New Star Fox fails to soar : NPR

Was there really a demand for this? A polished remake of Star Fox 64, minus the “64,” offers the same dated rail-shooter experience from almost 30 years ago, enhanced with stunning visuals and strangely realistic animals. While a modern game tries to emerge from this nostalgic fog, the $50 price tag ($60 for a physical cartridge) seems excessive.

The Star Fox campaign begins with a cinematic retelling of the original game’s opening text crawl, depicting Fox McCloud’s father’s betrayal by an ally to the villainous Dr. Andross. Three years later, Fox takes command of his father’s mercenary team against Andross. Each mission briefing has been transformed from its original terse dialogue into fully animated mini-films.

Fox McCloud navigates through an asteroid field.

James Mastromarino/Nintendo

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James Mastromarino/Nintendo

The visuals present a mixed experience. Although the planets and ships are detailed, fans were unsettled by Fox’s new look following the trailer release. The original character designer, who did not participate in this remake, expressed a preference for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie version of Fox. Personally, I find the lighting more problematic than the character models, with Fox often bathed in an unpleasant green glow from the cockpit.

The campaign is brief, taking only one to two hours to complete depending on how often you die and reload. However, to achieve the game’s true ending, players must restart and explore hidden paths, extending the playtime significantly. Cooperative play is possible on two systems if players are physically together, or by sharing Joy-Cons, where one player steers and the other uses mouse controls to shoot. I would have preferred a second player to aim with a joystick, as seen in Donkey Kong Bananza.

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One of many skirmishes in Star Fox‘s campaign.

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Nintendo

Battle Mode offers a more engaging multiplayer experience, although it’s not available on the same system. During an online session organized by Nintendo, I participated in 4v4 matches, capturing points and collecting energy from meteorites. With a webcam, you can use augmented reality to animate a character’s portrait in GameChat. The facial tracking is impressive: raising your eyebrows or speaking causes your character to mimic your actions. If playing as Slippy Toad and puffing your cheeks, his chin will inflate similarly.

A team of players in the 4v4 Battle Mode demonstrate Star Fox‘s augmented reality GameChat.

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Nintendo

Despite these charming additions, Star Fox still feels awkward. It boasts the production quality of a modern blockbuster but retains the sensibility of a 1990s arcade game. The campaign feels particularly dated, even with its expanded script and cutscenes. Perhaps I shouldn’t have anticipated more, given that this story has been revisited three times since the 1990s.