Title: Star Fox 64 3D
Rating: E10+
System: Nintendo 3DS
In 1997, Nintendo released a little gem known as Star Fox 64, a reboot of a SNES game simply called Star Fox. The game was a rail shooter in which the player controlled Fox McCloud, leader of the titular mercenary unit, as he soared through space in his Arwing. The game was met with critical acclaim, and quickly became well-known for its simple but enjoyable gameplay, well-designed levels, impressive graphics for its era, and dialogue which managed to be both hilarious cheesy and incredibly charming. So, naturally, sequels were inevitable. Star Fox Adventures, for the Nintendo Gamecube, took the series in a different direction with the action-adventure styled gameplay. Fox ran around a place called Dinosaur Planet and beat things up with a magical ninja staff in a style more reminiscent of Zelda than Star Fox. While not a bad game in itself, it simply didn't really feel like it should've been a Star Fox game (probably because it was originally a different game called Dinosaur Planet, which was later retooled to feature Star Fox characters). Next came Star Fox Assault, also for the Gamecube. Assault attempted to bring the series back to its roots, but an emphasis on the rather clunky land-based missions rather than on the Arwing-based rail shooters of 64 and the original game marred an otherwise inoffensive game. Finally, Star Fox Command on the Nintendo DS was released, brought the Arwing back to the forefront of things, albeit with a new turn-based strategy mechanic in which you engaged enemy units to enter dogfights. The game was, again, decent, but repetitive and lacking in the charm of the first games.
So, Star Fox 64 has pretty much been the apple of the fandom's eye, the game that people always go back to when they look at the subsequent entries in the series and notice that they don't quite live up to its reputation. Naturally, 64's popularity makes it a prime target for a remake. That remake is Star Fox 64 3D, released on the 3DS with much fanfare, bringing the series around full circle. The remake claims to improve upon the original in several ways––the graphics have been scaled up substantially, the gameplay has been adapted slightly to fit the 3DS's control scheme, and dialogue has been rerecorded. But is it good? In short, yes.
The gameplay of the original remains largely intact here. It's still primarily a rail shooter with occasional shifts into "all-range mode," where you engage in dogfights in an open space, usually for boss battles and occasions where you have lots of things to blow up. The controls are fairly well-suited to the 3DS's Circle Pad, which controls your Arwing just as well as the old Nintendo 64 control stick, if not even better. You also have the option of enabling gyroscope controls to augment your Circle Pad, allowing you to control your ship by tilting your 3DS. It takes a little getting used to, but it works. Of course, using it generally means you have to turn off the 3D visuals, which seems slightly counterproductive considering that the whole point of the 3DS is the 3D visuals. That said, it's usually preferable to stick with the normal control scheme, since it doesn't control any worse than the gyroscope and doesn't inhibit the 3D unless you're the sort who swings their 3DS a lot while you play.
Yes, your allies call for help just as much as before. I don't know whether that's good or bad, really.The graphics have received a huge overhaul, and it shows. Everything in the game looks much cleaner than the original, with fewer blocky textures and much more impressive set pieces and environments. The 3D is also fairly well-handled, giving everything extra depth. At the same time, the 3D effects are never particularly intrusive provided you yourself don't screw them up by moving your 3DS too much while playing. The new rerecorded dialogue, on the other hand, is something of a rough patch. While most lines are relatively unchanged and a good portion of the original cast is back, there are points where it doesn't really have the impact of the original recording (though this could be nostalgia speaking). Slippy Toad's voice, while still annoying, is somewhat less grating than in the original, but Falco's delivery is now rather wooden. The dialogue itself retains its characteristic charm, but I found that there were times where characters didn’t sound like badass space mercenaries, but like children pretending to be badass space mercenaries, such as when Fox says things like “We’re Star Fox!” in the tone of an eight year old playing pretend. It's not exactly a huge problem, though, and the new dialogue does have its moments.
The original Star Fox 64 had a rather limited multiplayer. Naturally, the remake has also upgraded that as well. You can battle with up to three friends or with the computer in four possible arenas and three possible modes. A battle to get a specific number of kills, a timed fight to see who can get the most kills in a given timeframe, and a last-man-standing free-for-all. It’s fairly enjoyable, and the usage of the 3DS camera to let you see your friend’s reaction is a nice touch. Power-ups have been added to mix things up, allowing you to fire a salvo of homing missiles, set a series of mines, turn invisible, and switch places with an opponent, among other things, though you also have the option to turn them off for a more classic experience. The main drawback here is that your limited to only download play if you want to play with others. Playing with friends with only one cartridge is all well and good, but the lack of online support on a system that sports fairly decent online capabilities is rather disappointing.
Well said, Peppy. Well said.
All in all, Star Fox 64 3D is a decent game for a system that’s still rather lacking in good exclusives. It mostly improves on the original, though there are times when it disappoints.. It’s rather short, though the branching paths in the story mode add for a little replay value. It has its share of flaws, but overall it’s a worthwhile take on a much-loved classic, good for both fans of the original and those who have never touched the series before. If I had to give it a number grade, I’d say it scores a nine out of ten pretty easily. That said, the necessity of a remake of a game that hasn't aged particularly poorly and is still available on the Virtual Console is rather questionable, begging the question of why a sequel wasn't produced instead. Of course, this kind of works in Star Fox 64 3D's favor––it leaves you wanting more, so a sequel would be very welcome, particularly one that follows the formula of the original Star Fox 64. After all, this game itself proves that a modern Star Fox in the style of the original can be great.
SO GET TO IT, NINTY.
Mod
Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
