Original Star Fox dev 'sure' the series will return, explains what recent entries have lacked
Arwinging it
The original Star Fox on the Super Nintendo wasn’t just a technical marvel, it was also a fantastic game that featured incredibly alluring gameplay. There have been plenty of Star Fox titles since that initial outing, but one of the lead devs on the 1993 thinks they’ve all been lacking an important element or two.
In an interview with VGC, Star Fox dev Dylan Cuthbert says he’s sure that the Star Fox series will return sometime down the road. With that said, Cuthbert thinks subsequent entries in the Star Fox franchise failed to reach the heights of the original due to each lacking key elements. Cuthbert says that if Nintendo wants to match or surpass the SNES debut, these aspects are an absolute must.
“Oh, I’m sure [it’ll return]. I mean, they keep trying, don’t they? They keep trying, not quite achieving the original. But I think that’s one thing – my opinion is that the original was born out of the UK Amiga-style 3D at the time, games like Star Glider or Carrier Command. It was born out of those and a bit of the Star Wars Arcade game, combined with Namco’s Starblade. And then there was all the Nintendo character building, all the characters and stuff, making it very family friendly.
“It’s the combination of all those things that I suppose was what made Star Fox what it was. So some of the more recent titles – maybe, say, the Namco version, for example – are all great games, but there’s always that one element missing, that sort of UK old-school 3D shooting game element missing from it. So that one was very slick – they got the Starblade side of it perfect, but it’s a combination of all [elements], you kind of need it all in there to make it work.
And then, of course, the one that Rare made, Star Fox Adventures, that was also a good attempt but that was too British, it didn’t have the Starblade side of it. So I think Star Fox is a very complex title, because you’ve got to have all those elements in place, and that gives it the atmosphere it needs to make it really work.”
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hawk
8M agoI'll bet it comes back too, but I'm not sure it's just about emulating all those classic games. Getting elements of them is probably really important, but gaming has evolved since then. A rail shooter needs new elements brought into it to remain engaging, and that's something modern takes on Star Fox have struggled with.
I also wonder what they do next. We've seen the first game remade twice, with the most recent attempt not landing particularly well with fans. I don't want them to remake Star Fox 1 again. Do they do a Star Fox 2? And how does it mesh with other games that have already been sequels?
the_crimson_lure
8M agoYeah I don't know, that seems like a very un-Nintendo way to approach things. He seems to be suggesting a Star Fox game needs to have the perfect mix of a predefined set of elements.
But we know from decades of output Nintendo likes to do new things with new games, not rehash old territory.
Look at F-Zero 99 as a perfect example. The IP sat dormant for years, but I don't think anyone was saying "F-Zero needs 98 other players on the track or it doesn't feel like F-Zero," yet 99 feels like it fits perfectly within the F-Zero IP.
99 players on the track all trying to take the shortest and fastest route possible, making bumps, collisions, and explosions come together in a dance of strategy and chaos is one of the most F-Zero things I've ever seen.
tendonin
8M agoCan't pretend I'm familiar with those early British 3D game. I suspect most Star Fox fans aren't familiar with them. How many of the Japanese teams that have worked with Star Fox over the years are even familiar with them?
sdsichero
8M agoI loved Starblade back in the day. I'd love to see a Star Fox in a modern day Starblade-like environment
jake_a
8M agoA new Star Fox has to be focus on that arcade like gameplay, be short and satisfying, encourage replays with multiple paths to the final level, events triggered by completing or failing to complete side objectives, and keep the cheesy dialogue.
Maybe add another gameplay mode or two besides the campaign to explore new concepts and gameplay mechanics. If they are fun, maybe those new things can be implemented into a sequel.
Basically I just wanna see Star Fox 64 2.
Also, bring back the classic Star Fox (and Star Fox 2) with the Super FX chip style polygonal HD graphics and have it run 60fps. I always think back to how Star Fox looked in that Wario Ware: Smooth Moves microgame.
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