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Shadow of the Empire (book)

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I remember there was a lot of Hoopla back when this was released, although I never read any of it. So who has? Is it worthwhile?

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I haven't read the novel(s) but I know the comics were a pretty good read.
1000 Word Migraine
www.1kwordmigraine.com

An off topic site for an off topic world!
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Its one of the few EU novels i have read. Its not bad, but nothing too special, a decent read if you want a Star Wars novel--I'm not an EU fan though.
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I hated that book a lot. It was the last star wars book I ever read. It was all a big cross-promotion circle jerk. I think it was fairly popular though, so what do I know?
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I read a few EU books and that was the last one, it was worse than the prequels! it tried to explain to much that didn't need explaining, and the most annoying bit was 3PO calling Han "Master Han" (or "Master Solo" something like that) and not "Captain Solo" as if the author had never seen a star wars film.
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I barely remember the book, it's been so long, but the game kicked ass!

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

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It's mostly forgotten. Even the EU publishers only picked up on one of three possible sequel hooks. You can do worse, but you can do a lot better, too. I heartily recommend the soundtrack, though.
"It's the stoned movie you don't have to be stoned for." -- Tom Shales on Star Wars
Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived.
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I got the book from the Library and stopped reading about 5 pages in to the book and promptly returned it.

I can think of no lamer plot than what that book puts forth. A meterosexual, knot-top wearing, inferiority complex suffering villian who's only goal is to kill Darth Vader just so he can have the chance to serve as the Emperor's right hand man?

Oh, I don't think so. Most villans have a quest for power, money, or fame. This shrinky little bitch only wants to be "best pals" with the Emperor and feels SOOOOOOO left out. "It's not fair! I wanna be the Emperor's go to guy! Gawd, it's always about Vader, Vader, Vader! Hmph! I'll show them."

Yeah. Pass.
"I am altering the movies. Pray I don't alter them any further." -Darth Lucas
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The soundtrack and the N64 game are worth it, the book is good on some parts, lame in others. The skyhook battle in the game rocks!
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Yeah, the soundtrack is better than some of the prequel music, if you ask me.

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

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Jog my memory as to what the skyhook battle involved in the N64 game. I spent months getting all them medals for every level.
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First, you had to fight your way to the Skyhook. Then, you had to fly inside and destroy the core thingie.


I rather preferred the Battle of Hoth, since it was the first time we ever got to play that battle in full 3D.

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

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The audio novel was average and the game was the best of its time. It was a little over-hyped though.
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The game was fun, though the story was told very poorly in it. The book, I can't say, as I haven't read it. The Soundtrack was very good for an N64 game not produced by Nitnendo.

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The game was fun, though the story was told very poorly in it. The book, I can't say, as I haven't read it. The Soundtrack was very good for an N64 game not produced by Nitnendo.

Too bad it wasn't on cd instead of cartridge.
1000 Word Migraine
www.1kwordmigraine.com

An off topic site for an off topic world!
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As i have said, i played the game relenltlessly on the new N64 at the time. I do have an imense fondness for for the music used in the scrapyard planet where you speed through it on a train that i love. Though i swear its a repeated sample from the ESB looped many times over. Maybe memory starting play tricks on me though. Gonna find an emulator and rom to refresh it though.

To think this set me back £39.99 at the time-and i loved every penny of it. Agree about the battle of Hoth Nanner Split. It was and still maybe the pinacle of feeling being place in the movie
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The game was also released on PC, so both the soundtrack and the game itself were on CD.

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

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Yeah. Just got a copy of the PC game. The soundtrack is on a complete seperate file on the CD. But it was released as an album too
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The book wasn't that great, but Lucas should have taken some advice from this guy by including a Han Solo-esque character in the PT. The book includes one in the form of Dash Rendar and his ship the Outrider--although he was a bit too much like Solo to be a believable character.
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I didn't read this book all that long ago. But I've forgotten most of it... I remember the green guy hitting on Leia and the good guys blowing something up at the end... Oh, and Dash did something and then died. I think he was in space, but I don't remember what they were doing...

It was my first EU book, and I thought it was alright. But... the game was better.
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A really great game.

Did the MF fly out of the hanger as Dash ran into or something?
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I have read the book, and I have the abridged audio book, one of the few audio books I own, and I still enjoy listening to it every now and then. The book could have been better writen in some ways but I really liked the whole idea of it.

Xizor (the green guy with the top notch) isn't trying to kill Vader just so he can become the Emperors right hand man as somebody here mentioned. Actually Darth Vader gave the order for some bio weapon to be tested and it nearly wiped out the whole civilization of Xizor's people. He was off planet at the time but his entire family died. He hated the empire and specifically Vader ever since then. What he is trying to do in the book is to kill Luke because he finds out he is Vaders son, and on top of that that Vader is trying to get Luke to join him. So he knows Luke is importand to Vader and he decides that this is a good way to get back at him.

I like the story because it deals more with the underground. Blacksun, whome Xizor is the head of, is a mofia sort of organization. The book also deals alot more with the imperial city, something I always wished would have been in the movies. Leia is captured and Luke, Lando, Dash and Chewie rescue her and blow up Xizor's head quarters. Then as they are escaping the planet Vader blows up Xizor's giant ship and they have to dodge their way through the peices, Dash gets hit by a big chuck a is killed (unless you beat the game on hard, then you learn he lives, for the game anyway).

I suggest skipping the book and checking the audiobook out from the library, I noticed it is one that most libraries seem to have for some reason. Also the comics are good, and the game is still one of my favorites.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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If you’re looking for decent EU that revolves around crime syndicates I would recommend the Solo Trilogy over Shadows. SOE was hyped like crazy, but the novel didn’t live up to it. The N64 game did in some respects. It jumped between modes (Shoot-em-up, third person adventure, et al) too much for my taste, but it was VERY popular. At the time it was one of only five N64 games available and I can remember seeing a used copy for sale at a videogame store in Dallas for $100. When I finally got a copy I remember being under whelmed, but the Hoth battle was well executed.

"Look, going good against bashers/gushers is one thing. Going good against the living? That's something else."
- Darth-Adroit

“I also thought George could be turned back to the good side. It couldn't be done. He is more CGI now than story. Twisted and evil.”
- Darth-Adroit
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I don't care about continuity glitches so I thought the old marvel comic covered that period in a more fun and interesting way.