• Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

    You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

What do we really want from Star Fox?

What was the best Star Fox game, in your opinion?

  • Star Fox (SNES - 1993)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Star Fox 64 (N64 - 1997)

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Star Fox Adventures (GCN - 2002)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Star Fox: Assault (GCN - 2005)

    Votes: 8 66.7%
  • Star Fox: Command (NDS - 2006)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Star Fox 64 3D (N3DS - 2011)

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Star Fox Zero (Wii U - 2016)

    Votes: 1 8.3%

  • Total voters
    12

AlphaSSB

Bring Back Star Fox
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
2,751
Location
United States
3DS FC
0018-1370-8449
Switch FC
0691-1639-9303
This is something that's always somewhat bothered me, but has really flared up as of late. Star Fox is my second favorite Nintendo series, and its painful to see just how poorly its been doing. I've personally enjoyed all the games in the franchise, but I understand that not everyone feels the same way, which is obvious based on sales and reviews. So, I'm curious. In your own opinion, what do you want out of a new Star Fox game, and what do you think Nintendo can do to really save the franchise? I have my own wishes for a future installment, but I'm going to avoid posting them for now, and I'm more interested in what other people want/think will make Star Fox succeed. I also made similar discussions on /r/nintendo and /r/starfox, so check those out if you wish.
 

Kikkipoptart12

Smash Champion
Joined
Jul 12, 2014
Messages
2,181
NNID
Kikkipop 12
3DS FC
0104-0018-0045
I want a star fox game more in the lines of Assault, but it's more of it needs to be than I want it to be. There is no way star Fox will survive in this day of age without online multiplayer there're so many shooters out there that have one and star fox not having any multiplayer is just stupid.
Also, a new single player campaign won't hurt either.
 

_Sheik

Smash Lord
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
1,034
Location
France
As divisive as they were, Adventures, Assault and Command all made a fantastic job at expanding the lore of the franchise. I'd like to see Nintendo make actual attempts at creating original ideas and stories for future Star Fox titles, and not just rehash Starwing again and again (and worsen the gameplay while they're at it like they did with Zero on Wii U).
 

Aurane

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Messages
33,662
Location
A Faraway Place
Wouldn't mind Star Fox being shelved. The last good SF game in my opinion was SF64, and honestly, it wasn't all that great. It was good, no mistake, but like Metroid, it just didn't click to me as a game I'd add to my top 5. Top 15, even.

I wouldn't mind seeing them experiment a bit more with multiplayer arwing battles though.
 

Mario & Sonic Guy

Old rivalries live on!
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
22,423
Location
Mushroom Kingdom
NNID
TPitch5
3DS FC
5327-1637-5096
Star Fox Zero was pretty much an attempt to set up a third timeline, since the second timeline pretty much came to a halt at Star Fox Command.

However, there's only one route to Venom in Star Fox Zero (the final three stages are always Sector Omega, Corneria 2, and Venom), while Star Fox 64 has two routes (either Area 6 or Bolse Defense Outpost are the semifinal stages).
 

Duplighost

Smash Ace
Joined
Feb 23, 2015
Messages
605
Location
Creepy Steeple
3DS FC
3239-5360-8490
Definitely Assault. In my opinion, the ability to walk on land and go in Arwings and Landmasters at any is what made the game fun. Imagine an online-multiplyer with that concept. It'd be fun. But if Starfox is going to continue how it is then it needs to stop.
 

Jason the Yoshi

Watching Me, Wanting Me
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
Messages
18,791
Location
Waiting for Jesus
Well, if trying to reimagine things didn't work, maybe give us a game that tells us an interesting backstory about Krystal, or try to fit something in between the events of Assault and Command if at all possible.
 

finalark

SNORLAX
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
7,829
Location
Tucson, Arizona
I want a star fox game more in the lines of Assault, but it's more of it needs to be than I want it to be. There is no way star Fox will survive in this day of age without online multiplayer there're so many shooters out there that have one and star fox not having any multiplayer is just stupid.
Also, a new single player campaign won't hurt either.
While I agree that SF should have multiplayer, IMO the best part of Assault was the game's local multiplayer, I alos think Nintendo needs to be willing to build off of Assault's game play. Yes, it was clunky and had some questionable design choices but I feel like there's something really special there if given to the right team. Hell, with how far shooters have come there's no reason why the on-foot levels couldn't be perfected.

If SF wants a future it needs to be willing to evolve past the arcadey rail-shooter game play. You just can't expect someone to drop sixty dollars on a game like that in this day and age. I think even Nintendo knows that, which is why Zero came with Five Nights With Slippy. The sad thing is that every game after 64 had such mixed reception that Nintendo had to bank on 64 to keep the franchise going, twice.

At this point I'd rather Nintendo shelf SF until they're willing to take a big risk with it again. I don't want to wait another ten years for a new SF game only to be given an HD remake of a game that came out twenty years ago.
 

Swamp Sensei

Today is always the most enjoyable day!
BRoomer
Joined
Jan 4, 2013
Messages
37,825
Location
Um....Lost?
NNID
Swampasaur
3DS FC
4141-2776-0914
Switch FC
SW-6476-1588-8392
I think the big issue with Star Fox is that is has the Final Fantasy issue.

There have been so many different Star Fox styles that everyone has their own unique idea of what a Star Fox game is.

Is it a space drama with animals? Is it an arcade shooter? Is it a Rare adventure game? Strategy hybrid? Is plot important? What kind of tone do we need? How much Arwing should there be? How much on foot should there be? Do we include Krystal or just the 64 cast?

So many questions and each Star Fox fan will give so many different answers.

Star Fox has an identity, but doesn't have a real definite core anymore.

Final Fantasy has that issue but it's worked past that to succeed in spite of it. Zelda and Mario too.

I dunno if Star Fox is big enough to do that though.
 
Last edited:

finalark

SNORLAX
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
7,829
Location
Tucson, Arizona
I think the big issue with Star Fox is that is has the Final Fantasy issue.
As a life long fan of both franchises, this is not a fair comparison.

Its easy to point to Final Fantasy and say that it has the "issue" of being radically different each time. This is only superficial, you see. The truth is with Final Fantasy, Square has mastered the art of "the same, but different."

Allow me to explain.

Yes, each Final Fantasy game has its own world, its on mechanics, its own feel. But despite all of that, when you pick up a Final Fantasy game you can expect an RPG. You will always, always, always being fighting monsters to gain XP to level up, exploring dungeons to find secrets, getting new gear and finding new ways to upgrade your party. This is true of every single FF game, from the first one on the NES to the newest one on the PS4. Sure, the exact means of fighting monsters and customizing your characters has evolved over the decades, but despite that you can always count on it building off of the same core no matter what.

Not only that, but the series manages to keep consistent elements throughout its narratives. While yes, Final Fantasy V is cheery and goofy and Final Fantasy XV is dark and somber both games share a few character archetypes, themes, and iconography. And that's part of the core appeal of the franchise. You know that you're probably going to see the same elements you have in previous games, but half the fun is seeing what kind of twist the particular setting of each game puts on it. Sure, some fans have certain styles of Final Fantasy they like more than others, but most life long fans enjoy the series as a whole and not just single entries. This how Final Fantasy has stayed a top-selling franchise world wide for roughly three decades.

Honestly, I could say the same of a vast majority of hugely successful long running franchises. Without writing an entire essay, I completely believe the above holds true for the likes of Mario and Zelda too.

No, Star Fox doesn't have the Final Fantasy issue. It has the Sonic issue.

As you yourself said:

Is it a space drama with animals? Is it an arcade shooter? Is it a Rare adventure game? Strategy hybrid? Is plot important? What kind of tone do we need? How much Arwing should there be? How much on foot should there be? Do we include Krystal or just the 64 cast?
Nobody can agree on the core appeal of Star Fox. It lacks a solid core to work with, you can argue that most of its core comes from SF1 and SF64 but as Nintendo has proven they have no idea how to build off of that core and have very little faith that it can be meaningfully expanded upon or even maintained. For example, thing of how Star Fox as a franchise progressed.

Rail Shooter -> Rail Shooter -> Action/Adventure with beat 'em up elements -> Third Person shooter with rail shoot elements -> Turn based strategy with shoot 'em up elements -> Rail shooter with motion controls

You get the Sonic issue when you start spit-balling. And let me tell you, that list above is some grade-A spit-balling. Nintendo has no idea what the core appeal of Star Fox is, so instead of having a solid core to build off of they've been throwing things to the wall to see what sticks. And so far all its done is divided the fan base over major game play changes that were ultimately spit-balled ideas instead of solid foundations, causing Nintendo to give up and go back to trying to recapture the magic of when the series was most successful.

To sum it up and bring it back to the Final Fantasy comparison: You can point to Final Fantasy VI and say, "This is a RPG about a ragtag group of rebels fighting an evil empire in a steampunk world." And then you can point to Final Fantasy X and say, "This is an RPG about a sports star trapped in a strange world constantly under siege by a whale demon." Despite that, you can also say, "Both games make use of similar character archetypes, themes, tropes and core game play elements to make them into a congruent part of a larger series." With Star Fox you'd be hard pressed to say that.
 
Last edited:

N3ON

Gone Exploring
BRoomer
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
21,444
Location
Vancouver
I want a Starfox game like the old Star Wars Battlefront games. That's what I want. And I never expect to get anything like it. ;P
 
Top Bottom