Electronic Gaming Monthly's Top 5 Star Fox Games

Star Fox: Command (Nintendo DS)

#5

The lowest scoring game on the list is also the newest. Well, the newest Star Fox game that EGM actually reviewed, of course, as they didn't get around to reviewing either the 3DS or Wii U games (for obvious reasons). None of the editors were that impressed with Star Fox: Command, but I think Andrew ends up summing it up best:

“Given this franchise's off-base track record as of late, what I liked the most about Command was just how much it reminded me of Star Fox on the Super Nintendo. Which is odd praise, given that Command is a quasi-strategy game/arena shooter. Sketching flight paths and clearing out fog-of-war was jarring at first, but as the single-player campaign branched out, I was totally sold on the Star Fox-meets-Advance Wars concept. Less easy to adapt to was the stylus control of the Arwings: The stylus is merely an acceptable substitute for a proper analog stick, but doesn't provide innovation as much as it does hand cramps.” (6.5 out of 10)

Star Fox: Adventures (GameCube)

#4

Often considered the black sheep of the series, Star Fox: Adventures is the biggest departure from the tried-and-true shoot ‘em up action. This is a full adventure game with an epic story that fleshes out the Star Fox world and characters. A lot of fans love this installment, but the EGM review crew were sharply divided on this one.

Chris gave the game a 4.5, arguing that “Star Fox Adventures looks great, but its fresh visuals are quickly spoiled by the same-old collect-a-bunch-of-items-ad-nauseum gameplay Rare's recycled for years. Adventure's boring, tension-less story doesn't help matters either, and the lack of help for puzzles makes them more frustrating than fun. Not even the flying bits save this from mediocrity.” Milkman, on the other hand, gave it a 9: “As 3D adventure games go, Star Fox Adventures is near the top of its class. While it doesn't exactly break new ground, the execution is simply impeccable. Star Fox gives you plenty of cool things to do in this sprawling epic. Clunky interface issues aside, Star Fox Adventures is a stunning addition to the series.” (7.2 out of 10)

Star Fox: Assault (GameCube)

#3

While some liked the idea of expanding the franchise into new genres, many fans were excited to see Star Fox return to what it does best – outer space shoot ‘em up action. Star Fox: Assault was a return to form, using the GameCube's power to create a true sequel to Star Fox 64. But even with its gorgeous graphics and intense gameplay, the EGM office was divided.

Kevin liked it the most, giving it an 8 out of 10 and admitting that after Adventures, “Assault is a welcome return in style to Star Fox's space-shooter roots. The action never gets more complicated than ‘erase the red dots from the radar,' but it never lets up – you're under constant attack, swooping to avoid missiles and swapping vehicles on the fly. Being short isn't necessarily devastating, of course. It just means that Assault is aimed less at the Mario club and more toward the hardcore crowd.” G. Ford wasn't as impressed, giving it a 6 and calling the on-foot action “adequate but unwieldly, while the tank sections come nowhere near the Halo-style Warthog vibe they're obviously aiming for. Worse, the best on-foot and tank settings are in different groups – and you can't mix and match, or even switch mid-mission. If only developer Namco had locked Fox in his Arwing and lost the key, we'd be lookin' good.” (7.3 out of 10)

Star Fox (Super NES)

#2

It's the game that started it all. In a year that included Super Mario All-Stars, Kirby's Adventure and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, it was Star Fox that had the most hype going into 1993. And for good reason, as it was a taste of the types of games we could expect from the impending 32-bit console war. While the early polygonal look hasn't aged all that well, EGM was nevertheless blown away by both the game and what it represented.

Martin argued that “this is a great way to introduce the FX chip. Star Fox is as visually impressive as polygon sims on the PC. The graphics are smooth and there is almost no slowdown. Best of all, the gameplay is phenomenal, with near-perfect control and technique.” Ed was the only editor to give the game less than a 9. He called the game impressive, but dinged the game for its presentation: “The only drawback was the plain graphics.” (8.75 out of 10)

Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64)

#1

After wowing Super NES owners with the original Star Fox, both fans and critics couldn't wait to see where the series would take them next. Unfortunately, they had to wait a little longer, due to Nintendo canceling the nearly-finished Star Fox 2 in favor of a 64-bit sequel that was released four years after the original. Bundled with a rumble pack and a short campaign that encouraged multiple playthroughs, it's safe to say that EGM loved the game. Star Fox 64 was their Game of the Month in June 1997, earning an impressive average of 9.1 out of 10.

Shawn picked up on a pattern: “Star Fox 64 is close to the best N64 game I've played thus far – almost as good as Mario 64. Why? Simply because Star Fox 64 not only has the same awesome control and play the original had, but it also adds so many things that make this version so much better.” Dan called the game “a shooting fan's dream come true. Each of the game's 15-plus stages is jam-packed with incredible graphics, huge enemies and, best of all, challenging gameplay. Two of the coolest enhancements are the addition of real voices to the characters and, of course, the ability to man different vehicles. The rumble pak adds a nice touch, but the novelty does wear thin rather quickly. Otherwise, Star Fox 64 is probably one of the best N64 games yet, and well worth the wait.” (9.1 out of 10)