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Friday, March 29, 2024

A brief history of flight games in anticipation of Star Fox Zero!

Star Fox Zero characters

Written by William G Chandler Jr.


Games with flight have a history of hits and misses. Making the anticipation of Star Fox Zero for the Nintendo Wii U a welcome one. (Hopefully)

In my experience, Top Gun, by Konami, and for the Nintendo Entertainment System, starts the dream of everlasting flight in November of 1987. An F-14 Tomcat rises from an aircraft carrier. This flight simulation allows, as one of the first, you to take on MiGs with bullets, and precise, missile fire. The game has its issues, as indicated at Gamfaqs, in the various reviews. If you just embrace the concept of avoidance, and accurate encounters in this first person game, you are fine. You perform 360s and barrel rolls. The game allows you to hone in on targets, and embrace the fear of being one, well enough. The air is your home and it is all in how you make it.

In 1990, Afterburner II, by Sega, is a game close to me. You realize this third-person arcade action shooter is faster on Sega’s Genesis console. Top Gun has a cautious aspect, while Afterburner asks you to embrace the speed and get into a fight. You have a fighter plane in a hurried and nervous dogfight with multiple enemies. When you lose, it all goes down in fiery ember.

In March of 1993, Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment system hits. You take on space. Nintendo moves from two-dimensional graphics, and applies the Super FX chip to allow three-dimensional game play. Fox McCloud, Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, and Peppy Hare make up the Star Fox team. You take a small group of Arwings and must bring down Venom. It does not seem too impressive. Nintendo, and Argonaut Software, create a cinematic score, feel, and concept to immerse you in a war to save Corneria. Shigeru Miyamoto, Katsuya Eguchi, and Hajime Hirasawa add a scope to this flight game that influences all future space combat titles.

In 1997, Nintendo continues to hone the Star Fox franchise with Star Fox 64. The Nintendo 64 console produces more power. The Rumble Pack attaches to Nintendo’s new controller and adds vibration to attacks, encounters, and slight movements in the game. As it indicates in the Wikipedia article, the visuals look better, the voice acting is precise, and the game and the stakes are much higher.

While I did not play Star Fox Assault, on Nintendo’s GameCube, I did see Star Fox Adventures, in 2002. This game by Rare, and Nintendo, is decent. The departure is the grounded game play. It is fun, looks good, and has its challenges, but it is not a Star Fox game at heart.

Colony Wars was my last flight experience. In 1997, Pysgnosis, and the Sony PlayStation, create a marriage of concepts. A cinematic score, presence, and scope scream with Star Fox’s influence. James Earl Jones leads you into the game. It has a first person perspective, similar to Top Gun, but has the speed of Afterburner II.

Star Fox Zero, by Nintendo and Platinum Games, will hopefully learn from the past missteps of Star Fox Adventures and evolve more from the beloved game play of the early days. By the looks of the new trailer and it appears that they are right on track.

Check out “A Brief History of Star Fox” by FootofaFerret and the Star Fox and Star Fox Guard preview by GameXplain.

What is your favorite flight game memory? Are you excited about the new Star Fox Zero? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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