Ladies and gentlemen, start your emulators! It is time for another episode of RetrOS, the show where we give you your recommended dose of nostalgia by reviewing games from your childhood. In this episode, we take a look at one of the most recognisable games of the N64 catalogue.
Is this game worthy of remembrance? Or should this game be lost forever in the pages of gaming history?
Let's find out!
This review of Star Fox 64 is one of a follow-up to this year's Halloween special, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and is requested by one of my friends and my local karaoke night, and fellow retro gaming enthusiast, Ted "The Hero of Time".
For more information as to why this alias was chosen, and what he did to deserve this nickname, please check out our review of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. https://youtu.be/qJ018D1NLJg?si=-vbRbh6kN291nKst
Anyway, back to the review at hand.
Nintendo's star Fox is another massive franchise Nintendo has in its portfolio. In recent years, similar to a lot of big franchises in the 90s, for example, Unreal Tournament, JRPG classic, Earthbound, and Wave Race, the developers simply left those franchises on the permanent back burner, while holding onto the rights, thus allowing years of creative talent to go to waste.
The 1st game of this franchise was released in 1993, with Star Fox, co-developed by Nintendo and UK-based developer Argonaut Games. Earlier this year, this developer reformed, releasing the remaster of one of the PlayStation era's most beloved classics. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos.
In recent years, a sequel to the original Star Fox was uncovered and rereleased as part of the library of games included in the Super NES Mini console. This long-lost classic was also released as part of Nintendo's commercial emulation service, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.
So, our short tour ends in 1997, with Star Fox 64.
FUN FACT: Did you know that Star Fox 64 underwent a name change in European territories? It was the second time, and the star Fox franchise that entries of this franchise underwent a name change in Europe, as the original Star Fox for the SNES was also known as Star Wing in Europe.
One of the reasons behind this particular name change was to avoid a copyright lawsuit. At the time, there was a German company called StarVox. I think you guys can put two and two together, among other reasons.
Star Fox 64 was originally released exclusively for Nintendo's 64-bit powerhouse, the N64. It was released as a reboot to the franchise and to take full advantage of the N64's superior capabilities.
For a start, the N64 was powerful enough to handle to render 3-D graphics, and the Rumble Pak, a peripheral that was connected to the rear of the N64 controller, made greater immersion in the gameplay itself.
The game takes place two years after the events of the original game of the series, Star Fox. The war between the Cornerian Army and our antagonist, disgraced bioweapons engineer Andross, was still raging. The forces Venom launched a surprise attack on Corneria.
It is up to you, and your newly formed Star Fox Team, along with Peppy Hare, survivor of that fateful mission which claimed the life of your father, Slippy Toad, and Falco Lombardi, to defend your home planet, mount a counter-attack against Andross, and avenge the death of your father.
The accessibility scores are as follows –
Visibility 7
Due to the game's age, there are no colourblind modes in its interface. However, there is no need for one. There are no colour-coded elements that can cause an issue for a colourblind player.
However, as par for the course for a rail shooter in the 90s, screen flashes do occur. This is mainly prevalent in the boss battle and the asteroid field. So, fellow epileptics, make sure to play this classic in a well-lit environment. A well-lit environment is a safe way to play video games and watch movies if you have epilepsy.
So, despite the shortfalls, this game is very easily playable for a player with a visual impairment.
Audibility 10
All dialogue in this game is subtitled during cut scenes and in missions. In addition, the speakers' heads should appear to the left of the subtitles themselves. So, this game is quite easily playable for a player with a hearing impairment.
Mobility 9
In the native N64 version, there is no way to rebind the controls. This is important as the standard N64 controller can be very difficult to use for a player with a mobility impairment.
On the other hand, the controls of this game are very simple. You use the analogue stick to move your character around on the screen. The A button is to use your lasers, the B button for bombs, C-Left to boost, C-Down to brake, but the more advanced manoeuvres, which come into play in all range mode, for example, somersaults, will be difficult to perform.
So, the game is fairly easily playable for a player with a mobility impairment, but flaws still exist.
Gameplay 10
For a rail shooter, for example, House of the Dead and Time Crisis, this is a fairly good experience. There are quite a few mechanics which make this game unique. For starters, flying through silver rings repairs your ship, flying through 5 gold rings increases your ship's integrity, allowing you to soak up more damage.
Also, keeping your team wave is another important thing to do while playing this game. If one or more squad members get shot down, that squad member will be unavailable for the next few missions as their ships go in for repairs.
When comparing to the game's predecessor, Star Fox for the NES, the jump up is quite marked. Mostly due to the more powerful N64 hardware. The graphics of this game are a lot more detailed, the gameplay is smoother, and the combat is a lot more streamlined. The levels are loaded with secrets. For example, upgrades for your lasers, additional bombs, and all-important supply rings.
In terms of lifespan, Star Fox 64 takes about 2 hours to beat. It may seem a little short, but, when it contrast it with other rail shooters, for example, Time Crisis (53 minutes), and House of the Dead (50 minutes), this game is actually quite long with a versus battle mode, with up to 4 players, you could invite your friends over for some multiplayer, dogfighting carnage.
In summary, Star Fox 64 is a solid rail shooter with a fair few mechanics, which makes this game unique over its sequel and other titles of the sub-genre. In total, this game has 6 to 7 missions, depending on the route you are taking. In my opinion, this game is a fairly good excuse to dust off that N64 console, set it up to your TV, and revel in the nostalgia.
OVERALL SCORE 90%
See you guys in the next review!
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