The Making of Shadows of the Empire

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  • čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
  • A deep dive into the creation of a Star Wars multimedia project that takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. We look into the story, comics, toys, soundtrack, and even ideas for a Boba Fett video game.
    Timestamps:
    0:00:00 A Movie Without a Movie
    0:02:01 The Extended Universe
    0:06:31 The Book
    0:10:42 Art and Design
    0:20:21 The Video Game
    0:40:13 The Soundtrack
    0:44:26 The Comics
    0:46:27 The Toys
    0:48:49 The Story
    1:18:57 End
    Special thanks to Jon Knoles for a special interview surrounding this subject.
    Support the channel and vote for future content on my Patreon: / saintmillion
    Twitter: / saint_million
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Komentáře • 1,6K

  • @joshuaizzo2297
    @joshuaizzo2297 Před 3 lety +165

    This is INCREDIBLE. I was the studio assistant for Greg and Tim Hildebrandt during Shadows and have VERY fond memories of this program. Thank you so much for this!!

  • @commonsensei8719
    @commonsensei8719 Před 3 lety +162

    Loved the choice of being Rendar. The 1st opening scene where he flies to Hoth with Leebo really gave me the feeling of being an unknown pirate wrking for the rebels. Its an awesome game and story

  • @josephfuller9539
    @josephfuller9539 Před 2 lety +84

    You are a legend for making this sir. Shadows of the Empire was the first audiobook I ever bought as a kid in the 90s. Listened to those cassette tapes every night while falling asleep(still have them in the original cases in fact). To this day I still listen to it at least a couple of nights a month on my phone. Needless to say my nonstarwars wife hates me.

    • @antoniomoreira7927
      @antoniomoreira7927 Před rokem +11

      Do you also have a Star Wars wife?

    • @zacharyjochumsen9677
      @zacharyjochumsen9677 Před rokem

      Joseph si diesvyounwife thrstenntondvorce you over star wars that would be dum thingntondivorce over

  • @levi.s722
    @levi.s722 Před 3 lety +13

    That game was my childhood. fighting IG88 and Boba, the flying, everything ... it was so awesome. Still gives me instant chills hearing the music. This is how star wars should be.

  • @Felix-ru7qj
    @Felix-ru7qj Před 3 lety +367

    That interview with Jon Knoles was really cool.

    • @iplaydodgeball
      @iplaydodgeball Před 3 lety +11

      He's a pretty cool guy. I asked him a couple questions via Instagram and he actually showed me the page in his notebook where he came up with the SotE name

    • @RaikenXion
      @RaikenXion Před 3 lety +5

      He co-wrote Rogue One script, this is what the franchise needs right now, more passionate creatives like him. The Lucasfilm of today is a pale imitation of what it used to be.

    • @NilsnLewinski
      @NilsnLewinski Před 3 lety +12

      @@RaikenXion that wasn't him, you are talking about John KNOLL

    • @RaikenXion
      @RaikenXion Před 3 lety

      @@NilsnLewinski oh yeh it is

    • @lunarian9877
      @lunarian9877 Před 3 lety

      @@NilsnLewinski John Lol

  • @Undone007
    @Undone007 Před 3 lety +511

    This is really good, I sort of can't believe you haven't blown up more covering so much Star Wars in depth with a good sense of humor and a passionate fan's perspective.

    • @richalexander1138
      @richalexander1138 Před 3 lety +10

      Yea dude I love the breakdowns from concept to production, would love to see something for Dark Empire or Thrawn Trilogy. Fuck even the Clone Wars covering the tartakovsky versions to Filoni.

    • @krobi94
      @krobi94 Před 3 lety +10

      Well, he only posts like twice a year, so..

    • @Grogeous_Maximus
      @Grogeous_Maximus Před 3 lety +3

      and bird person perspective

    • @neonkenomi320
      @neonkenomi320 Před 3 lety +2

      Try getting this around to the big Star Wars community channels like Star Wars Explained and such.

    • @10011110011
      @10011110011 Před 3 lety +3

      @@neonkenomi320 main star wars community doesnt care about in depth analysis. They want short flashy entertainment.
      Basically what TRoS or the mandalorian were. I dont even know why TRoS was not liked that much, by the same people.

  • @countmarkula1993
    @countmarkula1993 Před 3 lety +28

    "Hello, what have we here?" - Lando discovering this gem of a video

  • @DicklessHipster
    @DicklessHipster Před 3 lety +199

    Dash is my favorite Star Wars character. Kinda hurts to see the creators almost bash him and the Shadows of The Empire game. That game is a classic and I loved it.

    • @supernintendro
      @supernintendro Před 3 lety +48

      He doesn't really bash the game, he just laments not getting an extra year of development, like Rareware did with Goldeneye! Man, imagine SOTE with another year of development... could have been a true classic, like rogue squadron or KOTOR. Still a classic, in my book!

    • @anthonyyoutubefan7567
      @anthonyyoutubefan7567 Před 3 lety +13

      @Robd1 replies THAT'S what I'm thinking. At this point, Dash would be in his late 30s; so, his story is still fresh. I'd be fascinated to know what he's been up to, since "faking" his own death. Get an actor who can voice (for the Animated content) and portray (for the Live Action content) this interesting guy...preferably with wavy-curly red hair (gingers need love and work, too). Honestly, as great as The Mandalorian is, perhaps it's also a great vehicle -- along with the rest of the existent and continuing Filoni-verse -- to, on occasion, introduce canon and EU characters and storylines from other sources (novels, stories, comics, animation, video games). To follow a rogue Mandalorian bounty hunter, who travels all over the galaxy, lends credibility to the concept of him bumping in to all manner of denizens within that scope. Boba Fett, another former bounty hunter, post-ROTJ, will be a part of that galaxy, too. Imagine if Prince XIzor is, in some way, still running his Black Sun operation, and is secretly partially-aiding Moff Gideon's efforts to reintroduce The Empire?!

    • @dimitreze
      @dimitreze Před 3 lety +7

      favorite? he is a generic tough guy
      did you at least watch any of the original movies?

    • @easygrin1127
      @easygrin1127 Před 3 lety +11

      He looks coolest in the comics.. love how they describe him as the mercanary Han thrived to be. Han had a heart.. Dash did not.

    • @easygrin1127
      @easygrin1127 Před 3 lety +5

      @@anthonyyoutubefan7567 he is established in the old EU as being around the same age as Solo

  • @TheMonkeygoneape
    @TheMonkeygoneape Před 3 lety +170

    my head canon for shadows of the empire, the game version of the story is just the version of the story Dash Rendar tells at the cantina trying to pick up girls "I'm a war hero after all, I saved Luke Skywalker and am super important"

    • @loganriling4888
      @loganriling4888 Před 3 lety +17

      Lol that makes sense tho

    • @gbonkers666
      @gbonkers666 Před 3 lety +19

      Dash Rander: Discount Han Solo

    • @LivinginPrinceGeorge
      @LivinginPrinceGeorge Před 3 lety +18

      @@gbonkers666
      Fans: "We want Han Solo"
      Moms: "We have Han Solo at home"
      Han Solo at home: Dash Rendar

    • @HashKoffee
      @HashKoffee Před 3 lety +1

      By the Force I thought the exact same thing!

    • @Schregger
      @Schregger Před 3 lety +2

      That is honestly how I saw it too. Makes me sort of wish for more multimedia things to try that angle.

  • @steelie2010
    @steelie2010 Před rokem +33

    This is an absolute masterpiece,
    I love when explaining the story you went from documentary esque narration to making jokes and memes , genius

  • @rogerstephenroth8073
    @rogerstephenroth8073 Před 3 lety +56

    Shadows of the Empire had one of the best spinoff stories in a video game. There is tons of ideas from the books and video games that Disney could develop to expand the EU that, it is really great to see what would happen? It was a really good game and very interesting to see a side story in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi timeline.

    • @vernusred4757
      @vernusred4757 Před 2 lety +2

      Good news marvel comic's make new big crossover a little bit like they did in comics in timeline between A new Hope and The Empire strikes back and the new big crossover is called War Of The Bounty Hunters. I'm very interested to see what they going to do with that story Arc.

    • @rogerstephenroth8073
      @rogerstephenroth8073 Před 2 lety +2

      @@vernusred4757 This Nintendo 64 game is really one of the best Star Wars EU games in the history of Star Wars video games. Because you get to see a side story in between the timeline of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

    • @rogerstephenroth8073
      @rogerstephenroth8073 Před 2 lety +1

      @@vernusred4757 There is tons of ideas Disney can work with from the books and EU material to expand the Star Wars Universe. Well we will see what happens as they developed new projects. I think they can do a lot to develop something amazing in the future, perhaps a more well developed 4th trilogy which takes place in the future with better directors and story tellers.

  • @Pantheragem
    @Pantheragem Před 3 lety +98

    This was an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan. We knew the prequels were coming. Also, we could identify our own by seeing anyone else brave enough to be wearing a Star Wars shirt (and they were hard to find). People don't really know what that's like now. Even admitting you were a Star Wars fan meant opening yourself up to ridicule. It's really weird how much I miss that.

    • @easygrin1127
      @easygrin1127 Před 3 lety +5

      Here nobody really knew it..

    • @schaddenkorp6977
      @schaddenkorp6977 Před 2 lety +10

      I remember getting teased for reading the Essential Guide Books (the original ones) in school. I had an Empire Strikes Back T-shirt. I loved TIE-Fighter for the PC, still think it’s the best SW game to have been made. You’re 100% correct this was the best time to have been a SW fan. God do you remember when Waru was the most god awful thing ever to have been made for the franchise? I miss Waru. I’d gladly take back Waru to get rid of the ‘canon’ setting. He’s the devil I know at least.

    • @Pantheragem
      @Pantheragem Před 2 lety +4

      Hmm. I don't remember Waru, but I wasn't well-versed in the expanded universe stuff at the time. Regardless, I'd take the worst to come from "Star Wars" under Lucas, to what Star Wars has become.

    • @georgeoldsterd8994
      @georgeoldsterd8994 Před 2 lety +12

      Don't worry, admitting to be a SW fan nowadays is bound to get you ridiculed just as much, though probably for different reasons.

    • @Abrakadabro666
      @Abrakadabro666 Před 2 lety +1

      I miss it too

  • @Bonnie_Dimples
    @Bonnie_Dimples Před 3 lety +59

    I was expecting a kinda rambley retrospective mostly focusing on the game, but then I got and in depth documentary about the whole dang thang with an interview with the guy who designed it seated in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon! This was awesome, Saint Milly! I honestly think this is your most impressive video to date!

  • @tarsischwald
    @tarsischwald Před 3 lety +47

    Shadows of the Empire was a great book and game. I have a Dash Rendar's action figure.

    • @mikecampos1193
      @mikecampos1193 Před 3 lety +5

      If he shows up on the Mandalorian I'm going to laugh my ass off.

  • @StevenRayMorris
    @StevenRayMorris Před 3 lety +4

    Thank you for this. At some point my gf caught me crying because truly this was MY Star Wars, more than the originals, prequels, or heck even the Special Editions that came out around the same time. I have such fond memories playing the game, reading the book, playing with the toys... Even though I was a pretty lonely kid growing up, this doc made me realize how special this project was to me and I'm so grateful.

  • @BlitzedNostradamus
    @BlitzedNostradamus Před 3 lety +6

    You wanna know how I know this video is amazing? I showed it to my mom, who loves Star Wars but knows next to nothing of the expanded lore or anything about videogames, and she loved every second of this presentation. Excellent work, man.

  • @minispixelart8159
    @minispixelart8159 Před 3 lety +47

    I've recently started going back into the EU and loved Shadows of the Empire. This was a great video. Fun and informative.

  • @Jermster_91
    @Jermster_91 Před 3 lety +177

    Was anyone else as terrified of the sewer monsters in Shadows of the Empire as I was as a kid?
    I would give the controller to my dad and he would play past those parts and would then give me the controller back.

    • @brianpeppers8236
      @brianpeppers8236 Před 3 lety +11

      Same that sewer level was fucking horrifying

    • @nybergsgarage
      @nybergsgarage Před 3 lety +9

      hah. not me, but the sewer monsters in Dark Forces scared the crap out of my brother...

    • @crossarmkid42
      @crossarmkid42 Před 3 lety +14

      Same! IG-88 and the Gladiator droid always scared me too.

    • @PastaLuke
      @PastaLuke Před 3 lety +10

      Holy crap! I'm sure to the devs it seemed harmless, but the limitations of the N64 made the murky water so terrifying. I thought about it every time I swam in a lake!

    • @xaagripha7326
      @xaagripha7326 Před 3 lety +8

      That and ig 88 where both to dam much

  • @logicaldude3611
    @logicaldude3611 Před 3 lety +1

    The best thing about the internet is people making documentaries like this. This is fantastic.

  • @emceeunderdogrising
    @emceeunderdogrising Před 3 lety +9

    This was one of my favorite games on N64. I absolutely loved it. It really setup my love for the extended novels and stories in general.

  • @goldthwaithigginsondorr2005
    @goldthwaithigginsondorr2005 Před 3 lety +342

    Watching this superb video kind of breaks my heart, remembering when Star wars was made by people who knew their stuff and loved it.

    • @nicholasdickens2801
      @nicholasdickens2801 Před 3 lety +9

      Indeed.

    • @Captain.Fantastic
      @Captain.Fantastic Před 3 lety +39

      With you all the way. I'm amazed at how reckless Disney botched their opportunity to continue the Star Wars saga with nonsensical plot, terrible writing and this weird idea of mirroring the originals in a bad way. This is possibly the most valuable franchise in the world, and they handed it over to incompetent uninspired people that think Star Wars is about blowing up Death Stars.
      I hated the prequels because of JarJar, stupid things like Anakin building C3PO and fucking Midichlorians, but at least the overall plot made sense and they told an original story. I never expected it could get even worse after that.
      Rogue One gives me a glimmer of hope that we might see some good Star Wars movie's yet, but overall, my interest in anything Star Wars that is not in scope of the original Episodes is practically dead.

    • @Sm1thWessonAndMe
      @Sm1thWessonAndMe Před 3 lety +1

      Wow you are so right!

    • @Pantheragem
      @Pantheragem Před 3 lety +7

      I was 21 when this was happening. It really was a exciting time. I'd give near anything to go back to that time.

    • @reepacheirpfirewalker8629
      @reepacheirpfirewalker8629 Před 3 lety

      GL sure crafted such a wonderful epic. Even though the people can screw things around there are still gems out there.

  • @MG-bw9hs
    @MG-bw9hs Před 3 lety +163

    Oh look! Its the most underrated channel on youtube!

    • @eng3d
      @eng3d Před 3 lety +1

      Not everybody has the time to watch an hour long video. But, other that i agree

    • @nybergsgarage
      @nybergsgarage Před 3 lety

      what about me?

    • @locke103
      @locke103 Před 3 lety

      clearly a better channel than mine, no question. though personally, i dont go out of my way to draw any attention.

    • @Bollibompa
      @Bollibompa Před 3 lety

      @@eng3d
      Lol, many documentary-style channels with the same video lengths have millions of subscribers.

  • @familyguyblows
    @familyguyblows Před 2 lety +42

    Most things you covered my friend is what we are missing from Star Wars currently (besides the side projects they are doing). It’s not just nostalgia, it’s love, creativity, and paying tribute to a franchise so many love. The way they treated the characters and the story was amazing in the EU.

    • @blasterofmuppets4754
      @blasterofmuppets4754 Před rokem +2

      There was also new stuff that was never seen before. Most Star Wars stuff these days is just endless repetition of older stuff with no creativity whatsoever.

  • @williamm2108
    @williamm2108 Před 3 lety +3

    I watched this with my mom, she bought me a N64 when i was like 8 and we played this and many other games together, a lot of good information to go with the great memories, thank you.

  • @Magneme
    @Magneme Před 3 lety +380

    Christ, you're telling me YOU actually made this behemoth? I thought you had just reuploaded a preexisting documentary...

    • @johnthaking4854
      @johnthaking4854 Před 2 lety +2

      Lol

    • @notsogreatsword1607
      @notsogreatsword1607 Před 2 lety +4

      I thought so too! Not that he's incapable but its a lot of time for what could be not exactly a huge payoff. I appreciate the drive and vision to make this happen. Really cool.

    • @joejoeman3645
      @joejoeman3645 Před 2 lety +2

      Bros a legend

    • @bigbitehood1353
      @bigbitehood1353 Před 2 lety +3

      * laughs in Nick930 *

  • @Raycloud
    @Raycloud Před 3 lety +121

    Looking back, Shadows of the Empire was the peak of Star Wars.

    • @Rschr101
      @Rschr101 Před 3 lety +14

      Check out Dark Forces 2 if you get a chance. Definitely up there with the best of star wars.

    • @Raycloud
      @Raycloud Před 3 lety +4

      @@Rschr101 I remember when Dark Forces came out as a kid. I REALLY wanted to play it but never did. Just saw it on a friend's PC, briefly, a time or two. Same with Jedi Knight.

    • @roguedexx938
      @roguedexx938 Před 3 lety +3

      So much more could have been made besides the Sequel

    • @supernintendro
      @supernintendro Před 3 lety +9

      KOTOR 1-2 and The Force Unleashed were up there with SOTE. Same with the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series.

    • @Raycloud
      @Raycloud Před 3 lety +8

      @@supernintendro KOTOR maybe...Force Unleashed? No.

  • @yakov9542
    @yakov9542 Před 3 lety +13

    This game was absolutely ground breaking at the time. It blew my mind back in 1996, I love it!

  • @dr.medieval1131
    @dr.medieval1131 Před 3 lety +8

    I've been a Star Wars fan since a little boy in '77 and I have to say that the best time to be a fan was in the Nineties. There was this energy. All the new products, toys, collectibles, comics, novels, the re-release of the original trilogy and the promise of new films on the horizon. And all of it made by people who clearly loved the property, some being the first generation who grew up with Star Wars like myself.(I've done some Illustrations for Lucasfilm.) Great documentary on Shadows of the Empire.

  • @Enastra
    @Enastra Před 3 lety +49

    I would love to see something similar to this video style for the jedi knight game series. Seeing all the history behind these old games that were a huge part of a lot of our gaming experiences is extremely cool and this video was insanely well done. Bravo.

    • @saintmillion
      @saintmillion  Před 3 lety +38

      Stay tuned

    • @aidangarvey7049
      @aidangarvey7049 Před 3 lety +10

      @@saintmillion The original Jedi Knight is one of my favourite games, I'm so hyped for you to do a video about that series. It always makes my day when I see a new video of yours

  • @ghostdog2041
    @ghostdog2041 Před 3 lety +21

    46:33
    Holy shit, did Mark Hamill narrate the Star Wars toy commercials of the 90s?!

    • @rasputinsbeard3899
      @rasputinsbeard3899 Před 3 lety

      I was thinking the same around the 20.30 mark, when the advertisement for the game was shown.

    • @Knightrogue24.
      @Knightrogue24. Před 3 lety

      He advertised to do narration for new star wars toys vehicles and playsets in the 90s yes. But he wasn't in any new film at all. You see all the prequel stuff George Lucas put in after the originals were all things that was being done individually as doing it to edit the canon timeline. So say for ex. Shadows of the Empire is an edited story installment between both Empire and Jedi. In between both of the originals. The prequels were edited story installments to expand the canon universe of the storyline; the sequels were broke after the books were released. Everything that has *NOT* been edited is everything George started from way in the beginning of the originals. Prequels, side stories, sequels, spin-offs, origins, chronicles, games, Wikipedia about other topics, yada yada yada ect. The edited stuff is all the above of what I had stated.
      The things that are not edited are the original films themselves alongside the vintage toy branding and merchandising for the original stories itself.
      The sequels are later installments which are edited to expand, the prequels are earlier mid installments to expand what happened in the past before the originals, and the side stories and origins or chronicles to fill in the missing gaps that were missing that brought confusion among the database of the fans itself.
      Then you all know the rest.

    • @dsdcool
      @dsdcool Před 3 lety

      Yep 46:33. I Noticed that too.

  • @Noiseheads
    @Noiseheads Před 3 lety +25

    It's so crazy to learn the inner-workings of something like this. As a kid or even just as an average consumer, you assume that things are the way they are for very good reason and that everything is 100% planned out... and then you learn that it's actually just a perfect storm of opportunities, talent, and luck that anything comes to fruition.

    • @Bollibompa
      @Bollibompa Před 3 lety

      Sounds like you're talking about stupid people. I'm not certain what an "average consumer" is but are you sure they have such a simplistic worldview?

    • @Noiseheads
      @Noiseheads Před 3 lety +3

      @@Bollibompa Average consumer as in the everyday person who might enjoy whatever they ‘consume’ but don’t necessarily care to find out how it was made...

  • @ManCave1972
    @ManCave1972 Před 2 lety +5

    The production values on this documentary are incredible. This is the best coverage I’ve seen on Shadows.

  • @tonyfknb3896
    @tonyfknb3896 Před rokem +6

    One of the best games made, i still remember it vividly. The 1st level, the snow and flying around using the tow cable. The on foot fighting the AT AT, then chasing Bobo fett. So many memories. Getting chased by the Yetti thing too.
    Omg the soundtrack to this game is beautiful

  • @sir_wesley86
    @sir_wesley86 Před 3 lety +71

    I'll never forget taking forever killing the ATST boss by shooting his feet because I didn't know you could look up yet. LOVED this game!

    • @1ochotnik
      @1ochotnik Před 3 lety +6

      Same. I was stunned when I tried the game years later and discovered that with a single button, one can defeat AT-ST under 1 minute, instead of 10 :D

    • @nawfsidereviews6029
      @nawfsidereviews6029 Před 2 lety

      😆😆😆

    • @scorpionwins6378
      @scorpionwins6378 Před 2 lety +2

      I found it best to climb up on the catwalk and shoot at it with seeker missiles.

  • @threatlevel_TACO
    @threatlevel_TACO Před rokem +1

    As someone who grew up playing this on the N64, thank you for making this video. This game holds a special place in my heart. The way you created the unique menu with Wampa Stompa as the name is well done! Brought back a lot of memories.

  • @IntangirVoluntaryist
    @IntangirVoluntaryist Před 3 lety +4

    great video, thanks for taking me back, i played the game and read the book and enjoyed them both back in the 90s, but it was so long ago i mostly forgot it, the music is still awesome

  • @EwokChris
    @EwokChris Před 3 lety +11

    Somehow found this in recommendations and I’m glad I did. Shadows of the Empire is one of my all time favorite Star Wars games ever. It was very interesting to see the making of the game and watch that interview with that developer. Great stuff!

  • @benjackman4814
    @benjackman4814 Před 2 lety +3

    Shadows of the Empire gave us a game, ost, book, comic, toys... and now we got the awesome documentary!! You're seriously the best Saintmillion!!

  • @Adrian-qr6gk
    @Adrian-qr6gk Před 3 lety +2

    yo someone remembers this game other than me! i swear i loved this game so much when played a n64 before getting my xbox original. it felt so grand and the combat was very good. I wish we got more starwars games with this kind of vision

  • @CymruJedi
    @CymruJedi Před 3 lety +28

    This is an incredible video, I saw some old Lucas arts staff sharing this. You should be very proud! I would love to see a similar video for The Force Unleashed

  • @MrGauge00
    @MrGauge00 Před 3 lety +16

    Great interview dude. My first memory of this game is when my parents were out of town as a kid and my older brother had a house party. He kept me quiet by putting me in my room with a tv, n64, and this game and it was the best night ever lol.

    • @fgdj2000
      @fgdj2000 Před 3 lety

      I remember having my first PC and finally being able to play all these Star Trek and Star Wars PC games I had heard about after being "stuck" with the PSone. I think this was my first Star Wars game and I was so hooked on Hoth and played that first level probably more than the rest of the game. Later got caught up with the Jedi Knight games and KOTOR, which was just coming out, but by then my PC was old and couldn't handle KOTOR properly without crashing constantly, or lagging.

  • @BardicBroadcasts
    @BardicBroadcasts Před 3 lety +3

    Plenty of top level Hildebrand Brothers artwork I see. Lovely!

  • @BEYOND-xl5ov
    @BEYOND-xl5ov Před 2 lety +6

    The interview with John Knoles was amazing. This is the best SOE making of video on the internet!

  • @84paints
    @84paints Před 3 lety +2

    Oh wow hearing that shadows menu from the game brings back memories!

  • @JohnDRuddyMannyMan
    @JohnDRuddyMannyMan Před 3 lety +221

    This was excellent! Thoroughly enjoyed this!

  • @JonnyMainframe
    @JonnyMainframe Před 3 lety +15

    Having never read them and being 20+ years old collecting dust on my bookshelf, I was just about to get rid of my Thrawn Trilogy and Shadows of the Empire hard cover books until seeing this. You've inspired me to read them all now! I even still have the action figures with the comic books and the soundtrack on CD. I never realized what I big deal this all was back then.

  • @christopherm.7310
    @christopherm.7310 Před 3 lety +2

    Thank you. One of my favorite books and video games of all time. I wish these got more appreciation.

  • @diegomolina8305
    @diegomolina8305 Před 2 lety +1

    I would never expected a documentary of this videogame, but I'm glad I found it.
    Thank you so much for this. I'm very grateful to have a catridge of this game and my N64 in my room.

  • @Kuikkamies
    @Kuikkamies Před 3 lety +35

    Shadows of the Empire might not have the best storytelling, but goddangit it was the hottest shit when it was released.

    • @QuiGonJinn1993
      @QuiGonJinn1993 Před 3 lety +7

      Its better than the sequels by along shot. IMO

    • @fernie-fernandez
      @fernie-fernandez Před 2 lety +1

      @@QuiGonJinn1993 Dare I say prequels…

    • @ShaunBonJovi
      @ShaunBonJovi Před rokem +1

      @@fernie-fernandez as bad as they were, their charm expanded the universe. Disney has sure made it feel tiny.

    • @NixDeGraves8888
      @NixDeGraves8888 Před rokem

      @@ShaunBonJovi amen

  • @HumbleHonkingEnthusiast
    @HumbleHonkingEnthusiast Před 3 lety +33

    Thank for you finally blessing us with more long-form star wars content

  • @noahnoble451
    @noahnoble451 Před 3 lety +5

    I'm blown away. I really appreciate you taking the time to dig into this lore and explain the full story -- including an interview with a developer!! This game was a huge part of my childhood as I discovered Star Wars and I've always wanted to know more about its production. Thanks again for the trip down memory lane and all the hard work you put into this!

  • @michaelbird27
    @michaelbird27 Před 3 lety +12

    I loved this game growing up. It's one of the first games I beat as a child without any help. Dash Rendar needs to come back already.

  • @TSL73
    @TSL73 Před 3 lety +8

    This is one of the best Star Wars related CZcams videos I have seen.

  • @richalexander1138
    @richalexander1138 Před 3 lety +30

    Holy shit, perfect timing as I'm just about to read the novel!

  • @riftshredder5438
    @riftshredder5438 Před 3 lety +15

    Actually in the story Xizor didn't find out that Luke was Vader's son, he learned that Luke was Anakin's son, remember that the emperor and Vader were keeping Vader's true identity a secret from the rest of the galaxy

    • @frankiejaeger4937
      @frankiejaeger4937 Před rokem +1

      No, Xizor knew (presumably through his spies) that "Skywalker" was Vader's former name so he puts two and two together and knows from pretty much the very beginning Luke is Vader's son..

    • @riftshredder5438
      @riftshredder5438 Před rokem +1

      @@frankiejaeger4937 even so, the point is it wasn't public knowledge that Vader use to be Anakin

  • @brandonsmith7827
    @brandonsmith7827 Před 2 lety +4

    This feels like an official documentary. Thank you for all the hard work you poured into this!

  • @10011110011
    @10011110011 Před 3 lety +78

    "Yoda kamikazis into Courusant."
    Why didnt I hear about this sooner?
    I wasted my life.

    • @theutilitymonster2615
      @theutilitymonster2615 Před 3 lety +11

      The Infinities comics are great. Loved them as a kid and still have them now. They were reissued as a single graphic novel a few years back.

    • @10011110011
      @10011110011 Před 3 lety

      @@theutilitymonster2615 oh? Good to know. I will look them up.

    • @probablyyourgreatestally8992
      @probablyyourgreatestally8992 Před 3 lety +9

      It's kinda weird when you remember that Coruscant is inhabited by like a trillion people so Yoda ended up killiing maybe billions JUST to kill the emperor. Still pretty great.

    • @KingLofiOne
      @KingLofiOne Před 3 lety +3

      @@probablyyourgreatestally8992 The infinity comics are weird and sometimes tonally off-kilter, but luckily, they're What If's and therefore for all their faults are at their worst interesting to read.

    • @LazyBastard69
      @LazyBastard69 Před 3 lety +12

      His crippling ketamine addiction drove him to it

  • @Hummeldon
    @Hummeldon Před 3 lety +15

    Phenomenal video, Saint. Information heavy while remaining easily digestible and entertaining. I knew nothing going in and this was so all encompassing I feel as if I read the comics and played the game myself. You are the damn Ken Burns of Star Wars lore.

  • @jgalla5549
    @jgalla5549 Před 3 lety +5

    I've watched behind the scenes stuff on basically every childhood game, but for some reason never for SotE. This was great.

  • @philemonmendoza5352
    @philemonmendoza5352 Před 3 lety +6

    Loved reading the books back when I was in my mid-teens. Timothy Zahn was a creative genius! This should definitely be a movie spinoff. Even animated if they go with that option. Heck, even a reboot of the game with original dialogue would be very awesome!

  • @bobdole461
    @bobdole461 Před 3 lety +5

    I appreciate how much effort you put into your video essays. Your editing, comedic and informative commentary, and content overall are my favorite. Keep up your great work!

  • @keyboardandcovers
    @keyboardandcovers Před 2 lety +10

    I love this soundtrack, and I am absolutely mind blown that McNeely wrote it in only two weeks. This is an incredible achievement as a composer. Do you know if he both composed and orchestrated in two weeks? If he did, I'll be both mindblowned and floored haha

  • @inblackestnight9256
    @inblackestnight9256 Před rokem +2

    Played the game many times, read/own the novel and comics, have the soundtrack on CD and digitally, and have some of the action figures. This was a project I went all in on when at its peak. Good times!

  • @blastkillskank
    @blastkillskank Před 3 lety +2

    Tell this man he is forever a part of my most favorite childhood memories ever. He should never doubt how epic and impactful all of his work was to many of us.

  • @timandshannon03
    @timandshannon03 Před 3 lety +6

    "It was I who allowed the Alliance to learn the location of the Shield Generator." LoL through Xizor.

    • @easygrin1127
      @easygrin1127 Před 3 lety +2

      He used Xizor to play out Vader to see where he stood in all of it.

  • @DylanHesp
    @DylanHesp Před 3 lety +4

    Fun fact, there was also a scale model kit made of Xizor's Virago fighter.

  • @EclipseHedgehog
    @EclipseHedgehog Před 3 lety +1

    dang, i was born in 91, so to me it felt like star wars was always there. I can't imagine how excited it must have been to hear the original trilogy coming back to theaters via "special edition" (whatever that meant at the time), a whole different chapter that expanded upon books, toys, comics and a game for the next console generation that took place between empire and jedi, AND a whole new prequel saga being planned which was a whole lot of hype in and of itself. must have been a good time to be an older star wars fan back then.

  • @DPham1
    @DPham1 Před 3 lety +1

    What an in-depth look at one of Star Wars' most interesting projects. A lot of time and love went into making this.
    McNeely is one of the best non-John Williams Star Wars composers. Shadows' OST is such an awesome and masterful demonstration of retaining that Star Wars feel (without feeling like ripping off Williams) and also expanding on that sound by adding a personal touch. And the fact McNeely wrote it in 2 weeks?! Genius.
    Disney not asking Mcneely to come back to score Star Wars projects is a crime. "Battle of Gall" is a track I go back to time and time again.

  • @Bstascavage
    @Bstascavage Před 3 lety +6

    Amazing video! It is awesome to see this part of Star Wars history showcased, especially since it gets easily overlooked. Your videos are top-notch!

  • @sackofcheese4190
    @sackofcheese4190 Před 3 lety +11

    Wait a minute. Saintmillion uploaded! can’t wait to see you again in 4 months.

  • @GolfCoyote
    @GolfCoyote Před 3 lety +2

    Man that music from the game was nostalgia city. Also forgot how good it was

  • @vedrfolnir7936
    @vedrfolnir7936 Před 3 lety +2

    nostalgia overload...N64 and this game. Oh man..The rugged, heavy atmosphere when playing this as a kid was very special. It always felt like playing a movie. The OST was badass too.

  • @baronesscisarovna1898
    @baronesscisarovna1898 Před 3 lety +7

    You're honestly one of the most underrated youtubers. Also I'm trying to break into Concept Art and I've followed Doug Chiang's work for quite a bit bit damn I didn't know he designed my favorite Star Wars star-fighter so thanks for dropping that knowledge on me.

  • @mcren6781
    @mcren6781 Před 3 lety +4

    Shadows of the Empire took me to another place as a kid.. it was more than just a game.. I felt like it was real. Amazing experience and memories with my best friend playing this growing up.

  • @IgoByaGo
    @IgoByaGo Před 3 lety +1

    I have this book signed by Steve Perry, I had the soundtrack, the Dark Horse comic, both the N64 and PC game, and oh yeah, every single action figure from this series. Shadows of the Empire fueled my obsession for Star Wars. It holds a special place in my heart and memories.

  • @davidwickman4957
    @davidwickman4957 Před rokem +4

    Top notch Doc, Saintmillion! I love how you presented the plot points at 9:05 - I think this should be a standard for teaching film/screen writing as it was much easier to see how a story is crafted in the industry. Also, the title card motion graphics for each chapter with the Shadow of the empire menu screen replaced with a topic was brilliant and kept the information organized and on brand! You made a fan out of me from this doc! I'm looking forward to watching your other content! Thank you for making this!

  • @bushranger8960
    @bushranger8960 Před 3 lety +150

    Damn shame this story was De-canonised, I know some stuff from Legends was really questionable, but a ton of the stories were excellent!

    • @anthonyyoutubefan7567
      @anthonyyoutubefan7567 Před 3 lety +27

      Yes, it seems INSANE that this story, one that George Lucas actually liked (and felt would have made a good movie), was thrown in to the heap that is, LEGENDS. I have a strong, sneaking suspicion that Favreau and Filoni will be (continually) mining (and even re-canonizing) this novel, and the multimedia project, for The Mandalorian, The Filoni-verse, and anything else that's on the horizon. Dash Rendar needs to be seen in both Live Action and Animation. Prince Xizor needs to play a bigger role in the universe, as well...maybe even making an appearance in the Kenobi miniseries, and The Mandaloarian.

    • @iplaydodgeball
      @iplaydodgeball Před 3 lety +3

      It was never canon

    • @anthonyyoutubefan7567
      @anthonyyoutubefan7567 Před 3 lety +39

      @@iplaydodgeball Actually, Lucas considered this the closest thing to his trilogy, in The EU. I'll bet he considers this more canon than The ST.

    • @THEODSTKING117
      @THEODSTKING117 Před 3 lety +27

      I hope at some point we reach a time where Disney’s trilogy gets de-canonized the same way they de-canonized so many stories

    • @anthonyyoutubefan7567
      @anthonyyoutubefan7567 Před 3 lety +8

      @@THEODSTKING117 I think, at best, it will become a period that will officially (unofficially) be marginalized and ignored for the most part, within the major canon timeline. It will be seen as the trilogy that shall not be spoken of.

  • @villepuurtinen912
    @villepuurtinen912 Před 3 lety +5

    Loved this. I have very fond memories of the reading the comics as a kid and catching a glimpse of the video game at an amusement park. I remember being absolutely wowed by the game and I remember it being that end level space battle. I also own the bounty hunter Chewie toy. Great stuff!

  • @emacsterm2949
    @emacsterm2949 Před 3 lety +1

    Gosh man! What an amazing video! Thanks so much. A reminder of the Star Wars I used to love and a flashback to my childhood. Made my day.

  • @Jubernack
    @Jubernack Před 3 lety +2

    One of my favorite games when I was a kid. Used to rent it from Hollywood Video 😄

  • @Canoby
    @Canoby Před 3 lety +9

    Michael Biehn from Terminator and Aliens etc. would have been a great Dash Rendar model/actor if you ask me

    • @chrissonofpear1384
      @chrissonofpear1384 Před 3 lety +2

      Not a bad choice! Though I am sort of used to thinking of Dash as ginger...

    • @Canoby
      @Canoby Před 3 lety +2

      @@chrissonofpear1384 A little hair dye could change that, if they had wanted to.

    • @bucknasty69
      @bucknasty69 Před 3 lety +1

      I think he would also have made a good Kyle Katarn as well.

    • @jlistetson
      @jlistetson Před 2 lety +1

      Really wish they wouldve made the Mandalorian’s “the Marshall” be Dash Rendar.

    • @Canoby
      @Canoby Před 2 lety

      @@jlistetson I’m digging Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth, but I’d love for some live action Han Solo-lite with Dash showing up on a Disney Plus series too

  • @jimmorti2153
    @jimmorti2153 Před 3 lety +31

    This should of been kept cannon and turned into a Clone Wars style animated film.

    • @erikenn
      @erikenn Před 3 lety +13

      It is canon. Disney is fanfic

    • @easygrin1127
      @easygrin1127 Před 3 lety +1

      Yes!!

    • @fernie-fernandez
      @fernie-fernandez Před 2 lety +1

      @@erikenn Imagine if Rob Zombie made a Star Wars film…

    • @ict113090
      @ict113090 Před 2 lety

      YES! They could bring Rebels back and set it after the destruction of Death Star 1 and they could integrate the events of Rogue Squadron and Shadows to it.

    • @ict113090
      @ict113090 Před 2 lety

      @@fernie-fernandez Sherry Moon Zombie as Leia? No thanks.

  • @jamesblake5176
    @jamesblake5176 Před rokem +2

    this project was one of the greatest star wars things ever created

  • @khukri_wielderxxx1962
    @khukri_wielderxxx1962 Před 3 lety +2

    The memories from Shadows of the Empire are strong with me

  • @Sergeant_Camacho
    @Sergeant_Camacho Před 3 lety +111

    Back then when Star Wars had a vision.

    • @rolithesecond
      @rolithesecond Před 3 lety +11

      George: You and you are in charge of making sure what is canon and that everything makes sense.
      Disney: Kylo Ren go brrrrrrr

    • @JamesCarmichael
      @JamesCarmichael Před 3 lety +3

      Now it's got macular degeneration.

    • @dei-wan-grey3888
      @dei-wan-grey3888 Před 3 lety

      Yeh it Did

    • @nope5657
      @nope5657 Před 3 lety

      You call a big marketing campaign to dupe people like you into buying all the shit LucasFilm shat out a "vision?" You Fandom Menace people are something else.

    • @JamesCarmichael
      @JamesCarmichael Před 3 lety +11

      ​@@nope5657 Yes because the original trilogy, the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series, Kotor, SotE, Battlefront, the EU are all shit right? Besides Star Wars has been losing money and interest for years now. Star Wars was a vision and it was one of the few that was successful. The fact that Episode 7 onwards even exist is a testament to its success and longevity of the franchise and Lucasfilm is only supplying for demand. Mistakes were made for sure along the way and George didn't really make Star Wars on his own contrary to what he may think. Disney on the other hand had no solid plan or vision because the vision wasn't theirs and modern Lucasfilm couldn't plan a picnic. What Disney and Lucasfilm have now is an Acquisition, not a Vision. You don't need to be part of the so called Fandom Menace to recognise this. Pigeonholing people doesn't help anything.

  • @FrankPiacitelli
    @FrankPiacitelli Před 3 lety +6

    Man, this was really, really enjoyable to watch. I loved Shadows of the Empire on Nintendo 64, and short of seeing the Outrider pop up here and there over the years, I had no idea of the other versions and parts of this story. Well done!

  • @PwadigytheOddity
    @PwadigytheOddity Před rokem +2

    This game slapped. I remember finally beating Boba and IG-88 for the first time as a kid. Hard fights that were fun.

  • @mdgarciasa
    @mdgarciasa Před 3 lety +1

    This is a landmark in my teenage years. I read the book, played the game and played with the toys... it really got me into star wars... I haven't left since haha

  • @poompsou
    @poompsou Před 3 lety +4

    dude wtf I stumbled on this completely by accident when I had just finished the book and I'm BAFFLED just... Great video!!!!!

  • @KanaroBurglaar
    @KanaroBurglaar Před 3 lety +5

    I remember playing this as a kid back in the day. It was my favourite game. Flying a Snowspeeder during the Hoth battle blew my mind. It was like I am part of the Movie. Also loved the train sequence allthough IG 88 Scared the shit out of me. Thank you very much for this Video. It made my day.

  • @ninjaengineer9393
    @ninjaengineer9393 Před 3 lety +2

    Damn, this video was great! I have a newfound respect for one of my favorite childhood games!

  • @YouOpaOpa
    @YouOpaOpa Před 3 lety +3

    This was really, really, really good! Back then I managed to read, listen, read and play everything Shadows of the Empire related, so it's awesome to see it all again, in this new light.

  • @NatsumiTakanawa
    @NatsumiTakanawa Před 3 lety +19

    Amazing content! I would LOVE a documentary on the making of Episode 1 Racer. That game always fascinated me and I’ve always wanted to know what their development process was.

  • @Loeildechat
    @Loeildechat Před 3 lety +30

    There is something I feel like only me ever noticed about dash rendar, he just really looks like Michael Biehn, same hair, same badly shaved beard, on the artworks, you can see he's basically got the same lips and jaw.

    • @coba8082
      @coba8082 Před 3 lety +3

      I always thought it depended on the artwork you were looking at, but I can see Biehn in this! Personally I always thought it was more Dennis Quaid, but all these actors had that same basic Dash Rendar look at one time or another.

    • @rockomcdagger6364
      @rockomcdagger6364 Před 3 lety +3

      Imo Michael Biehn or Bruce Campbell would have been awesome to use as a basis for Dash's look.

    • @DerekT860
      @DerekT860 Před 3 lety +1

      I actually always thought he looked like Kevin costner...a lot like Kevin Costner

    • @PastaLuke
      @PastaLuke Před 3 lety +1

      Funny, I always thought he looked like my Dad's friend "Ty"

    • @HistoryandReviews
      @HistoryandReviews Před 3 lety +1

      Chris Pratt

  • @notsogreatsword1607
    @notsogreatsword1607 Před 2 lety +2

    This is great. Preserving a bit of history here. I had the N64 version and loved it. Still do. Appreciate you bringing us this story about a beloved game. Brings me back to a time before some awful changes in my life. Its a nice place to be.

  • @Yesnog05
    @Yesnog05 Před 3 lety +14

    calling it now, Dash will make a surprising cameo in the mandalorian

    • @neonkenomi320
      @neonkenomi320 Před 3 lety

      I'd like that very much. :)

    • @plissken94th57
      @plissken94th57 Před 3 lety +1

      I think Kyle Kathryn will as well

    • @regishel
      @regishel Před 3 lety

      Sadly with the canon comics, Dash doesn't fit in the canon anymore.
      You can't have his story between those movies in canon.

    • @plissken94th57
      @plissken94th57 Před 3 lety

      @@regishel not anymore but he is light canon right after the Solo movie. If he’s in the Mandalorian it would make sense, he can mention Han but tell Djin that he’s the best pilot in the sector of space he’s in, Kyle Katarn can even come back if they do it right which I know Favreau and Filoni will, they’re like the rule of 2 in lucasfilm right now

  • @kresbok8092
    @kresbok8092 Před 3 lety +7

    Hey man! Congrats on this amazing documentary! It was super insightful and really detailed, the interview with Jon Knoles was great! I hope you can make one about Rogue Squadron (witch is my favorite game) I just recently purchase a cartridge of SOTE and am really enjoying it, once again, great work and research! Cheers from Argentina.

  • @swayyinthemorninn
    @swayyinthemorninn Před 3 lety +5

    thank you for posting this one of my favorite games of all time and what got me into star wars and i think it might be the first game i ever played been looking for a video like this but could never find it!

  • @Harrisonidk
    @Harrisonidk Před 3 lety +1

    This was a very nice video I actually didn’t skip or try to miss anything, loved the whole facts and history how this whole non movie adaptation got made

  • @mattwhite399
    @mattwhite399 Před 3 lety +2

    I cannot believe how good this video is! It’s a full-length documentary! Thank you so much for creating this and sharing it with us!