Ever since The Empire Strikes Back's theatrical release 34 years ago, Star Wars games have been obsessed with re-creating the Battle of Hoth. Though the Rebel Alliance's tactical retreat from the icy planet may not be as iconic as the Death Star trench run, or Luke Skywalker's lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, the battle contains more than enough moments that could make for thrilling action.

Whether you want to be a snowspeeder pilot tripping up Imperial walkers with harpoons and tow cables, a parka-clad private fighting the war on the ground, or the stoic commander of an AT-AT itself, the Battle of Hoth is the one Star Wars skirmish where all of those roles engage in the same place, at the same time. Can a single Star Wars game even capture this complexity, or does each one need to pick and choose which aspect of the battle to depict? Does the Battle of Hoth work best as a side-scroller, a rail shooter, or a multiplayer game? Find out as I explore how three decades of Star Wars games have depicted the Rebel Alliance's most catastrophic defeat.