Star Fox Command | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Q-Games Nintendo EAD |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Director(s) | Dylan Cuthbert |
Producer(s) | Takaya Imamura |
Programmer(s) | Ryuji Nishikawa |
Artist(s) | Takaya Imamura Paul Leonard |
Writer(s) | Takaya Imamura |
Composer(s) | Hajime Wakai |
Series | Star Fox |
Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Shoot 'em up |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Star Fox Command [1] is a shoot 'em up video game, the fifth game in the Star Fox series, published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006. [2] Star Fox Command was announced at the E3 2006 conference, under the name Star Fox DS. [3] Command is the first Star Fox game for a handheld, and supports the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, [2] making it the first online Star Fox game. The game was re-released for the Wii U Virtual Console service in 2015.
The game follows Fox McCloud attempting to defend the galaxy from aliens known as the Anglar. Q-Games originally worked on Intersect , which Nintendo decided to turn into a DS game. [4] The game was generally well-received; it has achieved an average score of 76% from GameRankings, a reviews aggregate. [5]
The game has two types of single-player gameplay including a strategic map and battle mode. [6] The overworld-like map mode is where the player takes command of several ships. The mode is used to get ships into the battle mode and is essentially a simple turn-based strategy game. Up to four ships can be maneuvered at a time. The object of the mode is to prevent the enemy ones from reaching the Great Fox. [6] It also allows players to fire missiles from the Great Fox that they have picked up from exploring in this mode, or from meeting certain conditions in the battle mode (usually destroying all enemies). When a craft that is controlled by the player encounters an enemy group or missile in this mode, the gameplay switches to the battle mode. [6]
Battle mode is similar to the "all-range mode" employed in Star Fox 64 for some bosses and levels. Like the cancelled Star Fox 2 the game is completely all-range, as opposed to the "on-rails" levels featured in most other Star Fox games (however, the game will sometimes force the player to engage in classic "chase" missions in order to complete an objective). The usual objectives are to destroy a base ship, destroy all enemies, or collect a number of cores to complete the battle mode. [6] Once the battle mode is completed, the game returns to the map mode. As players progress through the game, they are able to choose to go different routes upon completing certain levels. Each route has its own character dialogue to accompany it, and players are able to visit differing planets depending on what routes they choose. The game features 9 different endings altogether, and gamers can access all of them by playing the game multiple times, selecting different routes each time. Instead of merely giving different perspectives on what happens to the Star Fox team, each ending is unique — the characters go in various directions depending on what ending is watched. Star Fox Command does not feature traditional voice acting. Instead it outputs gibberish akin to the "voices" in Star Fox for the SNES, or the "Lylat speech" present in Lylat Wars . Players can also record their own voices into the game's "gibberish generator" using the built-in DS microphone where it is converted into the garbled speech of the various characters. [6]
Star Fox Command supports six players in local wireless multiplayer matches [7] via DS Download Play and up to three players on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. [7] In Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection matches, only the Arwing II is available. Players score not by killing opponents, but by collecting stars from them when they have been destroyed. [6] It is also possible to collect a star from an opponent not killed by the player. This is a modified version of the mode from Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars. Nintendo Wi-Fi uses a ranking system based on rankings of the alphabet with Z being the lowest and A being the highest. Players work their way up from Z by collecting wins (they could be based on points). For every win a player gains a certain amount of percentage and once they reach 100% they move to the next letter. The highest rank a player can get is 100% of the A rank.[ citation needed ]
The game is set in the Lylat system, using a similar map as Star Fox 64 to switch between each areas. However, two planets, Zoness and Macbeth, did not appear in the game, unlike Star Fox 64. Command has the largest number of playable characters in any Star Fox game, with a total of fourteen, including Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Krystal, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Wolf O'Donnell, Panther Caroso, Leon Powalski, Slippy's fiancée Amanda, Peppy's daughter Lucy Hare, Bill Grey, Katt Monroe, Andross' grandson Dash Bowman and James McCloud. [6] Andrew Oikonny is one of the game's bosses. Slippy's father Beltino Toad makes an appearance during a mission briefing. ROB 64 is not playable, but pilots the Great Fox when on the map screen. Pigma Dengar appears as a boss in two of Falco's stories. The ghost of Andross, possessing a different bioweapon (Monarch Dodra, Grunner, Killer Bee, or Dune Worm) depending on the mission, appears as a boss on Titania. [8] Octoman, an F-Zero racer, appears as a boss in certain Aquas and Venom missions.
The planet Venom's forces were all but destroyed, and there is thought to be peace. This is not to be, however, as a race of beings known as the Anglar rise from the acidic oceans of Venom, thought to be unable to support life. [9] The Anglar Emperor plans on destroying the Lylat system, which Fox McCloud and crew set out to save. The Star Fox team has broken up, but re-assembles to fight the threat. Peppy is made the General of the Cornerian Army, replacing Pepper. Fox flew around the Lylat system with ROB on patrol, and Krystal broke off her relationship with Fox after she left the team, because he was afraid she would get injured and it would affect him. Slippy finds love with a frog named Amanda, and spends less time with the team. Falco left the team and went around on solo missions (as he has done before in Star Fox Adventures ), spending less time with the team also. Peppy's daughter Lucy joins the team for some missions. There are nine endings depending on paths chosen by the player, though the player is required to finish the game before having the options. [4]
Dylan Cuthbert and Takaya Imamura stated in an interview with IGN that if this storyline was continued, it would begin in the middle of Star Fox Command. [10] On Reddit Cuthbert stated that "canon is something the fans like to try to follow but Command was meant to be an alternate timeline kind of game, hence the choices you make. It let us have a lot more fun with the characters". [11]
Star Fox Command was co-developed by Q-Games and directed by its founder, Dylan Cuthbert, who previously served as a lead programmer of the original Star Fox duology. Q-Games was working on a puzzle game called Digidrive for Nintendo when they were approached to do a mock-up of the game demo. After three months, using the original Star Fox, it was shown to Takaya Imamura at Nintendo who said that the company would redesign it for better compatibility with the Nintendo DS and add some ideas from Star Fox 2. Nintendo EAD was responsible for the music and production of the game, while Q-Games handled the main development. [4] The game was re-released for Wii U Virtual Console worldwide in June and August 2015. [12]
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
GameRankings | 76% [13] |
Metacritic | 76/100 [14] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6.5/10 [15] |
Famitsu | 32/40 [16] |
Game Informer | 8/10 [17] |
IGN | 8/10 [18] |
X-Play | [19] |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
IGN | August 2006 DS Game of the Month [20] |
Star Fox Command debuted on the Japanese best seller list as number 14, selling over 20,000 copies on the first day. [21] [22] In the United States, it was the 5th best seller in the first week. [23] Star Fox Command has received mostly positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 76/100 and a GameRankings score of 76%. [13] [14] IGN gave it an 8 out of 10, or "Impressive", calling it a "surprisingly rich and faithful action game" that had similar game play to Star Fox and Star Fox 64. [18] Star Fox Command received IGN DS's August 2006 Game of the Month Award for capturing the fun and essence that made the series significant. [20] Famitsu gave a 32/40, and was cited as an influence for the game's large initial sales. [16] It received a 4 out of 5 star rating on G4's X-Play , praising the stylus control and the strategy elements. [19] The Associated Press noted the game for having developed the game to work well with the DS controls, but had mixed feelings about the turn-based sections of gameplay. [24] Electronic Gaming Monthly claimed that while the game has its own charm, it lacks the original gameplay from Star Fox and Star Fox 64 and becomes repetitive. [15] UK website Mansized gave Command a three out of five stars. [25] Command was nominated in three categories in Nintendo Power's annual vote-in awards, although it did not win in any of them. Star Fox Command has also received an 8 from Game Informer magazine. Although it was criticized for its brevity, the game was lauded for its solid gameplay mechanics. [17]
Star Fox is an arcade style rail shooter and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, produced and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic animals, led by chief protagonist Fox McCloud. Gameplay involves many adventures around the Lylat planetary system in the futuristic Arwing fighter aircraft, in other vehicles, and on foot. The original Star Fox (1993) is a forward-scrolling 3D rail shooter, but later games add more directional freedom.
Fox McCloud is a fictional character and the chief protagonist of Nintendo's Star Fox series. He is an anthropomorphic fox created and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takaya Imamura. He was introduced as a player character in the original 1993 video game Star Fox. In each game, to varying extents, the player controls Fox in his Arwing. He is the leader of the Star Fox team and is joined by his wingmates on various missions.
The Nintendo DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The Rumble Pak is a removable device from Nintendo which provides force feedback while playing video games. Games that support the Rumble Pak cause it to vibrate in select situations, such as when firing a weapon or receiving damage, to immerse the player in the game. Versions of the Rumble Pak are available for the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo DS, and the Nintendo DS Lite. A select few Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance (GBA) games use a similar technology built into the game cartridge. Force feedback vibration has become a built-in standard feature in almost every home video game console controller since.
Star Fox 64, known as Lylat Wars in the PAL regions, is a 1997 3D rail shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Star Fox series and a reboot of the original Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Star Fox, known as Starwing in PAL regions, is a rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo and Argonaut Software, and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The first game in the Star Fox series, the story follows Fox McCloud and the rest of the Star Fox team defending their homeworld of Corneria against the invading forces of Andross.
Star Fox Adventures is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo. The game had a long development cycle starting in 1997. Originally developed as Dinosaur Planet with Rare-created characters as the protagonists, Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto convinced Rare to redesign the game as part of the Star Fox franchise. Its planned release on the Nintendo 64 was cancelled, with development ultimately shifting forward one hardware generation to the GameCube.
Star Fox 2 is a rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo and Argonaut Software and published by Nintendo. Originally developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was completed in 1995 but did not see an official release until 2017 on the Super NES Classic Edition.
Super Mario 64 DS is a 2004 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was a launch game for the DS. Super Mario 64 DS is a remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Super Mario 64, with new graphics, characters, collectibles, a multiplayer mode, and several extra minigames. As with the original, the plot centers on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. Unlike the original, Yoshi is the first playable character, with Mario, Luigi, and Wario being unlockable characters in early phases of the game.
Mario Kart DS is a 2005 kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD Group No. 1 and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and on December 8, 2005, in Japan. The game was re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America and PAL regions in April 2015 and in Japan in May 2016.
Star Fox: Assault is a 3D scrolling shooter and third-person shooter video game developed by Namco and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the fourth released title in the Star Fox series. The game was released on 15 February 2005 in North America, on 24 February 2005 in Japan, on 29 April 2005 in Europe, and on 16 June 2005 in Australia.
Meteos is a 2005 tile-matching video game developed by Q Entertainment and published by Bandai for the Nintendo DS. It was produced by Q Entertainment founder Tetsuya Mizuguchi and designed by Masahiro Sakurai. Meteos was inspired by the video game Missile Command (1980), the film The Matrix (1999) and the television series 24 (2001-2010).
The Virtual Console is a line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
Dr. Mario Online Rx, stylized as Dr. Mario Online ℞ and released in PAL regions as Dr. Mario & Germ Buster, is a puzzle video game starring Dr. Mario. It was one of the WiiWare launch games in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and was released in 2008 on March 25 for Japan, on May 20 for Europe and Australia, and for North America on May 26.
Guitar Hero: On Tour is a series of music video games based on the Guitar Hero series for the Nintendo DS handheld game system. The series is developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. Three games in the series have been released since June 2008: Guitar Hero: On Tour, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, and Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits.
Star Fox 64 3D is a 3D rail shooter video game co-developed by Nintendo EAD and Q-Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a remake of the 1997 video game Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo 64. It was released on July 14, 2011 in Japan, followed by other markets in September.
Star Fox Zero is a 3D rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo and PlatinumGames for the Wii U. It is the sixth installment in the Star Fox series. Formally announced at E3 2015, the game was released in April 2016 to mixed critical reception, with the most polarizing aspect of the game being its control scheme. A standalone tower defense game, titled Star Fox Guard, was bundled with the game.
Star Fox Guard is a tower defense video game co-developed by Nintendo and PlatinumGames for the Wii U. The game was bundled as a separate disc for the first print edition of Star Fox Zero during its release in April 2016, and as a digital download code on the Wii U eShop afterwards.
[...]IGN: Which do you consider to be the one definite ending? Cuthbert:[...]I think if the game continues it won't pick up where the game ends, but start more in the middle. Imamura: This storyline, ends here, and if there's a continuation it would start from the middle, so it wouldn't depend on any of the endings.- Updated May 17, 2012