Quote:May 12, 2004

by: Ray Almeda

Written by: Rob Sanz

The long awaited follow-up to the N64 classic Starfox 64 is finally presentable. Last year, we remember that Starfox was rather lackluster and, to put it bluntly, pretty disappointing. Namco has come back this year, though, with guns and Arwings blazing with a playable version that they can be proud of.

The graphics are vastly improved. The design of the Arwing and Landmaster are simply awesome. The Arwing looks like it's ready for a galactic battle of epic proportions and that is exactly what Starfox is beginning to resemble. There are some texture issues on foot missions, but the action is so fast paced that it is hard to actually stop and cry over them. The flight mission, though, was drop-dead gorgeous. The seamlessness with which the enemy crafts moved in and out of the shot was a thing of beauty. The detail of each ship, including the larger vessels, was eye-popping. It is truly a sight to see, and something to definitely get excited about.

That brings up the main difference between Starfox for Gamecube and Starfox 64. The pace at which the action occurs will make your head spin. In shooting mode (the classic rail shooter mode), the enemy ships move across the screen very quickly, hardly giving the player enough time to charge up the blaster for a multi-kill which, as we remember from Starfox 64, counts as a Kill +10 or something similar to that. In order to rack up high scores, the player would have to perpetually charge their beam, and as soon as enemy ships appear, target them and release the charged shot.

Beyond the speed, the scoring system for the new installment has been updated. There will be no more Hit +10 as found in Starfox 64. The scoring system is based on points rather than hits. Each kill is worth, say, 200 points while multiple kills achieved with a charged shot are worth perhaps 1000 points. It is unclear whether or not a medal system will be implemented in the new installment to the franchise, but seeing the points system in play is a good indication. Do not quote me on that, though. We can only hope.

The difficulty of the missions is a bit beefed up from Starfox 64. The increased difficulty could be attributed to the fact that there is so much going on at once on the screen. In the flight mission, there were ships shooting at each other in the background which could be mistaken for enemies in the foreground. This is not a fault of the game, but rather acts as an obstacle to shooting down enemies by the wave. The challenge is an added bonus to those who thought the straight-forward nature of Starfox 64 was too easy.

Beyond the playable flight and foot missions, not much is known about the story of the game, unfortunately. We can assume that this installment will follow the planet to planet organization that Starfox for SNES and Starfox 64 did. It will be interesting to see what Nintendo and Namco decide on.

The multiplayer mode in the game was quite fun. In multiplayer, each player chooses a character from the Starfox team and begins on foot. Then, as one begins to explore, the player discovers Arwings and Landmasters strategically placed throughout the stage. Multiplayer is very similar to the single player foot mission, though, so there is not much new to report.

The selection of weapons in both single player and multiplayer included a single shot blaster, machine gun, and rocket launcher. The Landmaster is armed with a powerful blaster that creates a ground shaking explosion. The Arwing's default blaster is a single shot, with floating upgrades available that bestow double blaster on the pilot. Shield recovery rings also make an appearance, both of the silver and gold variety; very reminiscent of past Starfox installments. One new addition, though, is health packs found on the foot missions that can be snagged on foot to refill your life to full.

Overall, Starfox for Gamecube proved to be quite an improvement over last year's build, and it is a game that is worthy of your excitement for all you Starfox fans out there. Keep your eyes peeled for this title in the future.