2002 Nintendo
Star Fox Adventures (SFA) began its life at E3 2000 as a game tentatively titled Dinosaur Planet for the Nintendo 64. At that time, the game (developed by Rare) was said to be an epic quest not unlike Nintendos own Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It followed the adventures of a heroic [fox like] warrior named Sabre, who was on a quest to save his planet from the sinister General Scales. Rare also claimed that there would be over 50 characters to interact with throughout the game, an impressive number for a N64 title.
After missing its scheduled deadline in late 2000, the project was moved to the Nintendo GameCube. Legendary game designer Shiguru Miyamoto had a few plans for the game involving another fox like heroFox McCloud. The game was given a new and revamped title, Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet. By E3 2002 the game was renamed yet again to just Star Fox Adventures.
The epic adventure starts off eight years after the defeat of Andross. Always pressed to preserve the world peace, the Star Fox leader decides to investigate the recent invasion of Dinosaur Planet. The tyrannosaur, General Scales, and his followers had taken complete control of the unstable world. Fox is sent on a mission to save the prehistoric paradise from the evil lizard and his Sharpclaw troops.
To help Fox on his new adventure are numerous established personalities such as Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, General Pepper, and Rob the Robot. Many new friends aid Fox as well, including Earthwalker Prince Tricky, the CloudRunner Princess Kyte, and the mysterious Krystal, who has been abducted by an ancient force only known as Krazoa. Fox's two teammates have taken on new roles, leaving all the action to Fox. Slippy, who now works in the Weapon Tech Development, supplies Fox with gadgets, equipment and advice, while the wise Peppy shows Fox where to go next via the world map. Tricky the triceratops is Fox's trusty sidekick, and will follow any order given by his master, be it to distract enemies, dig up treasures, guard, heel, or even play fetch.
The controls in Star Fox Adventures are nearly identical to those of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The context-sensitive A button is used to perform most actions, from talking to characters and picking up items to attacking enemies and giving orders your smart-mouthed sidekick. Moving the C stick in one of three directions (left, down, or right) triggers the item menu, which while open can map a dedicated function to the Y button. Pressing the X button, or the right trigger, centers the camera behind Fox. The Z button allows players to look around freely.
Features- Explore a vast, huge 3D world filled with animals, puzzles and enemies
- Use a staff to project blasts and change into different beings
- Walk, run, jump, roll, strafe and lock onto enemies via a targeting system
- Battle on land, in the water, or up in space using Fox's trusty Arwing
- Environments filled with effects like gleaming water, real-time lighting, shadows, and intentional background blur.
Jeff Van Camp: Star Foxif any of you out there are like me, many memories are triggered by that phrase, memories of a 64 bit space shooter, memories of that first rumbling controller, or, perhaps, memories of barking orders from a tree fort (fully equipped with motorcycle helmets and mock up control panels) to three of your best friends down below as you each work to battle off the threat of Andross and save the Lylat System.
Star Fox Adventures marks many firsts for the series. It is Fox McClouds first appearance on the GameCube. It is also the first SF title to be a third person adventure game. Its the first time Peppy looks like an old timer. Oh, and SFA is the first of the series to be developed by a 2nd party.
Like most Rare games, SFAs visuals are stunning. Crisp textures and fluid animation are present from start to finish. The worlds of Dinosaur Planet ooze of life and character. The fur-shading is excellent and really gives life to Fox. SFA is just about the best looking GameCube game to date.
Now I could just sit here and continue to praise the game blindly; touting its great visuals and excellent voice acting, but that just isnt going to happen. This reviewer has a number of serious qualms with Star Foxs latest adventure.
I have been a fan of the Star Fox series since it first awed me with its FX induced goodness back in 1994. This game is a radical departure from previous installments in the series. For good or bad, Rare has completely cloned the feel of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. There are numerous cut scenes throughout the game and a complex storyline that comes off as comical at times. Even the font Rare uses to display the name of a new area when you enter (short cut scene) is eerily identical to that of Ocarina of Time. Night and day also pass at about the same rate as Ocarina. The game may as well be named The Legend of Star Fox.
The controls cant really be faulted much but the C item display can get frustrating. There are times when players have little time to diddle dawdle and must rush to use a particular item or power. Due to the real time nature of the C inventory display, players may get nervous and maybe even choose the wrong item/power since Fox is totally helpless when the inventory HUD is on. An example of this happening would be if I needed Tricky to flame on and torch the underside of a boss but he was out of power. The only way to feed him is to leave myself helpless while I fumble through the menu to find the mushrooms. It may seem minor but it is a recurring theme throughout the game. Also, it would have been nice if Rare could have found a way to include more than just the Y button for assigning abilities (like the C buttons in OOT). On that note, it becomes a slight annoyance that the Y button resets every time the system is booted up or Fox dies.
Like Ocarina of Time SFA does not allow gamers to jump manually, instead opting for an auto jump system. However, the technique is not nearly as refined as it is in the Legend of Zelda series. There are countless areas where it seems ridiculous that Fox cant jump up or over something. The polish of a Zelda title is just not there.
I know I am being very negative but as the saying goes, the truth hurts. SFA just doesnt have that magic that many Nintendo titles do. The storyline borders on mediocrity and isnt nearly compelling enoughmuch of the time players may almost feel like a pawn in some kind of elaborate collectathon. Its hard to explain, but the game just doesnt hold the players interest very well. When I was playing SFA, I rarely did so for the moment like I do in many Nintendo games that feeling of total immersion in the universe onscreen. The only motivation for continuing is to further the story, and even that is decidedly lackluster.
SFA doesnt feel like a Star Fox title, but it doesnt feel like Dinosaur Planet either. It seems as if Star Fox themes and characters are just plastered in there so fans wont get upset. The short classic Star Fox flight levels are a good example of this. Players have to fly the Arwing and travel through a set number of gold rings (whilst being attacked by baddies). Once this is done, the force field covering that area of the planet is released. While this sounds like an excellent addition, its execution is flawed. Never once is there any kind of visible field preventing the Arwing from entering the planets atmosphere nor is there any mention of what is powering this shield of sorts. Also, if there is a powerful force field preventing any kind of entry or exit then how does one explain the fact that four continent-sized sections of the unstable Dinosaur Planet have split apart and are now adrift in space? In a plot driven title, small oversights like this tend to add up.
If you are looking for a rehashed and less compelling version of The Legend of Zelda then look no further. Star Fox Adventures will certainly meet your expectations. However, if you are looking for a new or rewarding game experience, you might as well start looking elsewhere because you wont find anything fresh here. Being a fan of Rare, I was expecting so much more from their first and last Nintendo GameCube game. Hopefully they will not disappoint with their upcoming Xbox titles.