Author: Dann Albright

Which Star Wars Games Can You Play on a Mac?

The Old Republic is a great game, but it has one serious disadvantage: it’s only available for Windows computers. If you have a PC, that’s no problem, but what if you have a Mac? The selection of Star Wars games is a bit smaller, but it’s still out there. Here are 13 Star Wars games you can play on your Mac. If I’ve missed any good ones, be sure to let me know in the comments! LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga Who doesn’t love LEGO Star Wars? The games are quirky, challenging, highly replayable, and a hell of a lot of fun. The complete saga, which includes missions through all six movies, has over 160 characters that you can combine in wacky ways, co-op play, and new bounty hunter missions. For $20, it’s a steal, and it’s probably the best Star Wars game available for the Mac. LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone…

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The Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer is Hilarious

Lego Star Wars games are some of my favorite games—they let you relive the Star Wars experience, but bring something new to it (usually that “something new” is hilarity). And the new trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens definitely has me looking forward to a new entry in the series. Between an X-Wing with windshield wipers, BB-8 running into things, and the Stormtrooper playing with the light switch on the troop transport, this trailer is really funny, and I can’t wait to see more from this game. It’s not out until 28 June, but we’ll be keeping you updated on any new information as soon as it comes out. Until then, what was your favorite Lego Star Wars game or scene? (I’ve always enjoyed playing as my favorite bounty hunter, IG-88.)  Let us know your favorites below!

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Why Are Lightsabers Blue? And Other Questions Answered

Lightsabers are one of the most iconic items in all of the Star Wars universe, and lightsaber duels are some of the most memorable moments in movie history. But how much do you really know about lightsabers? I spent some time researching to see what interesting facts I could find, and to answer some questions that you might have. If you have more, leave them in the comments! Why Are Lightsabers Blue? Lightsabers can be many colors, but blue, green, and red are the most common in the movie franchise. A lightsaber’s color is determined by the type of crystal that’s used to power it. Kyber crystals, which grow in crystal caves on the Outer Rim, were traditionally used to build lightsabers, but because of their scarcity, other types of gems have come into use. For example, the Sith use synthetic crystals that become superpowered when infused with the Dark side…

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4 Star Wars Tabletop Role-Playing Games You Should Try

If you like The Old Republic or Knights of the Old Republic, it’s probably because you enjoy getting immersed in the Star Wars universe in a way that other games like Battlefront and Bounty Hunter just don’t give you. If you want to really dive into the universe, though, tabletop role-playing games are the way to go. Not familiar with tabletop RPGs? If you’ve heard of Dungeons & Dragons, Fate, or Pathfinder, you’ve heard of tabletop RPGs—these are some of the biggest names in the business. They combine social interaction, storytelling, dice rolling, miniatures, and an immersive experience that’s tough to replicate. In addition to those big names, there are a number of cool Star Wars RPGs out there. Here are four that you should check out! Star Wars: Edge of the Empire One of my favorite game companies, Fantasy Flight Games, publishes Edge of the Empire, a game that immerses you in the world of smugglers, bounty hunters, thieves, and…

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Everything You Need to Read After Seeing The Force Awakens

The Force Awakens has topped Avatar as the highest-grossing film in North American history, so it’s almost certain that you’ve already seen it. And now that you have, what comes next? Rogue One is still almost a year away, and we still don’t know much about it at all, so there’s nothing much exciting there. There is, however, a monumental amount of books and articles that you should read. Whether for interesting theories, backstories, or just more Star Wars fun, this list will keep Star Wars going all year. Books to Read After The Force Awakens Everyone needs more books! Here are 10 that you should read to get all the backstory, fun facts, and new stories that you need. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo Want to get more story on the characters, places, ships, vehicles, and weapons used in The Force Awakens? This visual dictionary has a lot of great information, including background…

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I Played 13 Star Wars Mobile Games. Here are the Best.

Over the past couple years, we’ve seen a lot of new Star Wars games, just not where you might expect them: on your phone. There have been tons of new mobile games that have come out since Disney took over the franchise, from Rebels-themed kids’ games and puzzlers to tower defense and shooters. But are any of them any good? Do they stand up to the classics, like Rogue Squadron and Shadows of the Empire? I had to find out, so I sat down and played 13 of them. It took me a while, but here’s what I found out. The Best: Knights of the Old Republic It’s getting old now, but this game has translated remarkably well to mobile platforms. The controls are really easy to use, the gameplay is intuitive, and the story is a classic one that stands the test of time. The graphics are what you’d expect for a game that’s…

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10 Things to Do Before You Go See The Force Awakens

The Force Awakens is almost here! There are only a couple days until the release of one of the most highly anticipated movies in recent memory, and the long wait will be over. But before then, you have some preparing to do. These 10 ideas will get you excited, prepare you for the movie, and share the anticipation with your friends! 1. Watch the rest of the Star Wars movies. Okay, so you don’t have to watch all six, but you should, at the very least, watch your favorite one. Nothing will get you as psyched up as watching one of the best movies of all time! If you don’t have Star Wars on Blu-Ray yet, now is a great time to buy it. 2. Watch the Star Wars Begins filmumentaries. Jamie Benning has created three “filmumentaries” that delve deep into the creation of Star Wars, from deleted scenes and alternate angles to cast commentary and…

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Let C-3PO Be Your Copilot with the Latest Waze Update (Plus Movie Ticket Giveaway!)

Want to add some Star Wars flair your drive to work in the morning? Why not take C-3PO on as your copilot? 3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8 can now be a part of your drive with Waze, the social driving app. Your own personal protocol droid will give you directions, warn you of hazards, and occasionally surprise you with a hilarious line. For example, when I was driving this morning, Waze detected a hazard, and 3PO came on over my radio: “Hazard reported ahead. We’ll be destroyed for sure . . . this is madness!” I laughed out loud. In my car. By myself. When I got home, C-3PO gave me his opinion on my apartment complex in his signature British accent: “My . . . what a desolate place this is.” I had to smile at that one. But he doesn’t just talk when he has something to tell you. He’ll also give you…

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Get to Know the New Star Wars Stars with These Movies and Shows

In addition to the stars we know and love—Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew—The Force Awakens includes a number of new names that you may not be familiar with. Before the new movie comes out in just under a month, do yourself a favor and take some time to get to know them! Because the new actors in the movie don’t have illustrious careers behind them, you may not have seen them yet; but they all have at least some credentials. Here are 16 movies and shows that will help you get to know the new faces: Ex Machina: Domnhall Gleason (General Hux) and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) both have amazing performances in this AI thriller. Game of Thrones: Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma) plays Brienne of Tarth, a loyal knight and companion; Jessica Henwick (Jessika Pava) also makes an appearance as Nymeria Sand. Blue Season: Daisy Ridley (Rey)…

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The Current State of the Journey to The Force Awakens

In March, Disney announced that they would be releasing a bunch of new books and comics in the run-up to The Force Awakens that would give readers an idea of how the galaxy has changed, where the characters have gone, and what to expect from the new movie. There were very high hopes for these books, but have they lived up to the hype? Let’s take a look at the reviews of some of the big titles in the series to find out. We’ll start with the character-specific novels that focus on Han, Luke, and Leia. Greg Rucka’s junior novel, Smuggler’s Run, has a solid rating of 4.5 on Amazon, with 76 reviews. Jason Fry’s The Weapon of a Jedi and Cecil Castellucci’s Moving Target both have similar ratings, though Castellucci’s Leia-focused middle-grade story only has 37 reviews at the moment. These books are quite short, but they’re also very inexpensive, so they make great…

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The New Star Wars Canon, Explained

When Disney took over LucasFilm and decided to make another Star Wars movie, all of the Expanded Universe works became “un-canon.” They would no longer be recognized in the official Star Wars universe. OuterPlaces has released an infographic that puts all of the canon works in an easy-to-read image. Check it out here, or view the original on OuterPlaces: With all of the books and comics between the Battle of Endor and The Force Awakens, it looks like we’re going to get a very clear picture of what happened after the destruction of the second Death Star before the new movie comes out. It’s also cool to see the two new Star Wars games coming out this year on the infographic as well, suggesting that we might actually learn more about the universe in those games. If you want to get up-to-speed on the Star Wars universe, you’re going to have a lot of…

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Rogue One Cast Revealed

Rogue One, the first standalone Star Wars film, now has an official cast, and it looks fantastic. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Diego Luna (Milk, Elysium), Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline), Donnie Yen (Ip Man, Blade II), Jiang Wen (Let the Bullets Fly, Devils on the Doorstep), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt, Casino Royale), and Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) will all feature. Alan Tudyk (A Knight’s Tale, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) will also play a motion-capture character. It looks like the production crew has absolutely nailed the look for this movie: the cast certainly has the rag-tag look of a group of Rebels about to take on something big. Many of the crew involved in graphics, costume, and other visual roles have worked on similarly gritty-looking movies, so it stands to reason that this will have a darker, less-put-together look than some other Star Wars works. We won’t know much more…

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What Happened to the Empire after Endor? We’ll Find Out Soon

With The Force Awakens taking place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, there’s been a lot of speculation about what happened in between them. Was the Empire crippled? Did it maintain its stranglehold on the galaxy? Where are the rebels now? On September 2, we’ll start to get answers to these questions. Shattered Empire, the new four-issue comic book series from Marvel, will focus on the events directly following the Battle of Endor and give us some insight into the state of the galaxy moving into The Force Awakens. In an interview with StarWars.com, author Greg Rucka points out that Empire is vast, and that even the loss of its two most important figureheads won’t sound its death knell. Some supporters will leave, but many others will stay and be forced to further defend their territory. He also stated that he used real-world events, like the fall of the Soviet Union and the…

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Multiple Live-Action Star Wars Shows to Arrive on Netflix?

It’s clear that Disney is going all-in with Star Wars: new movies, new books, new action figures and LEGO sets, and now . . . new TV shows? Back in March, Cinelinx discussed the possibility of Disney being in talks with Netflix for a live-action TV show. But the latest rumors suggest that there could be multiple shows in the works. The fact that Disney is producing standalone Star Wars movies might lend some credence to this rumor—they’re clearly interested in cinematically exploring the rest of the universe outside of the main Republic / Empire conflict that’s been the center of the series for so long. There have been discussions of a Star Wars TV show since 2005, after George Lucas announced that he had plans for a show that took place between the prequels and the original trilogy. By 2011, he said that he had 50 episodes written. And although a number of people have…

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A New Star Wars Mobile Game Is Coming

Star Wars: Uprising is a mobile game that will be hitting phones sometime later this year, and it could provide some hints as to what’s going on with the Empire and the Rebellion after the destruction of the second Death Star. Check out the trailer: It looks like someone has arisen in wake of the Emperor’s death to take the reins of the Empire and try to regain some control over the worlds that may have thought about rebelling after the Battle of Endor. Could this provide some background for The Force Awakens? Or will these events have gone and been forgotten in the few years right after Episode VI? There’s really no way to tell. We don’t even have gameplay footage yet. It’s a nice-looking game, though, and there’s definitely potential for something cool. We’ll keep you posted on what we find out!

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Who Will Billie Lourd Play in The Force Awakens?

A lot of people were excited when we found out that Billie Lourd, the 22-year-old daughter of Carrie Fisher, would be in The Force Awakens. There have been a few rumors about her role, but we still don’t know a whole lot about what she’ll be doing. One of the first rumors was that she would play a young Princess Leia in a flashback scene, but that was debunked in an interview in May. Then there was some hearsay that she’d be playing Leia’s daughter, but she stated in a recent interview that this was wrong, too. Her statement that “[she] can’t tell you about [her] character, or lack of character” has some people wondering if her role will be a minor one, more of a cameo or even a role behind a mask. Considering that this will be her first professional acting role, this seems like a safe bet. But I’m…

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A Surprising Episode VII Cameo Revealed

Now that the actors playing most of the main characters in The Force Awakens have been revealed, we’re starting to get a little more information on the more minor players that we’ll get to see this Christmas. Don’t want to know who might be showing up in The Force Awakens? Read no further! Last year, there were rumors that Daniel Craig would show up somewhere in the movie, and The Daily Mail has quoted Simon Pegg as saying that Craig will play a stormtrooper. They also quote “an insider” who stated that “Fans will love trying to work out which covered up character is him”—though a cameo in a mask isn’t much of a cameo. Whether he’ll be a stormtrooper of any consequence or if we’ll see his face for a moment wasn’t discussed, but the fact that James Bond will be wearing the white armor is pretty cool! Although…

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See What Star Wars Could Have Been Like

Like any work of art, Star Wars went through a number of versions before it become the story we all know and love. And if you’ve ever wondered what Star Wars was like when it was first born in George Lucas’s imagination, you’re in luck. The Star Wars is a graphic novel interpretation of Lucas’s rough draft vision of what would be A New Hope (it was originally published as eight Dark Horse comics). You’ll see a lot of the characters you’re familiar with—Luke, Han, Leia, 3PO, R2, Darth Vader—but in drastically different versions. Luke is in his 60s. Han is an alien. R2 can talk. The story itself is quite different, as well. Although some parts of the plot remained unchanged into the final form of the movie, there are some that were cut completely, and a few that were significantly changed. Lightsabers are all over the place in…

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Boba Fett to Get Standalone Movie?

Since we first heard about the Star Wars spin-off movies, there’s been a great deal of debate over what they’ll be focused on. We didn’t know if we’d be getting films on Han Solo, Boba Fett, the Death Star (looks like that rumor was right), or some combination of these and others. Now that the Rogue One teaser is out, speculation has already started about the next standalone movie, and a few people have been saying that it’s likely to focus on Boba Fett. This seems like an obvious choice for Disney, as Fett has one of the strongest fan followings in the Star Wars universe—people love him, and a Fett movie would almost certainly be a success. An interesting rumor that’s going around (it surfaced back in 2014 on Latino Review) is that Lawrence Kasdan didn’t like the idea of Boba being a clone, and has proposed a story…

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What Will Star Wars Be Like Without Jedi?

You’ve probably been reading a lot about The Force Awakens, but there’s another movie in the works that may have stayed off of your radar. It’s called Rogue One, and it’s the first of the standalone Star Wars movies promised by Disney, which are now going under the collective title of Star Wars Anthology. The movie focuses on a Rebel team who sets out to steal the Death Star plans. We know that Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) is attached to direct, and that Felicity Jones (Theory of Everything) will play a main character. Both Riz Ahmed (who played in Nightcrawler opposite Jake Gyllenhall) and Sam Claflin (Finnick from the Hunger Games movies) are rumored to be under consideration for male leads. That’s really all we know so far. At the end of Star Wars Celebration 2015, where we saw the debut of the second trailer for The Force Awakens, we also got to…

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Play Your Favorite Classic Star Wars Games Again

If you’re part of the old guard of Star Wars gamers and played in the early 90s, you probably remember the days of highly pixelated combat in games like X-Wing, TIE Fighter, Empire at War, and Rebel Assault. If you do, get ready for a blast from the past, because a number of your favorite classic games can now be played again! LucasArts has partnered with Steam and GoG.com to bring some old Star Wars PC games back to life. If you’d like to relive the space battles of your childhood, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing Alliance, and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter will put you into the cockpit. If you’re looking for more ground-based action, check out Dark Forces or the Jedi Knight series. And if you’re into 4X games, you can take on my personal favorite, Star Wars: Rebellion, in which you’ll play as the Empire or the Rebellion and marshal…

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Some Character Speculation for The Force Awakens

The rumors surrounding The Force Awakens are absolutely crazy. There are new ones every day; some of them are very clearly made up, others seem like they could be legitimate, and a select few get confirmed (or at least corroborated). I’ve sifted through quite a few of these rumors, and here are some of the most interesting things that I’ve heard so far. Warning: character-related and minor plot-related spoilers. The “main villain,” as reported by MovieWeb, is a cyborg Inquisitor who holds ties to the Sith. He’s reported to have red eyes to match his red lightsaber, and has machine parts throughout his body, similar to Vader, but with no mask (this is likely to be the cyborg-looking guy we saw in some earlier concept art). This could give us some interesting insights into the plot; although the Empire has taken a serious hit, the Sith seem to be fine ….

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Stream the Star Wars Celebration Live!

Star Wars Celebration, which starts tomorrow in Anaheim, will be live-streamed on StarWars.com, which means you can get a live look some of the most anticipated panels, interviews, and The Force Awakens news on the planet. The biggest draw, of course, is the new TFA trailer. The kickoff panel, at 10:00 a.m. PST tomorrow, includes JJ Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy, and is focused on The Force Awakens. And you can expect to see the new trailer and a new poster debuted during this panel! Of course, there are a lot of other panels that viewers will be interested in. Other panelists for the event include Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and a wide range of other Star Wars-affiliated actors, actresses, and crewmembers. There will be panels on Star Wars and Disney parks, costumes, music, 3D screenings, insight into specific roles, and many other facets of the films. There’s…

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The Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Books Available for Pre-Order

We were pretty excited to hear that there were going to be at least 20 new Star Wars books, ranging from novels to sticker books, coming out this fall. And now they’re here—the first pre-orders are available! Not all of the books have been announced yet, but it’s clear that Disney is placing a heavy emphasis on filling fans in on what happened between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. In addition to the Marvel comic series we discussed earlier, Shattered Empire, we can now see a few more titles. Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath presents an intriguing cover, with “The war is not over” emblazoned on the cover. Looks like Disney’s rewriting the canon quite a bit (we had some idea that this was the case when we saw Stormtroopers in the trailer, but this lends even more credence to the idea). The book’s description also contains the line “And while the Rebel Alliance engages the fractured…

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