Star Fox 64
Reviewed by Brian Taylor
Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was the
first game for that system to truly blow our minds. The graphics were
unbelievable and the sound was extremely well done. Now, in similar
fashion, Star Fox 64 has burst onto the scene. Gamers across the country
have been scrambling to get their copy.
Now that the dust has settled, I am writing this review to
examine this masterpiece in all of its shining detail. When you first
turn the power switch to ON, you become immersed in the first true
"interactive movie". A brilliant cinematic sequence plays, and a notable
scene occurs when the four members of Star Fox are introduced while
sprinting through a strangely lit corridor to their waiting Arwings.
There are many options in Star Fox 64. There is a 15-stage Story
Mode (16 if you count the two variations of Venom), 3 different types of
Vs. Mode, and a Training mode. In the story mode, you progress through
the besieged Lylat System in a non-linear fashion en route to the final
encounter with the evil scientist Andross on Venom. There are 15 planets.
You start on Corneria and progress through the planets in the system.
Which stage you go to next depends largely on how the mission went. For
example, on Corneria (the first stage), you can go either to Meteor or
Sector Y. If you fail to rescue Falco or do not pass through all of six
archways over a lake in the stage, you will proceed to fight a boss that
leads you to Meteor. However, if you rescue Falco when he is in trouble,
and pass through all of the stone archways, Falco will tell you to follow
him and you will pass through a waterfall to a secret boss. Blast the
boss and you are headed to Sector Y. If you go to a harder route, such as
Sector Y, you have the option at the planet screen to go back to an
easier route (Meteor).
A definite plus in the game is the spectacular Vs. Mode. There are
three different game modes in the Vs. Mode, including a Point Match,
Battle Royal, and Time Trial. In the Point Match, 2 to 4 players fight in
one of two arenas and try to destroy a specified number of ships. The
first to reach this number is declared the winner. In the Battle Royal
(my favorite), each player is given one Arwing, and if he loses it, his
game is over. The last one standing wins. Finally, in the Time Trial, up
to 4 players play a timed match (1 to 5 minutes) and try to kill as many
enemy ships as possible. The winner is the one with the most kills. In
all of the Vs. Mode battles, there is a handicap for less skilled
players. There are 3 levels of handicap. Level 1 has the longest shield
gauge and can take many more hits, Level 2 is the medium, and Level 3
means your ship is very fragile. The Vs. Mode in Star Fox 64 easily beats
any other multiplayer action games.
Now, on to the game. You will quickly notice that this game has
the cinematic quality of a motion picture. The story seems to unravel
seamlessly. The cinematic scenes continue all the way up to the actual
gameplay, which further immerses you in the game. There are cinemas
throughout the game. There is a detailed introduction, smaller scenes
before and after each level, and a great ending.
The first thing players will notice about Star Fox 64 is the
brilliant graphics. These are extremely well-detailed polygons, with
beautifully rendered ships and obstacles. The terrain is modeled
realistically and well detailed. The animation is smooth and there is no
noticeable slowdown. The bitmapped explosions are spectacular. Star Fox
64 is the most impressive game graphically to date.
One of the greatest qualities of this game is the excellent sound
effects and music. The sound effects are extremely well done, and are
timed well with the Rumble Pak. However, the most impressive music
certainly gets the job done. I am surprised at how many people think that
the music is bad just because it is different from the original Star Fox.
This soundtrack is well composed and Koji Kondo deserves credit for it. I
think that it is the best music found on the system to date.
The most important aspect of a shooter is the control. No matter
how well the graphics and sound are, if a shooter is unplayable, it
immediately becomes a bad game. However, Star Fox 64 pulls of the
transition from the digital control pad to the Control Stick masterfully.
The control is fluid and responsive without being overly touchy. If you
get shot down, you can't blame the controls. The best part about the
controls are the special moves that Miyamoto has included. You can now to
barrel rolls to deflect enemy lasers, U-turns, somersaults (loops), quick
turns, turbo boosts, brakes, etc. These special moves add a sense of
realism and fun to the fighting. Like the original, there are lasers and
smart bombs. However, now you can lock on to your enemies by holding down
the A button, and using either the laser or a bomb quickly afterwards,
the projectile will home in on the enemy. This is a brilliant addition to
an already dynamite control engine.
The gameplay in Star Fox 64 is superb as well. Now there are 3
different vehicles for missions. The Arwing is the most common, for
obvious reasons. However, for a welcomed change of pace, you now drive
the Landmaster tank on the ground and the Blue Marine in the water. There
are only 3 such missions in the game, so it is not a focal point, but it
is impressive and enjoyable nonetheless. The 3 vehicles control very
similarly, so a learning curve is not applicable.
It is easy to assume that a shooter with only 15 levels will lack
in the replay value category. However, that is certainly not the case
with Star Fox 64. In an ingenious move by Miyamoto, he included many
bonuses if you keep playing. For example, if all members of the Star Fox
team survives a mission and you receive a certain number of points, you
will get a medal similar to Blast Corps. Medals are good because they are
a tangible way of displaying your mastery of the game. They are not easy
to get. If you manage to obtain all of the medals in the game, you will
open up new options. For one, a sound test mode appears so you can listen
to Star Fox 64's excellent tunes. Also, a Landmaster Vs. Mode becomes
available. In addition, an Expert mode is opened up. If you beat the game
on the hardest route in Expert mode, you will be able to have Vs. Mode
battles on foot with bazookas! Cool! This game certainly does not lack in
Replay Value.
The revolutionary Rumble Pak is included free with Star Fox 64.
It is a great device which feeds back vibrations that correspond to the
action taking place on screen. The vibrations are well timed and are
realistic. You actually feel as if you are in the cockpit. There are
several levels of vibrations. Despite many skeptics who believe that the
Rumble Pak is a gimmick, it really adds to the game play experience and
will be used with several games in the future.
So far, the entirety of this review has been positive. In
reality, there are no major drawbacks to this spectacular blockbuster
game. However, the one minor drawback that I can find is the fact that
your progress in the game cannot be saved. But since you can play through
the game in less than an hour, it really isn't necessary. However, it
would be nice, especially when trying to get those elusive medals. In
conclusion, Star Fox 64 excels in every category. Kudos to Shigeru
Miyamoto, E.A.D., and the staff at Nintendo for giving us the best N64
game to date. If you don't buy it, you are missing out on one helluva
ride.
Ratings
Graphics: 4.9
+ Well-detailed ships and obstacles
+ Excellent terrain
+ Good use of transparency
Sound: 4.7
+ Realistic, well-timed sound effects
+ Excellent music soundtrack
+ Separate volume controls
Control: 4.8
+ Fluid, responsive controls
+ Not too touchy
+ Great new special moves
- Turbo power lost too quickly
Gameplay: 4.9
+ Excellent story mode format
+ 3 ships: Arwing, Landmaster and Blue Marine
+ Rumble Pak provides excellent vibration feedback
- Landmaster and Blue Marine tough to control at first
Lastability: 4.6
+ Medals for all 15 levels available
+ Several bonuses for medals and game completion
- Difficult to get some medals
- No game progress save feature
Overall: 4.9