Starfox-Online Opinions of Starfox Zero

[sjrathbun812]

I've never played Starfox Zero, but I've heard that it's merely mediocre. At the same time, I don't own a Wii U, so there's a slim chance I would ever play it.

Regardless, this topic is meant to get the overall opinion of Starfox Zero from Starfox-online

If this topic was already made then I guess one of the mods/admins can delete it.

But as for now... What's your opinion of Starfox Zero?

 

[OneUnder]

I played a little of it at Nintendo NYC.  It didn't really give me anything in the way of an experience beyond what Star Fox 64 accomplished, but to be fair I only played one level. 

[Snys93]

Sfzero is yet another example of Nintendo focusing on innovation rather than just making a good game. All we want is a controller, not an out of the box thing that looks a tablet or a torture device that should be in a CIA interrogation room. While Sony and Microsoft have tried and failed with motion control and other applications, Nintendo still wants to cater to a market of suckers promising that the next console won't be a flop like the last one.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Wii and it's suggestively designed controller ... (Lol) ... But with some many mistakes, Nintendo is unable to learns it's lesson especially in its case with Starfox zero.

The controls are hideous, it's story is another reboot... Yay... more Andross. Again. He dies again. Well done. *applause* ... Disregard the previous fan favorites, why don't ya!

[sjrathbun812]

I thought motion control in this game was optional. If not, I'm not sure I would like it so much, lol. Motion controls are functional, but I generally don't like using them... especially if it requires my whole body. I don't like looking silly, lol.

 

[StarMaverick]

IMO, Once you get use to the motion control, It actually a fun game to play, It a decent game overall but the stealth mission is unnecessary and boring.

8 minutes ago, Wolf Fang said:

 

I thought motion control in this game was optional. If not, I'm not sure I would like it so much, lol. Motion controls are functional, but I generally don't like using them... especially if it requires my whole body. I don't like looking silly, lol.

 

 

Sadly, Motion control is the only way to play this game, With this, the fact that it is a another reboot/remake of original star fox, And the game release on Wii-U's deathbed is the reason why this game flop harder then a fat guy on the pool.

[sjrathbun812]

1 hour ago, StarMaverick said:

IMO, Once you get use to the motion control, It actually a fun game to play, It a decent game overall but the stealth mission is unnecessary and boring.

Sadly, Motion control is the only way to play this game, With this, the fact that it is a another reboot/remake of original star fox, And the game release on Wii-U's deathbed is the reason why this game flop harder then a fat guy on the pool.

I see. Well, maybe while I'm at using the motion controls, I can wear these, too.

(Saw this while browsing for memes. Thought it was hilarious.)

Seriously, though, I can see the debate for motion controls being enjoyable and all. If companies want to experiment some more, great. Just don't exclude what's guaranteed to work for everyone.

Like, imagine living in a world where there's only "Fundies" to choose from...

[ArwingFan]

It's decent enough, but not worth buying a Wii-U for.

The design itself is pretty good, the levels are solid and varied and so are the bosses. There's no versus mode but there is co-op where one flies and the other shoots. The arwing retains the same smooth controls like it did in SF64 for the most part.

However some issues: the right stick just doesn't work for barrel-rolling or boosting, this makes it difficult to do both at once. Also the alternating paths return, but there's too few of them and they're not challenging enough to find; plus no matter what route you take they all lead to the same three levels at the end. The medals scattered in the levels are placed in overly cryptic locations, making them impossible to find without luck or a guide

[SF Redd]

It's excellent. My second favourite game in the series after Assault.

The problem with it is that people scorn it for being similar to 64, rather than praising it for what it actually is. I don't think it's right to judge a game based on another game. Plus, it's not even that similar to 64. It has some similar plot points but that's about it.

The controls are a topic of debate. I don't have a problem with them, really. It lets you shoot things that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. If you don't like that, then just don't move the controller and you won't have to deal with it.

[MKGirlism]

I enjoyed the game, actually.
The first mission was hard, because of the way the controls worked.
But by the time I went over to the second mission, I've already got used to the controls.

[UAZ-469]

Don't we already have a thread for this?

It was... okay. Or to put it more precisely: Not bad, but not that good either.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's well made and of your usual high-quality Nintendo-standard (The delay after the critics really helped), but after such a long waiting time, it was a bit disappointing to "just" receive a reboot.

While I got used to the controls - which took me one playthrough, mind you -, they just felt tacked in, too gimmicky and I'm asking myself if it the overall quality would have decreased without them.
Also, what did you do to Zoness? A stealth-mssion? Come on. Couldn't you have at least kept Sarumarine as the boss? Even with that time limit?

But I've to admit that the number of levels is very impressive for a Star Fox-game. Really inceased the replayabilty for me. Hehe, still figuring out if Sector Gamma has an alternate path because of that warp gate.

Overall though, since it has more (exciting) levels, a great score and a storyline (even if almost non-existent), I consider it better than Star Fox 64 (Haven't played Assault and Command) and despite my initial disappointment, I'm sure that it's is a step in the right way.

[sjrathbun812]

8 hours ago, UAZ-469 said:

Don't we already have a thread for this?

I only gave the board a cursory glance. I probably should have used the search bar but I didn't think of it, lol.

At any rate, like I said in the original post, if the mods/admins want to clean up they can. I'm sure it's as simple as clicking a button.

@ArwingFan @SF Alba Love your avatars!

 

[The VGM Lover]

The biggest problems I have with the game is that despite the number of levels, it feels empty, and is barely replayable beyond a few favourite levels, which for me, is Sector Beta, Space Colony 2, Sector Alpha, and the Roadmaster training levels.

I have no incentive to go through the campaign again in Arcade Mode, cos a) the campaign itself is boring and the ending is a complete letdown considering what the game was trying to do in the first place, and b) not only have I seen everything the game has to offer by simply unlocking all the missions via the Main Game, there are only 3-rank leaderboards, so you sort of can't keep a history of how much you've improved over time, though besides, even I wanted to, the record was set way above my standards within the first few days, so, again, what's the point?

The controls were no big deal to me at first, but slowly, I started to realize how crappy it really was. @ArwingFanis right in that the right stick shouldn't have been used to control the speed of your vehicle, especially when none of it has any analog input, anyways. And why did there have to be a reset button just to control your aim? You never had to do that in ANY other game that used the gyro for aiming! Why here!?

To be honest, the only thing that keeps me wanting to come back to it is JUST the music for the loading screen and training menu. THAT'S IT.

 

TL;DR: Too little content, uninteresting campaign, baffling control design, and overall no replay value. An exciting trip at first, but a disappointment in the long run.

[sjrathbun812]

2 hours ago, The VGM Lover said:

The controls were no big deal to me at first, but slowly, I started to realize how crappy it really was. @ArwingFanis right in that the right stick shouldn't have been used to control the speed of your vehicle, especially when none of it has any analog input, anyways. And why did there have to be a reset button just to control your aim? You never had to do that in ANY other game that used the gyro for aiming! Why here!?

Wow. That does not sound like good design.

[geoprimedonna]

12 hours ago, UAZ-469 said:

Don't we already have a thread for this?

 

Hate it to death, if anyone hasn't yet noticed (but for a Krystal-clear Starfox fanwhatchamacallit, I believe it is already known a long time ago). You're welcome.

[SF Redd]

13 hours ago, Wolf Fang said:

@ArwingFan @SF Alba Love your avatars!

Och, cheers pal! Ye really ken how tae git oan a bloke's gid side!

[Robert Monroe]

This is like the third damn thread we've had for this, lol.

 

ANYWAY lets lay some things out straight ok? The motion controls in this are actually fantastic. The bad gimmick is dual screens. Motion controls are extremely responsive and honestly provide some really fun fast paced moments in the game. The issue is your reticule is inaccurate unless you use cockpit view, so you have to glance down at the second screen to get an accurate shot, which while sometimes can be exciting (it works best with the Landmaster), is most of the time distracting or disorienting. Motion controls are easy to adapt to, just rest the damn WiiU pad on your lap in your hands, even the slightest movement is quite responsive.

As for the controls themselves, that is, actual button uses, they're not -bad- strictly speaking, they're just changed from the traditional SF formula. Using the twin sticks simulates using a control stick and a throttle, so you're doing a lot of flicking and twisting to pull off boots/flips/rolls/etc. Its new. It takes a little bit to learn. This is not bad controls, though. Yes, you could argue that "if it ain't broke don't change it", but I counter with "nothing new never hurt you". You play a game, you have to take the time needed to master the controls, simple as that. Nothing about Zero's button placement is actually badly designed or placed (except maybe Nova Bombs on pushing down the right stick because I accidentally do that too much lol).

As for the dual screens, the biggest flaw with them is they're so prevalent yet so IGNORABLE. Charge shots lock on just fine without fine aiming... but moreover, you can just press the select button to swap views on the TV and gamepad, so for those moments you NEED cockpit view, you can just push a button and put it on your TV without having to look away. It totally undermines the point of having 2 screens, and the real kicker is the few times you MUST use both screens (namely the Aquarosa boss), its generally regarded as the worst part of the game. Dual Screens is both too prevalent to overlook but too underutilized or easily circumvented to be considered good game design, and THAT is the biggest hole in Starfox Zero's armor. That aside, its a perfectly good but not amazing fun 10ish hour action romp (if you go for all the medals) and while yes its the third take on the Lylat War, need I remind you that 64 was 19 years ago when Zero came out last year? Assault and Command had written the series into a corner anyway, it NEEDED a reboot to thrive again. The series had been laying dormant since 2006, despite coming hot off a GOLDEN AGE in the early 2000s. Why do you think that is?

But I digress, this is about Zero, not how the 2000s killed the franchise.... though given how bad Zero sold due to smear campaigns by idiot reviewers and Zero just not being good ENOUGH to revitalize the WiiU, the series might go dormant again. This thing really should've just been delayed to the Switch.

[Robert Monroe]

Also clearing up RE: disable motion controls, the option in the game is to disable motion controls EXCEPT when pressing the fire button. So basically, you only use the gyro to aim when charging a shot (or shooting a lot over and over).

I personally didn't use it.

[sjrathbun812]

Informative, Robert. You do make good points. I've felt irritated when people have negative perceptions on works out of pure ignorance. They obviously haven't researched enough.

It's true enough that you need to master the controls in any game in order to have fun and especially before you judge the game for it. But that can get to a point where you're spending hours and hours trying to get good at something to perform well. This increases frustration, and frustration decreases enjoyment. I don't think Starfox Zero is an extreme case, but I do remember watching reviews on Youtube claiming it does take time to get comfortable with the controls. But once you got them, the game becomes more fun.

The point is, no matter what the control set up is, I believe good design should enable players to quickly adapt to them and not become discouraged. Severe cases of bad control design can be quite detrimental to the game's value, even if everything else is solid.

This example does not concern controls, but it's still relevant because it addresses design in other areas. Take Sonic and the Seven Rings. The big idea behind Sonic is to have fun by speeding through levels. But in this entry to the series, Sonic starts out incredibly slow. In fact, it takes hours and hours and HOURS of playing to level up Sonic to the point where he's actually fast. In the mean time, it induces a lot of unnecessary hard work while reducing enjoyment. This could have been avoided if they made Sonic fast in the first place.

Again, games at their core are supposed to be enjoyable. If design hinders this in any way, games cease to be fun, eliminating their very purpose.

[sjrathbun812]

Also, just to be cheeky

5 hours ago, Robert Monroe said:

This is like the third damn thread we've had for this, lol.

I'm fixing what isn't broke. Nothing new never hurt you.

 

[Robert Monroe]

Thing is though you can basically get a handle on Zero's controls after like 10 minutes. Corneria and maybe Sector Alpha are all you need - plus there's a ton of training missions you can play with as well. It isn't obtuse, its just unusual.

[sjrathbun812]

You're right. What I said was really just a side comment. I meant that IF this were the case, THEN X, Y, Z would take place. But, ultimately, I really don't think that it's TOO much of an issue with the game, from what I know. I'm just saying it's something game developers should watch out for.

If I had a Wii U, I'd probably still buy the game. And I'd expect to enjoy it for what it is.