With Planet Comicon this weekend, we sit down with owner and founder of Buster Props to talk about everything they are planning for their booth this weekend. We talk to Ryan about what got him into cosplay and prop building, his experiences in the Dragon Con parade, plus some of the awesome items they are currently working on bringing to the cosplay world. They’ve got 3D printed goodies like a Batman v Superman Batman belt kit, plus modeled and molded cowls like Daredevil and Catwoman. Check out more in the video below!
Pretty cool stuff, right? You can check them out in person at Planet Comicon this weekend or hit them up on their pages below.
Due to the release of The Force Awakens, I decided to take a look back at the Star Wars video games I had played in my formative years. I believe it can certainly be said that Star Wars video games are some of the greatest and richest parts of the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now Star Wars Legends).
10. Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer
Many rail on this game as being an example of what was wrong with The Phantom Menace however, I always found the podrace scene to be rather enthralling and intense. Inspired by the chariot race from Ben-Hur, the podrace scene was instantly captivating and spectacular save for the rather bad performance by Jake Lloyd. Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer successfully replicated the fast-paced feel of that scene with its supremely fast gameplay and quick reaction times in order to stay on the track. With a variety of tracks and playable racers, this game marks one of the few racing games I have ever enjoyed.
9. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Often hailed as the first of the “good” Star Wars games, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was the game in Lucasfilm’s attempt to cr eate an entire multimedia lineup for a movie that didn’t exist. Following Dash Rendar, a mercenary turned Rebel sympathizer, as he engages in an adventure to save Princess Leia from Prince Xizor, leader of the Black Sun crime syndicate. Featuring more immersive gameplay than any Star Wars game before it, Shadows of the Empire remains a time honored classic.
8. Star Wars: Dark Forces
Following in the footsteps of Shadows of the Empire, Dark Forces was another early game that sought to set itself apart from the film saga. Set before A New Hope and following Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial-turned-Mercenary, as he embarks on his Rebel-sponsored job of recovering the first Death Star plans. Once complete, Katarn is hired for a second job to uncover the hidden plans to the Dark Trooper project before they can be used to wipe out the Rebel Alliance. Whilst the gameplay is certainly inspired by the Doom franchise, there is enough differences in gameplay, along with an unmistakable Star Wars style, that makes this game still entertaining although immensely difficult.
7. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
While much can be said for Traveller’s Tales’s entire lineup of Lego games, none could surpass the nostalgia and general fun that came with Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Following fairly closely with the plots of the six main films, Lego Star Wars provided brick building fun along with general entertainment and silly references that would make even the most hardcore fan chuckle.
6. Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Taking the engine from Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, Galactic Battlegrounds is the Star Wars RTS to end all. Several attempts at Star Wars RTSs have been made with Empire at War or the much derided Force Commander but none could match up with the simple goodness that appeared in Galactic Battlegrounds. Certainly not the best RTS and certainly no where near the level of Starcraft, Galactic Battlegrounds still provides a good strategy experience to those looking for it.
5. Star Wars: Battlefront
While many point to Battlefront II as thebetter of the two games, I always preferred the first since it was always truer to its premise. Battlefront II introduced too many mechanics I thought betrayed the original idea: lots of normal troops fighting it out on the battlefield. The original Battlefront didn’t feel the need to add pointless space combat or the inclusion of over-powered Jedi to still feel incredibly fun and immersive. While certainly not the best Star Wars game, Battlefront is still one of those games that knew what it was trying to do and accomplished it incredibly well.
4. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Featuring what I would call the best in Star Wars fighter combat, Rogue Squadron starred Luke as he commanded the titular Rebel fighter unit on several missions against the Empire. While certainly appearing with dated graphics and control scheme, RogueSquadron still features the most impressive variety of ships which vary in flight and combat abilities. This is also one of the few games to feature an accurate portrayal of using a speeder’s tow cable to take down an AT-AT.
3. Star Wars: Republic Commando
Possibly the best Star Wars FPS ever made, Republic Commando lets the player take on the role of Delta-38, the leader of a clone commando unit during the Clone Wars. The first mission, taking place during the Battle of Geonosis, follows Delta-38 as he assembles his team and attempts to eliminate high priority targets and silently aid the entirety of the Clone Army in unexpected ways. Featuring a variety of enemy types, weapon types, and the most brilliantly simplified squad combat I’ve ever seen, Republic Commando is an instant favorite for those wanting a more modern and more complex FPS take in the Star Wars universe.
2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Often hailed as one of the greatest Star Wars stories ever told, Knights of the Old Republic presents one of the most expansive and complex storylines not often seen in a Star Wars game, due to their often smaller focus and self-containment. Knights of the Old Republic, however, gives players a look at what the galaxy looked like four thousand years before the films take place with the rise of the Sith Empire and the struggling Old Republic attempting to maintain control over a tense situation. Politics, intense character development and an in-depth look into the nature of The Force are all major aspects of this game and coming from Bioware, the studio that brought us the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series, one can expect deep character interaction and a plot on a scale not known in Star Wars at its time. With its turn-based combat, attribute leveling system, and morality infused dialogue, Knights of the Old Republic is a true Star Wars gem and remains one of Bioware’s legacy gems.
1. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
The ultimate Star Wars experience. Jedi Outcast, the second sequel to Dark Forces, again features Kyle Katarn, this time as a Jedi, as he attempts to stop the Imperial Remnant from gaining another foothold in the galaxy. Led by Dark Jedi Desann, his apprentice Tavion and Imperial Admiral Galak Fyyar, as the Remnant attempts to create Reborn, Dark Jedi soldiers artificially infused with The Force. The player as Katarn, starts off as a non-Jedi, having given up The Force after the events of Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, but he soon realizes that The Force will be needed to defeat Desann. While certainly dated since its release in 2003, Jedi Outcast features the most immersive and most accurate portrayal of Jedi combat not seen in any game of its time or in any game since (aside from its sequel/spin-off Jedi Academy). As the game progresses, more Force powers become available to the player including neutral powers like jump, push, and speed but also features four powers split between the Light and Dark side with force heal and mind trick belonging to the Light and lightning and grip belonging to the Dark. As the game progresses more, these force powers begin to manifest in stronger forms giving near unlimited power to the player if used wisely. By the end of the game with a full arsenal of weapons, force powers, and lightsaber fighting styles, playing as Katarn feels like the truest form of playing as a Jedi in any game along with a good story and impressive level design that makes this game the best Star Wars game ever made.
I am a Star Wars fan. In junior high, it would have been difficult to find a shirt I owned that didn’t reference Star Wars in some way. We had the prequels releasing throughout that time, but with those being huge disappointments, I had to get my fix of a galaxy far, far away somewhere else. Thus, I turned to the EU (Expanded Universe, which consisted of novels, comic books, and video games).
It wasn’t Qui-Gon or Jar Jar that made me happy to be excited to be a fan, it was Kyle Katarn, Mara Jade, and Darth Revan. Games like Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Forces, and Masters of Teräs Käsi (don’t judge me!) were my jam. I read Timothy Zahn’s novels between classes in school. I wasn’t very popular, as you can imagine. You nerdy kids today have it so easy!
So when Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced that the whole Expanded Universe wasn’t canon in any way, shape, or form, I was crushed.
Fast forward a bit, and I watched The Force Awakens, and my opinion has changed.
While the characters I love may not exist in name anymore, many of their stories are set up to play out in the movies. I am going to cover where I think the similarities lie, and maybe some of where they might be heading. From here on out, there will be MAJOR SPOILERS for The Force Awakens (TFA) and the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) games. You have been warned.
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Still here? Good. Let’s get into some references to the Expanded Universe.
So to start, Rey bears a pretty major resemblance to Bastila Shan from KOTOR, as well as her daughter Satele from SWTOR (Star Wars the Old Republic). Coincidence? Maybe. Also take into account that they both use staff type weapons (Bastila uses a yellow bladed saberstaff). Not only that, but Rey’s grey outfit at the end of TFA looks very similar to many old republic styled outfits.
There were some new Force powers introduced in TFA. Remember when Kylo used the Force to stop Rey in place so he could capture and interrogate her? That is called “Force Stasis”, and was introduced in KOTOR in a very similar way. Darth Malak used the same move to capture Bastila Shan. Kylo using the Force to interrogate Rey and Poe is also very similar to another KOTOR force power called “Mind Domination”.
Just like Rey in TFA, Bastila is captured by her Sith enemy and locked into a partially reclined torture device, and subjected to Dark Side probing. Do these screenshots look familiar?
When Finn and Rey meet, he intends to try and save her, but she saves herself, beating up a slew of attackers in the process with her staff. This is very reminiscent of this scene in KOTOR (even a similar weapon!):
Remember Finn and Rey having to escape a planetary attack in the Millennium Falcon? Bastila and Revan have the same situation happen, except the ship is the Ebon Hawk instead of the Falcon.
The plots of TFA and KOTOR II both revolve around finding the last remaining Jedi by chasing down incomplete maps of the galaxy and following them into uncharted systems. In TFA, the last Jedi was Luke who left the map with R2-D2, in KOTOR II it was Revan who left the map with T3-M4.
There are also some pretty large similarities between Revan and Kylo’s mask design.
That planet the Luke is on at the end of the movie could easily be Rakata Prime, which was a planet that was covered in ancient stone structures that are strong in the force, and was first mentioned in KOTOR. Those stone structures could easily fit the bill for what Han says Luke is looking for. It just so happens that this planet was shown on the newest, official, canon map of the Star Wars galaxy.
Speaking of planets from KOTOR, Malachor V is a planet introduced in KOTOR II that is full of ancient Sith temples and teeming with Dark Side energy. In the visual dictionary released for The Force Awakens, Kylo’s saber is described as “an ancient design, dating back thousands of years to the Great Scourge of Malachor.” The book is canon, as is Malachor now.
KOTOR had a super-weapon called the “Star Forge” that siphoned power from the sun, the same way that the Starkiller base did.
Pretty striking similarities, in my opinion.
So onto some speculation, because why not?
Maz Kanata mentions something about history repeating itself. Could Kylo’s more primitive clothing and weapon and Rey’s resemblance to Bastila be attributed to that? Could history repeating itself be a reference to KOTOR’s story repeating itself? Could Rey be from Bastila and Satele’s bloodline??!?!
I don’t think the mentions of Malachor and Rakata Prime are just nods to the fans. I think that Snoke is probably living on Malachor, and that’s where he is summoning Kylo to to finish his training.
What do you think? Coincidence? Something more? Did I miss some Expanded Universe references? Will we see Rey wielding a yellow bladed saberstaff soon? Let me know in the comments.
The Force Awakens, a new hope for Expanded Universe Fans
The door thunders and opens. Inside, the villain awaits you. He or she says something clever, gets angry, and then you fight. In that moment, as the villain lunges toward you, the music picks up and fuels your adrenaline as you draw your weapon and battle your enemy. For this article, here is my top 5 favorite boss music themes. I will go from my least favorite to my most favorite. Just know that I absolutely love them all. . .
5. Tomb Raider Anniversary
The Tomb Raider Anniversary boss was a difficult one for me in part because I had not fully mastered some of the special moves. There was much dying on my part and beating on pillows or whatever else was next to me. However, one thing that kept me going was the music. The music was a choir that illustrated Natla’s ultimate desire for world domination.
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4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Modern Warfare 2 has you chasing the final boss, who happens to be voiced by Lance Henriksen, in a boat down a river filled with all of his cronies. The desperate theme pumps your adrenaline as you chase down this general with an “ends justify the means” attitude. No enemies or obstacles will keep you from taking this guy down!
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3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Knights of the Old Republic’s music does a perfect job at illustrating your completion of this enormous game. Not only does it reflect the epic nature of the battle taking place between you and Malak, it also shows that your fate is not the only one hanging in the balance. There is a massive battle for the Republic happening right outside the space station as you fight. The fate of your battle with Malak could ultimately decide the fate of the battle beyond.
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2.Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Ganondorf’s boss theme reflected the happenings of the environment around you. It also painted Ganondorf’s use of the power of the Triforce. It makes you feel like the battle is impossible as he throws his magic at you. Yet, there is a small glimmer of hope.
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1.Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
The Sands of Time still remains as my all-time favorite boss battle music. The music reveals to you that, sorcery or not, you know you can beat this old man. You can also hear the deception of the vizier through small sections in the music. He is the one who influenced the Prince to cause all this trouble in the first place. Along with the amazing percussion and Middle Eastern flavor, this music has got to be one of the best boss battle themes of all time.
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Do you have any boss themes you think should have been added? Feel free to post them in the comments.
