The Star Fox series may sneak into the list of Nintendo's most beloved gaming franchises. However, it has been some time since Fox McCloud starred in a hit title for Nintendo. Recent entries have taken some swings, but perhaps it is time to take a look back at the roots of the series. Nintendo's space shooter could very much be like a miniature Star Wars.
The cherished Star Fox 64 was the second entry into the series, and its best-selling to this day. Looking back at the game, it has some silly elements, but Star Fox 64 is rooted in dark themes, realism, deep storytelling, branching storylines, and more. Nintendo has failed in bringing back Star Fox multiple times, but perhaps that is partially because the wrong approach is being used. The Star Fox series is one that has the opportunity to both capture the nostalgia of the past and innovate as a darker space opera with unique storytelling.
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When it comes to the Star Fox games that seemed to fall short, much of that began with a dinosaur-themed Star Fox game that was originally an entirely different Rare game. Star Fox Adventures started out as a Nintendo 64 game named Dinosaur Planet. While the game was received generally well, it is not remembered as fondly among fans, having a 7.9 user score on Metacritic compared to Star Fox 64 with an 8.9.
Perhaps it is fitting that Star Fox Adventures ended up not having the same feel as the previous two games, as it is a title that started out as an entirely different project. In some ways, the series never looked back. Star Fox eventually evolved into being a series that would lean more toward a bit of a childish feeling with the likes of Star Fox Zero and its Hasbro Chicken Walker design approach. There are those who like the game, and Shigeru Miyamoto says Star Fox Zero is underrated, but the game is missing a level of nuance.
Nintendo games often walk a fine line between being fun for kids and deep for adults. In cinema, Pixar has been praised for walking this line perfectly. Whether it is bouncing around on Goombas but also exploring every nook and cranny in a Mario game, or slicing Bokoblins while taking down every Shrine in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo provides experiences that bring joy to all. A game like Star Fox 64 was not simply about blasting through space, it was about the harrowing tale of a young man attempting to find out what really happened to his father. It was about his coming up against enemy pilots in space who would jump on his radio in real-time and tell him – in 1997, when voice-over was rare – that James McCloud was a coward who "screamed real loud when he died." It was a game that allowed for multiple paths, skippable courses based on secrets and exploration; even as the game was an on-rail shooter.
In 1997, Star Fox 64 had some of the best dialogue and storytelling in video games. Each character had clever quips, the dialogue could change if a character was out due to being shot down, and the voiceover was memorable. What is unfortunate is that Nintendo was unable to keep that level of polish and storytelling going, and now the series is not known for this area at all, as it hasn't competed with the best stories in gaming for quite some time.
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It would be exciting to see Nintendo and Star Fox get back to a place where the games were again among the most interesting narratively. That would mean a few things. The games would have to be creative with in-game storytelling. One of the things that made the past games special was how the story was told through the environment and the characters. An example would be when the crew was flying over Corneria City for the first time in Star Fox 64, and the location was obliterated by the enemy. Fox gave the update on where they were, and Falco chimed in saying, "This is horrible." This quick conversation gave breadth to the characters, including someone like Falco who has the MO of being a heartless tough guy – but in this situation clearly cares about the souls who were lost. Each conversation, whether it be Falco poking fun at Slippy or Peppy pep-talking the crew, added value to the experience.
Star Fox 64 also allowed players to shoot down enemies in dogfight scenarios, which would alter outcomes. If enemies were killed in one mission, they would not return again later in the game, allowing players to have true autonomy over the result of a battle. A new Star Fox game with branching narratives that connect with missions would also be exciting. In previous games, players had the ability to take on various missions based on finishing a level in a specific way, finding a secret path, or so on. A future Star Fox game could handle this narratively as well. For example, if a particular enemy is killed in a dogfight, that could open up a mission to their home base where Fox and his crew could take down the rest of his subordinates – or show mercy on them.
There have been reports thatF-Zero was once going to be brought back with darker ambitions, but Star Fox could also be perfect for such a revival. The games were once much more adult than some may remember. Whether it be Fox wrestling with his father's dealings with Andross, branching narratives, and more; the games had a lot to offer. Nintendo can consider Star Fox to be its own little Star Wars in a way, a space opera that has much more to show.
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