The original Star Fox on the Super Nintendo was a marvel on the platform pushing the system to its limits with 3D graphics. With that being said, expectations for whatever was to come next with a sequel were through the roof. While the direct follow up on SNES, Star Fox 2 was shelved until 2017, development on the N64 version started and fans of Nintendo’s 3D console were treated to what would become an instant classic with Star Fox 64. Is the original N64 version still something that you should check out today? In short, yes, but let’s get into it.
Note
For the purpose of this review, I primarily played through the game via the version of the game found Nintendo Switch Online on my Nintendo Switch 2 using the official Nintendo 64 controller. I won’t be talking about specific features of that version, but rather of the game as a whole.
Additionally, Star Fox 64 does offer a multiplayer component. I’ve tried this out in the past on the Switch online and enjoyed it. Even with that said, that’s not my focus here as I haven’t had the chance to try it out recently. It’s great that it’s there, but I feel that best part of the game is the single player content.
Release
Star Fox 64 hits store shelves first in Japan on April 27, 1997 and shipped on a 96 megabit (12 MB) cartridge. Two SKUs were available - one with just the game, and there other with a Rumble Pak included. This was followed by a release in North America with the Rumble Pak in June 1997 and then in Europe and Australia as Lylat Wars in October of the same year. When it was all said and done, Star Fox 64 went on to sell four million units on the platform.
After the N64, the game saw life again on the Wii Virtual Console in April 2007, then the Wii U in March 24, 2016 in Europe and Australia, August 31, 2016 in Japan and January 19, 2017. The game hit the N64 app on the Switch with the launch of the Expansion Pack service in October 2021. Of course, there is also the 3DS remake and the updated version on Switch 2, but I’m mainly focusing on the original version of the game. Needless to say, there were and are several different ways to check out the game.
Story
Star Fox 64 takes place in the Lylat System during a time when the maniacal Dr. Andross has been exiled to the planet Venom following a series of experiments that left the system into a wasteland. Some strange activity is detected from the planet, so General Pepper of the Cornerian Army sends the Star Fox team, James McCloud, Pigma Dengar and Peppy Hare to investigate. Pigma betrays the team, seemingly getting James killed while Peppy manages to escape to tell James’ son, Fox, of his father’s demise. The game picks up with General Pepper requesting help from the Star Fox team to help defend against the imminent threat from Dr. Andross. Controlling Fox and tackling missions with wingmen Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad and Peppy, it’s the team’s job to put an end to Andross once and for all. Along the way, you’ll encounter numerous enemies, travel to different planets throughout the galaxy, meet up with allies and more.
Gameplay
Being mostly an on-rails shooter, controls in Star Fox 64 are pretty simple to get the hang of. You control the Arwing aircraft with the joystick, shoot lasers with A, bombs with B and bank to the left or right with Z or R. Other more advanced techniques are in the game as well. Barrel Rolls can be implemented with the double tap of Z or R, braking with C-Down, boosts with C-Left, somersaults with Down and C-Left and a U-Turn with Down and C-Down. You can also change to a cockpit view with the press of C-Up. It’s possible to get through the game without using some of the more advanced techniques, but it’s definitely in your best interest to get the hang of them to keep the shield of your own ship and allies in tact.
Speaking of allies, your crew mates will also play a small role in the dogfighting. They don’t really take out too many enemies and often find themselves in the crosshairs of the bad guys, but there are additional roles that they take on throughout the adventure. As long as they haven’t been shot down, Slippy can analyze and show the boss shield levels, Peppy gives advice (“Do a barrel roll!” “Try hovering!” etc.), Falco can show alternate routes in some stages and ROB 64 and the Great Fox can send additional supplies and even provide cover fire. Other guest characters, Bill Grey and Katt Monroe appear in stages, too, furthering the narrative.
Controls are tight and feel amazing. Any mistakes that are made or poor decisions that lead to massive hits to your Arwing are completely on the player. I can’t think of any times where I felt cheated by the game in this respect. Star Fox 64 is a pretty easy game to pick up and play, but playing at a high level takes time and practice. Even though the main campaign is short, multiple branching paths encourage subsequent play throughs to experience all that the game has to offer. It’s completely worth going to over and over because of this and for the general enjoyable gameplay. Rumble was also a significant inclusion when the game originally launched on the Nintendo 64. While this feature is something that many of us take for granted in games nowadays, this was a great game to showcase the new technology.
Most of the game will have players tackling stages on rails, or being propelled forward automatically, however there are a few that offer what’s called “All Range Mode.” This allows for control over your Arwing in full 3D arenas and offers a lot more maneuverability for your craft. These kinds of stages are my absolute favorite in the game as they are just so fun to play. My favorite one out there is Katina, which is basically taken straight out of Independence Day. There are tons of enemy fighters, Bill, a huge ship that you have take down and more. It’s awesome and is a great stage to showcase this new mode.
I’m a huge fan of the Arwing stages, however, a handful of areas give players the chance to pilot the Landmaster, the tank, or the submarine, the Blue Marine, on the planet Aquas. It’s great to have a bit of variety here with vehicles, but I always found myself enjoying the stages with the Arwing quite a bit more than the other two options. The Landmaster is quite responsive, but still feels a bit slower than the ship based controls. The Blue Marine is slow and plodding and I just do not enjoy the one stage where the craft is available. There are differing opinions on this, I’m sure, so I would be interested to hear what you think about these two vehicles in the comments.
Regional Differences
By and large, the English version and Japanese version only have a few differences, with the most obvious being the spoken dialogue. One interesting difference is the name of Andross in Japanese, which is “Andorf.” I don’t think there was an official reason for the change ever put out in public, but the obvious parallel here would be how close the name is to “Adolf,” so I can understand the change there. Outside of that, it can be fun to check out how the lines are delivered in Japanese if you’re super used to how things were handled in the English version. I’m not quite sure if Japanese fans have as much fun with the somewhat cheesy lines that we’re used to in the English version, but older fans surely have a similar nostalgic connection to them like we do the English version.
One other interesting thing with the European release of the game outside of the name Lylat Wars are the language options available from the main menu. Players can choose from English, French and German for the written text and can then choose between English and “Lylat” for the voice. Choosing the latter replaces the spoken dialogue with a similar kind of gibberish language that was found in the original Star Fox. It’s interesting that it’s included, but I find myself always gravitating toward the English rather than this or the Japanese since I have more of a connection to it.
Visuals, Audio & Presentation
There is a lot going on on-screen in Star Fox 64. Crisp looking ships, fast paced incoming enemies, reflective water in the environments, tons of laser fire and more are present throughout the experience. What’s even more impressive is how pretty much every planet or area all have a distinct look and feel. The attention to detail is impressive.
The audio on offer is also impressive given the constraints of the cart based technology. Although a little bit compressed, everything from the opening narration to the banter between Fox and his friends, to the chatter from Star Wolf, there is actually quite a bit of dialogue found throughout the game. To top this off, the music for the stages is also awesome and really help to set the tone for the game.
While the vehicular sections look fantastic, there’s no getting around the simplistic, low-poly look of the characters when they are outside of the cockpit. Still, this is something that I can look past given the fact that this aspect of the game is definitely not the focus. To me, it’s actually kind of endearing. When it’s all said and done, yes, there can be some issues with the framerate, especially if you’re playing on original hardware, but this doesn’t take anything away from the tight, fun gameplay.
Collector’s Corner
Believe it or not, I actually have a pretty nice little Star Fox collection of games. Not necessarily for the topic today, but a few years back, I won a Star Fox 30th anniversary contest on Twitter in 2023 and got Dylan Cuthbert signed copies of the original Super Famicom version of Star Fox, Star Fox Command (DS) and Star Fox 64 3D. So that was awesome!
Anyway, for the original N64 release, although I don’t have a North American (or PAL) version of the game, I do have a Japanese copy that a buddy bought me a few years back for my birthday. This set is one that is bundled with the Rumble Pak. The outside box is a bit beat up, but the inner box for the game is in pretty good condition. It has the original plastic bag for the cart, manual, manual for the Rumble Pak and the control reference card. The Rumble Pak itself is pretty faded and discolored, but it’s still nice to have a complete set here. If you’re on the hunt for Japanese physical retro titles, things are starting to get a bit more expensive if you’re shopping around Tokyo, but not prohibitively so. Good luck out there if you’re looking for a copy.
Conclusion
Star Fox 64 remains an absolute classic that all Nintendo fans need to play. The gameplay is tight and fun, the voice acting is charming, music is great and it’s just a blast to play even all these years later. The beauty is in the simplicity, and even if you don’t have a whole lot of time to play, you can complete a run in an hour or so. With so many ways to try it out nowadays, you really owe it to yourself to check it out on the original hardware or modern platforms.
But, let’s turn things over to you guys. Did you own Star Fox 64 back in the day? Did you have it on the N64, Wii Virtual Console, Wii U? I’d be interested to hear your story. For me, I actually did’t own ANY Star Fox games as a kid but would borrow the SNES and N64 versions from friends. The first time I bought the game was on the Wii Virtual Console back in 2007. Anyway, sound off in the comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
by Danny Bivens
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