STAR FOX ADVENTURES REVIEW

 

 Star Fox Adventures is an interesting game for a number of important reasons. First and foremost, it is developer Rare's final release for a Nintendo console, ending a long and fruitful relationship between the two companies that has produced such memorable titles as Battletoads, Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Diddy Kong Racing. It is also interesting because it is the first Star Fox game that takes place primarily outside the Arwing. Finally, it is a game that has roots as an original Nintendo 64 title called Dinosaur Planet.

Slippy sent you nudes again didn't he?

Star Fox Adventures has almost nothing to do with Star Fox aside from the crew, which could have been replaced by any other group of characters and lost nothing. A fox, frog, and rabbit aren't exactly the stuff legends are made of, and unless there's an upcoming Wind and the Willows game, it's doubtful players will see such characters again. So, Rare not only had to shoehorn the Star Fox license into their existing adventure, but help develop a character who has little personality of his own besides the occasional banter between wingmates while blasting legions of Andross fighters.

This is Fox running. In a hallway. Beat that.

A real hallway was used in this shot.

Star Fox Adventures can best be described as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in a prehistoric setting. The world changes from day into night in short, automatic cycles; players engage enemies by swinging a weapon (a staff instead of a sword); the character automatically jumps over chasms; and the world is divided into several themed regions whose inhabitants are in desperate need of assistance. Puzzles are of the sliding block, planting bomb, shooting switch variety, and there are several items to pick up to increase carrying capacity or health, such as bags, containers, seeds, and what not.

Giant Styracosaurus standing right next to you? No biggie, you're Fox motherf***ing McCloud!

Rare borrows elements from the company's earlier titles as well, making Star Fox Adventures a melting pot of familiar features. From Banjo-Kazooie comes the sidekick, in this case a playful dinosaur named Tricky who can be told to stay on top of switches, dig for hidden items in conveniently marked patches of dirt, and even spit fire. From Donkey Kong 64 are the enemies, essentially the dinosaur equivalent of Kremlings, and the idea of collecting a wide assortment of trinkets. From Conker's Bad Fur Day are context sensitive areas, humorous voice acting, racing segments, and gun turrets. Everything else is Zelda.

We conveniently arranged a photoshoot of the baddies and this is the result:

They're scarily photogenic!

We know what you're thinking. That's why we wanted to show you their boss choking bird for giggles.

The bird doesn't appear to have the giggles.

In a not so giggly way, Star Fox Adventures never adds up to the sum of its parts. Despite featuring a style closely patterned after Zelda, the game isn't nearly as fun. This is primarily due to the small regions making up the environments, forcing a linear style of progression, and repetitive objectives. In Zelda, each new region seemed to offer limitless possibilities to explore and to have fun, even without touching upon the main quest. Star Fox Adventures features densely packed areas roped off by walls or barriers, discouraging exploration. There are almost no side quests to undertake other than the main goal at the time, which typically involves gathering this or that (more this than that) on behalf of the local residents. Both combat and the puzzles are simplistic, and the story has a disjointed feel. The sense of wonder comes from the presentation, not the gameplay.

Snow fox to the rescue!

Rare's last game on GameCube is a visual and effects masterpiece. The water effects and reflective surfaces are breathtaking, the lighting effects are dazzling, and the textures are so refined you truly feel you are in a foreign world. Little details such as tiniest hairs on Fox McCloud's face are visible in what can only be described as the most realistic use of fur yet seen in a game. Weather effects are also abound, including snow and rain, and everything looks razor sharp without a hint of blurriness or fog other than what's used for atmosphere. Players will notice creatures flapping around in the sky, fires crackling from torches, water reflecting on ceilings, and countless other details. Huge dinosaurs roam the lands as well as a massive stone creature viewable from afar that speaks in a thick Scottish accent and warps players to new areas.

The dead dinosaur in the background was actually a prop. Just kidding, it got its brains sucked out by the twirling monster thing.

Traveling to other regions on the planet is accomplished by piloting the Arwing in classic Star Fox segments that are painfully short and ridiculously easy. It's clear these flying stages don't belong in the game, since the only objective is to fly through a specific number of golden rings to power-down some imaginary force field on the planet's surface so you can land. It's a shame more of an emphasis wasn't placed on these stages, because they look every bit as appealing as the main game -- the best looking Star Fox game that doesn't feel like Star Fox at all. Oh well.

Someone needs to stuff Slippy's mouth with mines. At least then he can't call you for help, die, or "come to your aid."

SCORING

GRAPHICS: 9.5  The best graphics on GameCube at the time? Without question. The environments are so appealing you'll wish they were larger and more involved so you could stay longer.

 

It still would have been cooler if he grew a goatee.

AUDIO: 9.0  The voice acting is excellent, with dinosaurs speaking their own language the majority of the time. Fox's teammates are little more than talking heads on a computer display, with Slippy's whiny voice being the most annoying (as usual). Tribal beats and atmospheric sound give life to the worlds.

 

GAMEPLAY/PLOT: 8.0  The game should have focused more on action and interacting with the environment rather than the constant need to fetch specific items. Still, it will hold a player's interest until the end thanks in part to the beautiful visuals and fun boss encounters.

 

MULTIPLAYER/ONLINE PLAY: N/A

 

Please don't tap A repeatedly at me!

CONTROLS: 7.0  The control system alone is easy to learn and adapt to. The combat system, however, is fatally flawed. We'd give it a 10 if it weren't for the main tactic for defeating enemies being to repeatedly mash the A button. In fact, we'd meet Rare halfway and even give it an 8.5 as long as the enemies don't ambush you in hordes only to wait their respective turn to get thrashed by the foxy staff. Or Adam West could voice Star Fox. Yeah, none of this happened. Score killer right here.

 

 

OVERALL: 8.6

 

Behold my non-specific pose implying importance and satisfaction while playing the game I'm in. Now you too, will subconciously believe you will smile and be as cool as me while playing said game. Actually, I'm just a fox.

 While the game's scope is less ambitious than previous Rare titles on the Nintendo 64, it's hard to complain when a title looks as good as this. Players who purchase a Rare game know they are getting a polished title, from the control to the music and sound effects to the graphics and animation. As a Star Fox title, it is disappointing, as the flying sequences are little more than filler in between routine planetary adventures. Yet even Rare's worst effort is always miles above what other companies shovel out to systems, and Star Fox Adventures is worth the price of admission alone just to see the lush environments and astounding special effects.