Matthew Loriso
Staff Writer
The “Starfox” video game series has had a bit of an identity crisis lately.
What started out as a series of cutting edge space shooters has turned into an experiment to find a new genre for its characters to play in.
The previous “Starfox” game, “Starfox Adventures,” put the characters into an adventure game akin to Nintendo’s “Legend of Zelda” games. In “Starfox: Assault,” Fox McCloud and company have returned to the action genre but with a twist on the original playing standards.
While the series’ staple space shooting levels have returned in fine form, the developers also added ground combat to the mix. “Starfox 64” included a few ground-based tank missions, but they were of a linear, rails-shooting nature.
This time around, land missions are in free-roaming, 3-D environments. Some missions require a landmaster tank, others require the player to explore on foot and some are based entirely around space shooting. Many missions even require the use of all three modes of transportation, and switching between them is seamless.
When I first started playing through the game, I was impressed.
The first level took place solely inside the confines of a spaceship as I shot down strategically placed enemies while flying through a graphically impressive environment.
As I got further into the game, I began to be less impressed. Levels like the first are few and far between in this game, which is unfortunate, as they are the best parts of the game by far.
However, the ground-based missions are functional. They just did not have the same magical feel as the space shooting sections did.
The developers tried to add a new playing style to the “Starfox” series, and they succeeded, but the game would have been better if they had not tampered with the formula.
The game’s largest downfall is its length; or rather, lack of length. A skilled player can easily reach the end credits in one sitting. However, there is incentive to replay it multiple times. By earning better scores, you can unlock hidden arcade classics, like “Xevious,” as well as items for the new multiplayer mode.
This new multiplayer game allows players to combat each other in levels taken from the main game.
Aside from some weapons being virtually useless, this mode is a fine addition to the game, but it is nothing to get too excited about.
On a slightly more positive note, “Assault” fleshes out its story better than any other “Starfox” games in the past. The characters’ relationships are portrayed well (at least as well as a friendship between a fox and a falcon can be portrayed) and the reasons for visiting each of the planets are believable.
In addition, the overall “Starfox” world seems more believable now. Planets are recognizable, and revisiting old favorites leaves a warm feeling inside.
For those unsure of what I mean by this, just compare me playing this game to a long-time “Star Wars” fan seeing “Episode 1” for the first time. It may not be that great, but a special connection is grown between the viewer/player and the film/game.
“Starfox: Assault” is a fun weekend rental for Gamecube owners. However, it is nothing to brag about to your X-Box or Playstation 2-owning friends.
Matthew Loriso can be reached at mloriso@ulv.edu.
