Game Design: Star Fox

When we look at Star Fox as a whole, it has come in many forms. Its first iteration was the SNES release named "Star Fox" (Other names are known based in the country it released in). It was revolutionary, as Nintendo worked on bringing 3D games to a limited hardware. Many old time Star Fox fans love this game, along with it's successor "Star Fox 64" or the name I grew up with in the UK. "Lylat Wars".

In these two Star Fox games, they focused on the 3D Rail Shooter. Where the game is in control as to where you go in game. However, based on your performance at the game there were multiple endings. This brought about fun replay-ability to the to the industry which had a simple story. Defeat the evil Andross and save Lylat. In truth, you didn't need to know anything else. You were given a brief intro to Fox's character. How his father died (In the SF64 version) and (seemingly) wanted revenge.

As stories became more interwoven into video games, we got the release of "Star Fox Adventures". Unlike the other two predecessors which focus on the 3D Rail Shooter style of play. Adventures focus was on the Zelda format (a term used to define how Zelda games were made). Completing Puzzles, exploration, and action/adventure. This introduced a new character to the Star Fox series. "Krystal" as was described in Adventure's opening scene. This brought along many new fans who enjoyed this game, including its successor "Star Fox Assault" which focused more on the ground combat, except without the staff.

Though there are other games out there. Especially the recent release of StarLink which had some Open World features which were expressed in Star Fox 2. I thought it's about time we spoke about our thoughts on this. If Nintendo were to focus on making Star Fox its own game again. Which direction should they take?

The Next Step

My take on this is that video games as a whole have indulged in making sloppy AI. Not to mention AI interaction with the player. The successor to Zero, if Nintendo does plan on making on. Should be to combine everything that they have worked on into one game. Make it available that if a player wishes to do Arwing missions, they can. If they want to complete a mission only in the Arwing, they can. But it also offers replay if they could redo those missions from a different perspective. Also, making use of Fox's teammates would be an amazing mechanic to have. They should help out as part of the game's mechanic. Not because of the story's plot. Over all, AI done right in a video game not only makes the game world feel real. But also adds a fun challenge to its difficulty. Not making enemies harder to kill by letting them take more damage. But actually have good AI interaction, how the AI responds to the player.

The open world has been introduced to the Star Fox series since Star Fox 2. But an improvement to this mechanic could enrich the series. Not just exploring Lylat itself. But also other galaxies that could be made available by unlocking such levels. Which brings back the SF64 style of depending on a player's performance.

I am no game developer and I don't work at Nintendo, so I do not know the amount of work they have to do every day. But I miss the love and attention they put into their games in the past and their creative ways of using game mechanics to enrich the gameplay. I'm hoping that in the future. Someday that Nintendo finds it roots and get back to making FUN games.

Conclusions

The Star Fox series is indeed one of my most favorite series since Star Fox 64. However, That doesn't mean I wish for Nintendo to stay in the past and continue making the same SF64 game style. I'd love for Nintendo to expand their borders. To release a game for SF64 fans and release game with more creative mechanics for fans looking for new experiences.

Author's Notes: (Please post your reviews on your thoughts on Star Fox's game design choices in the past. Should Star Fox continue to be add-on DLC's for other games? Or should Star Fox continue to be in their own games. And what would you consider to be the next step for Nintendo if they do wish to make a new Star Fox game.)