Star Fox

"A Treasure on the SNES"

Many years ago, I had heard about a game on the SNES that was supposed to be the most graphically advanced game on the system at the time. The title of that game was StarFox, a flight sim which consisted of as much action and excitement to keep one's eyes glued to the TV screen for days, even after beating the game. ''Such a game exists?'', I asked myself as I was listening to the information laid in front of me. I had to try it. And let me just say, it is a treasure on the SNES, and is one of the great games that the system has to offer.

Graphics (10/10)

Were the rumors true? Absolutely. The graphics are a wonderment to behold, an enormous achievement on the part of the developers (Rare Ltd.). The title literally introduced 3D to the system, nay, to the video game industry, and still stands as a landmark in the gaming timeline. The ships are simple, mostly triangular figures, but they blend in well with the environment the game has to offer (how couldn't they? The SNES's texture mapping wasn't exactly the greatest). The most impressive moments of the game are passed through space, where many things are happening at once. It is a wonder how the Super Nintendo hardware pulled it off.

Gameplay (7/10)

Arguably the game's lowest point, the gameplay is great at first, but after a while, it kinda gets old. Yes, shooting at enemies, objects, etc., flying through narrow spaces, dodging lasers...All in good fun, but it tires after a while. Still, the bosses are hard enough near the end, and the controls are good (there are a couple control schemes that you may choose from) and even a fairly interactive training mode may keep you into the game for quite a while.

Sound (8/10)

The game has great sound. The music is great, crisp (for SNES) and memorable. The low point of the sound are some of the sound effects, which are a little muffled and elementary compared to the superb musical score. The character voices are at often times very funny. All in all, the sound is yet another reason to like this game.

Replay (8/10)

StarFox has a strong, solid replay value. The bosses are challenging, which will make you want to come back for more. The game is fairly long, with, what makes it strongest in this category, three separate paths that you can choose from for many different levels, bosses and difficulties.

Rent or Buy?

Buy it while you can! The availability on SNES games is fairly low nowadays, and this game should be hard to find (it is a classic). Get it! You won't regret it!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/27/02, Updated 09/27/02