Star Fox 64
From Arwingpedia
Star Fox 64 (スターフォックス 64 Sutā Fokkusu Rokujūyon?), known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars due to trademark issues, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 27, 1997 in Japan, on July 1, 1997 in North America and on October 20, 1997 in Europe and Australia. It was later ported to the China-only iQue on November 21, 2003. Additionally, it is a reimagined remake of the original Star Fox,[1] and the first to be released on the Nintendo 64. It was made available for download on the Wii's Virtual Console on April 2, 2007 in North America, April 17, 2007 in Japan and on April 20, 2007 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The planned second game in the series for the SNES, Star Fox 2, was canceled due to the upcoming release of the Nintendo 64, but some of its features were used in Star Fox 64, such as all range mode. It was the first game to introduce support for the Rumble Pak.[2] The game received positive ratings from reviewers and critics who praised its smooth animation, detailed visuals, and use of multiple gameplay paths. It has been called one of the greatest games of all time[3]
The music in Star Fox 64 was composed by Koji Kondo and Hajime Wakai. Some of this music was used in the later games of the series.
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[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Story
The evil Dr. Andross has defiled the Lylat system with his dangerous experiments. General Pepper banished him to Venom, a barren waste land that is believed to be unable to support life. When weird readings come from Venom, General Pepper sends Star Fox, made up of James McCloud, Peppy Hare, and Pigma Dengar. But at Venom, Pigma betrays McCloud and Hare to Andross. James is captured by Andross and is supposedly killed. Peppy returns to Corneria. Years later, Andross invades Lylat and General Pepper sents a new Star Fox, made up of Fox McCloud( James's son), Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare to stop Andross and end the lylat wars.
[edit] Plot
Corneria is under attack from Andross's troops again, in another effort to rule the Lylat system. General Pepper of the Cornerian Army hires Star Fox, a mercenary team renowned through the system. After taking either the easy or hard path on Corneria and after completing the following level, the player can choose to enter a 3 level medium path, continue on a 5 way easy path or continue on a 5 way hard path, or mix. When the player reaches Venom, there are two ways to get to Andross, depending on the player's path. Easy venom has you go through a course like most of the other stages and face a fake Andross. The other has you face a disfigured Star Wolf and face the real Andross. If you choose this path, then you will have to follow what is believed as the ghost of Fox's father, James. Star Fox then returns to Corneria. General Pepper offers them to join the Cornerian army, but they turn it down. They then fly off to the sun. If you face the fake Andross, Andross's face is seen and laugh is heard as the player's score is displayed. If you face th real Andross, THE END is shown instead. In the plot of the series, since Andross was dead after this game it appears that Fox fought the real Andross.
[edit] Levels
1. Corneria - The first level along all difficulty paths, this is the homeworld of Fox et al. The team must fly over the ocean en route to Corneria City, repulse the invaders in the city, and proceed past it to fight a boss. Mission Complete: The team continues forward and encounters a walking mecha boss, then heads for Meteo. Mission Accomplished: If Falco survives the dogfight and the path through the water arches is taken, Falco leads the team through a waterfall to fight a flying boss and proceed to Sector Y.
EASY PATH
2. Meteo - While progressing towards Venomian forces, the team encounters the heavy asteroid belt of Meteo. Many enemy fighters lie in ambush along the way. Mission Complete: The team progresses through the field and dispatches a mining ship armed with a variety of energy weapons, heading for Fichina. Mission Accomplished: The team finds a series of warps through another asteroid field that ends at Katina.
3. Fichina - The Venom army has taken over a base on Fichina and planted a bomb there. When Star Fox becomes aware of this, Star Wolf shows up, commencing the most dangerous dogfight so far - with a running timer to boot! Mission Complete: The bomb detonates, destroying the base as Star Wolf's remaining pilots fly away. The team is forced to press on to Sector X. Mission Accomplished: With all of Star Wolf's pilots shot down, Fox flies into the base and disables the bomb. The team heads for Solar.
4. Sector X- Andross has built some secret weapon and used it to destroy the base at Sector X. You must find and destroy this secret weapon. This is the only level wher you can go to an easy level, a medium level, or a hard level. You can take the warp to Sector Z, defeat the secret weapon without Slippy getting knocked to Titania, or defeat him with Slippy getting knocked to Titania. If you came from Katina, Bill will help you with the warp. If you face the secret weapon with Slippy out, he'll appear right before the battle.
5. Titania- If you are to rescue Slippy, you must use the landmaster to navigate through the dessert planet of Titania. After navigating through the dessert, you rescue Slippy from some kind of bio-weapon and head to Bolse.
6. Bolse- You have to destroy the Bolse station to get to Venom. After taking down the shield that's guarding the core, Star Wolf will appear if you haven't defeated them before in the game. If you did, you just need to shoot the many yellow spot on the core and blow the station away.
MEDIUM
7. Katina- An assault is occuring on Katina. You must assist the Cornerian army in defending the base, led by Bill Grey. After battiling the enimies, the mothership appears to blow up the base. After the core appears, you have a short amount of time to blow it up. If you succeed, you continue to Solar. If you fail, you head to Sector X.
8. Solar- Solar is the star of Lylat. If you came from Katina, Bill helps you near the end. The boss is some kind of enemy bio-weapon.Note that since you are flying above lava, you will gain damage at the beggining for that. You then go to MacBeth.
9. MacBeth- Macbeth is the closest planet to Venom. It appears as a mass-machinery planet. You must take out the base there. To do that you must hit 8 switches in the landmaster (If you came from Zoness, Katt shoots one for you) with Falco taking one off your hands. You then have to shot one switch that will switch the tracks to the train you're fighting and run it into the base, giving you a hit +50 and go to Area 6. If you miss a switch, you must destroy the train and go to Bolse.
HARD
10. Sector Y- A battle is occurring in Sector Y. General Pepper asks Star Fox to win it. This is the only level with three bosses. You fight two robot shoguns and one piloted shogun. If you get a certain amount of hits, you head towards Aquas. If not, you head to Katina.
11. Aquas- This is the only level so far in the entire series where you use the blue marine. You (and supposedly Falco) pilot the submarine to search and destroy the bio-weapon beneath Aquas. You have unlimited torpedoes for the blue marine. After you destroy it, you head towards Zoness.
12. Zoness- Andross's army has polluted Zoness's sea. You must find the leader and deafeat him. You are assisted by Katt Monroe, who appears to know Falco. After destroy the pirate-like boss, and if you destroyed all the search lights, you head to Sector Z. If you were spotted, you head to MacBeth.
13. Sector Z- While heading through Sector Z, the Venom army sents 6 missiles towards the great fox. If you came from Zoness, Katt appers and destroys one. Falco also destroys one. If you stop them all, you head towards Area 6. If one reaches the great fox, it will blow up the wing and you head to Bolse.
14. Area 6- This is the last outpost before you reach Venom. It has a fleet that is being planned the launch yet another assault. After making it through the fleet and through the 3 lines., you head to Venom.
VENOM
1- Venom 1 is a level like the others. You head into a temple and destroy a rock enemy running away. You the go down a tunnel and face the fake, easy Andross.
2. Instead of a level, you face a disfigured Star Wolf, whom you are unable to lock-on to or use bombs on. After defeating them, You head through a maze and face Andross (if you go down a certain path, you will always get another life and have infinite tries) Instead of a robot that can be beaten easily when you blow up Andross's hands and head (those are his only dismembered body parts probably due to his experiments), you face what is believed as his true form; his brain. After defeating it, he attacks you one last time saying, "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!" Just then, Fox's father (it's debated weither or not he's truly dead because of this) saves him and shows Fox the way out (if you go the wrong way, you will die). James then disappears.
[edit] Gameplay
[edit] Controls
Arwing- The player uses the arwing for the most part in the series overall. Using this, however, you have to save your team mates in all the levels you use it in, especaly Slippy.
Landmaster- You use the landmaster to save Slippy and take out the base on MacBeth. You still have to save your team mates, but rarely.
Blue Marine- You use the Blue Marine on Aquas since the Arwings can't go under water. It has unlimited torpedos.
[edit] Reception
StarFox 64 is considered to be the best SF game ever among fans. It also is considered to be the first game in the series, considering the original game not Canon. Many fans were disappointed by the following 2 sequels, but brought up by the 3rd sequel.
[edit] Legacy
Star Fox 64 is regarded by many as one of the greatest N64 games of all time, though it is still considered to be in the shadow of more popular games such as The Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. Star Fox 64 was also the first game to utilize Nintendo's revolutionary Rumble Pak. It is believed by most fans to be the best game of the series. Also, the repetitive speech of Star Fox 64 is known for has recently become a sort of internet phenomenon, most notably Peppy Hare's infamous, "Do a barrel roll!" line.
[edit] References
The Katina level is almost a complete rip off/homage to the movie, "Independence Day" Bill Grey is also a homage to a character in the movie's name.
The Sector Y level has many armies of mechs similar to many of the mobile suits from "Mobile Suit Gundam" for their beam rifles, shields and mobility. They even can be launched out from battleships in battle. One mech colored in red and is said by Peppy to be very quick reference any mobile suit used by Char Aznable because of its red color and quick mobility. Not only that, the boss however aside from the first two colored mechs is known to be white and launched from its own launch ship is a homage and resemblance to the RX-78-2 Gundam which is also from the same series.
Other: Star Fox 2 | Star Fox Wii | Star Fox Arcade | Cameos
