Star Fox Adventures (GameCube)

Published by
Developed by
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
5 point score based on user ratings.
Written by  :  WWWWolf (422)
Written on  :  May 03, 2004

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A beautiful and fun adventure

The Good

Rare can't fail with graphics and sound, and this game is not an exception. Locations are beautiful, characters detailed and well-animated. The game is one of the few modern releases that manage to impress me with the graphics (In some cases, there's fur effects and depth-of-field). Music is excellent. Voice acting isn't stellar but it works wonderfully and no character is actually annoying.

Playability is wonderful. I might describe it best as "Zelda without the annoyances" - no beep-beep when you're low on health, can save just about everywhere, and no need to hurt fingers because enemies are targeted automatically.

While the plot isn't that complex, it still manages to keep me interested all the way. Cutscenes are very competently done.

Slippy Toad's in-game hint system is definitely welcome, even if it's not very helpful in all situations. Thanks to it, I never really got stuck.

The Bad

Well, Rare has the reputation of adding weird near-useless items in the game, and this game is not an exception. I don't know if it's that bad, though. The puzzles weren't very challenging, but I suppose it's also positive (better easily done than impassable). Overall, the game has "a huge bunch of cool ideas that aren't too well joined" kind of feel.

The Bottom Line

Fox McCloud gets to explore the beautiful and atmospheric Dinosaur Planet on foot, recovering some mystical stones and passing small challenges. This game is just like Zelda games, just a bit more refined and evolved, and far more linear in structure.

Some might say the game is too easy, but I found the game to have just the right amount of challenge. It never got *too* easy, it never got too hard. With a very linear plot, it was much like a scenic ride through the planet with some puzzles along the way and more than enough action. Even if it still uses the platform game cliche of "n different levels with different themes", the game surprisingly manages to create an interesting atmosphere in each location.

As for if it's a good Starfox game, I'd say yes. The space shooter sequences aren't too large parts of the game, but I've always wanted to see Fox adventuring on foot.

And once finished, the game hasn't left me with a "glad it's all over" kind of feeling. While one might say it won't reward the player at all and thus it has no replay value, I think it actually is worth playing again. The game is not really amazing to complete, but through and through, with very small exceptions, it has been really really *fun.* I will play again, and I'm hoping for a sequel.