Star Fox: Assault

I'm biased because StarFox Assault was the game that I bought since moving into my apartment five years ago. I was nervous being out on my own, alone this time, and as a celebration I bought this game. A lot of people hated it, but I loved it. Not only did it help me through some rough times and being scared of the loneliness, it was still a great game to boot.

Since Nintendo rightfully sold their developer Rare to the rather gullible Microsoft, they handed the project over to Namco; a company most famous for the Pac-Man series. Namco and Nintendo had a good relationship going, even handling works like Mario Kart GP for the arcade (which, for some reason, was never brought to the States)and taking over this: StarFox Assault.

Namco took on the project while maintaining the spirit of the franchise (a la flying the Arwing) to also mixing things up like on foot missions and piloting the Landmaster (Starfox's version of a tank). The controls work quite well, and the different planets you are taken to are all very interesting and colorful. The only real problem Namco was creating was there were more on foot missions than actual Arwing levels, and when there are Arwing levels, they are oddly abrupt. This contributed to a lot of the backlash from the fans of the series, even though I personally thought the experience was fun overall, regardless.

The story took a different turn, as well. The game begins by confronting a relative of series mainstay bad guy, Andross, but is quickly diminished after the first level, and instead focusing on a new enemy, The Aparoids. Fans complained about this too, and I don't see why because it's good to see Fox and his crew go after something different. It makes the galaxy bigger if there is a new threat to the team. It all leads to satisfying ending, with a hope that the developers will continue the franchise on the Nintendo Wii.

If anything, the fans certainly can't complain about the music. It's well orchestrated and easy on the ears. I love the first level music, but my favorite has to go down to, of all things, the briefing music. I listen to that one a lot. It's a very beautiful score and under-appreciated beneath the shell of a much reviled game.

I love this game. As of this writing, there hasn't been any word for a Starfox game for any platform, which is a shame. Starfox Assault was probably the best franchise game to come out on the Gamecube's lifespan, and this includes titles like Wind Waker and Super Mario Sunshine. Hopefully Nintendo is considering on resurrecting Fox and his crew in the same vein as Starfox Assault, only this time incorporating more Arwing levels.