StarFox Command (DS) Review
Posted by Jordan Williams on 09.13.2006
One of Nintendo's flagship franchises has finally landed on the DS. Will Fox McCloud's first flight into the land of the handheld be a smooth one?
Game: Starfox Command
Console: Nintendo DS
Players: 1-4 (Multi and Single Card Wi-Fi, Nintendo Wi-Fi Online Play)
So, with almost all of the other big Nintendo franchises gracing the Nintendo DS and most of the bigger ones set to debut later this year, Nintendo has put another one of its first party gems onto the Little Handheld That Has. Now, Starfox makes its foray into the handheld market with Starfox Command.
Starfox Command is the follow-up to Starfox: Assault for the Gamecube. It goes back to its roots of being a space combat shooter while adding in some interesting management and turn-based RTS-styled gameplay as well. The story follows almost -EVERY- character in the Starfox Universe as they battle a new invasion from the evil Anglar forces, led by Emperor Anglar. One thing you will notice about this game is that it is VERY story heavy. They obviously took a look at some space dramas and animes because the story behind this game is great and complete with revenge, inner struggle, and some fairly surprising plot twists. After you play through the first time, you are given the option to play through the game again, but this time choosing different story paths, changing the story completely and unlocking more endings.
Will it be enough to win back fans of Starfox and produce a good flight shooter for the DS? Let's see.
Graphics-
While it's no big secret that the Nintendo DS doesn't have as much power as its competition, it uses what power it does have well on this title. All of the levels have a large number of enemies on screen at one time--with lasers and bullets flying in true hectic Starfox fashion--and the detail on the ships is very nice. You can actually tell whose ship is whose just from looking at it.
Most of the action takes place on the top screen during the battle modes, and the bottom screen is regulated to being a cockpit of sorts with a fully-functional radar. It's fairly bland, but it gets the job done.
As for everything outside of your ship, detail seems to just completely drop off. Everything turns into a build of blocks with a flashing weak point with only some of the larger enemies getting much detail. While this does bring back a nostalgic feel, it does get old after a while. Then again, it only seems fair that detail drops a bit with the sheer amount of things going on in some of the larger levels. Couple that with some pretty realistic landscapes and the graphics are this game are actually pretty decent.
As for the rest of the game, the art style has changed back to more of the Starfox (original) look, with obvious changes due to some character differences. But all-in-all, the game is a fairly complete package when it comes to graphics. There's nothing really bad or really wrong with them. Even with tons of enemies and lasers on screen, the game rarely, if ever, lags or chops up.
Gameplay-
Now, this is where the game really begins. The Starfox series has received a complete overhaul with its controls and gameplay. First of all, let me tell you the controls. You use the stylus to move/steer the Arwing and draw flight patterns. The stylus is also used in conjunction with the bottom screen to drop bombs and to do U-turns and sommersalts. The world-famous Barrel Roll can be executed just by moving the stylus in a small circle (or from side to side very quickly). All of the other buttons (sans Start and Select) are used to fire, including the D-pad. Starfox Command controls almost exclusively to the stylus, so for those of you who don't like using the stylus for whatever reason, this is definitely not the game for you.
Now, the game plays on two seperate 'levels.' The game is quasi-turn based. Basically, when a level starts, you will have a flat overview map of the level (complete with Fog of War). You will also start out with whatever fighters you control and the Great Fox. Your objective is to completely clear the map. If you lose all your lives or let any enemy units reach the Great Fox, it's game over. You have to draw a flight pattern for the ship, be it steering it towards an oncoming enemy or simply moving in to attack. Once the two collide, you will get an option to play the level. The levels are akin to the All-Range levels from previous Starfox games. You have free roam over the area, and you must destroy X amount of a certain enemy in order to complete it. You do, however, have a time limit. The time limit really doesn't factor in since a majority of the battles are easy and because time power-ups are all over the place. Deflecting attacks with the Peppy-approved Barrel Roll actually adds time to your meter.
Once you complete your objective, you are returned to the flight plan screen to do the process all over again. It's fairly easy in the beginning stages, but later in the game (and in subsequent playthroughs), it gets hard as your health, bombs, and time carry over for all ships. Basically, you have to fly smart and complete your objective as fast as possible, or you might fly yourself into a corner.
There are a few special levels, however. Every once in a while, you will have to chase down an enemy missile before it reaches The Great Fox and stops you in your tracks. These missions are more to the vein of the old Starfox games. You have to keep up with the missile while flying through its beacons. If you miss one, you lose the missile and you have to try again (each time the missile getting closer). You will have to act fast because the beacons put you in a constant boost, and if you don't shoot the missile down soon, you will be going too fast to catch the beacons, eventually missing altogether.
All in all, the gameplay does get fairly repetitive in the sense that you will have to draw flight plans a lot, taking an unwanted break from the action. But in the latter levels, you will definitely have to manage your time, resources, and most of all, your fighters, in order to make short work of the level.
Yes, your fighters.
In Starfox Command, each character has their own customized ship. While all of them handle fairly well, they all have things that pose as a great strength or weakness. For example, Slippy's ship, the Bullfrog, has some of the strongest single shots in the game and can take a lot of damage; however, it can't boost very far due to its short boost meter. Because barrel rolling is tied into that, he can't deflect attacks very well either. He also can't lock onto enemies. Knowing which one of your pilots is better for a certain enemy or situation is a great example of how important it is to draw the correct flight plan.
The boss battles range from painfully easy to frustratingly hard. Most of the bigger bosses makes giant targets, so they are fairly easy to destroy. But smaller enemies, such as rival ships, make the game intense and difficult. Dogfighting against a fairly smart AI can be a pain, and if you aren't quick, the computer will literally fly circles around you.
Multiplayer is pretty tame, offering up just a 2-4 player dogfight mode. The same is said for the online offering. A few more modes would've been a lot better, but the real meat of the game is in the single player anyway. Be warned, though. Starfox Command has been out in Japan for quite a while, so expect some competition from very experienced players as soon as you log on. A major gripe here is that in multiplayer and online modes, when you shoot down an enemy, you aren't readily awarded a point. They will leave behind a core (much like in the single player modes) which you must retrieve. This gives other players a change to simply hang about, wait for someone to die, and snatch up your hard earned point.
Sound-
The sound in the game is a bit of a mixed bag, depending on your tastes. First of all, the music constantly changes depending on what character you are playing as and also if you are engaged in a boss battle or not. The music is great, but all in all it's fairly forgettable.
The sound in the game is very decent with all of the cutscenes being voiced...sort of. The direction of the voice acting has gone back to the SNES days, where it was just gibberish in a distinctive sound. So, you don't get spoken word, just varying jibberish rants. They added in a creepy feature using the DS built-in mic. You have the option of recording your voice in place of the characters' voices. This is done by speaking some fairly normal answers to questions ("What is your favorite color?"). The game will then take your responses, chop them up, turn them into jibberish (or Lylat, as it is called), and apply it to all of the game characters, with varying pitches to distinguish one voice from another. While it was a nice thought, it's ultimately just a throw-away feature that takes a bit too much time to do and has no real reward outside of hearing a high pitched version of yourself say "upbedepubedepoo."
Lasting Appeal-
This game has TONS of replay value. After you beat the game the first time, which only takes about four hours, you are given the option to play through the game choosing a different course. These new story archs take you ALL over the place, some of them go so far that you aren't even controlling the Starfox Team anymore. With about nine different endings, this game has an incentive to replay, as well as the chance to play with a variety of different ships, including some new, and returning, characters.
Multiplayer will squeeze a little bit more time out of it, but unless you are really devoted to dogfighting, it will get old fast. Online play is the same; it comes with the plague of players with some cheap maneuvers and exploits, but it's fairly tame. Overall, you'll be playing this game over a lot to get all of the endings.
Fun Factor-
This game is fun. Starfox games tend to be fun like that. Once you get past the sometimes boring flight plan segments, the hectic dogfights and all-range level modes will satisfy your need for fun. The only gripe here is that there was no co-op mode, which really would've made it fun to have some back-up on the harder missions, seeing as you fly almost every mission solo, regardless of back-up.
Game experience WILL change online, as it definitely cranks up the difficulty. You will be squaring off against up to four different players dogfighting at once. Online play can get down-right cheap, especially if there are people who will just hang around and clean up the leftovers of a fight or steal points. But hey, you have to deal with that sort of stuff. Even with that, the game is still a ton of fun.
The 411-
For its first stab at the handheld market, Starfox certainly did well for itself. What you have here is a fairly decent game, which adds a lot of story and depth for the series to build on, as well as a unique control style which fits like a glove for the game. A bit more polish and possibly a few more levels would've made this perfect, but it's still a must-have for any DS owner, especially for Starfox fans.
Graphics
8.0
Given all of the things on screen at once, the lack of details is a bit forgiveable. It uses the limited power of the DS wisely in order to give just enough detail, but not lag the game up at all.
Gameplay
8.5
Even though the levels do get repetitive after awhile, they still offer up enough fun and difficulty to keep the game interesting. Even drawing out flight plans later needs a small degree of time management.
Sound
7.0
Nothing really stands out. The personalized music is nice, but it's gets covered up too easily by all of the rest of the noice. Voice Recording is a throwaway feature.
Lasting Appeal
9.0
With nine different endings, and very stable online play, you will be playing this one for a good little while. Perfect game to come back to later for a little bit of fun when you are bored.
Fun Factor
9.5
The game is hectic, climactic, and EXTREMELY fun. The single player is fun, especially when experimenting with different ships and options. Multiplayer is somewhat limited, but still extremely fun. An online four player Battle Royal is pretty much about a
