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Platform
3DS
Genre
Action / Shooter
Publisher
Nintendo
Developer
Nintendo EAD / Q
Games
ESRB
E +10 (Everyone)
Released
September 9, 2011
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- A shoot-em-up epic that still
holds up
- Excellent new visuals, 3D effects
- Alternate pathways, stages, and outcomes
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- Gyro Controls conflict with 3D
effect
- No new additions to increase brisk longevity
- No online option for multiplayer
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Classic Review: Starfox (SNES)
Review: Starfox: Assault (GC)
Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
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Starfox
64 3D
Score: 8.0 / 10
With a significantly smaller line-up of
games than its predecessors (both 8 and 16 bit, respectively), the
number of essential games on the Nintendo 64 could be counted with two
hands, and were mostly of the first party variety. While Mario, Zelda,
and Smash Bros found new life on the Gamecube and Wii consoles, the Star
Fox series remained dormant on the Nintendo 64… at least according to
the fans.
While Nintendo did release more Star Fox-branded games on the Gamecube
and DS, many hardcore fans will insist that the series hit its peak with
Star Fox 64;
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3DS re-release of the beloved 64 bit
iteration (Rumble Pak not included).
Despite being the second game in the series, Star Fox 64 is more of a
remake than a direct sequel; after losing his father to the evil Andross,
ace mercenary pilot Fox McCloud and his fellow furry cohorts assist
General Pepper in ridding the universe of the evil psychic ape and his
galactic armada. The Star Fox team will travel across distant planets
and galaxies until they reach Andross’ home base stationed at the planet
Venom, fighting off waves of starships, bioweapons, and the rival team
known as Star Wolf.
Like the 3DS version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fox
64’s portable rerelease features the exact same gameplay and levels,
unchanged from the N64 original. Players take control of Fox McCloud and
guide his Arwing past several on-rails stages, while receiving (and
mostly giving) assistance to his three wingmen. Failing to protect any
of the AI controlled pilots will result in cumulative damage, and once
their health reaches zero they’ll be forced to back out for repairs,
which separates them from the group for the remainder of the level and
the one preceding it.
Though they offer little firefight
assistance, keeping Fox’s hapless teammates in one piece opens up
strategic elements; Slippy will display the health meter for each boss,
Falco shows you the way to secret areas, and Peppy tells you to do a
barrel roll. Regardless, a fast trigger finger and quick maneuvers
remain your greatest assets, along with the lock-on shot, which allows
you to take out multiple enemies with a homing charge shot. Also hidden
in each stage are power-ups including bombs, health rings, and wings
that either add twin lasers or repair one or both of the broken wings of
your Arwing.
Also hidden are alternate paths; when
meeting certain conditions in several stages (such as passing through a
series of chasms, opening a number of switches, or even defeating
specific enemies), Fox will be able to take a different route in the
stage that can lead to a totally different boss fight as well as open up
an alternate pathway in the galaxy map, opening up additional areas to
fly through. As an additional bonus for the 3DS version, you now have
the ability to select between the newly opened alternate level and the
corresponding original stage.
Another addition to the 3DS version is the Gyro Control scheme; using
the Gyro Sensor of the 3DS, players can tilt their handheld around to
navigate the Arwing, either using standard or inverted controls. The
game also features a Gyro Mode that widens out the placement of enemies
and objects to accommodate the wider control scheme. While it may not
outright replace the original analog control scheme, it works
surprisingly well and can be used in conjunction with the standard
controls. The only downside is the one shared by every 3DS game
featuring the Gyro Sensor: it breaks the 3D effect.
And that is truly unfortunate, since Star Fox 64 features some of the
handheld’s best 3D effects yet. Everything from the Arwing in the center
to the billions of lasers and debris flying around hits you square in
the face with no hiccups in the framerate. This is doubly impressive
with the complete re-texturing of the entire game, including new
background effects that add further immersion (though the draw distance
still leaves a bit to be desired; massive space carriers tend to
materialize instantly out of nowhere). The game’s soundtrack has also
been redone as well, but is more of an alternative sampling rather than
a full re-arrangement. The game also retains the original English voice
acting from the original in a less-compressed form, which will be
considered a blessing or a curse depending on the player; at least it
could be argued that there are far worse dubs out there than the
delightfully campy performance found in one of Nintendo’s earliest
voice-acted efforts.
What’s more disappointing is the lack of any additional features or
stages for those who played through the original countless times
already; even with the existing multiple paths, the main story can still
be finished in a couple of hours. The multiplayer modes make a return
appearance, but lack of online play limits the fun for those without
fellow 3DS friends. Much more inspiring is the single player Score
Attack, which lets players instantly replay any mission in order to
achieve a higher score.
Despite the lack of supplements, Star Fox 64 still remains one of
Nintendo’s finest and most action-packed experiences; No two stages are
alike, and the amount of alternate pathways and outcomes (like an ally
from one stage coming to assist you in the next) allow for much
replaying and experimenting for those who haven’t mastered every nook
and cranny. It also remains a challenge, particularly the battles that
take place in All-Range Mode (which allows you to fly around a limited
3D space), but mastery of the Arwing’s different features including
braking, boosting, and barrel-rolling will lead to victory and, more
importantly, fun. Hopefully with a new audience gained from this
portable release, Nintendo will be given enough incentive to bring this
on-rails shooter back on the rails.
- Jorge Fernandez
(October 5, 2011)
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