Nintendo has created many a household name for gamers: Mario, Zelda, Samus, Star Fox and more. This is something that Nintendo seems hell-bent on reminding consumers by re-releasing many of their older titles pretty-fied for the 3DS.
I’d be angry, if the games weren’t so darned good and looked so phenomenal. Star Fox 64 3D continues this trend, on the heels of the Ocarina of Time re-release, and is a pleasure to play, albeit with a couple of caveats.
The game’s graphics have been updated to take advantage of the superior abilities of the 3DS. The fluid effects (water, lava, etc), in particular, are stunningly well-done. The 3D effect in the game is put to good use, and can definitely add to the gameplay.
This brings me to my first caveat. Having such a narrow “sweet spot” for the 3D effect is frustrating for an action hand-held game, since you’re likely to move the unit while you play (and dodge and barrel-roll and shoot and …) which messes with the 3D effect.
Star Fox has also been updated to take advantage of the motion sensors in the 3DS, even to the point of re-arranging the enemies, which allows you to use the motion-detection to pilot your Arwing. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really add much to the gameplay because, as functional as the motion controls may be, I kept finding myself reverting to the classic control scheme.
The online multiplayer mode has been reduced to local-only, which is a disappointment in the day and age of fast wifi. The ability to have up to four players competing with only a single copy of the game is a nice touch, however. As is the ability to use the camera on each 3DS to show your opponent’s faces and reactions, as you shoot down their ships.
My other caveat is the price. Even as good as the remake of Star Fox 64 is on the 3DS, it’s not worth $40 for a 14-year-old game. It’s a great game, don’t get me wrong, but it is over-priced at $40. With that said, if you see it on sale (or you don’t mind the price tag) definitely grab yourself a copy. It’s quite probably one of the best 3DS games available.
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