"A mixed bag, resulting in a slightly above-mediocre game."

Introduction - A name to live up to.
Who doesn't remember the smash-hit, almost god-like game, Starfox 64? Many past-N64 owners have fond memories of SF64, it was fun, fast, very re playable, controlled like a dream, and a great time-killer. So, when the loyal Starfox fans learned of Starfox Adventures for the Nintendo Gamecube, they weren't exactly ecstatic, but willing to accept it as a slight departure. After all, Rare, the geniuses behind many of Nintendo's best games, was developing the title. Starfox Adventures was released, but (at least to me) it seemed like an ordinary Zelda clone taking place in the Lylat System with Dinosaurs and some beautiful graphics. Failed Experiment. So, when it was announced that Namco was making the new Starfox title, with more emphasis on Arwings, Landmasters, and the new addition of On-Foot battles, I hoped that Starfox would be making a triumphant return to what made Starfox 64 so great. The game came, passed, and now here I am, reviewing it. Starfox Assault has it's shortcomings, but otherwise offers a generally fun romp that will last you a good 10 hours before becoming just another game.

Gameplay - A very mixed bag
A huge fleet drifts through space above the planet Fortuna. Tons of one-man fighters swarm, the large warships around them slowly drifting, in the middle of it all is Andrew Oikonny, ex-Star Wolf member, leading his uncle's great army to war, as Andross did before him. The first mission is definitely going to hit a chord with SF64 fans. Definitely an excellent way to begin the sequel. The mission itself, is one of the best in the game, the nostalgia is everywhere, as are the enemies. This is what made Starfox 64 great, and what makes Starfox Assault seem so great at first. The flight missions. All of the flight missions (of which there aren't many) are a lot like Starfox 64's, which is the opposite of a bad thing. Featuring the same old Starfox mechanics, a well-working control scheme, and inventive enemies, the flight missions are the best this game has to offer. When you get on foot is an entirely different story, however. While fast-paced, and action-packed, the on-foot missions are easy and a bit boring, not to mention clunky. The controls aren't very good at all, and the objectives are always as simple as "Blast every enemy in your way between point A and point B", or "Destroy all the enemy generators", with one or two missions throwing in a a slightly innovative/interesting addition, the Might Gauge. Basically, if the enemy presence in the skies gets too large for your wingmen, you'll need to hop in your Arwing and blow them up until it starts decreasing, before landing and resuming your objectives. Then there's the Landmaster, which doesn't get it's own exclusive missions, and is more of an option for the on-foot missions. The Landmaster is the worst controlling vehicle of all, and for some reason it needs to use the same control scheme as the Pilot (On foot) controls you selected. So, if you choose the somewhat tolerable Dual-Stick configuration for Pilot, the Landmaster controls very, very badly. Also worth pointing out is that the level design isn't anything special, but certainly gets the job done.

(Gameplay Bottom Line: Featuring brilliantly done Flight Missions, and action-packed but easy/repetitive land missions, not to mention poor controls on foot, this is a mixed bag. 7/10.)

Graphics - Another mixed bag.
The graphics in Starfox Assault are, at the very least, not bad. The Flight missions, which seem to be made out of pure quality at this point, are beautiful. Massive warships and huge swarms of enemies in the background, TONS of objects on screen at a time, convincing enough enemies and some great special effects (Boss attacks stand out quite a bit). Playing the game is a visual dream at this part. On-Foot isn't too bad, seeing the Arwing and Landmaster up-close is great, a lot of detail there, However, some textures on the in-doors in particular, are a bit plain, and enemies seem uninspired and a bit bland. Weapon effects are nice, the HUD, while not overly stylish or intriguing, gets all the important information across. The game runs very smoothly, as I never noticed any slowdown.

(Graphics Bottom Line: The Flight missions are beautiful. Truly a sight to behold. None of the models, for enemies or heroes, go above and beyond what we've seen before, but they capture atmospheres perfectly. On foot, the graphics are more in the average area, with no real atmosphere, and not much detail either (Save for the vehicles and some enemies). 7/10)

Sound - Not extraordinary.
Well, what can I say here? The sound isn't bad at all, but isn't extraordinary. Everything sounds like it should. Music, there are some nice tracks, but none of them really stand out. You probably won't be humming a lot of them. (Though I must say Star Fox and Star Wolf's themes are excellently done, especially Star Wolf's.) The music is orchestrated, and fits in well with a lot of the situations. No sound glitches to mention, either.

(Sound Bottom Line: Well, it works well enough. Nothing in this department is bad, it's all okay or good. Starfox fans should like/admire the couple of remixes they have here. 8/10)

Story - A bit cliche, and a few bad choices. (Possible early spoilers, most of which are on the back of the case.

Like I said in the Intro, the story starts out well. Andrew Oikonny has taken over Andross' fleet, and is threatening the Lylat System. Who's sent in to save the day? STARFOX IS!!! *Heroic music*

Er.....Nevermind. Anywho, The come in, own Oikonny up, and- what's this? A bug thing comes and attacks you. ROB (Starfox's robot) goes berserk and calls it an Aparoid. This leads Team Starfox on an adventure to try stop those evil bugs, with a couple twists and such. Good enough. However, the Aparoids are a pretty generic hive-mind. They don't think, or anything. Just enemies that randomly know to attack you.

(Story Bottom Line: Starts out excellently, but quickly takes a different direction. More mediocrity, I guess. At least it's something new for Starfox. There are some choices that I can't talk about, them being spoilers, that I didn't like. 6/10)

Replay Value - Not much
Well, the single player mode doesn't have much. At all. Maybe warrants a second playthrough on a new difficulty. The game also throws you a multiplayer mode, which can be kinda fun with 3 or 4 people. There are tons of unlockables, if you DO like the game enough to get them, including new modes, weapons, characters, and a vehicle.

(Replay Value Bottom Line: Well......the single player has very little. You MIGHT want a second playthrough, unless you love the game. There are, however, tons of unlockables, meaning if you enjoyed the game, you'll be enjoying it for a long time. 8/10)

Final Recommendations
Well, certainly a mixed bag. With brilliant flight missions, mediocre foot missions, some good music, a generic story with some bad decisions made, and tons of unlockables, Starfox Assault is one of the "Rent then decide on buy." titles. If you're a fan of Starfox, there are some things here for you, but also some things you might not enjoy.

Final Score, not an average.
7/10. Rent, if you like it, buy it. A slightly above-mediocre game.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/05