*** THE CASUAL GAMER ***
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StarFox Adventures
You may hate this guy, but he does come in handy on your adventure
StarFox Adventures in both the latest and the last Rare outing done for Nintendo. The release of this game was delayed numerous times, but it seems that the extra time was worth it, because this game has a lot going for it. StarFox Adventures is a great game that uses the GameCube hardware well and delivers a memorable experience for adventure game lovers.
The first thing that you will probably notice about StarFox is the incredible graphics of the game. Rare did some great work in that department, bringing life to the world and inhabitants of Dinosaur Planet. The areas of the game are generally quite large and detailed, with hardly a trace of any kind of pop-up. The dinosaurs you encounter are both well rendered and well animated, and the boss fights are large and very cool. Being a big fan of dinosaurs, I particularly appreciate the time that Rare put into rendering the big guys. The water in the game also gets a special mention for being what is probably the best looking water ever in a video game (at least in my opinion). The visual aspect of this game is quite a treat for players.
Once you get past the beauty of this title, you will quickly learn that StarFox is full of solid gameplay. This game is, as the title suggests, an adventure game, and it takes you to different lands on Dinosaur Planet. You will explore the different regions, navigate dungeons, and do battle with some really cool bosses. The gameplay mechanics here will be quite familiar to anyone who has played either of the Legend of Zelda titles for the N64. There is a noteworthy addition, though, in the use of Fox's sidekick Tricky. Tricky is a young Triceratops who's assistance is needed to complete some puzzles in the game. You can command him to do different things for you and even play with him using a ball. It is a cool extra aspect of the game, kind of like having a loyal pet for the journey.
StarFox is a really solid title, but it does have some shortcomings, the biggest one coming in the gameplay department. The problem here isn't that the gameplay is boring or faulty, but that it is almost completely unoriginal. It borrows very heavily from Nintendo's Zelda series (and yes, I understand that Nintendo contracted this title to be made) down to some really small details. Now this could be good or bad, depending on how you see it. If you like the Zelda games, then you will feel at home here. But I feel that the game loses some of its personality because it feels so much like another game.
Some other small complaints also stem from the gameplay department. First off, the combat in the game is pretty bland, and usually consists of rattling off simple combos over and over using one button. This can be overlooked somewhat because most of the game is about puzzle solving, not fighting. Another complaint is that there are some cheap hits from enemies in the game. There are a few areas where there are enemies that are either a pain in the ass to avoid or to kill, and they don't really affect the challenge of the game in any way. Therefore they just equate to meaningless cheap hits for Fox, unless you go to extra lenghts to avoid them. Finally, the last minor gripe is about the game's length. It is somewhat short; it can easily be completed in under 20 hours, and there isn't much replay value. Once again, this could be good or bad for you, depending on how you like your games.
StarFox Adventures is a great game, despite its unoriginality and other minor flaws. If you crave a beautiful looking adventure game with puzzle solving dungeons and larger-than-life boss fights, this should satisfy you. If you are already a fan of the N64 Zelda titles, then you will appreciate this game. If nothing else, you can use it just to tide you over until the GameCube Zelda title comes out.