Rogue Squadron II update

A nearly complete build of Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II was shown at Nintendo's ongoing press event. We took the game for a spin and came away quite impressed once again. In this latest version of the game, a variety of new visual effects have been implemented. For example, missiles fired from the X-Wing are now accompanied by a distortion effect that warps the area behind the missile's exhaust. Additionally, volumetric fog is used sparingly in a variety of levels and is even visible when flying through space debris. The real-time reflections are also more robust in this latest build. In one level, massive Imperial walkers were trudging through the water, and you could see their faint reflections on the water's surface--the effect was truly impressive.

A couple of peripheral options have also been added to the game. The game's original trailer, which was shown at this year's E3, can now be selected from the menu. Also, the game now includes an audio test area, where users can test to find out whether their system is properly configured to output Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound.

Once in the game, we were able to try out a variety of levels. One level, which hadn't been shown before, puts the player in control of the turrets on the Millennium Falcon, very much like in Star Wars. Here the C stick on the GameCube controller is used to swivel the hydraulic chair, while the guns are positioned and fired using the left analog stick and shoulder buttons. The second level of interest was one where the player is asked to guard ion cannons from the advance of Imperial walkers. Once a certain number of walkers are taken down, the game moves seamlessly into a real-time cutscene that provides the player with a new objective. The cinematics in the game are quite immersive and draw the player further into the game's universe.

Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II is nearly complete and will be released alongside the launch of the GameCube console on November 18.