StarFox Zero (Wii-U)

[shdowhunt60]

I wonder if it's a furry thing. This is the same guy who rated Sonic Colors a 4.5.

That or he makes these reviews on his period, because good lord does he get melodramatic.

[Nepenthe]

He rated Unleashed and Generations higher than Colors, so to me he has better taste than we give him credit for. However, reviews have been polarizing because of the controls, so the fact that he didn't like them isn't as controversial to me as the whole Colors row. He's just a single voice in a valid debate going on.

[RustyRick]

Alright, so I've caved in and gave Star Fox Zero a go earlier this Monday since I had other stuff to attend to and couldn't play it upon release last Friday, and honestly, I'm having mixed thoughts on this game.


On the positive side, the game's visuals are vibrant, usually smooth and controls pretty nicely. (If not taking into account the motion control-aiming, but I;ll get to that later)
The game's tunes while nothing too fancy, at least have a good impact on the game's overall atmosphere, and I like hearing the Star Fox crew making backhanded remarks about the situation like in the old days and the enemy characters also delivering quite the cheesy threats and frustrated responses when you're on a roll, and replaying stages for a higher score/improving your skill is always one of the main things that attract me to the Star Fox franchise.

But on the bad side, I can't help but think that as a longtime fan of the series since the original SNES game all the way to the 3DS remake of the N64 game that got released a few years ago, (and also having played the likes of Adventures, Assault and Command) that this game as a whole feels nothing more than a slightly expanded version of the N64 original in terms of general plot, the stages you progress through, and even similar elements and dialogue.

The motion controls surprisingly don't feel that awkward to me, or at least not when I play it in the 'only active during ZR shooting mode', since that way I can still retain marginal control over my vehicle, though getting my aiming on the gamepad all messed up compared to how I'm flying/steering is a hindrance, and I don't particularly like having to recalibrate my aim infrequently during intense shooting sections. But overall, I can live with the motion controls.


The game as a whole isn't bad, heck, it's great when you're adjusted to the controls and get your rapid-fire mission clearing-streak going, but after such a long wait, I feel copped out of a truly new and unique Star Fox game in favor of 'Star Fox 64 Ver. 1.5.', which is even more noticable considering the fact that the actual game got re-released on 3DS a few years ago.


Summary version: 'Shiggy I love you man, but I feel polarized by this.'

[shdowhunt60]

2 hours ago, Nepenthe said:

He rated Unleashed and Generations higher than Colors, so to me he has better taste than we give him credit for. However, reviews have been polarizing because of the controls, so the fact that he didn't like them isn't as controversial to me as the whole Colors row. He's just a single voice in a valid debate going on.

Hmm. Interesting. If I recall, it was the controls that was his complaint for Colors? Along with the really overly precise 2D platforming? Both are fair complaints against the game, but to rate it as a 4.5? But that is an interesting parallel.

[RustyRick]

6 hours ago, shdowhunt60 said:

Hmm. Interesting. If I recall, it was the controls that was his complaint for Colors? Along with the really overly precise 2D platforming? Both are fair complaints against the game, but to rate it as a 4.5? But that is an interesting parallel.

I've briefly played Colors, and while I agree that the overly precise jumping controls are a bit of a nuisance, the controls overall didn't feel bad to me. My only beef with Colors is how short most of the stages are.

[PSI Wind]

On 4/27/2016 at 4:25 PM, Nepenthe said:

He rated Unleashed and Generations higher than Colors, so to me he has better taste than we give him credit for. However, reviews have been polarizing because of the controls, so the fact that he didn't like them isn't as controversial to me as the whole Colors row. He's just a single voice in a valid debate going on.

He also gave Operation Raccoon City a 7.5 but said the game had poor design. That makes no sense.

[Nepenthe]

1 hour ago, PSI Wind said:

He also gave Operation Raccoon City a 7.5 but said the game had poor design. That makes no sense.

Good thing games with flaws (he didn't say the entire game has poor design) can simultaneously possesses some noted strengths within and without the gameplay, and have an overall existing entertainment value despite not being perfect, or I might be pressed to call him an idiot. xP

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Did my first arcade attempt yesterday, took what I call the express route

 

 

 

Coneria-Sector Alpha-Wolfen-Great Fox-Sector Gamma-Fichina-Sector Omega-Coneria 2....

 

 

And had a great perfect run until Gigarilla squashed me.

[JezMM]

So, anyone who has 100%'d the game (or at least got all medals on Venom), how on earth do you get the medal for

 

 

U-turning to shoot Andross when James distracts him at the end?

I spammed the B button but it just kept giving me error noises to signify that I couldn't U-turn.  Do you have to do it before he turns around or something?

EDIT: After another attempt that I didn't think I'd have time for today, I can confirm I answered my own question with that last line lol.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Questionable controls aside, anyone besides me just find the game to be rather...dull? That the levels, bosses, and character interactions just don't feel very engaging? 

[Candescence]

Not really. Despite one or two bullshit bosses such as the Titania boss, I honestly can't see myself going back to 64 for the most part, the game just feels faster-paced and more challenging. Star Wolf actually feels like a proper challenge, they're far more aggressive.

[Emperor Robrainiac]

Personally, when I first picked this game up, the controls frustrated me to the point where I thought I was going to hate this game. However, It seems like whenever I picked this game up, I found myself having more fun. I might actually go as far as to say I prefer it over 64! I've, for the longest time, felt that 64 is just way too easy in my opinion, and the challenge that Zero offers, along with the controls, makes this game a real blast. 

If there was anything I didn't like about the game, it's probably the bosses. When it comes to StarFox games, the bosses are probably my favorite parts of the games, with some fun designs and feeling pretty fast paced. But in Zero's case, most of the boss designs are pretty bland in terms of design, and I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy these bosses at all due to how slow paced they were. Yeah, I'm just not feeling them at all, and I don't know if I'll changing my mind anytime soon on that.

Well, save for the StarWolf fights (if those count as Boss Battles).. I thought those were pretty damn fun. 

But other than that, I think this is a pretty solid game, fun vehicles, lovable cheesy quotes that 64 was known for, a fun control scheme once you get the hang of it, pretty visuals. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

 

[JezMM]

On 03/05/2016 at 4:48 AM, PC the Hedgehog said:

Questionable controls aside, anyone besides me just find the game to be rather...dull? That the levels, bosses, and character interactions just don't feel very engaging? 

I feel the staging is a bit dull, but once I emotionally uninvested myself from the idea of this game having an involving storyline, the actual stage design managed to captivate me just fine and I enjoy it simply as a game to play a lot.

[Nepenthe]

It would have been nice to have some connective tissue between or within the stages. Huge epic space war battles surround a likable character who's mysteriously lost his father to the enemy forces, and they did fuck all with it. I understand it's just excuse plot recycled from 64, but the better presentation and voice acting made me want some more. But that doesn't really make the actual presentation of various events and the stages themselves dull to me. I've replayed Sector Beta and Corneria the most out of all the levels, and I still get pumped from things like the team breaking through the atmosphere or Pepper firing upon the enemy ship after you've taken down the shield. The game has a lot of these genuinely cool, adrenaline-pumping moments that haven't lost their luster to me.

[Candescence]

Yeah, I think the main story could've done with more actual meat. As refreshing as it is to be able to finish a game in an afternoon, I honestly think they could've gotten away with the same structure with multiple episodes rather than in just one game.

Though, really, a friend of mine notes that there is kind of a problem with a lot of Nintendo franchises, they just don't bother to do any substantial worldbuilding, and he thinks Star Fox is amongst the barest of the bare in that regard, alongside the likes of F-Zero and Pokemon. Granted, that's a side-effect of Nintendo's devs generally caring more about gameplay and characters than anything else.

[JaidynReiman]

3 hours ago, Candescence said:

Yeah, I think the main story could've done with more actual meat. As refreshing as it is to be able to finish a game in an afternoon, I honestly think they could've gotten away with the same structure with multiple episodes rather than in just one game.

Though, really, a friend of mine notes that there is kind of a problem with a lot of Nintendo franchises, they just don't bother to do any substantial worldbuilding, and he thinks Star Fox is amongst the barest of the bare in that regard, alongside the likes of F-Zero and Pokemon. Granted, that's a side-effect of Nintendo's devs generally caring more about gameplay and characters than anything else.

Which, when you think about it, isn't a bad thing. Nintendo should put more emphasis on worldbuilding in some of their IP's, true, but they tend to prefer focusing on gameplay before everything else, and characters next.

 

As for Pokemon, though, the Pokemon Company controls all that. Nintendo has some influence, but they tend to leave most of that to the Pokemon Company.

[nintega137]

We've got an honest trailer.

 

Honestly it sounds a little harsh but then again, I haven't played the game yet.

[Conando]

No, it's definitely harsh. This trailer is basically just a soup of the most vitriolic negative reviews out there.

[Stardust]

This guy seems to have thoroughly enjoyed the game and is puzzled why there are so many negative reviews out there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4nkiB2z-c

[Conando]

It's pretty much as confusing to me as it is for that reviewer and Jirard (The Completionist). It is by no means a game you can immediately pick up and have the greatest time of your life, but like with many other games, investing even the smallest amount of your time to it yields significant results. If you like the series, you seriously owe yourself to at least TRY it even if the reviews are making you a bit nervous about it. Star Fox has NEVER been a series where you're instantly good at it either, so I'm not quite sure if it's just today's climate or something else that has caused all the contention on what's a solid late life cycle title for the Wii U, and the best game in the Star Fox series since 1997.

[Candescence]

You know, it just occured to me that Zero is just continuing a series tradition of being built on gimmicks. SNES 1 was pretty much a SNES FX Chip tech demo, SNES 2 drops the rail shooting for semi-RTS gameplay with all-range mode and the chicken walker, 64 was the first game for the Rumble Pak, Adventures was a graphical showcase that pissed all over the competition at the time (and still holds up pretty well today, Sonic Unleashed had worse fur shading that caused FPS significantly to drop whenever the camera got anywhere near the Werehog), Assault had the TPS ground gameplay, and Command had the touch movement and RTS structure. The gyro sure as hell ain't the worst of what we've seen in Star Fox by a country mile.

[Sean]

I'm finding this game pretty dang fun and the controls weren't as big of a hurdle for me as I expected them to be. I don't like the forced cockpit aiming at certain parts, but gyro aiming is hella useful once you get the hang of it (though it's one of those "walk and chew bubblegum" situations where it's difficult for me to consistently move and aim at all times), and it ends up being a lot more flexible than manual aiming in SF64. I can understand some people not being able to get into the controls, but no way is SFZ a disaster due to them. There is a learning curve that SF64 lacked, but master them and you can pull off feats that would have been impossible if not for gyro aiming.

I also reeeaaally hope that Nintendo does go ahead with a sequel and not put this series to rest again for another decade or so like they're so willing to do with all of their space-related IPs. Would be great to see them explore more beyond SF64 territory, and I can see Krystal's return being a possibility that would be handled a lot better than in the previous timeline.

[shdowhunt60]

On 5/11/2016 at 2:21 AM, Candescence said:

You know, it just occured to me that Zero is just continuing a series tradition of being built on gimmicks. SNES 1 was pretty much a SNES FX Chip tech demo, SNES 2 drops the rail shooting for semi-RTS gameplay with all-range mode and the chicken walker, 64 was the first game for the Rumble Pak, Adventures was a graphical showcase that pissed all over the competition at the time (and still holds up pretty well today, Sonic Unleashed had worse fur shading that caused FPS significantly to drop whenever the camera got anywhere near the Werehog), Assault had the TPS ground gameplay, and Command had the touch movement and RTS structure. The gyro sure as hell ain't the worst of what we've seen in Star Fox by a country mile.

And I fail to see a problem with that honestly. I adore the original Sonic Adventure and I'm well aware that it exist as a glorified tech demo. But the whole point of tech demos is to show off something that's fun and exciting, and having a game like that is basically that non-stop. Sure, it can create a game that's messy and unpolished, but that's almost kind of the fun.

That' why I hate slamming these games in retrospect. Sure there may be technical merits behind doing so, but I still can't help but feel like that's a bit revisionist.

[Stardust]

I wish I could play SF Zero on my computer. The Wii U is insanely expensive in my country.