Star Fox Adventures

Star Fox Adventures is the first, and sadly last, GameCube game from Nintendo stalwarts Rare, who previously created such N64 classics as GoldenEye 007 and Conker's Bad Fur Day. It's their last game for the GameCube because Nintendo have recently sold their shares in the company to Microsoft, which has caused an unholy stink from fans around the world and created even more anticipation for this game.

Although the control system is very similar to The Legend of Zelda's, Star Fox Adventures is no simple clone. It's your job as the mercenary mammal to find all the spellstones that will rejoin the splintered planet and defeat the evil General Scales. This entails much exploring of ancient temples and completing of sub-quests to help everything from Yorkshire-accented woolly mammoths to pterodactyls who've lost their babies.

The game may lack the epic scale and endless invention of Zelda but it has plenty of new ideas of its own, including a fully interactive dinosaur sidekick, some cool shoot-'em-up sections in Fox's spaceship, and lots of ways to upgrade your magical staff. To add some icing to the cake the graphics are absolutely amazing, particularly the super-realistic fur effects. So don't feel down that Rare are leaving, just enjoy their parting shot and let it whet your appetite for the new Zelda game coming from Nintendo in 2003. --David Jenkins

The first thing you might perhaps notice while playing the game(especially if you played Mario Sunshine first) is the distinct lack of a jump button. At first this irritated me; when running to and fro I like to break the monotony by jumping about. After a while I saw a good reason for the lack of a jump button - the game doesn't become a simply jump fest. The game is (thankfully) not a test of your ability to perform jumping moves.

Gamelay wise - I found it a bit slow to begin with but, once it picked up pace it became rip-roaringly good fun. I liked the story (even though it was a bit of a cliche fest - hardened soldier-type has a soft-spot in his heart for those at need etc) and the voice acting wasn't atrocious which is always a plus. The puzzles aren't amazingly difficult so they will generally be solvable for the younger and elder gamers among us.

Something else you might notice about the gameplay if you are a nintendo fan - it is stunningly like the Nintendo 64's The Ocarina of Time. The upgrades - the battle sequences - this is not a bad thing!

There were some things that I wish they included more of - the flying sections. Starfox always was a flying game. I have enjoyed the foray into 3D Platforming but it would have been nice to have more than the odd few-minute flying segment thrown in (especially when the system is good enough to be a game in itself!). It would also be better if the game had more of a lastibility to it. Once you're throw with it (as with most platformers, I guess), you're probably not going to keep going back to it.

The saddest feature of this game is the fact that it is Rare's last effort for nintendo for a long time (who knows? They could return!). Upon finishing it, you are left with a slight depression - all good things come to an end.

Well - my summary:

Graphics - 95%
Sound - 80%
Gameplay - 90%
Lastibility - 80%

Overall - 86


Actually the BEST GAME IN THE WORLD!!   March 20, 2006
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Ok, maybe not the best game, but it's well up there. Starfox is full of character, the other characters he meets are fantastic, and its just a brilliant game that doesn't deserve the flak its getting here.

Those who mourned the end of Super Mario Sunshine are well advised to get this game. Its short, but fantastic the whole way.

An absolute joy to play. I love starfox.


GREAT GAME   November 4, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a great last outing for Rare on Nintendo - really enjoyed this. Graphics are superbly detailed and quite jaw-dropping in parts, and gameplay is first rate. I was well addicted to this for a number of weeks, before completing it finally after about 20 hrs. Perhaps not the maturest of titles around, but who cares? Reccommended.


Underrated Game   January 4, 2006
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Im saddened by all the negative reviews this game has been receiving. I found the game an enjoyable experience with enviroments beautifully rendered. There is good variation in the gameplay, new skills to be learnt etc. There is also a nice return of starfox space battles near the end. Overall a fun experience not to be missed by any gamecube owner-totally underrated


Best Rare Game Yet .Period!   November 28, 2002
 13 out of 21 found this review helpful

Rare's one and only Gamescube title is here at last, and its a real gem. Starfox always looked promising right through development. It really has been worth the wait (3 years), and its Zelda esque graphics are so realistic. The gaming experience is the best i have seen and the stunning scenery and detailed textures are brought to life by the excellent lighting effects. Everything looks so vivid and alive that it really drives you to find the next quirky brainteaser. Slippy toad may spoil parts of the game for some players as his hints are sometimes far from subtle. while this is only a minor flaw in the game and this game will provide many, many hours of fun and challenge for even the most hardcore gamers. Thanks Rare!