The most common criticism was that "Star Fox 64" was not as much of a leap over the original "Star Fox", particularly compared to "Super Mario 64"s improvement over previous "Mario" games. This perceived shortcoming did little to dull critics' response to the game, however. "GameSpot" reviewer Glenn Rubenstein declared "Star Fox 64" "an instant classic" and "a pleasure to look at". "EGM" gave it their "Game of the Month" award, with Dan Hsu calling it "a shooting fan's dream come true" and Shawn Smith "almost as good as Mario 64." IGN reviewer Doug Perry said it "demonstrates that shooters are more alive now than ever."