‘Star Wars: Death Star Assault Game’ is More Fun to Play WITH Than Just Play
Death Star Assault is the only game that lets you Pew! Pew! Pew! your X-Wing like you’ve secretly always wanted to.
Star Wars: Death Star Assault Game is a competitive roll-to-move and dexterity game. Technically, the objective of each player is to move to the docking bay of the Death Star and then shoot Darth Vader out of his TIE Fighter and into space, saving Princess Leia.
But this game definitely falls into the same group as games like Mouse Trap. There are rules, but I have to imagine everyone who played this spent the whole time just using it as a toy.
Death Star Assault Overview
Released in 1995 by Parker Brothers, Star Wars: Death Star Assault Game is basically Vader Bowling or Skywalker Pinball. During each player’s turn, they spin and either move their character forward or shoot at the TIE Fighters. The player loads a little ball into the X-Wing and aims and fires at the TIE Fighters. Hitting one causes it to flip down, opening a more clear shot at Vader, which can’t be done until later. Also, for each ship destroyed, the player collects a token.
The spinner will also allow the player to sometimes add another TIE Fighter to the field, blocking the path for the other players, or to move their character forward. Each time they move, their character moves along the path toward the Death Star. Once their character reaches the Death Star, the player gets to make a shot at Darth Vader. They get one shot, plus an additional shot for each ship token they’ve collected along the way. The first player to shoot Darth Vader saves Leia and wins the game!
However, occasionally the spinner will have Darth Vader make a move. If he reaches the end of his path before any of the players are able to shoot him down, both players lose and he wins!
All Form With Little Function
Obviously, this is a very simple game and overall, Death Star Assault Game is more a novelty than an exciting game. It does actually have some decent mechanics, like how the TIE Fighters flip down when hit and how the Leia token blocks Vader until she can be moved at the end.
But like other Star Wars games, like Battle at Sarlacc’s Pit or Queen’s Gambit, they look great set up in a game room, but not really worth pulling off the shelf. Still, who doesn’t love shooting little pellets out of a toy TIE fighter?
