E3 Hands-On and Videos: StarFox
StarFox 64 was one of my Nintendo 64 favorites. The combination of Panzer Dragoon style on-rails mechanics AND and free-roaming 3D shooter levels, the smart use of the rumble pack peripheral (it was the very first game to support it), and a great multiplayer mode keep me busy all through the summer of '97. I got every medal on every course and even the ultimate unlockable, the alternate title screen. Yep, the one with the closeup Fox profile.
So my expectations were high for the new Namco/Nintendo collaboration, simply titled StarFox for the time being. Will it be a worthwhile addition to the series' proud shooter legacy? It certainly looks like a next-gen update of the last game, and the whole StarFox crew is back--including Falco, Peppy, Slippy, and ROB, along with the addition of annoying Krystal from that other game. The cast expands to include Beltoid, Slippy's dad, as well as villain Oikonny (pilot of the rival team StarWolf) and the Aparoids, a new race of enemies.
The Arwing Level
The E3 demo's space shooter stage picks up right where StarFox 64 left off, and reminded me a lot of classic stages like Sector X or Meteo. Deep in outer space, Fox must punch his Arwing past a fleet of huge ships, destroying them just in time to get through unscathed. Of course there are plenty of small enemy formations zooming by... The perfect opportunity to practice your lock-on homing lazer, which seemed to take a little too long to respond. I hope Namco/Nintendo increases the lock-on sensitivity, because the pace of the firing system struck me as being too slow for the action in spots.
One big change in the controls is that the shoulder buttons no longer let you tip the Arwing on its right or left axis. Instead, the R-trigger is brake, while the L-trigger is roll attack (barrel roll). Don't like it. I'd have preferred they moved brake to the X button (what's up with this 'land' function anyway?), so that it's near the Y-button boost, and had left the triggers as they were in the N64 game. Then it would be even more intuitive: tapping on the L or R triggers would tip the ship in that direction (for flying through narrow spaces and avoiding enemy fire), and yanking them all the way down to a digital click would send the Arwing into a barrel role on either side. Makes better sense, no?
As far as Arwing gameplay goes, it's basically the same as the on-rails levels were in the N64 game. The ally system, health rings, lazer powerups, and bombs are all back. You're still trying to target the center ship in each wave of enemies to destroy as many as possible with one shot, earning the highest possible lock-on bonus (awarded as a "B. Bonus" or "G. Bonus"). Thankfully, there weren't too many instances where a wayward wingman of Fox's would sail across the screen, begging you to blow some baddie off his tail. As in the first one, it seems that keeping all of your comrades alive and getting the highest possible hit count (with lock-on bonuses) will be the criteria for awarding medals on each stage.
A good point about the controls is that the c-stick provides a convenient means for sending the Arwing into a loop. The degree of difficulty in the flying level was pleasingly moderate, and replay value should be high. It's going to take a few tries before one is able to memorize all of the enemy patterns, and the best moments to lock-on, brake, and boost.
DOWNLOAD VIDEO (11.9 MB): StarFox_shootin.AVI
This action should look familar to anyone who's played Star Fox 64.
DOWNLOAD VIDEO (7.3 MB): StarFox_death.AVI
Oh no, Fox died! The Arwing level had a welcome degree of challenge.
The endbosses were a pair of missile-spewing gunships with some serious firepower. This encounter will force you to get the barrel roll--shoot--barrel roll--shoot timing down just right. It's not easy to dispose of these two guys before the boss battle times out and they escape, robbing you of a chance to earn the highest score and a stage medal. Numerous little ships continue to fly around the entire time to distract you as well, though they do offer a last-minute chance to boost your hit count for the stage.
DOWNLOAD VIDEO (20 MB): StarFox_boss.AVI
After taking some heavy damage from the boss, this player catches on to using the barrel roll.
The On-Foot level
It seems that Namco has decided to change up the pace by taking the on-foot & tank multiplayer combat from StarFox 64 and turning it into the basis for free-roaming single player levels. This might come out of the blue for many fans of the series, as the on-foot option took quite a few expert mode medals to unlock in the previous game. Does it measure up to the Arwing level? Not quite.
After wandering into a deserted base, Fox is beset upon by a vicious army of Aparoids, a crab-like alien race. Dozens of them swarm the skies above the base, but can't actually be damaged until they land (the flying enemies are not interactive at all). Soon you'll find out that the only way to hurt the larger enemies is to hold R to fire a charged up shot or to find a bazooka weapon upgrade. The controls are somewhat like Halo's, though the aiming feels a bit floaty.
DOWNLOAD VIDEO (7.7 MB): StarFox_omg.AVI
The ladies just can't get enough of that StarFox on-foot combat.
A radar in the lower corner of the screen does a good job of alerting you to the location of your next objective, as do the constant text messages and voice overs from your helpful pals ("Fox, head for the orange dot!"). They're almost a bit too helpful. Once you take out a certain amount of enemies, the LandMaster tank is dropped in and you have roll attacks, smart bombs, and hovering abilities at your disposal. The tank is a bit clumsy, but if it gets destroyed, don't worry--Fox's team will have another on the way in a jiffy. I found the third-person ground combat to be okay, but nothing spectacular. Think Jet Force Gemini rather than Metal Arms. It should make for a nice multiplayer battle mode engine, if nothing else.
Overall, StarFox for GameCube looks promising, but the controls still aren't up to par with the fluidity of Star Fox 64. The levels shown don't seem as quite as intricately designed as those of the earlier game either, but perhaps that perception's just the result of limited playtime with a rough E3 build.
In any case, it's sure to be better than that other StarFox game on the GameCube!
looking forward to StarFox
sorry this is off topic,
but in the first picture at the top of the page there is what appears to be a Paper Mario banner on the wall. What's up with that?
Should that little tidbit be misconstrued as substantiation of the rumor that there may be a re-release in the works?
