Out of all the Star Wars games out there, I’m not alone when I say that Star Wars: Bounty Hunter holds a special place in the hearts of fans. It may have been rough around the edges and frustrating at times back in the day, but this prequel trilogy gem carved out its own place within the movie tie-in pantheon. Following the release of the recent Star Wars: Bounty Hunter on Nintendo Switch, I caught up with Aspyr’s senior director of business development Michael Blair to uncover how the project recaptures the Mandalorian magic.
But just before you dive in, if you’re yet to try out Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, you can pick up the game in a brand-new sale on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Aspyr and Star Wars have quickly become synonymous with each other, following a string of remasters for Star Wars: Republic Commando, The Force Unleashed, and more joining the roster of new Switch games. But why Star Wars: Bounty Hunter? Why now after the 2016 re-release? For Blair, it’s all about embodying a different part of the universe. “Star Wars: Bounty Hunter embodies the Mandalorian fantasy and gives us a deep look into the life of Jango Fett,” Blair tells me.
“For over 20 years, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating on several iconic Star Wars titles, each time bringing a piece of the galaxy far, far away to players on some of their favorite platforms. This game holds a special place in the Star Wars legacy,” he expresses. With many of the best Star Wars games having received special treatment from Aspyr, I wondered if the developer had considered any other underappreciated titles before landing on Bounty Hunter. Blair says that Aspyr’s “long-running relationship with Lucasfilm Games aims to bring back some of the greatest Star Wars games ever made”, but the developer only had one game in its sights.
When it came to sprucing up Bounty Hunter in 2024, Aspyr knew it couldn’t drastically change the original experience. “Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is a passion project from our team, some of whom grew up on the prequel trilogy […] when we bring a classic game to modern platforms, our goal is always to preserve the magic that made the original so beloved while also enhancing the core experience.” Blair stresses the importance of keeping Bounty Hunter faithful to its origins, but how it could also introduce “significant improvements” for modern-day players.
Those aforementioned improvements are what made the game sing in my own Star Wars: Bounty Hunter review. You can choose to play with a legacy control scheme if you’d prefer, but the brand-new setup is a godsend. Gone are the days of awkward combat encounters and unfair movement blunders. It’s no surprise that Blair mentions that this was one of the “most challenging aspects of bringing Bounty Hunter up to date.” He tells me that “controllers, camera systems, and 3D environment traversal have been completely re-engineered in current titles to avoid motion sickness, quickly swap between items, and resolve some of those classic issues.”
Bringing about those changes could be seen as a risky move, but Aspyr isn’t interested in turning Bounty Hunter into something else entirely. “Our goal isn’t about changing the game for modern-day players, because it was already a great game. It’s about polishing the rough edges to let everyone experience the great game that was always there,” Blair explains.
However, Aspyr did tinker with one element of the game. You may remember an unfinished easter egg in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter that promised the ability to play as Boba Fett. Now, Aspyr turns that urban myth into a reality. Blair tells me it’s all about “revisiting a classic easter egg in a whole new way. In everything we do, we try to find a way to surprise and delight those lifelong fans. It’s always tough to add a new feature like this because you don’t want to too heavily alter the original experience. I love where we landed, and the community seems to be enjoying replaying the campaign with a whole new look.”
Beyond Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, what does Aspyr have lined up next? While Blair doesn’t reveal whether a new Star Wars game remaster is on the docket, he does share his adoration for Nintendo as each release debuts, expressing that “Nintendo has been a superb partner in supporting our development and marketing efforts for these fan-favorite titles.”
If you’re still in need of a Star Wars fix after playing Bounty Hunter, you can check out our complete Star Wars handheld history guide to find your next adventure.