When one thinks of the most iconic movie scenes of all time, a few images are likely to pop into their head; The Usual Suspects' line-up shot, Psycho's shower scene, and The Godfather's opening office sequence are all likely contenders. For Star Wars fans, there's one sequence that takes the cake: A New Hope's final Death Star attack scene, often referred to as the Trench Run.
Heavily based on old World War 2 dogfighting movies, Star Wars' Trench Run not only acts as the explosive finale to one of the most influential movies of all time, but also acts as the true beginning of Luke Skywalker's journey to becoming a Jedi Knight. With a barrage of lasers flying towards the screen at all times, and one daring objective carrying the action forward, it only makes sense that Star Wars' Trench Run has been adapted quite a few times for the video game medium, evolving with every iteration.
The Trench Run in Star Wars Arcade (1983)
The very first instance of the Trench Run in a Star Wars video game, 1983's Star Wars arcade game uses vector graphics to simulate a 3D assault on the Death Star. The four laser cannons and nose of the X-Wing can be seen from a first-person perspective, as TIE-Fighters fly in towards the player.
The game is split into three distinct phases. The first phase sees the player go up against Darth Vader in his Prototype TIE-Advanced X1, accompanied by his wingmen. As the player shoots down the TIEs, they are then taken to the Death Star, where the second phase begins.
The second phase of Star Wars arcade sees the player skim across the surface of the Death Star, taking down as many Turbolaser turrets as they can before reaching the trench. Once in the trench, the third phase begins, where the player must avoid laser fire on the lead up to the exhaust port. Once at the end of the trench, the player can fire their Proton Torpedoes down the exhaust port, with a successful hit marking the end of the game.
The graphics and gameplay are obviously extremely simple when compared to modern iterations of the Trench Run, but there's a distinctive charm about this old arcade game, and despite its simplicity, it's still fun to play today. The general gameplay and presentation of this game were so successful that it was essentially just reused 10 years later for the 1993 Star Wars arcade cabinet. Despite having much more advanced visuals, the 1993 Star Wars arcade's Trench Run mission is virtually the same as the 1983 version.
The Trench Run in Star Wars NES (1991)
One of the first Star Wars home console games, Star Wars for the NES switches between side-scrolling action-platforming, overhead vehicle sections, and turret sequences. Star Wars NES uses the latter two of these to simulate the Trench Run.
Starting out in the cockpit of the X-Wing, the player moves a crosshair across the screen to shoot down approaching TIE-Fighters. Once enough fighters have been taken down, a brief cutscene shows the X-Wing approach the Death Star, where the camera angle then shifts to an overhead perspective.
Now using an overhead view, the player pilots their X-Wing up the screen until they reach the Death Star's exhaust port. The mission only lasts about two minutes or so, but it's a solid representation of the sequence that doesn't outstay its welcome.
The Trench Run in Super Star Wars (1992)
Another classic early home console Star Wars release, Super Star Wars also has a Trench Run level. As is the case with the rest of the game, Super Star Wars' Trench Run sequence is extremely frustrating, difficult, and frantic, with TIE-Fighters constantly bombarding the player with fire for about three minutes.
As the player reaches the end of the trench, they're met with Vader's TIE-Advanced, which takes an absurd amount of shots to defeat. Super Star Wars' Trench Run has the opposite issue of Star Wars NES, in that it takes much too long to beat the stage.
The Trench Run in Star Wars X-Wing (1993)
The first version of the Trench Run where the player can actually move their ship, Star Wars X-Wing's Death Star attack sequence is just as challenging as storming a moon-sized battle station should be. The real upside to X-Wing's Trench Run level is the freedom it gives the player.
It's up to the player when and where they enter the trench, and it's up to the player whether they'll disable the station's defenses, or just gun it down the trench at full speed. There's a variety of different ways to approach X-Wing's Trench Run, making it an extremely impressive iteration of the climactic battle, especially for a 1993 title.
The Trench Run in LEGO Star Wars (2006-2022)
The first LEGO version of the Trench Run comes from 2006's LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy. Using a slightly overhead camera angle, players will pilot their X-Wing across the Death Star's surface once more, but as opposed to flying carefully between the station's cannons, the player is tasked with just blowing up everything in sight, in true LEGO game fashion. It isn't the most cinematic or smooth interpretation, but LEGO Star Wars 2's Trench Run is a fairly fun final level.
The recently released LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most recent version of the Trench Run, and as such, is one of the most cinematic versions, despite being made out of construction toys. Here, the camera angle is firmly situated by the player's X-Wing as they make their approach, blasting turrets and TIEs along the way. It isn't a very challenging level, but it does show just how far graphics have come in the last 40 years.
The Trench Run in Rogue Squadron (1998-2003)
One of the most beloved Star Wars flight simulator series right alongside X-Wing, the first two games in the Rogue Squadron series also have their own Trench Run levels. In 1998's Rogue Squadron, the Trench Run doesn't really offer anything new, with the player having to fly along the surface until they reach the exhaust port and launch a torpedo. The graphics are pretty good for the time and the sound design is definitely a step-up compared to earlier Star Wars games, but it's nothing groundbreaking.
Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader opens with its Trench Run level, which is decisively more exciting than its predecessor. Crisp sounds of laser fire, screams from fellow pilots, and perfectly-timed music cues imitate the tense atmosphere of the movie to a tee, and breathe new life into this well-tread sequence.
The Trench Run in Star Wars Battlefront (2015)
Though it was a little light on content at launch, EA's Star Wars Battlefront did add some paid DLC to try and expand upon the game's poor selection of maps. The game's Death Star DLC had a game mode in which players would make their way through the interior of the battle station, escorting R2-D2 as he gathers the station's plans. Once the plans were in Rebel hands, the Trench Run sequence would begin.
Here, Rebel players were randomly assigned the role of Red-Five, and his wingmen. These players would need to enter the trench, and hit a series of checkpoints, all while the rest of the team defended them against the Empire's fighters. Once the squadron was close enough to the exhaust port, the player who assumed the role of Red-Five could fire their Proton Torpedoes, and end the match.
The phenomenal presentation of Star Wars Battlefront, with some unparalleled visuals and sound design, leads this to being one of the best versions of the Trench Run in a Star Wars video game. And with the addition of actual players trying to stop the Rebels, the level of tension is always extremely high, imitating the movie very well.