There have been many video games that adapted parts of the Star Wars franchise, but not many of them have captured the pure fun of piloting a starfighter better than the Star Wars Rogue Squadron games. The trilogy of titles developed by Factor 5 and published by Lucasarts Games became classics for many Star Wars fans who grew up playing Nintendo consoles. It was a trilogy of games that could not be ignored on the Nintendo 64 or the Nintendo GameCube. Other Star Wars games may have included piloting a ship or trying to simulate what it would actually feel like to fly a starship, but the Rogue Squadron series took things to a different level. A combination of arcade-style controls, multiple missions set during the original trilogy, and unique unlockables make these games must-play titles for any self-proclaimed Star Wars fan.

But out of the three games that held the name Rogue Squadron in the title, which ones were the best? Whether it was piloting an X-Wing or taking the fight to the ground against Imperial forces, the suspense and action were never slowing down in this series. To many Star Wars fans that grew up playing them, the Star Wars Rogue Squadron games are among the best video game releases that the franchise has ever seen. Here's a ranking of the entire Star Wars Rogue Squadron trilogy, and which games are the ace entries in the series.

3 Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike (GameCube)

Out of the ship and on foot

Out of the three games in the series, Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike is considered the worst entry. While many of the cornerstone aspects of the series are still present in the third game, and built upon further in some ways, some big changes disappointed fans. Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike was released in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube, and was developed by Factor 5 while published by LucasArts. Although piloting a starship with Rogue Squadron was still a central part of the gameplay, on-foot sections took the action outside the ships and were a big part of the main campaign. Players control Luke Skywalker or Wedge Antilles and blast their way through legions of Imperial troopers to complete missions. In some levels during the campaigns, they could also pilot an AT-ST walker, offering a bit of variety to the change in gameplay. Multiple starships can be unlocked and used in missions, including Darth Vader's TIE Advanced.

The plot of the game takes place shortly after the destruction of the first Death Star, following the events of the original Star Wars movie. The Luke Skywalker sections of the campaign have players going through multiple missions that lead into some of the events of both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, with different missions allowing players to use a lightsaber as Luke during some of the original trilogy's biggest moments. The Wedge Antilles campaign happens concurrently with Luke's story, with Wedge undertaking missions for the Rebel Alliance to hinder the Empire's growing power. While these on-foot sections gave Star Wars something different, many players felt they were a far deviation from what the Rogue Squadron series had originally established.

One of the praised aspects of Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike is the extra co-op multiplayer missions, allowing two players to fly their own starships together. The co-op missions are the same campaign missions as the game's predecessor, Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, but have both players sharing their total lives. The co-op missions also have a few minor changes from how they were originally, in Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, specifically with improving the presentation. In addition, the game has a competitive Versus mode that lets players fight each other in dogfights, gain control of areas for points, and even race against one another. While there are many unlockables that are neat Star Wars references and nods, it wasn't enough to overshadow a lot of the criticisms about the overall experience.

2 Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GameCube)

Calling in reinforcements

The second game in the Rogue Squadron series is viewed as a great sequel on the Nintendo GameCube. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader offers more arcade flight action by giving players more missions to complete, more starships to control, and many more references to the original Star Wars trilogy. The plot of the game is similar to that of the movies, with a few interval missions between some of the major climatic battles. Unlike the other two games in the series, Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader feels more like an adaptation of the original trilogy, since players get to play through the big battles where Rogue Squadron was present. The opening mission is the Battle of Yavin with the first Death Star, and the final mission of the game is the Battle of Endor with the second Death Star. In between them are multiple missions that feel like you're going through a greatest hits of the saga, with some extra missions to offer some extra variety.

While the majority of the gameplay in Rogue Squadron II is similar to the original game, a new ability to squad up with other members of Rogue Squadron changes things up a bit. Players can call in two allies to focus their attacks on a single target, allowing them to take out enemy fighters or turrets quicker and refocus on a bigger objective. The game also had better visuals than the first game and new starships to unlock and use during missions, including Boba Fett's Slave I, Darth Vader's TIE Advance, and an Imperial shuttle. The game also included extra unlockable missions that mixed up scenarios, including one where players controlled Darth Vader getting revenge on the Rebel Alliance following the Battle of Yavin.

One other bonus included with the game was a level based on the 2000 Nintendo Space World demo that Factor 5 developed. It was a demo used to showcase the game for the first time at the event, even though a lot about the game would change by the time it officially released. By completing enough missions with gold medals, players can also unlock a Naboo N-1 starfighter from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The N1 starfighter controlled very similar to other starships in the game, but had a few unique characteristics that were pulled directly from the film.

1 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (N64)

The ace of the bunch

The original Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is viewed as a classic for the Nintendo 64, and arguably still the best entry in the series. The game was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 and was co-developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts. As the first in the trilogy, the plot of the game is set right after the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, with some of the bonus unlockable missions taking place during the Battle of Yavin and the first Death Star. What made Rogue Squadron so much fun was how simple it was to get into the action, piloting a starfighter and taking out enemies during missions. The controls were solid on the N64 controller, and the action was fast-paced, yet challenging for those who wanted to get those gold medals upon completing missions. A number of different ships were playable from the hanger, including some of the most well-known ships from the Rebel Alliance seen in all the Star Wars films. Finishing missions with good scores opened up new ships to take on previous missions, as well as a few secret ones that opened up at the end of the game.

Most of the missions that were part of the campaign in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron were unique and not based on the films. The plot involves the Rebel Alliance finding a defector from the Empire and gaining useful information on how to continue fighting them across the galaxy. While events take place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, the game goes to a variety of planets for missions and puts iconic Star Wars ships in new environments. Piloting a Y-Wing on a volcanic planet was very interesting, but seeing the Snow Speeders from Hoth on an entirely different planet, or the new V-Wing starfighter from the Dark Empire expanded universe series grabbed the attention of Star Wars fans. And yet, the game still manages to let players live out the iconic Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth as unlockable missions. However, there are no missions based on Return of the Jedi whatsoever, which would be different for the two sequels that were released on the GameCube.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is also famous for some of its unlockable ships, not including some of the iconic ships from the original trilogy. Getting enough gold medals can open up the Millennium Falcon and a TIE Interceptor for previous missions, which also unlock bonus missions as well. There was even a mission that took place on Tatooine in Begger's Canyon that put players in control of Luke Skywalker's T-16 Skyhooper in a race against the different members of Rogue Squadron. But the most infamous unlockable ships were a 1969 Buick Electra 225 flying car, based on one of Factor 5's sound designer's real-life cars, and the inclusion of the Naboo N-1 Starfighter. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was developed around the time when Episode 1: The Phantom Menace was being made, so the N-1 starfighter was included as a bonus to promote the film. The ship went undiscovered for a long time, until LucasArts revealed a code to players to unlock it.

Rogue Squadron standing by

Without question, the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron games are among the best Star Wars video games ever released. They are still incredibly fun to play, and have a ton of great content within them that Star Wars fans really love to see. Since Rebel Strike was released on the Nintendo GameCube, there hasn't been a new entry in the series or any remasters of the three games since. This is something that Lucasfilm needs to do, since the series is so beloved by fans. Hopefully, in time, we can see the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series flying high once again in a galaxy far, far away.