The game follows a sequence of events loosely based on the plot of Star Wars, where Luke Skywalker is required to pilot a landspeeder around Tatooine, collect R2-D2 from the Sandcrawler, Obi-Wan Kenobi from a cave, and Han Solo from the Mos Eisley bar, all while fighting stormtroopers, Tusken Raiders, and many other different enemy characters from the movies.

Obi-Wan Kenobi can resurrect Han Solo or Princess Leia five times (in the Game Gear and Master System versions, the player is even required to kill and resurrect them in order to earn the last 10% completion points and see the ending), R2-D2 can display a map of the Death Star hallways, and C-3PO can provide information on the current part of the game.

It is implied in the game's instruction manual that Chewie flies the Millennium Falcon if Han Solo dies.

Additionally, the Tatooine hub world does not appear in this version, and is replaced with three side-scrolling levels through the desert that Luke is required to travel on foot.

[citation needed] Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground gave the Game Gear version a 7 out of 10 and wrote, "Star Wars does feature some impressive artistic design and a few technical surprises.