CHRISTOPHER BAKER
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Click on Your Amazon Store

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Now Available for Kindle!
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(Not Just Kindle Devices—Also the App)

X-WINGS, LIGHTSABERS, AND SCORPION VADER: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF STAR WARS VIDEO GAMES collects several long pieces I’ve written about Star Wars games—three for the now-defunct Glixel.com in 2017 (run by Rolling Stone at the time), one for Superhero.VG, and another reflecting upon my own personal three years at LucasArts. When appropriate, new content has been added.
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​“40 Memorable Moments in Star Wars Video Games”
Originally published by Glixel in 2017, this countdown focuses on moments rather than the games as a whole. I’ve updated the piece with games released since then, and I’m proud of the numerous exclusive dev recollections.

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“Scorpion Vader Attacks!”
You’ve seen @cinemassacre massacre Namco’s infamous Japan-exclusive Star Wars adaptation for things like the Vader that turns into a scorpion—but did it actually get some things more right than other SW classics? Includes quotes from the composer.
​Localization expert/my friend Miguel E. Corti even helped me walk through the entirety of the Namco game’s dialogue, comparing it to a fan translation for the best localization of the game ever. That’s something that’s never been published! One quick example…

Three More!
Other pieces examine Expanded Universe material that came to life in games, plus another highlighting every Battle of Hoth in games (more than 40!). Roughly 30,000 words celebrating the history of Star Wars video games.
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ANSWERING THE STAR WARS VIDEOGAME QUESTIONS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD
  • Scorpion Vader? Huh?
  • What role did the founders of Pixar have in the first Star Wars game ever?
  • How did Bounty Hunter influence The Mandalorian?
  • What game at one point allowed Luke Skywalker to snap necks?
  • What Star Wars game took inspiration from Battlestar Galactica?
  • What game released too early, with fans completing it years later?
  • How did a tester in QA influence a core feature of Jedi Knight?
  • In what form did Battlefront 3 actually come out?
  • What Battlefront game is so obscure, no live gameplay exists on the internet?
  • How did the worst moment in Star Wars gaming history lead to one of its best?
  • What makes the book's title a lie?

WILL THERE BE A PRINT VERSION? 

I’d very much like to release a physical version of Scorpion Vader, but with as many screenshots and other graphical elements as I included, the transition from ebook to paperback (maybe even hardback?) is more than flipping a switch. It would also cost (I’m guessing, based on prior experience) probably close to 10 times more. In the neighborhood of $40 USD (for me to get a buck or two). Would you pay that for a nonprofessionally laid out 300-page book about Star Wars games? Honestly, fill out the form below and let me know…
Thank you, Jason Babler, for the cover treatments, and thank you, Thor Thorvaldson (real name!), for the awesome #ScorpionVader!
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And now for a gratuitous shot of my Star Wars gaming collection:
@cbake76 Never thought I'd almost cry promoting #ScorpionVader... #starwars #starwarsfan #starwarstiktok #starwarsgame #starwarsgames #starwarsvideogames #starwarsvideogame #retrogaming #retrogames #retrogame #retrogamer #retrogamers ♬ original sound - Chris Baker
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© 2014-2023 Christopher Michael Baker​
  • Home
  • Résumé
  • Portfolio
    • Narrative / Writing >
      • Operencia Writing
      • Circus Electrique Writing
      • CastleStorm II Writing Samples
      • Marvel Writing & Gamedev >
        • Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Contributions
        • The Amazing Spider-Man Game Contributions
        • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Contributions
        • Marvel Pinball Contributions
        • Misc. Quick Hits -- Contributions to Other Games
    • PR & Marketing >
      • Game Trailers
      • Panel Appearances
    • Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine >
      • OPM Features
      • OPM Game Reviews
  • Gameography (Giant Bomb)
  • Fun Stuff
    • Superhero.VG (YouTube)
    • "X-Wings, Lightsabers, and Scorpion Vader: Celebrating Star Wars Video Games"
    • "WRONG! Retro Games, You Messed Up Our Comic Book Heroes!"
    • Willow Talk: A Willow Podcast
    • Featured in Scholastic's "Hot Jobs in Video Games"
    • Medium Blog
  • Kinda Dated (2014)
    • Testimonials
    • Older Portfolio