Overall 9.3 Graphics 9 Sound 8.6 Addictive 9.4 Story 8.3 Depth 7.9 Difficulty 6.2
9.2
Can't let you review that, Star Fox! juuldude
Just what I needed to see: a new review.
When I started playing N64 games, I was looking which games were known as the best games for the console. I knew nothing about Star Fox at that point, but I saw on videos and forums that Star Fox 64 was called one of the best N64 games. I had my doubts if I should get it, I had never played any of the Star Fox games. But the game looked and sounded interesting, and when I heard the voice acting they had in the game I thought I would try out to see if I would like it. That was a good choice, since it now is one of my favourite and most played N64 games. I also finished this game today and since I haven't done a review this month yet I have decided that I will review this game!
Story: 7
The story of this game is literally told at the beginning of the game, so all that I'm going to say now is more of a repeat from the beginning of the game.
There is an universe called the Lylat System. On one of those planets, Corneria, an evil monkey scientist by the name of Andross did dangerous planets that almost turned Corneria into a wasteland of near extinction. Since Andross was way too dangerous General Pepper, a member of the Cornerian Army, exiled him to the planet Venom, a planet thought to be near uninhabitable. However, a few years later strange activity is noticed coming from Venom.
A legendary team known as Star Fox is sent out. In the team are James McCloud who is the leader, Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar. However, on their way to Venom Pigma betrays the team and captures Peppy and James!
Peppy manages to escape and returns to Corneria and informs James his son, Fox, about his father's fate. James is presumed dead by then...
Some more years later, Andross is taking over the Lylat System! When he reaches Corneria, General Pepper and the Cornerian Army try to stop him but Andross is too strong. They ask the new Star Fox team, led by James his son Fox, Peppy, Slippy Toad who is a mechanic and has developed many of the vehicles of the team, and last but not least Falco Lombardi, a reformed space gang member with shooting skills close to Fox himself.
Throughout the rest of the game there is not much of a story. You just have a goal and Andross will send his troops and loyal henchmen to stop you, that's it. The beginning of the story is really cool and original, but it would be nice if there were put more story aspects in the rest of the game. What also bothers me is that there is even more of a back story but which isn't told in the game. The main characters all have small back stories, and there is even a back story of the original Star Fox team. If it was put in the game then it would make the story even better. One of the better things about the story though is that all the characters stay pretty much the same. This may sound boring at first, but in so many games the characters make developments throughout the game because they have to overcome fears or they have to learn something, but all the characters stay true to their personalities: Fox is the cool leader, Falco the arrogant skilled friend, Peppy the wise and experienced shooter and Slippy the clumsy but smart pilot.
Graphics: 8
The first Star Fox game was made for the SNES. Since the SNES isn't a 3D system, the SNES used some handy tricks, including a special chip that made use of polygons, which was quite rare at that time as this was the first time Nintendo used 3D polygon graphics. While it was amazing at that time, it was hard to create good looking 3D. With the Nintendo 64 however, 3D games became real and now were a lot easier to make, due to the strong polygons and the 64-bit processor making it possible to create 3D textures.
For N64 standards, the graphics are definitely good. The Arwings, the ships used by team Star Fox, look amazing, there are many good and unique looking enemies, and each character has a distinctive face now. The worlds in general may have some weird looking things, but most of the things are clear and easy to see. The ships from other enemies look good as well, and Andross his helpers have strong and vague looking ships.
What I don't like about the graphics however, is that some things can kind of disappear when you're flying. If you're making a sharp turn for example, you could hit a pillar since you could not see it in any possible way. Another thing I don't like is that the game is quite dark, not figuratively, but literally. I really have trouble seeing some obstacles and enemies, even in some levels which are supposed to be brighter. And that's how I sometimes get hit two or three times very quick after each other because I couldn't see something.
One last thing, all the characters have their own sprite and talking animation. Or well, animation... it's just opening and closing their mouth real quick. Of course, it's hard to make good looking talking animations, but I think they could have made it look better. Also, one of the members of Star Wolf (I'll tell more about Star Wolf in the depth section) , Andrew, has a nose that looks like it's his mouth at first. Andrew is a snow monkey but instead of white fur they gave him a grey fur and gave him a weird nose and mouth.
Sound: 10
In terms of music, Star Fox has a few tracks. There isn't any song that will make you say Beautiful or 'this is my jam' although the music is quite catchy. The theme of Star Wolf and his theme is the best song in my opinion and apparently I'm not the only one, since this theme returned in later Star Fox games.
As far as the sounds go, they're pretty good. Your laser makes a real 'piew piew' sound and things like explosions and flying sound realistic too. There isn't any sound in the game that sounds like it's misplaced.
But what really makes the sound in this game shine, is the voice acting. Star Fox 64 is just one of those games where they got a great voice actor for every character, literally every person has a fitting voice. Not only that, the voice actors also did a great job. I haven't heard a single quote where I thought 'hey, that doesn't sound very angry or sad' or 'it sounds unemotional'. Due to this, the game has some famous quotes like the one I used in my title, and some others like 'Those tin cans are no match for me!', 'Hey Einstein, I'm on your side!' and the ultrafamous 'Do a barrel roll! (Press Z or R twice)'. In fact, that last quote became so popular that if you type 'do a barrel roll' in Google then Google will turn around! Now that shows how awesome the voice acting was.
Difficulty: 9
In terms of difficulty, this game has taken an interesting approach. Most games only have extra levels you can open up which are insanely difficult, or games come with harder modes. But in Star Fox, depending on how you complete your mission, you can go to a harder or easier level. The first level for example, looks like it has just one way to finish: Keep flying until you reach the boss and defeat him. But...
Minor spoiler:
[spoiler]But if Fox is able to fly through some stone bridges on the lake, Falco will suddenly see a different way![/spoiler]
So depending on how you finish the level, you can get access to other planets on your map that can be harder or easier for you. Since you get no hints of it in the game though I suggest you do some research if you want to know all the possible options, because it can be hard to figure out yourself.
If you really are hardcore, you can try to shoot down as many enemies as possible. If you succeed, you will get a medal. But beware, for the first level only you need 150 hits already. So good luck if you want to make it.
The only thing that bugs is me that some missions that were supposed to be easier or harder were actually the opposite for me. I couldn't pass one of the 'easier' levels once so I did a 'harder' level but I found it quite the opposite.
Depth: 9
Like I have mentioned in the difficulty section already, the choice of multiple planets is one of the best things.
Another great thing about the depth is team Star Wolf: A team hired in by Andross to defeat Star Fox. There are two missions where they always will appear, and one where they can appear if you trouble reaching the goal. Just like team Star Fox, they have four members who each have their own rival in team Star Fox. Wolf, the leader and also the one who named the team and ships (the ships are called Wolfens, although this isn't mentioned in the game) may miss an eye, but is an excellent shooter and will hunt down Fox (in this case you since you control Fox) in missions. Leon is Wolf his best friend, and has skills that can compare to Falco his skills, so he will hunt down Falco. Then we get Pigma Dengar! Yep, the same Pigma who betrayed Peppy and James. He is greedy and will mention that they get paid a lot of cash, and he will try to take revenge on Peppy. And the last one who I mentioned earlier, Andrew, is Andross his nephew and he actually can't do much but Andross put him in Star Wolf anyways. He is even worse than Slippy (who is known by both your teammates in the game and players of the game as the worst character in your team) and also Slippy his rival.
Now what I think is so great is how they constantly target your members so you have to be really tactic to defeat them. What's else, they have about the same skills as your team so they're really strong as well. This one of the best things about the difficulty and the depth as well.
Addictiveness: 9
Who doesn't love to shoot? And with great voice acting, planets you need to explore yet and trying to improve every time to maybe reach that medal make the game very addicting. I keep playing it because I haven't explored all planets yet, or there are certain bosses I love to fight because of their fights and their voices. The game can be a bit hard to get started with though, so the only downpoint would be that if you haven't played this in a long time and you want to play again then you might have trouble getting started again. But if you have played it a few times, you should have not so much trouble with it anymore.
There is only one more thing that I want to tell. A remake of this game was made for the Nintendo 3DS. Maybe you want to try out this game and you think 'Hey, I have a 3DS, should I get it?'
I haven't played it myself, but from what I have seen on Youtube the gameplay is just the same. The graphics are beautiful. The worlds are colourful and nothing is too dark to see.
Some sounds however, are a bit off, especially the laser sound. And unfortunately, the voice acting isn't that good. Some of the original voice actors of the N64 game have voiced characters in this game as well (the voice actor of Fox and Slippy for example) so those sound good, but other voices just don't fit their characters or they just aren't as good as the N64 game, even though they sound really alike.
So it's a bit of a 50-50 situation. They're both pretty good, and I think you will enjoy yourself with it even though the voice acting isn't so good anymore.
That's it for this review! I hope you had fun reading it and if you have questions, feedback or something else, you can tell me whatever you want! Until next review!
PS, if you enjoyed reading this review and you would like to read more of my reviews, then tell me so I can summon you next time.
Graphics 8 Sound 10 Addictive 9 Story 7 Depth 9 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 01-30-15
Review Replies: 22
10
“A Plea For Help Brings Back 4 Lylat Heroes!” sonicthehedgeho..
Our forces were finally in peace once more, the betrayal of an insane scientist has now been taken care of, and most of all...the 4 heroes that we sent out to vanquish that evil being had returned safely. Our planet is now in their debt as peace will now shine on for all eternity, or at least....that’s what we had hoped would happen. Until suddenly we were attacked once again leading us to the only conclusion that Andross was back and ready to take revenge upon the Lylat system, the cornerian army was sent out to drive off the rebellious invaders but were having severe difficulties even to the point of being defeated. It’s decided that the only option left is to bring back the 4 heroic figures from before and ask for their assistance in this war. Will the world be saved by these heroes? Is this the end of the cornerian lifeline? Are we doomed to destruction...?! (!!!) > > > >: Star Fox team has been deployed....This review can now begin!
Graphics: 10 out of 10
For a game series that started off on the SNES and already having amazing 3-D type graphics, the N64 was about to receive an amazing looking sequel into its library of growing game series and would soon become a classic among many other games that were already released and others released later in the future for example: Super Mario 64, Zelda Majora’s Mask, and Goldeneye 007. Some of my most favorite views/areas to look at and appreciate the hard work that they put into the games graphics are: Meteo (basically short for meteor field) where as you would expect there are a bunch of rocks as well as meteors flying around the air space that you’re in, while you’re busy managing to dodge between enemies as well as hurdles of rocks flying into your direction you can also look at the background which is covered with bright stars. Another level would have to be Aquas’s level appearance in the game as not only are you in a different vehicle known as the blue-marine (Star Fox’s Submarine) but you’re in a nicely detailed underwater level where when you get closer to the middle of the area the background and foreground will get darker forcing you to use a torpedo to light the surrounding area, along with fighting enemies such as starfish’s and scallops which will shoot or explode when you get in close contact with them. Either way I’m sure the graphics in this game will not disappoint you, and will be worth the time you’d be putting into the game by playing it so a perfect score of 10 out of 10 is what I believe the graphics deserve.
Sound: 10+ out of 10
Do I really need to explain how awesome the music in this game is? C’mon seriously the SNES game proved to us how much this system had to offer along with how much we love/loved it as well, but how about the N64 does it live up well to its predecessor? Of course it does like I said in the beginning do I really have to tell you have amazing it is, from the introduction video to the Area 6 theme and even among the ending theme of the game which makes you feel really rewarded for having completed this diamond of a game. The Area 6 theme gives you a feeling like for example: you’re running out into the middle of a battlefield while bullets are flying in your path, in which you know that being in that position puts yourself in constant danger however; the place/area you’ve been searching for is straight ahead and it’s too late to back down now. Now for the last explanation for the music section of this review...the introduction theme, as when it starts playing you can tell that this story has a deeper and darker meaning than what they’re telling you. Moving on though; we should start talking about the sound effects which in my personal opinion sound perfect for what the N64 could produce at the time, especially the explosion sound effects from both enemies and boss battles. Ok...Ok...I know there is something I know I should mention as it’s something that everyone talks about with this game....the voice acting, it’s something that gets made fun no matter how many times it gets played, most recognized as Slippy Toad’s voice which sounds feminine even though he is a male character. I will agree that the voice acting isn’t exactly great although; I don’t really see this as a disappointment to the game series in fact it’s actually quite humorous and funny to me which actually makes me appreciate this game even more. Well that was certainly a long section so let’s put it to rest by giving my rating which of course is another 10 out of 10.
Addictiveness: 8 out of 10
Alright so we have great graphics and sound but what about the addictiveness value that you get from picking up this game? In my own opinion I would say this game have a good level of replay value however; I believe that there are far superior games on the N64 like: Mario Kart 64, Perfect Dark, or even Banjo-Kazooie. What by all of this is that you can unlock a few special features after accomplishing certain goals but that’s it besides beating the story again, one example of what you can unlock is being able to attack on foot in multiplayer (similar to Star Fox Assault on Gamecube) by earning a medal on venom in expert mode. In case you don’t know how to earn these so called medals I’ll explain it to you, basically in levels you can earn a medal by earning a certain number of points (Sector Y = 150 points, Area 6 = 300 points, Venom = 200 points). Other things you can unlock are playing as a tank in VS mode, a sound test option, a new title screen, and lastly just so you know how to unlock the expert mode in this game...you need to collect the 15 medals from the stages in story mode. On a different note let’s talk about the story mode of this game as when you start playing you can see that the map is large with several different planets/areas to visit and that’s because there are 3 different branches or paths that you can choose to take while playing through the story with the bottom path being the easiest to get through, the middle path being moderately difficult to defeat, and the top path being the hardest path to not only defeat but reach as well. Also taking the top path all the way through will grant you a certain special ending after defeating Andross, since a certain person will appear to help you out...I’m not going to spoil who it is but I’d say it’s definitely interesting and worth finding out whom it may be. Conclusively though there could have been a few more things to make this game more addictive but in the end it still does manage to hold gamers interests which leads me to believe that it deserves an 8 out of 10 score.
Story: 10+ out of 10
Right when you turn this game on they give you the story during the intro telling you that Andross has declared war upon the Lylat System and only you, Team Star Fox can help defeat this evil traitor and tyrant in order to bring back the peace to the planet. As well as giving you a backstory once you actually being playing the story mode, explaining that the Star Fox team was originally formed with James Mcloud, Peppy Hare, and Pigma Dengar whom were all sent out to investigate the barren wasteland known as Venom where Andross had been sent due to his banishment from the world of Corneria by General Pepper. Everything seemed to have gone well until their arrival on Venom where Pigma betrayed the team causing James & Peppy to be captured by Andross, in spite of this Peppy was able to barely manage escaping Venom. Soon after a new Star Fox team was formed with: Fox Mcloud, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad, and Falco Lombardi whom were all sent out by General Pepper to stop Andross’s plans to take over the Lylat System but; one question still remains...will they be able to defeat Andross or will they end up in the same fate as the previous team, well the only way to find out is to play this game. There is also one piece of trivia that not many people seem to talk about...that is the way the Star Fox team looks and what I mean by this is that many people consider them to just be normal animals with no mechanical features among them although that is true for any games made after Star Fox 64 the original look for Fox Mcloud featured him having robotic legs which has been speculated so that he would be able to withstand the g-forces within the arwings and so that the blood from his upper body wouldn't’t rush down to his lower legs which would cause them to pass out due to lack of blood loss, on the other hand there is one thing that goes against this though too as in this game they have a system known as g-diffusion for their arwings which lowers the intensity of the g-forces that are giving off inside the ship. All differences aside it seems like this was going to have an even darker plot which makes me give this section a perfect 10 out of 10.
Depth: 8 out of 10
As you read earlier in my review I told you that there were 15 levels in the entire game along with choosing which path you want to take making this game very long and very addictive to play since you can go on the other path if you’ve beaten the game on a certain path. There are also a two warps hidden throughout 2 stages which I will explain how to activate them in this section. In the stage Meteo you can warp to Katina by flying through all of the blue warp points inside Meteo and the only other warp is from Sector X where you can warp to Sector Z by using the same method as in the previous step I mentioned, you can also unlock certain character appearances by completing certain objectives such as: beating Katina to have Bill show up in Sector X to help you defeat the boss, also by beating Zoness you will have Katt show up to help you hit a switch in Macbeth in order easily beat the boss (you must hit all 8 of them to defeat the boss in order to move onto Area 6 otherwise you’ll have to fight him normally and go to Bolse.) Well there’s not really much else to say about the depth in this game so let’s move on.
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Now this is the part of the review that has a twist because the difficulty in this game can either be really high or normal depending on which path you take. If you wanted to know my perspective on how difficult the game is without mentioning the separate paths then I would give it a 5 out of 10 since the game does have some bone-busting parts here and there but mostly throughout the game you’re not going to have a very hard time. The controls are also spot on in this game as well so if you mess up the fault lies upon you instead of the game which is something I greatly admire as I like knowing that when I mess up it was my fault and not because of bad programming. Honestly if you just plan to pick this game up to have fun then I’d definitely suggest it as it does have an average level of difficulty as well as letting you chose to take a harder path which I’d say earns this a 7 out of 10.
So this is Star Fox 64 a game that has held up perfectly well even after 16 years of its initial release. It is also considered to be one of the best games on the N64 with many other games on the system, and I for one am in complete agreement with this especially since I never knew how to get past Sector Y until I was 13 and I was so surprised when I reached the ending to the game by completing the hard path.(!!!) > > > >: “Great Fox is ready to leave, you should deploy soon” I guess it’s time for me to leave this review now *Jumps into Arwing* so as Fox would say “Let’s Rock and Roll!”
*Review Complete*
Mission Accomplished
(Peppy) – You’re becoming a better reviewer Sonic57.
(Slippy) – Very Good!
(Falco) – I guess you can do some things right!
*Flies towards Vizzed Board*
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 8 Story 10 Depth 8 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.9/5
Submitted: 08-01-13
Updated: 08-01-13
Review Replies: 5
9.7
If You Don't Like This, Barrel Roll Yourself in the Trash! Foodperson
This was easily the coolest Nintendo 64 game I had up until I got Banjo-Tooie! Even when I either rented games from Blockbuster or actually bought them from tech stores, I would always come back to this one like anyone would com e back to a great movie, memorizing the lines that the characters spew out ("Do a Barrel Roll!", "Hey Einstein, I'm on your side!", and "Try a somersault!" come to mind), figuring out the different paths to the final level, and even impressing my friends and family with my skills and high scores in the game (but nowhere near the 2000 mark, mind you).
This game is that good. Do yourself a favor and don't quit playing this game until you've earned every single medal in every single planet, on both difficulty levels, until you unlock the ability to play multiplayer matches on foot. This is how I imagine many children back in the late 90s played this game--over and over again, and even when they "beat" the game, they keep on playing!
Overview:
???? You are Fox McCloud, out to avenge your father's death by the hands of the evil Andross, who according to the narrator when you start the main game, "...turned this once striving system into a wasteland of near-extinction." (See what I mean about memorizing lines?) Your father, James McCloud, was part of the Star Fox team, which consisted of himself, Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar, with the latter betraying the team in the planet of Venom for the sake of Andross.
Commencing Nostalgia Overload:
"Peppy barely escaped Venom returned home to tell Jame's son, Fox, about his father's fate. A few years have passed. Andross has again invaded the Lylat System. General Pepper has turned to a new Star Fox team, headed by Fox McCloud, to save Corneria, and free the Lylat System once again."
Whew! You might not know what I'm talking about if you've never even so much as looked at the game. (I'm looking at you, roommate, who is supposedly a "gamer"). Anyway, the main planet is Corneria, which is like planet Earth in the real world, and General Pepper commands the Star Fox team to destroy Andross's forces, which have quickly mobilized in each of the planets of the Lylat System. There, that wasn't so bad!
Gameplay:
?? In this somewhat simple yet incredibly addicting game, you play an on-rails space shooter in three dimensions. But it doesn't end there, because these levels also have scripted events that will change what level you will play next! Some of those levels are not straight-up on-rails, either, and those levels would make you go on "All-Range Mode" where you have more freedom where to move, but you have a more mission-based structures to complete. Your success or failure in those also determine which level you will play next!
This design/mechanic is so interesting, and makes the game so replayable, that I'm surprised that not a whole lot of games has anything similar to it. Games that come to mind are Castlevania 3, Mega Man X (1), and Yoshi's Story, but those are about it. Well, technically Super Mario 64 counts, too, so I guess you can say that Super Mario 64 influenced at least one of Nintendo's own games.
But this would not matter if the level design is crap. Thankfully, it's not, and it's some of the most memorable level design Nintendo...no, any company, ever made! If you lose, it's your fault, not the game's. The controls are spot-on, too, but you have to get used to pressing the joystick at the same time as one of the C-buttons to perform a somersault or U-Turn. For the most part, you can maneuver yourself in any way you want on the rails, or anywhere in All-Range mode provided you don't go off that part of the level.
This is as good as a Nintendo game gets without being Mario or Zelda, and yet shame on Nintendo for outsourcing it to Rareware and Namco who, despite good intentions, produced inferior Fox games!
Graphics:
?? Actually, I think it's about here where I stop showering praise upon this game a little bit. While the game does look good, especially compared to third-party games, it has a muddy aesthetic on the Nintendo 64 version that would shy players away after trying it on an emulator or Virtual Console. Even worse, the Nintendo 64 version suffers framerate issues when there is even only one big explosion happening on screen! The textures are there, the polygons get the job done...but the art style is fantastic, in true Nintendo fashion! It renders the graphics problems it has moot...but still, if Rareware could make a better-looking game on Nintendo's system, then it looks like they should have learned from it while it was still around to actually make good games!
Audio:
?? When you think of audio for Star Fox 64, the very first thing that comes to mind is stuff like "Do a Barrel Roll!" The quotes in this game are the most memorable in any video game, and that was because speech in a cartridge game was a cool thing in the late 90s. The compression techniques made the voice-acting sound cooler than it probably is (...which is still good, if you hear it from the Nintendo 3DS remake of Star Fox 64), and the writing was at least sharp enough for a video game that 90s gamers like me can quote Star Fox 64 like a Christian would quote from the Bible.
But that does not lessen the music and other sound effects by any means! The music, while not quite as good as the one from the prequel to this game, Star Fox on SNES, is very Koji Kondo-esque and goes for a more orchestral and epic Star Wars style than the more 80s-inspired tracks from the prequel. Even those manage to be memorable, though who could really top the Corneria track from the SNES game? And the sound effects for everything from the blasters and the engine are spot-on and can potentially be reused in a beginner's first video game made in the style of Star Fox 64 without seeming like a talent-less hack!
Addictiveness:
?? Need I say more? I already mentioned it in the intro to this review! But anyway, I'm not kidding you when I say that this game is addicting! You will want to play again to try to get to the other levels. The other levels seem to be inaccessible in the first level, but that's only because players actually have to figure out how to get to them through how they play previous levels. For example, in the first level, if you don't save your friend Falco Lombardi from "bogeys from behind", then you are forced to take the "easy" path and beat a robot with skinny legs as a boss, but if you do, then Falco will take you through a waterfall to show you another part of the level!
"Wow", I said. "I figured that out all by myself without a strategy guide!"
That is exactly what you will say to yourself if you don't look at GameFAQs like a newbie. In fact, I implore that you play without help from anybody, and I guarantee that the level design is intuitive enough for anybody, except maybe young kids, to figure out how to access Sector Y, Aquos, Sector Z, Area 6, etc. It will require multiple playthroughs to truly beat this game, and this game was certainly meant to be played this way!
Depth:
?? Likewise, the game is deeper than you think, with the exception of one aspect of the gameplay--I'll get to that a bit later. Again, the level design has layers to each level that have the player try to play in ways other than just going from point A to point B blasting at the fools who get in the way. And again, I lament that most other games don't even have this layer of design depth to it. (Actually, I forgot to mention Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie...too late for that now, I guess...) This kind of depth adds to the addictiveness of the game immensely, and I argue that this does so better than any role-playing game, beside Final Fantasy VI and VII, I've ever touched, Paper Mario included.
Yet, one area of design that lacks in depth, for the most part, compared to other linear shooters is weapon upgrades. You collect these green things that have wings on them, and they improve your blaster from having single to twin shots, and then have a more powerful version of that upon collection of another green thing. Other shooters allow you to have spread-fire, homing fire, and the like when collecting similar things, but not Star Fox 64. Fortunately, it becomes deeper when you use the lock-on feature of your blaster, which allows for score-chaining and an overall higher score! This lock-on feature is not quite as intelligent as the one in Panzer Dragoon, but for the sake of Nintendo-quality simplicity, it gets the job done.
Also, the game is pretty short in each playthrough. You can probably get through the game the first time in a couple of hours if you don't die a lot, or it would take you a few playthroughs for you to eventually beat it once. But because you want to give it multiple playthroughs, you could easily hit the 10-hour mark. I believe I hit the 90-hour mark, that is, if I beat the game at least 90 times!
Difficulty:
?? Players who are not used to this kind of game can expect to have a Game Over or two at first, but as mentioned before, more experienced players can finish one playthrough in a couple of hours maximum. For most people who don't like to replay games, this game is worth at least a rental, but since nowadays you can get this game for a couple of bucks maximum, don't sell your copy! Beside that, the real difficulty of the game comes in collecting medals in each level--you have to earn a certain high score in each level to do so. Collecting all of the medals, which requires multiple playthroughs anyway, will unlock Expert mode, which tries to make the game more difficulty by adding more enemies and forcing you to lose a wing when you collide with an object once. However, once you unlock Expert Mode, collecting medals there is actually made easier just because there are more enemies, meaning you get more points, and the high score requirement stays the same! If Nintendo was to design it so that the requirement rises by about 50-100 points, then it would be fine and very challenging, but sadly, my playtime with this game decreased as a result of this design flaw. Also, it would have been nice to have some extra levels unlocked by collecting medals, rather than an ultimately crappy addition to an otherwise fun, if already flawed, multiplayer mode. Speaking of which...
Multiplayer:
?? It's there for friends, but it won't distract them from Goldeneye 007, Mario Kart 64, or even Mario Party beyond a session or two. At least Star Fox Assault gets multiplayer right! The flaw I noticed is that people can just keep performing somersaults to avoid enemy fire, ad infinitum until one player just gives up. Also, collecting all medals in Expert mode unlocks this weird mode in which you can play as Fox McCloud and friends on foot. In these spacious environments you have in multiplayer, it looks weird and it controls just as badly. Again, Star Fox Assault does this so much better because the levels are designed around it, but here it is just an afterthought as a sad attempt to reward players for their efforts. Hey, at least Score Attack is kind of cool...
Verdict:
??? Even with its faults--muddy graphics on a real Nintendo 64, not very challenging gameplay beyond the mission structure and deep design, and an overall lack of challenge in Expert mode--absolutely buy this game! Even with the "overpriced" Virtual Console rate of $10, Star Fox 64 is a steal! Do not let the lack of end-game content keep you from at least experiencing this classic on the amazing, if limited, Nintendo 64 game console, and let the good times (barrel) roll!
Graphics 8 Sound 8 Addictive 10 Story 7 Depth 7 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 4.8/5
Submitted: 11-14-13
Updated: 11-18-13
Review Replies: 2
9.7
Do a barrel roll! (and then play this game) ender44
For those of you who don't know, I am kind of a star fox nut, and I wouldn't be if it weren't for this game. This game is definitely the first one you should play, as it will get you obsessed with the series. This game is one of the best on the N64, and the only reason I don't call it the best is because of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. This is the second installment in the series, although the true second star fox was cancelled even though it was completed. Though, to be honest, I would be fine if every single star fox game was just this game with better graphics.Why I love this game so much: From first glance, this game seems to be a garden variety-seen more often than me referencing a Zelda game-shooter. Though it has roots in plenty of other genres. Sticking to the bottom line makes a game bland, and I am glad that star fox went above and beyond. Aside from that, this game literally puts you in the seat of a general. In shooters like call of duty and medal of honor, you are the only vulnerable one there. Your team members can get shot by a mini-gun and they will be just fine. In this game, you will have to keep track of your entire team, helping them when they need it and making sure they don't die. I think that is an awesome game element. Unlike most other shooters, this game utilizes boss fights. At the end of every level you will have to fight a boss that can be very challenging.Gameplay: the core gameplay is just breathtaking. The controls are incredibly smooth, the shooting controls work just fine, as well as the targeting system. Sometimes the camera movement can mess you up, but that happens very rarely.Graphics: This game looks breathtakingly better than some of its other games. Heck, in some parts it looks better than star fox adventures. While the character models don't look very pleasing, you only see them for a few seconds in every level. The arwings look fine, as do most of the levels. The bosses however, don't look as good as they could. They animate strangely in some parts, though this should not ruin your experience with this game.Sound: yeah, its there. I LOVE the music of this game. Most shooters and N64 games in general just had standard fighting music. Star fox went above and beyond and gave us music that is literally so good you can forget about the game. Things like the star wolf theme and the corneria theme are particularly awesome. There are plenty of others that I cant name of the top of my head, but yeah, they are awesome.Addictiveness: yeah, its there. I have beaten this game more times than I have listened to Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles. This game is just... so incredibly fun that I guarantee that you wont just play it once, you wont just play it three times, you will play it at least five times and will be hooked. At least I was. Story: Most star fox games (excluding star fox adventures) have a standard formula for a story. Star fox 64 is no exception. You go through the game, you go to the usual places like corneria and venom, you run into star wolf and his team a few times, and ten you fight andross. Though, I really think the core game is a lot more important that the story in this game. Since, I just play it for the awesome gameplay, I really don't care abut the story that much.Depth: forgive me fox mccloud, because I am about to bag on you a bit. This game has only about 15 levels that, if you are good enough, you will get through quickly. Though, as said in my addictiveness part of my review, you will play it plenty of times, so I think that makes up for the small amount of levels.Difficulty: the game is not that hard. It has a medium level of difficulty. Some of the bosses are difficult, though most of them have shining red and obvious weak spots, and even then slippy will just tell you about his weakness. As for the regular levels, it really depends on whether or not some of your teamates had died or not prior to the level. The enemies can take several hits usually, though they tend to move very slowly so they are easier to hit. Some of the shots can be hard to make, because some times you will have to help a teamate who is very far away.Overall, I really wish you would play this game. It is one of the most memorable...memories? Of my childhood and I hope it has the same impact on you.See ya
Graphics 10 Sound 9 Addictive 10 Story 8 Depth 5 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.6/5
Submitted: 03-16-13
Review Replies: 6
9.4
Star Fox 64 Review Zircron Swift
Games that were from the N64 seemed to have left more of an impact than any other games from other games consoles: Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Paper Mario, they all stood out of the crowd from the NES and SNES games. This was probably the height if their gaming before the release of the Wii. It might have been because of the full 3D graphics and a joy stick for precise movement, but they were differently heard. One that stood out more than the others has to be Star Fox 64.
But first, a little history. Star Fox appeared on the SNES, a game I really should play soon. They planned on having a second game for the SNES, but it was cancelled and was never released. The game was fully completed, apart from some debugging tools to be removed from the programming, but was stopped because of the release of the N64. This wasn't intended, as the N64 was going to be released a lot sooner than thought. So they took the game, took advantage of the new and more powerful system that was N64, and made a new game. It has been said that Star Fox 64 had about 60% game content from the SNES game, and about 40% new game features. The result is this game. This is one of my more favorite games. Lets dive right into the story, shall we?
So Andross is threatening to take over the Lylat System and is building an army on the Planet Venom, an uninhabitable planet full of waste and swamps. So General Pepper calls Star Fox to stop Andross. So you must fly though different planets to get to Venom, destroying all forces that stand in your way. On, the game play, you are flying on what's known as an Arwing, a battle ship much like you would see in Star Wars, I wonder if there's an connection....You're constantly moving through a level and there are guys trying to shoot you down. So pay them a favor back and gun them down. You can charge up your lazer and create a slower, but more powerful blast. On top of that, you can use Smart Bombs, to completely destroy anything in its radius, and deflect lazer beams by....get ready for this....A BARREL ROLL! This game is famous for Peppy saying those words: Do a barrel Roll. Press R or Z twice. So famous, that someone made a sond of him saying those words, and a remix of that extending the point of doing a barrel roll, with more words!
Who is Peppy? Oh yeah, I forgot. The Star Fox team is created by four members. Fox McCloud the fox, Falco the Falcon, who is blue, Peppy the Rabbit, and *sighs* Slippy the Frog. Some people find this high-pitched frog (or is it a toad?) really annoying, but you wouldn't hate him because of that, that really adds on top of it for the reason you hate him so. But some like this guy like how people can like Ja-Ja Binks. That's how. Why? Well, you could get annoyed at all of them. The reason being is this: they suck at being pilots. When your flying through a level, you normally get a distress call from one of your members. They are being chased by someone and they can't shake them off. Even the tactics master Peppy can't shake them off. So you need to help them and destroy the enemy. At first, you'll be happy to, helping your fellow comrades in combat. But after a while, you realize that they get into trouble quiet often. You are told to to a loop to throw your enemy off or even a u-turn if you are in a free-for-all battle. But do they do it? No, they are pretty useless. But I can't say that, they do have their uses.
Let me explain free-for-all battles first. On some levels, you might have the choice to fly freely through a level instead of just going straight on. You can do a u-turn which makes you go in the opposite direction quickly, which is very helpful. This is when your comrades are showed how good they really are. Every now and then you'll need to help your comrade out, which can get annoying quickly. You could just help them out and the very next second they need your help again. Well, you qualified Arwing school, you can handle it yourself.....Oh, looks like they can't, if you don't help them out, their arwing becomes to damaged and they need to get it repaired, meaning you don't see them until the end of the next mission. And what are they good for? Mostly boss fights and medals (there is a certain number of points you can get in a level known as hits. If you can get that number, and keep all your comrades at the end of the mission, you get a medal. This unlocks a harder difficulty and couple more things in multi-player), what do they do in a boss battle? Falco helps fight off some minor enemies, Peppy gives you advice on what to do, and Slippy gives you a health bar of the boss. How nice of them =D
I want to talk about the graphics and the sound in this game. I think it is underrated. Or more accurately, not noticed. Your so caught up in the game you hardly notice the nice view of a planet or the music on some levels. Although Star Wolfs theme is the most memorial of all. Star Wolf? They are the arch-rivals of Star Fox. The leader, Wolf O'Donnell
, and two members, Leon the lizard chameleon or something like that, and Panther the panther. Easy to remember. You meet them in the game and have an epic battle with *sighs* distress calls. Although this is one time that they do accurately fight, so I should give them some credit. And in the end, you still have some bond with them, and might get annoyed that one of your team members got gunned down by Star Wolf. Then you want to avenge them. I love those times. But the best feature of this game is the routes you take. You have a choice between two, or sometimes three different ways.
But these routes are ones that you can't choose on the map, but chosen in the level. You have to do a certain task in order to get a higher route (i.e. the left hand side of the system). I'll tell you the first one to go left instead of right, because I had no idea how to at first, and it was kinda like a "how the hell was I supposed to work that out?" In the first level, simply fly through all the arching stones. The rest you can work out. Some of the levels are unique like the planet Aquas, where your in a submarine. No, it's not yellow, so you really can't make that joke. Another one is you fly on the surface of a sun! How insane is that? And one of my favorites is The Asteroid Belt. If you can, you can find a secret wait to get to the other side of the system in a flash, literally, you go into......I can't say, sorry =P
Another thing is the bosses. I love them. The verity of bosses is great. Ranging from robotic armored monkeys to Genetic lava monsters. The N64 had great final bosses that ended in a great climax. This one is one of my favorite. But only if you can make it to Venom on the left hand side. I mean, Andross.....I can't say, no spoilers! One thing I never quite understood was how you could rotate the map of the system. I'm not sure why you can, or the purpose, but it is a nice touch. This game is very fun and has a lot of reply value. Apart from the distress calls, which you will get used to, the game is a classic. In fact, I love this game so much, that the future games don't seem good enough to be games. Star Fox Adventure was nice to add a combat touch to it, but took away a lot of the arwing action that I love star fox for. And Star Fox Assault got the balance of arwing action and foot action right, and the multi-player was great, but for some reason the new characters and the fact some of them died (turns out they didn't really) put me off. And it just didn't have the right charm to it that the 64 one has. And Star Fox Command for the DS. Please don't get me started. Just please, don't, I was several disappointed by that game, and the different endings in it.....nearly makes me cry.
So with that being said, I give this 9.4/10 The whole lot comes together to create a fun game to play, with some flaws in it, but you'll play it again to have a look at all the levels in it. I'll be getting the 3DS remake of it when it comes out, but for now, break out the old N64, or if you don't have that or a Wii, play here, on Vizzed.
Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 9 Story 8 Depth 10 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.6/5
Submitted: 07-04-11
Review Replies: 3
8.7
Review: Starfox 64 (N64) Someone70
Well, I figured I should do my first review on a game I really like, but I'll try not to be biased during the whole thing. :P
Starfox 64, a shooter game, origin of high-pitched Slippy and "Do a barrel roll!" has come a long way since its debut on the Nintendo 64. It had one game before it, Starfox for the SNES, but the series completely took off when the 64 version of it came out. The original game implemented the revolutionary rumble control, which gave the player an additional sense of immersion into the game. After the success of Starfox 64, the franchise went on to publish several more games. Even after all of those, I still consider to be the best game out of all of them (though Starfox Assault deserves more praise; that's a story for another day). Why? Simply for these reasons:
GRAPHICS-- 9
When the SNES version of the game came out, it had what no other game at the time had: 3D graphics, though they were no more than a few polygons. With that, Nintendo had a head start with 3D graphics when going into Starfox 64. As you're playing the game, zooming everywhere and firing your lasers, you hardly notice the little things that they add, such as the details to the front of the Arwing and the enemies. The gameplay is seamless with glitches in graphics happening in very few places. The polygons blend together to render graphics that come close to the early Gamecube ones, which is a big deal considering the game came out in 1997. Very few games, maybe Pokemon Stadium, come close to the smooth graphics Starfox 64 has.
SOUND-- 8
Starfox 64 is equipped with quite a few tracks that have made its way into future games, remixes, and official soundtracks. Even as you're distracted by the dozens of enemies on-screen, you always find yourself humming the background music and getting it stuck in your head. One song in particular, Area 7, has made it towards the top of my favorite VGM's of all time. Compared to other games for the Nintendo 64, the game music isn't quite as catchy as other prominent titles such as Legend of Zelda, but it's enough to stick with you for a while.
Falling under the sound category is the voices. It's hard to explain my opinion on these, since I've played the game so many times I've memorized virtually all of the tracks. Initially, the voice acting isn't anything special, and one of the first things you'll think is, "Slippy is a girl?!" The same lines tend to repeat throughout a single playthrough; while this can be seen as a negative thing, it can also get you to like the voices more. In fact, the more that you listen to these voices, the more that you start to appreciate them. Most games in the N64 genre didn't have voice acting anyways, so something like this was yet another thing that Starfox 64 was able to accomplish first.
ADDICTIVENESS-- 10
If anything, this is the one section I'd be biased on. Starfox 64 is a very short game. It can be played through in the course of under an hour. But one play through the game isn't anywhere near enough to unlock everything that the game has to offer. Every playthrough goes through only a third of the stages that the game has to offer, so it will take at least two more to just scratch the surface of the game. After that, the game has medals and a secret mode that you can earn even after that. Then the game has you competing for the high score as it has a whole ranking system to deal with how many kills you've scored in a game. The game may be 14 years old, but I still play it constantly to this day. Sometimes, you'll feel like playing a casual run-through and listening to the characters ramble on and other times you'll feel like putting your serious face on and going for that high score. Whatever the reason, there's never an excuse to not play this game!
STORY-- 7
A majority of the story is presented in the minutes before you even start flying Fox around. A crazed madman scientist named Andross attempts to take over the peaceful planet of Corneria, but the Starfox team, composed of Pigma, Peppy, and Fox's dad James McCloud, head to the country's rescue. However, Andross appears to be a much tougher foe than they thought; with the betrayal of Pigma, the two overwhelm Peppy and James, killing Fox's father in the process while Peppy barely escapes with his life. Andross is banished to the solitary planet of Venom at the opposite edge of the Laylat system, and Corneria can live in peace. When Andross gains the motivation to rise again, James' son Fox forms a new Starfox team in order to defeat this new threat in the name of his father.
The story is developed very little throughout the course of the game. The initial prologue just feels like a basic reason to play the game, and the majority of its charm comes from the actual gameplay. With that being said, the game actually has a fairly interesting story, but it's a shame that nothing happens to it during the actual game.
DEPTH-- 7
The game's depth varies depending on the perspective of whoever is playing it. As I stated before, the game requires several runs in order to finish completely, but doing the same stages over and over again could become repetitive to your average gamer. I, for one, don't find this to be true as every stage is as exciting as ever each time I play through the game. However, there are some parts such as secret passageways and unlocked charge shots that can increase your score in ways that you never though possible before. The game offers a few unlockables such as a couple of vehicles for the multiplayer mode and an expert mode if you gather all the medals, but little more than that. Its depth essentially comes from however much dedication you wish to place in the game.
DIFFICULTY-- 7
Starfox is not a game that can be beaten on the first try. Many have tried and many have failed. This is not to say that the game is difficult, however. Starfox 64 splits itself into 3 categories of difficulty depending on the route you take as your proceed into the Laylat system. The difficulty of the next planet can be seen depending on the color your ship's path takes on the main map. A more difficult level doesn't necessarily indicate more enemies, just your chances of survival. It can easily be frustrating for a newcomer to play through Starfox, keep dying, and giving it another go, but with perseverance, you can proceed to the much more fun levels such as Zoness which are filled with tons of enemies and bullets on screen at once.
OVERALL-- 8.7
Overall, Starfox 64 is a highly addicting, well-polished game for its time. It runs smoother than most other games for the Nintendo 64, and is one of the few games that can be given to a new gamer today and still be thought of as an amazing game. Like other games made in its time, Starfox 64 is a classic that has led to one of Nintendo's best series today. In fact, the game is getting completely remade in Starfox 64 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. And with that, even more people can experience the greatness of Starfox 64.
Graphics 9 Sound 8 Addictive 10 Story 7 Depth 7 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.5/5
Submitted: 06-20-11
Review Replies: 7
10
Starfox 64 review minorman4
Star fox 64, one of the greatest N64 games around. Also known as lylat wars over here in Europe, it is a fun and addicting game and deserves all it's fame. As I do own a copy of this game, I find this game to fun to put down.
Difficulty:
I would say this game would be around the middle of difficulty, simply because there are many ways to complete this game, even the first level changes how you play and find the games difficulty. But if one has never played N64 game and/ or star fox 64, it will mean there will be a huge learning curve until they figured out how to play it... or how to get to the training mode of course to boost they're skill.
Addictiveness:
I think this game is highly addictive and would defiantly go back and play this game any day. I would say anyone who play this and would then want to play it all over, just to find all the secrets. I will most probably go on this game quite soon.
Story:
(caution, may contain spoilers)
All is peace in the lylat system, until the evil andross strikes back on Corneria and threatens to destroy the entire system! You control the main hero, fox McCloud, son of the dead James McCloud. Your team members are Peppy hare, Slippy toad, Falco Lombardi. With side characters like rob 64, your task is to navigate your way through all the planets and destroy andross's army. In the last fight, you will have to fight andross, the main bad guy in star fox 64 and the other star fox's games.
Depth:
Like I said in difficulty, there are different ways to complete star fox 64 and will defiantly need to be replayed to get all the ways to get to the end. There are 3 paths to go through hard, medium and/ or easy. Between these there aree 6 levels to get to venom to defeat andross.
Summary:
So all in all, star fox 64 (lylat wars) is a fun and addictive game that is loved by all and will always be considered a classic in all our hearts. If anyone dose not like this, then it is understandable.
-Minorman4
Graphics 9 Sound 8 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 8 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 3.8/5
Submitted: 08-10-11
Review Replies: 1
9.5
Star Fox **Grinning** Ferrobbra
House hold pets flying Space Jets? I cant even get my cat to poop in the little box. This was yet another game from my youth that I played till my eyes bled. I remember playing through the first time, Getting to Venom and killing Andros, only to find that it was just a robot and the real Andros was still alive. It wasn't until much later that I discovered that there are several different paths to take to the end. Even later I discovered that by keeping your crew alive and killing a specific number of enemies, you unlock medals. After many hours of shooting down enemies and flying through narrow passages and finally Achieving all the medals. I learned you can Actually play as James, Star Fox's father. Apparently He was killed on a mission to defeat Andros while Fox was just a... child... What do you call a young fox? I recommend this game and give it a high score because it is one of the greatest classic Nintendo game out there.
I scored the graphics because even though it is primitive compared to toady's standards, It was absolutely fascinating for its time. The hit detection is excellent and the ability to score combos when shooting down enemy fighters, really makes a person want to push for a high score.
The Sound is basic stock Nintendo sound, for everyone who was around during the "Bit wars" you can hear Nintendo in Nintendo if that makes any sense. As with the hit detection, the sound goes tandem with the damage being inflicted on your enemies and yourself.
This game is highly addictive. I try to play it through as much as I can and work really hard to unlock the different routes and medals. It almost feels like a precursor to the acheiement systems of the modern generation consuls.Button mashing goodness at its finest.
The story is more than it seems, with having different routes to take to Venom. By hitting specific targets and flying through certain obstacle's, you'll find that there are more characters and even different vehicles to operate. Such as the Landmaster and the Submarine. As annoying as your crew may be, and as tempting as it is to just let them die, it is better to have them survive. Their dialogue in each of the levels can change after having finished certain requirements. Just see for yourself
The difficulty is rated at 9 because there are levels in this game that are damn near impossible. Like trying to keep your whole crew alive in the Solar level. You are basically flying on the surface of the sun and every one of them decides they need to fly just above the liquid hot magma. Just keeping the crew from being killed is a full time job. It seems that everyone has a hate for Falco as he tends to be the first person to get shot down in most levels. In reality the crew tends to get in the way far more than they need to and always seem to need help from perusing enemies, while at the same time, being totally useless when you are being chased.
But don't take it from me. This is just one humble gamers opinion. Playing this game again makes me regret ever selling my Nintendo 64 when I was 14. If there is one piece of advice I can give anyone, it is to never sell your video games. Yeah sure you may need the money someday, but take it from me, you will always regret it. ALWAYS!
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 10 Story 9 Depth 9 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 3.8/5
Submitted: 05-19-13
Review Replies: 4
8.5
Eh. rather play on my nintendo 64... port753
I love star fox 64, and this is the only star fox game I own. When I was younger, I would always die in that pathway/well/thingy that leads to andross. I was so scared of facing andross on the bottom path thru Andross' home world and while fighting him, having his face explode into some machine like thing. And when I was even younger I was scared of the asteroid belt boss for some reason. I would always reset the game and start from corneria. About 7 years later, I've beating the game on the complete top path and the game is definately fun if you CAN play it. Unfortunately, my computer sucks when it comes to nitendo 64 games. I've tried both ways of playing the game. One is like holding the space forever because it won't play at normal speed, and the other lags A LOT. Anyways....
The graphics of the bosses and maps are all decent. Not exactly top quality, but it is a stand out compared to other Nintendo games. The maps are all detailed, and there are a ton of enemies you have a chance to kill.
The sound is great from the pewwwwwwwwwww of a bomb, to the low health alert, to the pew pew pew. The music isn't the best, but it's not that bad either. It is average, but doesn't add anything to the game.
I have played this in elementary school, and every once in a while I will play this, but on my Nintendo. It takes a good hour- hour and a half to win this game, but the fact that each kill increases the score by one gives the game more of a reason for me to play beyond my best. The concept and game play is also very fun to try.
The story? A mercenary and his group is hired by the general of a planet to rid the galaxy of the Sith Lord. Long, long ago, in a galaxy far away, James McCloud, and his team of Peppy Haire and Pigma set off to destroy the evil Andross and his army. After James was betrayed by pigma, McCloud's son Fox sets out to destroy Andross. Anyways, what is good about this game is that there are several routes you can take in this game. So each mission mostly does not have anything to do with the last, and the missions primarily don't have any effect on the story, but in the end the whole plot makes sense.
Like mentioned before, there are multiple paths you can take to win the game. There are quite a few bosses in the game, and you do have some choice when it comes to choosing the map, except if the planets aren't on a similar path.
While fun, this game does take at least an hour to beat. The fact that you can only restore health is at check point and little power ups that barely restore health along the way, but when you face your star fox rivals in andross' home world, they are very, very tough. I now beat them just about every time, but still pose as a challenge.
If only I could play this on my computer, but the controls are so jacked up its hard to even start coneria's mission. Oh well, still a great game for Nintendo 64 though.one last thing....
Graphics 7 Sound 7 Addictive 10 Story 7 Depth 10 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3.7/5
Submitted: 03-01-13
Updated: 03-01-13
Review Replies: 0
10
Star Fox 64 kabenon007
Wow, I've managed to already get to the actual review without spouting off the line that this game made famous. Hint: rhymes with carol bowl. This game was really what propelled the N64 into a new level of gaming when it first came out. Sure it had Super Mario 64, which was great, but that catered to the platformers out there. What about people who wanted to blow the crap out of stuff? That itch, so easily scratched nowadays with seemingly every new game being some sort of blow-em shoot-em knife-em up like Call of Warfare, Modern Battlefield 3.5, was soothed by the appearance of Star Fox 64. Not only did it provide satisfying gameplay and story, but it also introduced a peripheral that would soon become standard in every game controller: the Rumble Pak. Yes, Star Fox 64 is the game that the original force feedback brought to rumbling life in your hands, which meant you felt every hit. It was so successful that every controller made thereafter would have a rumble feature built in.
I could talk about this game all day. The gameplay is so easy to pick up and play. Controlling the Arwing, Fox Mcloud's vehicle of choice, or the LandMaster, the land locked tank, is a breeze. The controls are wonderfully responsive, with the slightest movement of the control stick sending your vehicle exactly where you wanted it to go. Which is good, because this game's enemies come fast and furious, and you have to have a quick thumb to avoid their lasers, their bombs, their mines, and their eyeballs. Yeah, there are enemy eyeballs.
Another major praise for this game is the voice acting. Nintendo is known for silent, or at least mostly mute, protagonists. Link says nothing, Mario squeals with delight, but rarely does he form coherent sentences. This game, however, is fully voice acted, and quite well done I might add. From the sarcastic Falco to the androgynous Slippy to the instructive Peppy "DO A BAR..." No, I refuse to succumb to the temptation... must write review... without saying it... No matter what anyone else says, I think Nintendo could stand a few more fully voiced characters in their lineup.
Folks may gripe about the limited number of levels in total, the shortness of the game, and the general repetitiveness of the gameplay. I would challenge that though, because each level you go through is unique to itself, there are no rehashed gameplay elements aside from the fact that you are flying (or rolling, in the tank levels). Each level presents its own unique twist. The solar level, for example, constantly drains your health the closer you fly to the sun. The satellite level features a revolving stage underneath you that makes targeting enemies difficult. And on and on. Each level, though maintaining the same basic "shoot enemy spaceships down" premise, is a unique experience that, when seen through that eye, never get old. Also, each run through, which levels you go to, are dictated by your actions in the previous level. Did you kill enough enemies to go to the harder route? Did you fly through the correct sequence of gates? Each of these actions is seamlessly woven into the gameplay so it is not simply a matter of choosing your course through the game, you must earn your way.
Another point that does deserve some special mention is the cohesiveness between single-player and multiplayer. Each world has a set number of enemies you have to beat to medal on the level. As you unlock more medals, you unlock additional things for the multiplayer mode. Though not an extensive list of unlockables, the allure of unlocking all the medals was strong, and I spent hours attempting to make the best runs I could through the game in order to destroy as many enemies as I could in effort to capture that elusive medal (until my brother "accidentally" erased the entire memory card...)
The story is surprisingly fun, as it shows rather than tells. Instead of telling you of the odd love affair between Falco (a bird) and Kat (a feline) it shows it to you in the dialogue between the characters. Instead of interrupting gameplay, the dialogue takes place during the actual missions, while you are flying, and more than once I found myself crashing into space debris because I was laughing at the lines being delivered in the midst of a galactic war. It's also a surprisingly personal story. Though it may appear to be about a fox saving the galaxy (as so many stories are) at its heart it is about a young fox facing his father's killers and betrayers in an effort to come to grips with his father's death. It is a wonderfully subtle story, never becoming preachy or heavy handed, it is always subtle in approach, conveying the story elements slowly through character dialogue and interaction.
The final thing I have to mention, I absolutely have to mention, are the bosses. This game has some of the most wonderful boss fights in the history of games, and it perfected the "Every boss has a weak spot" cliche. Each boss does have a weak spot, and they are quite obvious (big, flashing and yellow) but they are not just some random spot on the enemy. They have a specific spot for a reason, perhaps it is the head, perhaps it is the arm you are trying to blow off, or perhaps it is simply a power supply. In addition to being a wonderful example for bosses to come in terms of execution, they take the cake when it comes to creativity. I'll just leave it at that, because each boss is truly something that needs to be seen to believe. And the final boss battle is something truly both grotesque and amazing at the same time.
This game will keep you coming back for more. Playing through each of the game's different, branching runs means you will have to. And then if you like a challenge, you will keep coming back to try and get those levels. Plus, at the end of the game, General Pepper adds up your total score in terms of money earned by your mercenary team, comically reminding you that team Star Fox is in it for the money as well. Trust me, this game will get on your tail and not let up. You might even have to DO A BARREL ROLL to shake it off. Wait... darn it...
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 8 Story 10 Depth 9 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 3.7/5
Submitted: 07-17-12
Review Replies: 0
9.6
Star Fox 64 Review Marcmoney
Overall - 9.6
Star Fox 64 is so awesome. It is one of the most popular games in the world. I remember playing this long ago and today. It is so much fun and I would always play it all the time. :)
Graphics - 10
The graphics are amazingly good. The twist and turns it gives makes the game so interesting.
Sound - 10
The sound is good too. The shooting and the moving is realistic. The voices when they talk during battle is pretty cool, kind of like Star Wars. :P
Addictiveness - 8
I play this every time. My friends always tell me why would you play this, I would say it's because it is fun. The multiplayer is also fun, versing friends and families. :) Whenever I beat the game, I find out that I get better at it than I was when I was a child.
Story - 8
The story in the game is very interesting. There is so many different stories on a count of which planets you go to.
Depth - 6
The game is not that big. It basically has a total of about 10 levels. You can change planets if you do a secret or something.
Difficulty - 3
The game is not that hard. I guarantee that you will not have any problems with this game. It is just like an average fun little game. :)
Wrap Things Up...
Star Fox...a wonderful remembrance of the past. It is still up to date at this point on making new games of it. I recommend trying this game out, there is no chance that you will not like it. :)
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 8 Story 8 Depth 6 Difficulty 3
Review Rating: 3.5/5
Submitted: 07-24-11
Updated: 07-26-11
Review Replies: 4
9.5
Star Fox 64 Mobouis1
In my opinion this is the last true Star Fox game. I know that there are other Star Fox game, but you don't be in the ship. The game is one of the best game for the Nintendo 64. Now onward to the review.
Graphics: 9 The game is now in 3D form. It is also smooth, so the graphics is amazing.
Sound: 9 The sound effect sound amazing, including the voice. The explosion sound amazing in this game.
Addictiveness: 9 The game have the arcade feeling in it. So the game is very addicting game to play most of the time.
Story: The story is the Andross is trying to control the universe, but Fox prevent his plan, and destroy him.
Depth: 8 The game allow you to choose your course path. The game have many levels, and each level can be long or short. If you really good at games like this then it short, but might take a while if you are bad.
Difficulty: 5 When I first play the game it was easy for me, but as the game continue the levels start to get harder. Also at the end of each level there is a boss, so if you have low life the boss might give you a hard time.
Overall: 9.5 The game is really fun to play when you want to play a game like this. If you are a huge Star Fox fan, then you shouldn't miss out on this game. Also here a hint try to help out your teammate when you can. It can make future mission a bit easier.
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 9 Story 8 Depth 8 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 3.3/5
Submitted: 10-01-12
Review Replies: 5
10
Do A Barrel Roll!!! freakyforrest9
Do A Barrel Roll! Never Give Up. Trust Your Instincts. All these were the famous lines of the hare Peppy. If the guys and girls have NEVER played Star Fox 64, stop reading and play it. It's fun, and exciting to play back when the Nintendo 64 was out in stores. Speaking of the N64, I got the game WITH the N64. So now it's time if it passed after years of it's release.
Graphics: 9- Yes, 9. I've seen better looking 3-D games for the system. I'm not saying Star Fox isn't a bad game with the graphics, the graphics are amazing. Just not awesome. No, I take it back. The game has one of the best, if not THE best, graphics Nintendo has to offer. Good job Nintendo, now just come out with a Star Fox for Wii and you guys are good.
Sound: 9- *whistles* Man, does this game have sound. It's because of it, that we feel like we're IN the battlefield, not PLAYING it. 'Nough said.
Addictiveness: 9- Yes, another 9. It takes some stuff to get me addicted to it. This game is one of them. This game can be worth playing again and again if either you like it, want to get the medals, or both. It doesn't matter as long as YOU have a reason to play it again.
Story: 8- The story's the same if you've played the original Star Fox for the SNES, which I've heard is good. Andross is trying to take over the Lylat System, General Pepper sends the original SF team, Peppy survives, Andross tries again to invade the Lylat system. This time a new Star Fox Team, consisting of Fox McCloud, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad, and Falco Lombardi, to save the Lylat System. Need I say more?
Depth: 9- This game offers little after you've beaten the game. You just have to complete the other two routes of the Easy Story Mode to unlock the Expert Mode. In Expert Mode, there's more enemies to defeat, Andross has a second form to beat to get the good ending, and Fox wears his father's sunglasses. It'll take you awhile, but it'll be worth it if you feel like playing the same first and last level five more times.
Difficulty: 7- The game isn't to difficult until you face the last level, mainly in hard mode when you face Star Wolf one final time, and have to face a sort of tough final boss. It depends on how you see defeating Andross' second form.
Overall: 10- I've grown up with the Star Fox team over the years, getting Star Fox: Assault for the GameCube. This game might take, in my mind, at least 8-10 hours, if not more. A must have for Star Fox fans, or friends of the fans of Star Fox.
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 9 Story 8 Depth 9 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 11-07-12
Review Replies: 9
8.6
Star fox 64 review austipokedude
Shall we get started
Graphics:they were pretty good the arwings looked great
Sounds:the characters sound pretty good when they talk but I found slippys voice a little annoying
Addictiveness:this game is very addicting especially the multiplayer
Story:the story is about fox getting revenge for his father James mcloud so fox goes and defeat andross the antagonist of this game
Depth:this game is short which disapointed me there were at least 5-10 planets which is not a lot at all
Difficulty:it's not that hard all you do is shoot at enemy's from the arwing not even andross is that hard
Now here are the ratings
Graphics:8
Sound:9
Addictiveness:9
Story:9
Depth:4
Difficulty:4
The only problem with this game is its short but it makes up for its graphics,sounds,addictiveness,story,and depth
Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 9 Story 9 Depth 4 Difficulty 4
Review Rating: 2.5/5
Submitted: 01-03-13
Review Replies: 1
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