Foxes... in SPACE!

August 28, 2006, 05:44 pm

I don't know what it is about the Star Fox videogames that is so appealing. The original had it all: great graphics, fun gameplay, incredible music, and obvious Star Wars references (your ships are called "Arwings?").

I remember seeing ads for Star Fox for SNES, with incredible 3D graphics provided by the mystical "Super-FX" microchip! Who can deny how exciting that is?

And I finally got to play it. I let my friend borrow my Genesis and all my games for his SNES and all his games. Fortunately, Star Fox was one of them.

I hooked the SNES up to my stereo (which was my jam at the time, I also had my Genesis hooked up to my stereo via the headphone output). I setup speakers pointing directly at my head on both sides of my gross, old loveseat. And for most of Christmas break of my Sophomore year, I played the Hell of out Star Fox!

(I specifically remember beating the game and pointing out to my sister and her friend that one of the names in the credits was Ben Cheese!)

Many years later when Jeff and I lived together, I played Star Fox 64 on his N64 (I also played through Super Mario 64 and Legend of Zelda: the Ocarina of Time). I don't remember much about it, other than having levels where you drove around in tanks. Also I really hated the last boss and thought it was cheap.

Shortly after that, as news began to be released about the upcoming Nintendo Gamecube, I was very excited about Rare working on Star Fox Adventures! A Zelda-style game set in the Star Fox world? That should be awesome!

And I got it when it first came out and it kinda sucked and I remember being very frustrated with it.

And now Star Fox Command is comes out today on Nintendo DS. I'd been playing the Japanese version for a while, so I preordered it last week. Of course, that didn't do me much good, since the ebgames where I preordered it hasn't received it (they think it'll be tomorrow).

I like it, but I kindof wish it were just another on-rails shooter. The strategy stuff is kindof neat, but I prefer the on-rails style to the free-roaming style like in Star Fox 64 boss battles. The control is pretty cool. I'm hoping that there'll be a Star Fox title for Wii!