Developer: Nintendo EAD Publisher: Nintendo Release: 06/23/97 Genre: Rail Shooter
I was an early adapter of the Nintendo 64. The SNES is possibly my favorite console of all time and the hype surrounding Nintendo’s next system was insane. While it was fun at first the slow drip of new releases was not. For well over a year you could count the number of new titles on each finger every month. I will say though that generally whenever one of Nintendo’s bigger releases would hit it was worth the wait. Star Fox 64 made the summer of 1997 extra special with its high quality campaign and surprisingly fun multiplayer mode. It easily remains one of the best rail shooters of all time.
The evil scientist Andross has launched an attack on the Lylat System, threatening the peace of Corneria and neighboring worlds. Star Fox 64 is a sequel to the original despite featuring the same story. It is significantly expanded in every category, from features to especially presentation. First and foremost the Star Fox team members have distinct personalities. Slippy is the mechanic and not a good pilot which is why he needs help so much. Peppy is the wise veteran as he was a member of your father’s team. Falco is the cocky ace pilot who thinks he is better than you and too proud to ask for help. There are far more characters too and with the voiced dialogue it gives the game a cinematic feel. In many ways this is the title the original wants to be.
To be honest I had high expectations of Star Fox 64. I was highly anticipating the release of Star Fox 2 on the SNES. To say I was disappointed at its cancellation in favor of this title is an understatement. In hindsight Nintendo did make the right decision. While Star Fox 2 is a good game even today it would look less than favorable next to Panzer Dragoon the same year. The technological leap the N64 provides was enough for a substantial leap in design as well as introducing rumble to the console market.
The gameplay in Star Fox 64 is familiar but with many subtle improvements under the hood. The targeting reticle makes it easier to hit an enemy which makes you wonder why it was missing in the first place. In addition you can charge shots which home in on enemies and explode on impact. It sounds simple but this one mechanic is crucial to racking up high scores for medals. Defensively in addition to boosting, braking, and the barrel roll you can somersault to get behind enemies and such. The game allows you to switch freely between first and third person views. Thanks to the improved framerate the controls are more responsive, making the game easy to learn but surprisingly deep to master.
Star Fox 64 gives secondary roles to each of your wing mates. Slippy will reveal the boss’s life bar, Peppy offers advice and Falco usually opens up secondary routes through certain levels. These sound minor but are incredibly helpful. The boss battles in particular are more elaborate, with multiple phases and weak points you must destroy to complete. It is very frustrating to wail away at a boss with seemingly no feedback. You must keep them alive for these features of course, further incentivizing teamwork.
The strict route structure of the first game is no more. Technically it is still there: the galaxy map is larger with more planets. However your actions determine your path through the game. On most levels there are secondary objectives and such that once complete can change your trajectory to Venom. Generally these lead to harder levels with entirely different planets, bosses, and story paths. Finding these is half the fun. Corneria is the simplest: fly through the rings and then follow Falco. But the rest are tougher. On Zoness you must destroy all the searchlights which is hard as some are very hard to reach. The route you take to Venom can also determine the ending you will receive. A typical run encompasses seven levels but there are sixteen total. This gives the game huge replay value.
Earlier I mentioned Star Fox 64 has a more cinematic feel. This is borne out through its levels and their mission types. There are many events that make the stages feel dynamic. With so many characters even on Andross’ side they react to your actions. If your wing mates are alive you get unique dialogue as well that define their personalities. A new addition is all-range mode, levels that remove the rails and allow free flight in an arena. These are usually full scale battles with objectives such as destroying as many enemies as possible or dogfights against the Star Wolf team. These especially are some of the best in the game but also the hardest. While not perfect all-range mode is a great addition to the game.
Typically rail shooters are short. Star Fox 64 bucks that trend by encouraging multiple runs to see all of its levels. But it goes beyond that. You can receive medals for your performance on every level. You will need a guide for the requirements but many require mastery of the game’s controls and content. Aside from being a fun challenge they unlock content for the game’s multiplayer. I thought multiplayer would be a curiosity. But it is incredibly fun despite its limited options. The maps are large enough to maneuver while forcing conflict. Recreating dog flights like Top Gun was not on my bingo card in 1997 yet I spent a significant amount of time doing just that. Getting gold medals unlocks extra vehicles and even the ability to fight on foot. Unlocking all of Star Fox 64’s content will take some time, granting it significant replay value.
Star Fox was revolutionary at release but its framerate was a problem. Star Fox 64 fixes that problem and was one of the best looking games at release. The framerate is 30 and while it dips on certain intense levels it never reaches the levels of the original. Everything has textures with smooth polygonal environments and massive bosses. The set pieces and scale go beyond the first game with epic space battles the likes of which were only on PC. I have to also give mention to the large amount of voice acting. All dialogue is fully voiced and the script is huge for a cartridge game. The line reads are competent with many going on to be iconic and memed even to this day. The one area that lags behind its predecessor is the music. While the score is solid the cartridge space went to the voice acting.
In Closing
Star Fox 64 is a master class in arcade game design. Every mission is packed with action, memorable moments, and replay value. Its branching routes, charismatic cast, and perfectly tuned controls make it just as enjoyable today as it was in 1997. I have put hundreds of hours in to this game at this point and yet I am still not tired of it. It is easily one of the top ten best games for the Nintendo 64. They do not make them like this anymore so cherish them when they come.
