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Hands-On Preview: Its got all of the improvements I expected, except for the secret ROB/Slippy relationship that I predicted.
Nintendo has produced a significant amount of contrast between its GameCube and N64 libraries: Zelda: The Wind Waker stood out with novel cel-shading, Super Mario Sunshine was splashed with unique water cannon gameplay, and soon Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat will bear an eccentric pair of bongos as a controller. But there are just as many N64 updates that haven't been quite as innovative in their jump to the 128-bit system. This list includes F-Zero GX, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and 1080 Snowboarding: Avalanche, among others. More or less, these titles provided visual enhancements and more or less, Star Fox for GameCube fits into this category. Saying this doesn't mean that Star Fox is any less impressive than the rest of the GameCube lineup or that it won't feature any gameplay improvements. It simply means that Star Fox feels a lot like its N64 predecessor with the powerful visual upgrade it so deserves.
For anyone that has played the multiplayer mode within Star Fox 64, the four-player matches of this Star Fox game resemble that same experience. Players can pilot the Arwing, drive the Landmaster Tank or take to the action on-foot again. But there's an expanded ability that brings the game new meaning: entering and exiting these vehicles during the matches. This mechanic makes Star Fox seem a lot like a Mech game since players can bail out of a damaged aircraft or tank and either find a new one or continue to fight on foot. It also provides a host of new strategies during the dogfights. Veteran Star Fox fans will remember that multiplayer match-ups weren't so balanced in Star Fox 64, especially between a fleet of three Arwings vs. one tank or one on-foot character. However, this game tends to give players a more robust reason or two to choose such alternatives.
The first reason is that the on-foot option works so well is because the weaponry has been upgraded. Locking onto an enemy Arwing brings it down in couple of solid shots instead of a dozen thanks to automatic blasters, sniper rifles and shoulder-launched rockets. The second reason is that the battlefields are no longer flat or barren. Now, there are places to hide and areas to blend into so that players can take easier shots. These two reasons, combined with the option of switching vehicles during the match instead of only when you die, finally brings the tank and the on-foot action into the forefont of the multiplayer mode and varies the strategy of seasoned and rookie players alike.
Besides the improved balance and the ability to bail out of vehicles, the rest of the multiplayer experience plays the same way it did on N64. The controls are almost identical, double-laser upgrades still exist and bombs are your best bet for the most serious damage. Flips, somersaults, spins, speed boosts and slowdowns are still the best way to maneuver the Arwing and avoid being shot down. The tank is also easy to handle as it can roll on its side and hover in the air to avoid enemy fire. As for the third-person on-foot mode, it's simply a matter of getting used to the controls.
It's much easier to learn the on-foot scheme through the solo missions, which also benefit from the fresh gameplay element of jumping in and out of vehicles. From the E3 demo, it appears that the flying is still done on rails separately and that Fox starts out on foot, fights swarms of aliens and finds a tank, in that order. After this, it's unpredictable just how other levels will implements the mechanic. But from the available stages, Star Fox already offers intense shooting gameplay with a high-level of addictive action on its horizon. Lasers light up the screen of the space stages while flames and smoke fill the air of terrain levels instead of fog. This alone shows the many leaps that this GameCube version has taken over the N64, a game in which giant orange balls represented enemy explosions.
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Star Fox for GameCube seems to improve on every angle of Star Fox 64, which was already solid space shooter for its day. With the 128-bit overhaul and the expanded ability of exiting and entering vehicles, the game is sure to impress its loyal wingmen as well as rookies looking to earn their wings. As long as Nintendo is able to buff out all of the rough spots of this Star Fox game as well as choose a more original name, then Team Star Fox should be ready to roll out this November.
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