Star Fox, A Legendary Shooting Game
July 17th 2008 17:22
I started playing video games in the year 1993 when I was only a five-year-old. The very moment I played my first video game, it completely changed my life and the person I am today — this video game introduced me to virtual nirvana.
What follows next will be a review of the very first video game I ever played in my life, a game that is perhaps as one of the finest video games ever made. This game is Star Fox and it came on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
Star Fox was a significant release because it was the first console video game that used 3D polygons. The game was not only powered by SNES’S superior hardware (compared to the Sega Genesis), but it was also the first game that was ever released on Nintendo’s Super FX cartridge chip technology.
The game is an on rail shooter, a genre that holds a special place in my heart but unfortunately it is almost extinct now. Star Fox stands today as one of the genre’s finest games and can be regarded as a gold standard for the genre.
In this game, gamers controlled a space fighter ship called the ‘Arwing’ and played the role of Fox McCloud who, along with his team-mates must defend their home planet against Andross. The story is simple but back then, storyline did not play much of a role in a video game unless it was a RPG.
Star Fox worked like any other on rail shooter, the Arwing that came equipped with laser cannons and limited super nova bombs moved forward on its own while the player could move it up, down, left and right and also speed it up or slow it down, as simple as it sounds. This resulted in an intense and challenging gaming experience. Gamers could also go through some truly intense and action-packed levels where one had to constantly blast through enemies, avoid obstacles and make the best use of the Arwing’s limited mobility to successfully complete a stage.
Moreover, gamers explored the Lylat system, a system comprising of planets and asteroid belts. There are different paths of distinct difficulties and each path took gamers to unique locations. Each planet had a unique look and was loaded with a variety of enemy battleships and also featured traps and obstacles. Each level ended with a larger than life boss battle and these battles were perhaps the main highlight of this game.
The bosses were gigantic in size and unique in design. These bosses required a distinct battle strategy and approach. One had to make best use of the Arwing’s limited mobility to avoid the boss’s barrage of offensive attacks and wait for an opening to strike the boss’s vital areas. These memorable battles ended with a massive screen filling explosion that certainly made one feel proud of their victory. The final boss ‘Andross’ was undoubtedly one of the greatest bosses I have ever fought in my life — truly unforgettable.
During the game, gamers would be blasting enemies and bosses with the standard laser cannons for the most part since these cannons had infinite ammunition. The Arwing also came equipped with a limited amount of Super Nova bombs that caused a massive screen filling explosion capable of wiping out all enemies on screen and inflicting massive damage to bosses. The Arwing also had a decent amount of mobility as it allowed you to boost forward or slow down, a feature lacking in most on rail shooters.
The most interesting and intense stage was the one in which gamers had to navigate through an asteroid belt. The stage tested your mobility skills since you had to go up against a wave of asteroids at high speed. Back then, it was in this stage where I often saw the ‘Game Over’ screen.
Your Airwing was not the only one taking part in battle as gamers were joined by Arwings piloted by Fox McCloud’s team mates. These team-mates were not for show, they pursued and defeated enemy ships and they also required assistance from time to time.
The 3D graphics of Star Fox obviously look terrible today, but back then, they were truly groundbreaking. Even today, whenever people talk about the evolution of video games, they always mention the significance of Star Fox as one of the earliest console games that used 3D polygons, and that too with style.
All the objects and ships were constructed with 3D polygons with a few projectile attacks and asteroids constructed with sprites. The special effects were mind blowing (especially those massive explosions) and the simple backdrops were static 2D. The game overall was quite bright and vibrant.
The artwork and design seemed to be influenced by Star Wars and the dramatic soundtrack seemed to have come straight out of a Sci-Fi epic. Star Fox’s Sci-Fi setting, while not unique, was still quite memorable. The character designs, however, were quite unique because unlike most cartoon animal characters back in the 90s, Fox McCloud and his team mates were more serious and mature in terms of design.
So what happened after the release of Star Fox? The game was a phenomenal success and spawned sequels in later console generations. Star Fox 64 on Nintendo 64 did not make the same impact as the first game but it was still a commercial success.
Gamecube had two Star Fox games which were Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Adventures. Star Fox Adventures stands out from all other Star Fox games because it was a Zelda-style adventure game that took gamers out of the Arwing. This writer unfortunately missed out on all the sequels listed above. The latest Star Fox release is Star Fox: Command on Nintendo DS.
There you have it, a review of the video game that was probably a first for many. The game is certainly worth checking out especially since we will probably see fewer and fewer 3D on rail shooters in the future and Star Fox stands as one of the best the genre has to offer. If I had not played this game then I would have been a very outgoing, athletic and social person today…. thank you Star Fox!
| 69 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
