. Every level has been made perfectly to represent the scenes from the movie that they were based on, and new missions are woven into the Star Wars story line perfectly. No complaints from me.

Sound Effects/Music: 8 out of 10
The voicing is top notch, and the inclusion of Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles) gives the game a much more cinematic feel. When there is music, like during the menu screens, it is very good, but the in-game music either was inaudible to me, or I was just to into the game to notice it. Tie Fighter lasers are perfect to their big screen counterparts, as well as the engine noises when they fly by in the middle of space. George Lucas would be so proud.

Game Design: 10 out of 10
One of my friends told me that Rogue Squadron was too short. He said that he went through the game at the local Best Buy in a matter of hours. I don't know what he means by ''going through'' the game, but I can guarantee this much, it will take a lot longer than a couple of hours to successfully complete this game. When I say complete I mean earning a gold on every mission and uncovering all of the hidden missions. Some are based on sequences from the Star Wars Trilogy, and others have you competing as the Imperials trying to stop the Rebel forces. The change of pace is good for a change, and it kept me playing longer than I thought I would.

Overall: 9 out of 10
Again, you will rarely see me give a perfect 10 to a game, Rogue Leader comes pretty close in my opinion. If you have a GameCube, this is the game to get. Star Wars fanatics, get this game. People who like shooters, get this game. People who like great games, get this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/20/01, Updated 12/20/01