Starfox in 64-bits

The promised follow up to my last Starfox article.
On
September 07, 2007
Well I said I'd make a follow up to my last article so here it is. Well for my latest article lets set our retro clocks back to the mid through late 90's. Now this was a era of the first 3D consoles, the Sega Saturn, the Playstation, and of course the N64.



Now how would Nintendo's latest console hold out against the competition? Well by evolving some of its best franchises into 3D, Why there was mario in 3D, Zelda in 3D Donkey kong in 3D, Kirby in 3D, and my personal favorite, Starfox in 3D, better known as Starfox 64.



Yes Starfox was back in a new dimension of excitement, and in more then one way to wow you. But before we get any further into that lets talk about the basics. Now since in this era all the latest consoles were now capable of full 3D this next starfox wasn't going to be anything we haven't already seen graphic wise. But how would it stand up above all the rest you ask?

Well Think of it like taking everything that made the first starfox awesome, and make it 80 times better. yes that's what starfox 64 did it improved over the original, and added a little bit extra.

So if you read my last article you should pretty much know the story already. Now instead of starfox 64 being a direct sequal to the original starfox its more like a remake of the first game. So the storyline and characters are pretty much the same. with the addition of a few new characters, enemys and bosses.



Well first the controls themselfs were pretty much the same. But it felt a little different considering it was on a N64 controller this time. one of the biggest improvements over the last game was the fact that everything moved a whole lot faster. Yes the ship moved faster. The enemys moved faster and even the bosses were faster and more agile. This also ment you had to think alot faster to because anything could happen in between that could kill you before you could even realize it.

One new feature in Starfox 64 was the gameplay where you could fly around in any direction you want. Of course this was sometimes only usable at the end during certain boss battles, but sometimes it consisted as the whole level. These levels are sometimes not as exiting as the point A to point B gameplay, but can be overlooked.

Now lets talk about the sound effects and music. in this case they were also a huge inprovement over the last game. In my opinion Starfox 64's soundtrack has to be one of the best soundtracks i've heard in a video game. As for the sound effects they were also a huge improvement. everything from explossions to spashing water sounds great. Why this game even had voice acting. Yes now could hear every character in the Starfox universe talk and act out there emotion's, but not just the main characters but almost all the bad guys as well, and even some miner characters. Of course today voice acting in video games isnt anything special but at the time it was still new in alot of video games.

Now two new features in the Starfox trilogy include two new vehicles. The Blue Marine, and the landmaster. Now you could take your battles to the land or sea with these babys. Though it wasn't included in as many levels as the Arwing starfighter it was still exiting to blow stuff up on ground level. I cant say the submarine was as much fun as the other two (since it moved a heck of a lot slower and wasn't as agile) but its not to say it wasn't enjoyable to.



Now just like in the first game you traveled from Corneria to Venom. Of course the difference this time was that instead of choosing from one of three paths that were easy, medium, and hard, it worked like whatever decision you made durring the level effected what path you went on. This could either be done by flying through rock arches, destroying a certain number on enemys, or beating the level in a certain time limit, and depending on what path you chose there are two different endings. The first ending being really easy to get, and the second being really hard to obtain. ( I personally think the hard to get ending is really worth it.) Another thing is that there are quite a few more planets and levels in this new installment.



So now for the next big thing that makes starfox a blast, 4-player Multiplayer. Thats right not only could you have a single player story mode that rocked, but you had the addition of a 4-way deathmatch where you and three, or two, or even one other friend could fly around in an open 3D environment to see whose the best. Though now a standard feature in many games at the time 4-way deathmatchs were still new and exiting in games the era of these late 90's consoles. ( especially the N64 since it already had 4 controller slots built in which saved you the trouble of having to buy a 4 way adaptor)



So now I think its time to bring out the one of the coolest of all of starfox 64's features. The one that also revolutionized the gaming industry to a tiny degree, Though a standard feture today it was also a huge thing when it came out. im talking about the one, the only.

!!N64 Rumble Pak!!



Just when you thought this deal couldnt get any better, Nintendo comes out with this new little device you plugged into the bottom of your controller that allows you to feel the games your playing. Thats right you can now feel the the enemy hit you, The thrust of the ship when you hit the speed boost, and the explosions of your ship crashing or the enemy boss dying and blowing up before your very eyes. Though its now just a standard feature on all controllers, at the time this was brand new in games, and Starfox 64 was one of the first games to have this feature, and it also became a standard feature for every N-64 game to follow. But the very best part was that every copy of starfox 64 had a rumble pack packed in with the game. So as soon as you bought the game you could feel this new feature when you began playing, What more could you possibly ask for?

Its clear to anyone, Starfox fans, Nintendo fans, N-64 fans, or just hardcore gamers in general, that Starfox 64 is by all means the peak of the series. Its just by all means awesome in every way. Though the graphics have long since become outdated its one of those games that manages to hold up in the test of time. If your even remotely curios about Starfox 64 I really recommend giving it a try. Go on I dare ya, look for a copy at your local used game store, or on Ebay, or buy it from the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console, or even download the rom from the internet and play it on your computer. I promise you wont be disappointed.



So what does the Future hold for Starfox now? Will Nintendo ever make a title that can outshine Starfox 64 the same way Starfox 64 out shined Starfox on the SNES? only time will tell.

In my opinion I liked both Starfox on the SNES and Starfox 64. mostly because the first game was a very special part of my childhood, and because Starfox 64 was just an all out mind blowing experience. Starfox adventures was also OK though I don't count it as a True Starfox title. But that's another story.

Well thanks for reading everyone, and thanks to those who liked my last Starfox Article as well, Bye for now.
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