Mag-log in bilang miyembro
Suriin ang bagong bersyon ng Star Fox para sa Nintendo Switch 2, na nagtatampok ng mga na-update na kontrol, isang graphical overhaul na ginagawang mas katulad ng isang remaster ang nakaraang bersyon ng 3DS, at ang mode ng Avatar Camera.
"The new Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2 was announced not even a month ago.
Its existence had sadly leaked before, but Nintendo still managed to unveil it without notice, and with a shocking graphical style. And it's coming very soon, on June 25th."
"Before launch, and as there still seems to be some confusion about what this actually is, I was able to spend more than one hour with what looked like a pretty final build.
I tried what I already knew and loved, yes, I spent many weekends of my adolescence chasing medals on Nintendo 64, but also what is completely new in this version. Because yes, this is a remake."
"A full remake, if you will, of the 1997 classic. The third, the fourth version of the same game?
You might be wondering that, and I do get the question and the memes.
After all, the Nintendo 64 title already reinterpreted and modernized the SNES original, and Wii U's flawed Star Fox Zero also built on the same foundations."
"But, to be absolutely honest, this Switch 2 game is what I would call the first total remake.
There is a complete graphical overhaul, control enhancements, and a bunch of interesting additions, while the 3DS version feels more like a remaster.
With that out of the way, there are several things here that made me do overall enjoy, while a couple of others had me, I can't let you do that, Star Fox."
"So, let's rock and roll.
First, the realistic furs. And no, I'm not furry.
I think the new look is bold, and it also feels like a nod to the puppets from the SNES cover.
It differentiates this game from every other entry in the series, and also from the recent Super Mario Galaxy movie."
"Yes, that fox is more expressive and fun, but after spending an hour with these redesigned bodies, I think the style works.
It fits the more serious but one-liner-filled script, and also what they probably wanted to convey with the low-poly models back in the day."
"We are saving the galaxy, but in a badass style.
They look better in their cockpits than in person during cutscenes, given their obvious quadrupedal struggles, but the realistic furry design works well with the Lilac Wars tone."
"And this also connects with the visuals.
The environments are much more realistic too, and Nintendo clearly waited until now to fully remake these and other titles.
Got enough time? You go next."
"So that the leap would feel much more obvious.
After three generations of more discreet hardware updates, now is the time to show off some graphical flair.
Most of what I played on Corneria, Meteor and Sector Y truly looked like the graphics we fantasized about three decades ago."
"Geometry, reflections, textures, lighting, effects...
It is a dream come true for veteran fans.
Some details landed especially well for me, like entering Corneria City when it's almost night-dark because of war and smoke, or shooting the trees and watching fire break out."
"But is it pretty smooth flying, Fox?
That is where I still have some doubts.
Snowy Fichina didn't impress me that much, and during Battle Mode, both in All Rage mode, I got the feeling that the game struggled a bit."
"It will be interesting to see if it keeps a solid 60 frames per second in the final build, because the smoother framerate already makes everything feel more fluid and more vertiginous.
Then there are the controls.
And yes, with so many new options, be careful."
"It's a trap.
I spent most of my playtime mistakenly throwing smart bombs as if they were infinite, because of the tweaked default control scheme.
It now follows the more natural Breath of the Wild or Bonanza approach, where X means up or advance and B means down or backwards."
"In other words, boost and break.
This is understandable and it is customizable, but it takes a while if you come from the classic mapping.
It also makes homing bombs more complicated, because Y is quite unreachable when you are holding A, isn't it?
Besides, Somersault and U-turn now have easy up and down shortcuts on the D-pad instead of the analog combinations of yesteryear."
"That being said, the real game changer is mouse mode.
I was only allowed to try it in co-op, with another plane piloting the Arwing and me taking aim.
And honestly, co-op was more interesting than I had expected."
"It felt very Star Wars.
One player controls the ship, the other controls the turret, and you need constant communication.
In a way, like the Wii U idea finally working properly."
"And while I'm looking forward to trying both things on my own, it was already enough to see how much easier it becomes to take down enemies.
There is also a welcome post-mission stats screen showing time enemies taken down, damage, shots, and more."
"My accuracy, or our accuracy, went from 17% to 28% when we switched from regular stick cursor to mouse controls.
And the tangible difference is even higher than that number suggests.
This will impact both competitive multiplayer and high score chasing in single player, which brings me to medals and challenges."
"Medals are back, and the same tricks you used to make more enemies appear in the past remain intact here.
However, the new aiming method makes things much easier, so my 212 hits in Corneria won't be such a demanding feat anymore."
"Even less if you tackle levels cooperatively with another pro player, right?
Both medal and new challenges are shown once a planet has been completed, so we'll have to see how Nintendo has handled this crucial aspect now that there are different control types and player combinations."
"In my opinion, traditional medals should keep the same score requirements while added challenges and reward for mouse or co-op should be clearly separated.
Either way, the additional objectives and stats are very welcome for a more complete arcade experience."
"Then there is Battle Mode, and I admit, surprise.
I wasn't expecting this to impress me.
Back in the day whenever we exhausted GoldenEye and Mario Kart, I spent many hours with 3 classmates dogfighting on a 14-inch CRTV splitting 4 at 15 frames per second in a Star Fox 64's Bare Bones multiplayer."
"But I didn't picture myself coming back online 30 years later, no matter the modern graphics, netcode and fullscreen.
However, I honestly enjoyed what they are trying here.
There are modifiers, power-ups and modern squad vs squad objectives."
"In my multiplayer time I was Wolf O'Donnell from the Star Wolf, and as Andro's enemy is my enemy, I satisfyingly took down cocky little freaks such as Fox McCloud and Sleepy Toad while capturing the zone.
I dropped proximity mines, launched homing rockets, fired a special laser and stayed safe with an added shield."
"This could get very competitive shortly after release.
The problem? Only 3 maps, Corneria Bay, Fichina and Sector Y.
Fully expect Nintendo to release and market more if the mode gathers interest, but for now, it weirdly remains as a promise rather than a day-one selling point."
"Finally, the Andro's is in the details.
There is a general attention to detail here that feeds both fan service and newcomer appeal.
The choir-infused orchestrated soundtrack makes one of Koji Kondo's best move you again.
The silly but well-implemented avatar camera feature is something I can already imagine in future multiplayer games."
"The subtle HD rumble too honors the very first good vibrations in gaming for many players.
And then there is the added lore, with expanded intermission scenes, in-mission cutscenes and a revised script.
This aims directly at the hearts of those of us who played Star Fox in the 90s, but it can also become an entry point for new generations, all while keeping the soul and personality of the original."
"I still need to check out all my doubts in the complete game, but if all systems go, I may very well play this again and again."
