rafazule14
2 reviews liked by rafazule14
Star Fox 64
1997
This is one of my favorite games. I got the Nintendo Online Expansion Pack and forgot this was on it so I immediately played it. Just as good as I remember!
It's a mostly on rails shooter where you pilot a small starship. The controls are tight. Shooting feels quick and responsive, maneuvers are snappy and very useful. You fly around shooting enemies and you have a health bar to look out for and you can take damage that specifically removes wings and the game has you account for it. There's also power ups and healing items through the game you have to fly to and uncover in some cases.
Each level presents its own unique backdrop and series of obstacles. One level is a planet under attack and you have to avoid falling buildings and debris, one level is in an asteroid field and you have to destroy the asteroids as you progress so you don't hit them and one level is even on the system's sun where you have to be sure to keep a certain elevation or your ship burns up. There are also levels that change up the gameplay a bit. There's an underwater level where you control a submarine, there's a few levels where you're in a tank, and there are a few levels that take you off the rails in your starship and let you fly freely in a given area. This All-Range mode also occurs during some of the game's boss fights and is really a great way to keep the game fresh and exciting. I always eagerly anticipate being able to get into this mode.
The structure of the game is also something I really enjoy. The whole game has a very arcade-y feel. There are set stages you have to get through and you have a set number of lives at the start. Each level has points you can rack up and has you try to attain a high score. A lot of stages also have alternate paths that can lead you to different levels. The route and levels you take through the system is what ultimately decides the difficulty of the game. You'll have a good time just playing through events as they come but the game rewards you and challenges you if you opt to try for high scores and like to find secrets. This leads to a high replay value as while the whole game is only seven levels, it's out of a possible 15 total and there are 25 unique paths through the system in total. To see each level in full would take at least three playthroughs and you get something new out of each one.
The topper for all this is the world and characters. Star Fox 64 starts you in a world that already feels lived in. There isn't much preamble or exposition before you just get started and are in a mission. You learn about characters and stories as you play and you get just enough info to put things together without being bogged down by all of it. The core team of you as Fox, the hotheaded rival type Falco, the mentor figure Peppy, and the ditzy but tech savvy Slippy go through missions together and there is chatter throughout the gives life to everything. Falco is aggressive and gets upset with you if you take his kill or save him. Peppy is thankful to you when you save him and compares you to your father while also alluding to his demise. Slippy is often heard panicking or admiring the worlds you're on or the tech involved.
On top of that are guest characters who show up in specific levels. One level has you defend a planet from invasion and you get help from Bill who you can out together is an old friend of Fox by the dialogue between them. On a different destroyed planet later on you encounter Katt who is like a femme fatale type that Falco seems to have encountered before. There's also an enemy team, Star Wolf, that has member opposing each of your team. Wolf is like the enemy counterpart to you, Leon is like a cool confident Falco, Andrew is related to the big boss Andross, and Pigma is an old ally turned enemy.
It's all so good and I'm gushing. It just holds up really well. It's a game you can get into and finish up quick but you can get more out of it if you put more into it. It's a game I played the shit out of on N64 and a defining game of my childhood. I can't recommend it enough!
It's a mostly on rails shooter where you pilot a small starship. The controls are tight. Shooting feels quick and responsive, maneuvers are snappy and very useful. You fly around shooting enemies and you have a health bar to look out for and you can take damage that specifically removes wings and the game has you account for it. There's also power ups and healing items through the game you have to fly to and uncover in some cases.
Each level presents its own unique backdrop and series of obstacles. One level is a planet under attack and you have to avoid falling buildings and debris, one level is in an asteroid field and you have to destroy the asteroids as you progress so you don't hit them and one level is even on the system's sun where you have to be sure to keep a certain elevation or your ship burns up. There are also levels that change up the gameplay a bit. There's an underwater level where you control a submarine, there's a few levels where you're in a tank, and there are a few levels that take you off the rails in your starship and let you fly freely in a given area. This All-Range mode also occurs during some of the game's boss fights and is really a great way to keep the game fresh and exciting. I always eagerly anticipate being able to get into this mode.
The structure of the game is also something I really enjoy. The whole game has a very arcade-y feel. There are set stages you have to get through and you have a set number of lives at the start. Each level has points you can rack up and has you try to attain a high score. A lot of stages also have alternate paths that can lead you to different levels. The route and levels you take through the system is what ultimately decides the difficulty of the game. You'll have a good time just playing through events as they come but the game rewards you and challenges you if you opt to try for high scores and like to find secrets. This leads to a high replay value as while the whole game is only seven levels, it's out of a possible 15 total and there are 25 unique paths through the system in total. To see each level in full would take at least three playthroughs and you get something new out of each one.
The topper for all this is the world and characters. Star Fox 64 starts you in a world that already feels lived in. There isn't much preamble or exposition before you just get started and are in a mission. You learn about characters and stories as you play and you get just enough info to put things together without being bogged down by all of it. The core team of you as Fox, the hotheaded rival type Falco, the mentor figure Peppy, and the ditzy but tech savvy Slippy go through missions together and there is chatter throughout the gives life to everything. Falco is aggressive and gets upset with you if you take his kill or save him. Peppy is thankful to you when you save him and compares you to your father while also alluding to his demise. Slippy is often heard panicking or admiring the worlds you're on or the tech involved.
On top of that are guest characters who show up in specific levels. One level has you defend a planet from invasion and you get help from Bill who you can out together is an old friend of Fox by the dialogue between them. On a different destroyed planet later on you encounter Katt who is like a femme fatale type that Falco seems to have encountered before. There's also an enemy team, Star Wolf, that has member opposing each of your team. Wolf is like the enemy counterpart to you, Leon is like a cool confident Falco, Andrew is related to the big boss Andross, and Pigma is an old ally turned enemy.
It's all so good and I'm gushing. It just holds up really well. It's a game you can get into and finish up quick but you can get more out of it if you put more into it. It's a game I played the shit out of on N64 and a defining game of my childhood. I can't recommend it enough!
Franken
2022
An incredible parody of typical JRPG games while still being great in it's own right. The combat in the game isn't anything special much like said JRPGs. I can't tell if it's just clever to cover up for it or not. I enjoyed the actual content of most battles though so I guess that's what matters. The actual story that goes on is fantastic. Like I said it just pokes fun at mainstay JRPGs of old but still manages to be its own thing enough to be enjoyable. No spoilers from me though.
I also want to point out every other aspect of this game is incredible. The characters are all funny even when they have one line. Most of the monsters have unique and excellent looking designs in an art style I really dig. Anything that wasn't that was part of a joke and still good because of it. The music in this is phenomenal. I don't think there's a track on the whole game that isn't a banger. The game is just straight up funny too. I loved it.
I don't really want to cover much more on it than that. This game should be enjoyed and explored with fresh eyes. Easy to do when it's free, lasts two hours max, and can probably run on any computer made in the last decade. Excellent time if you can appreciate humor and have played some old school RPGs. HUGE recommend.
I also want to point out every other aspect of this game is incredible. The characters are all funny even when they have one line. Most of the monsters have unique and excellent looking designs in an art style I really dig. Anything that wasn't that was part of a joke and still good because of it. The music in this is phenomenal. I don't think there's a track on the whole game that isn't a banger. The game is just straight up funny too. I loved it.
I don't really want to cover much more on it than that. This game should be enjoyed and explored with fresh eyes. Easy to do when it's free, lasts two hours max, and can probably run on any computer made in the last decade. Excellent time if you can appreciate humor and have played some old school RPGs. HUGE recommend.