Star Fox

This is the game that came before the "Barrel Roll" 64 edition and 1st used, the revolutionary (well at the time) Super FX Chip on the SNES. So how does this game stack up to the likes of Starfox 64, Starfox Adventures and Assault? Well quite well actually.

In Starfox, (if you don't know the story by now...) you play as Fox Mccloud, leader of the reformed Starfox team. As Fox Mccloud, you are trying to shoot everything that moves in your way, as this game is "On-Rails", meaning that you are taken along a pre dertimined path, which you can rarely change. Fox can use his trusty Arwing blaster, (which can be upgraded to twin blaster) or collect bombs which are dropped when enemies are shot down. He can also pick up upgrades to the original arwing, which are shields which obviously prevent damage caused by enemy fire.

So how does this baby play?... Well think of it like Starfox 64, dumbed down a bit. The graphics are now, oh so crap in the sense compared to everything else today, but they are still good enougth to hold your attention. The game is in a "2.5D" style, meaning the sprites on screen imitate the look of 3D, which it's sequel Starfox64, would later fufil. The gameplay is like a typical shooter, you use the Arwing's blasters to shoot down enemies. It's really that simple. So if your a fan of shooters, this is game is most likely for you. It's a blast to play through, but unfortunately does not last a great amount of time. This is where the multiple paths in the game come in. They make the replay value go up a bit, by offering you different (and more difficult) paths to keep you occupied.

The one thing I like this game for, compared with others in the series, is the music. Although it sounds like a midi file, it's exciting and sets the mood. The one track I particulary like is the "Coneria" theme that play on the 1st level. Compare that with the soundtracks in the series, (minus Starwolf's theme in 64) the other soundtracks sound pretty lame.

So overall, if your an older gamer who wants the nostelgia coming back to them, or a new retro gamer, (like me :D) you can be sure your in good hands picking up Starfox for the SNES. Although if you can, you should go for Starfox64 instead. It improves on the SNES version which makes it more fun :D