Ellison blasted the game as a 'shamelessly exploitative little toy', 'the latest icon of the Imbecile Industry', and a 'time-wasting enterprise' with 'the potential to emerge as the most virulent electronic botulism of all'.

That same month, rival publication Video Review magazine ran a review of the game written by science fiction author Harlan Ellison. Overall they characterized it as 'an entertaining fast-paced contest that belongs in the cartridge libraries of most (Atari)VCS owners'. Reviewers praised the game's 'zingy graphics' and noted that 'the audio-visual effects are absolutely first-rate'. It was reviewed in Video magazine shortly after its release. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back received mixed reviews.

In 1982, it was reported that both games had sold a combined 3 million cartridges. The game was a commercial success, becoming one of the year's two best-selling video games of 1982 for Parker Brothers, along with Frogger. As the game progresses, the walkers move more rapidly, increasing the difficulty level. The game ends when the player's fifth speeder is destroyed or when the lead walker reaches Echo Base, destroying it. When this happens, the speeder flashes colorfully and becomes invulnerable for a short time. If the player survives for 20 minutes the speeder is granted the power of the Force for 20 seconds. If the player is hit by the smart bomb his speeder is destroyed. Other levels include a smart bomb which periodically launches from the flashing port on a walker and follows the player for a time. On some game levels, the walkers are solid, meaning that the player can crash into them, damaging them and destroying the player. The player can land a damaged speeder to repair it. The walkers shoot back at the player, whose speeder also changes colors as it receives damage.

On the Intellivision, the walkers require thirty hits to take down, compared to forty-eight hits on the Atari. The player can also destroy the walkers by shooting a small flashing spot that randomly appears during gameplay. As the walker is damaged, it changes colors - transitioning from black (undamaged) through various shades of gray, red, and orange to yellow (critically damaged). The player can destroy a walker by shooting it repeatedly in the head or torso shots to the legs are ineffective. The difficulty levels included several variables, including the initial speed of the walkers, whether or not the walkers were solid, and whether or not the walkers included a 'smart bomb'. The objective is to hold off the walkers as long as possible before they blow up the power generator at the Rebels' Echo Base. The player must control Luke Skywalker in a snowspeeder to battle against Imperial AT-AT walkers on the planet Hoth.

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