Actually, that comment may be inviting great disagreement, given the many Star Wars games that have come out since. But this one occupies a warm place in my heart, for one important reason: ever since seeing the first Star Wars movie, I'd always wondered what it would be like to pilot an Imperial TIE fighter in the service of the Empire against the Rebel Alliance.
In this game you start off flying unsheilded craft: the TIE fighter, bomber, (easily the worst ship you have to fly in the game due to both it's snail-like speed and it's lack of sheilds,) and the interceptor, the best of the unsheilded fighters (though, sadly, you only get to fly it in four missions in the entire game). Many people may not like the idea of flying ships with no sheilds, but here are some vital tips to get you through without having to replay any one mission too many times: Always get behind the rebel fighters and attack their backs. This will keep you out of the way of their blasters. Frequently push the E key to use your targeting computer to see if any enemy ships have targeted you. If you find the situation too hot to handle, call for your wingmen to come to your aid (Shift C,) or fly close to a friendly capital ship or platform. (There will always be one nearby, since unsheilded Imperial craft also lack hyperdrives.) If the missions are still too hard to beat, you can lower the difficulty level to easy, though that will result in point loss. In later missions you'll get to fly sheilded craft such as the Assault Gunboat, the TIE Advanced, (also referred to as the "TIE Avenger",) and the never-before-seen TIE Defender, the most powerful fighter in the game. If you're a Star Wars fan, this is a must-have.
