Star Fox 64
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| Star Fox 64 {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Nintendo {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | Image:Flag of Japan.svg April 27, 1997 Image:Flag of the United States.svg May 1997 Image:European flag.svg October 1997 November 21, 2003 (iQue) |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64, iQue {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Star Fox 64, also known as Lylat Wars in Europe and Australia (due to trademark issues), is the second game in Nintendo's Star Fox series and the sequel to Star Fox. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, and later ported to the China-only iQue in 2003.
The planned second game in the series for the Super Famicom/SNES, Star Fox 2, was scrapped, but a good deal of it was in Star Fox 64. Star Fox 64 was the first game to introduce support for the Rumble Pak.
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New features
Among the new features is the vastly hyped in-game sampled voice speech that has replaced the chatter from the original game. However, the original chatter referred to as Lylat in the language option-screen can be enabled. This feature is not available in the US-version of the game. The game relies much more heavily on dialogue than the original, and together with the cinematic sequences they drive the story forwards. This dialogue has also become the target of parody in recent years, especially the repetitive phrases of Slippy Toad.
Image:Star Fox 64 Map.jpg Instead of the fixed series of levels of the original (determined by the difficulty level chosen), many of the levels branch out to two different levels, with the "upper" branch requiring the player to accomplish a certain task. If this task is not accomplished, then the player must take the "downward" route. The levels correspond loosely to the original difficulty levels, with routes colour coded blue, yellow and red to represent the easiest, medium and hardest levels of difficulty, respectively.
As well as the forced progression of the main game, some levels have an "all range mode", where the player can move freely around the rectangular arena, and engages in combat with various enemies. The Arwing has two new maneuvers as well: it can now perform a loop to get the drop on pursuing baddies, and, in all-range mode, it can Immelmann up-and-over to change direction.
The game features the first appearance of the Star Wolf team, evil counterparts of the Star Fox team.
Finally, to add replay challenge, the game features awardable "medals," which are earned by accomplishing a mission (not just surviving to the end of it) with all wingmen intact and having achieved a certain kill total (hits). These totals are often a high percentage of the total enemies on the stage, leaving little room for error. Obtaining medals would result in unlocking bonus features, such as a sound test and the ability to fight on foot in multiplayer mode. Acquiring all medals would unlock a new "Expert" mode in which there were more enemies per level, your Arwing would take more damage, and Fox would wear sunglasses similar to his father's; acquiring all medals on Expert mode would unlock a new title screen for the game.
Story
The wicked scientist Andross has been sent to exile on the deserted planet Venom, and one day strange activity is spotted from the planet, Corneria. An Arwing-team consisting of Pigma Dengar, James McCloud and Peppy Hare are sent to investigate. Upon their arrival, Pigma betrays the team and James and Peppy are captured by Andross. Peppy barely escaped, but James did not survive. Peppy then heads back to Corneria to tell James' son Fox about his father's fate. (Depending on your path, James' spirit might be set free at the end of the game and he will help Fox escape from Venom.)
Upon learning the news of Pigma's betrayal a new team is assembled consisting of Fox McCloud (the player), Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad and Peppy Hare. Fox is the final hope of putting an end to Andross' madness and thereby securing the peace of the Lylat System.
A notable difference from the original game's story is that the Star Fox team, albeit being mercenaries in both games, already possess Arwings when they are called to help defend Corneria whereas in the original game they are recruited to act as pilots for the newly developed Arwings. However, in the Nintendo Power Official Player's Guide the Arwings are referred to as four prototypes.
Multiplayer
The game features multiplayer support for up to four players simultaneously. You can choose to play using either the Arwing spaceship, the Landmaster tank or as the pilot equipped with a bazooka. The two latter modes, however, have to be unlocked.
Stages
Image:N64 Star Fox 64.jpg Image:StarFox64 N64 Screenshot.jpg
There are a total of sixteen stages in Star Fox 64; ten of these stages are planets, three of them are sectors, one of them is the asteroid field "Meteo" and two of them are Andross-controlled defense systems:
- Corneria: A planet that is the governmental center of the Lylat system
- Meteo: An asteroid belt located near Corneria
- Fortuna: A frozen planet, home to a single large base facility
- Sector X: A sector full of space junk, rumoured to contain a base
- Titania: A desert planet
- Bolse: A satellite that acts a defense system for Venom
- Katina: A barren planet except for the Cornerian base, much like Fortuna. An assault force centred around an enormous mothership has been deployed by Andross to destroy the base
- Solar: Presumably the sun of the Lylat system, though it is depicted as being much smaller than most of the other bodies in the system. It is thought to be the home of a secret bio-weapon developed by Andross
- Macbeth: A heavily-industrialized planet storing munitions for Andross' war effort, many of which are moved by the giant train the level is centred around
- Sector Y: An area of space which is the site of a ferocious battle between the Cornerian fleet and Andross' spacecraft
- Aquas: An ocean planet, thought to be home to another of Andross' bio-weapon projects
- Zoness: A terribly-polluted planet flooded by waste. Falco and Peppy's comments during the level imply the pollution is the result of deliberate action by Andross' forces
- Sector Z: Venom's "restricted space" sector, focal point of a missile defense system
- Area 6: The series of defensive lines that defend an access corridor to Venom
- Venom: The barren planet on which Andross's base is located; it appears to be the largest in the Lylat system
It should be noted that, while the above list contains only fifteen areas and nine planets, the planet Venom is actually two different stages; visiting it from Bolse triggers an on-rails shooter level, whereas visiting from Area 6 triggers an all-range-mode level where Star Fox must battle Star Wolf.
Vehicles
Trivia
Star Fox 64 contains a few references to other works, mainly movies.
- The opening music sounds very similar to the opening music from Star Wars, composed by John Williams. Template:Ref
- On the planet Katina, the Invader II class fighters and the enemy mothership all closely resemble the alien vessels in the film Independence Day.Template:Ref
- The ending music resembles the ending music from Independence Day by David Arnold at the beginning.Template:Ref
- The ending sequence where the Star Fox team walks down a hall with soldiers on each side resembles the ending of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Also, Peppy says "I have a bad feeling about this", a line commonly used in all of the Star Wars movies, and Falco says "I'm here to rescue you"—a line some believe to be a reference to "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you."Template:Ref Peppy shouts "It's a trap!" in a similar tone to Admiral Ackbar.
- There is a small reference to the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the game. When you fight the large robot boss, Spyborg, it occasionally says, "Where is the creator?" and, "I must be complete." This is a reference to the Star Trek character "V-Ger," a machine who was seeking its creator so it could join with him and become complete. Fox's response, "What's he saying?", alludes to the fact that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy had no idea what Khambatta's character was talking about.Template:Ref
- The planet on which the first level takes place is named Corneria, and very much resembles in name as well as appearance how the Star Wars planet Corellia is described in books and seen in Star Wars games.
- Peppy's warning message "Do a barrel roll!" has become an internet meme, particularly on fad sites like You're The Man Now Dog.Com.
- It's interesting to note that at the end of the game when the total amount of Venomian units destroyed is displayed on screen, the total amount of "space dollars" in the game is simply the result of the total points scored multiplied by the number 64 (N x 64=total amount of space dollars).
Manipulating the joystick at the title screen will make the "64" in the game's logo move around, causing the Star Fox team members to watch it in fascination.
World Speed Record
Mike 'TSA' Damiani of America holds the world's fastest time of completion of Star Fox 64 in normal mode on August 18, 2005 -- 27 minutes and 29 seconds. Aleks 'SuperCoolAl' Lukic of the UK set the world's fastest time of completion of the PAL version of Star Fox 64, in expert mode, on July 2, 2005, -- 33 minutes and 16 seconds.[1]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In October 2005, an Arwing was discovered as an enemy unlockable with Gameshark in the video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Promotion
Star Fox 64 was promoted in a Taco Bell kids meal toy. There might have been more than one kind of toy for the promotion.
Nintendo Power subscribers received a promotional video prior to Star Fox 64's release (the same tactic was used to promote Donkey Kong Country for the SNES) that advertised the game's cinematic presentation, as well as new features like the Rumble Pak and voice acting.
References
- Template:Note “Star Fox 64 Original Cuts,” Altpop.com. URL last accessed on February 25, 2006.
- Template:Note “Game Trivia for Star Fox 64,” Mobygames.com. URL last accessed on February 25, 2006.
- Template:Note “Starfox 64,” Elecplay.com. URL last accessed on February 25, 2006.
- Template:Note “Star Fox 64 - GameCritics.com” Gamecritics.com URL last accessed on February 25, 2006.
- Template:Note “StarFox 64 Cheats” Cheats.ugo.com. URL last accessed on February 25, 2006.
External links
Template:Star Fox seriesfr:Lylat Wars it:Starfox 64 ja:スターフォックス64 pt:Star Fox 64 sv:Star Fox 64