A lot of Nintendo's Franchise's have gone through change (sometimes significant) over time to stay relevant over the years. If Mario never stopped running left to right or Metroid never went FPS those franchises might have been left behind years ago as Nintendo moved forward with new franchises that fit the mold of "modern games" (side note, this is why the constant screaming for new IPs from nintendo annoys me - they constantly give us the mechanics and new experiences that new IP's deliver just with familiar characters. Things like Mario 64, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, OOT, BotW, Kirby's yarn etc... should be seen in the same way other companies new IP's are).
It seems like Star Fox is still high on most peoples lists of games/franchises they want to see brought to the switch, I do as well. But I think the franchise has to change a bit - like so many have before. An arcade space shooter that you can beat in a few hours but has a couple branching paths just........won't cut anymore, like how a simple left to right side scroller or top-down adventure game stopped cutting it at one point.
Rather then change up the gameplay, in this case, I'd go a different way with Star Fox. I'd make Starfox a franchise defined by its Story and Characters. Most of Nintendo's franchises are defined more by their gameplay and mechanics then the stories in the game, so let Starfox be something a little different. I create cutscenes that have a puppet look to them, try to give more.....weight to the space battles and really make Starfox into a "Space Opera".
An arcade space shooter that you can beat in a few hours but has a couple branching paths just........won't cut anymore, like how a simple left to right side scroller or top-down adventure game stopped cutting it at one point.
Just to clarify, what are you referring to when you say it 'won't cut it anymore'? Sales? Quality? Critical reception? Because if you're talking about anything but sales, I vehemently disagree. Mario Maker, Tropical Freeze and A Link Between Worlds were all very well received despite being simple left to right sidescrollers and top-down adventure games. In fact things like Dead Cells prove that 2D genres are very much alive in this day and age. It's not about the genre of the game, it's what you do with it.
The core problem with Star Fox is a skinning one. Star Fox is, essentially, an on-rails shmup. Games in that genre are short and score-oriented. Yet when you see how Star Fox is presented, with its talking characters and space opera setting, people expect a different kind of game nowadays. The preconceptions about the presentation are at odds with what the core gameplay of Star Fox is and the amount of content it's feasible to develop for such a title, and that's the root of the problem.
The way I see it and as much as I don't like to type this, there's no easy solution for this problem. People just don't replay their games that much anymore. There's always something interesting coming out in a few days, so score-chasers are a bit of a relic. Give the gameplay a facelift, however, and you'll end up with something other than what Star Fox is for many people.
One possible solution that I could see working is expanding the content of the game without altering how the actual missions are played. Hybridization could work for expanding the Star Fox universe, fleshing out the characters and the like. Imagine if, in between missions, you could do other stuff in the main game like customizing your arwing with different parts that spice up the gameplay. Or, for example, take a look at what Starr Mazer or Sigma Star Saga do with fusing classic shmup gameplay with point-n'-click and ARPG elements respectively. Star Fox could use something like that: just throw all the ideas present in Adventures/Assault/Command without sacrificing the core rail-shooter gameplay.
The problem with this idea: it's not cheap, so it won't happen.
And before anyone mentions it as a joke or otherwise: space exploration games are terrible more often than not and Star Fox doesn't need to be one. We don't need Nintendo's version of No Man's Sky.
And before anyone mentions it as a joke or otherwise: space exploration games are terrible more often than not and Star Fox doesn't need to be one. We don't need Nintendo's version of No Man's Sky.
You mean an giant world filled with empty space? That already exists...
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Well, as we know, we had Star Fox Adventure (or as JonTron would say, Stair Fax Temperatures) on the Gamecube, and that wasn't...erm...well..it was interesting. Apparently it sold moderately well, pretty much in the middle of all the Star Fox games.
Here's an interesting idea that I can't believe came to mind: something in the style of Mass Effect, perhaps, but NOT the latter games (3 and Andromeda) or the first one (which is nearly just an RPG); definitely something closer to ME 2. But make it an action title through-and-through, leaning more heavily toward the ship combat side, but also including out-of-ship adventuring and action.
And to stick to the arcade-y style of the franchise, do NOT make it into some kind of RPG-lite game. Keep it fast and fancy free.
Honestly, I've never been a fan of any StarFox game but Adventures so my ideas in regards to where the franchise could go may stife too far from what it is (a space shooter) so to long time fans, this probably doesn't sound too appealing.
Anyway, I'agree that focusing more on story and giving each character an actual personality and story arc. Of course, this means taking Fox and the crew out of their Arwings for on-foot gameplay, such as sneakingly infiltrating an enemy stronghold, walking through cities (Corneria for example), taking on sidequests and so on. The classic gameplay could return for traversing through hub areas quickly (since they'd be massive and filled with life and shops) or travelling from planet to planet with randomly-generated levels so space travel wouldn't get tired. Missions could play out in a Kid Icarus Uprising kind of fashion with flying towards the destination via Arwing and then infiltrating the stronghold on foot. Fox as well as his Arwing could be upgraded in a sorts of ways with each upgrade taking a bit of space on a grid, preventing from having all on at the time. Fox could learn more close combat karate moves or improve on his infiltration tech while the Arwing could get a Shield, extra blasters, laser beams, fast dodge rolls.
Story-wise, how about setting up the game as sort of a prequel set shortly after James McCloud's death at the hands of Andross and the StarFox team being out of commission for the time being. It could feature a hot-headed, revenge-seeking and cocky Fox who is all full of himself because 'he is the son of James McCloud, the greatest Arwing pilot that ever lived' meeting a young Falco and Slippy and being trained by a depressed Peppy, who has taken on an Arwing pilot teacher's position at the Intergalactic Academy in Corneria. The story could begin with their first lesson when Peppy overhears a news report claiming the traitor Pigma has been spotted in the Corneria City shopping district, news neither Fox nor Peppy can ignore so both storm off on their seperate ways with Falco and Slippy following them. Fox and Peppy eventually find and confront Pigma but due to Fox and Peppy arguing about Fox not following Peppy's orders of staying in class, Pigma makes a quick escape. Now, Peppy finally realizes that it is James's kid and agrees to help them train and maybe, just maybe, they'll be ready to face and defeat Andross once and for all. Note that I'd want the story to end when they form StarFox and get the orders of defeating Andross.
I don't know, just an idea I'm throwing in here at almost 0 am when I should get to bed lol.
An arcade space shooter that you can beat in a few hours but has a couple branching paths just........won't cut anymore
Says who? Just you? Arcadeish type games are still being made today, even SHMUPs, and people like those. What makes Star Fox any different from all those other games? IMO Star Fox is the best game in the series, and I'd love to see a new game along the same lines. I don't need to see the series branch into other genres. It's fine as is.
Case in point; games don't need to be 48 hour adventures to be considered good, and/or fun. Shorter, score-based games (SHMUPs, pinball, etc) aren't 'extinct' or 'dated.' They're awesome genres.
the_shpydar wrote:
As @ogo79 said, the SNS-RZ-USA is a prime giveaway that it's not a legit retail cart.
And yes, he is (usually) always right, and he is (almost) the sexiest gamer out there (not counting me) ;)
Good shmups aren't that easy to come by these days, not ones that can have a sizeable budget behind them anyway. If you ask me, Starfox already fills its niche pretty well but the latest installment was held back too much by the original (and the questionable control scheme). Mechanically starfox is sound but various aspects within the game I would argue could do with modernising. Deeper customization of ships (parts, colours etc.) more playable characters with unique traits, full co-op/multiplayer including online dogfights. While the branching paths and classic high score systems already add a fair amount of replayability its these things that will keep players going, combine this with free content roll outs ala splatoon and arms and you've got potential for the next big multiplayer game by ninty if you ask me.
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