I wanted to share some reflections on the motorcycle animations shown so far. These are just personal impressions and guesses, not definitive judgments, since everything will be clearer once we can actually play the game. I am curious to hear what others think.
The motorcycle animation does not completely bother me, maybe because it has a somewhat retro feel in certain aspects: the wheelie, a kind of side dash move… I imagine these could serve as attack moves in game, assigned to one or more buttons. The skid animation when it stops feels a bit underwhelming, but not terrible (I love the overall composition and atmosphere). Then there are other animations that I think are praiseworthy, like the ignition of the bike in the old trailer (really great) or the suspension movement while it is riding.
Maybe the animations that are being criticized will turn out to be moves assigned to buttons. In that case, they would look toy like for functional reasons: press the button and the bike does the move.
Maybe it is as if the bike could throw kicks and punches with button inputs. Obviously, in those situations, making the animations hyper realistic would be a bit too much for any hardware, so why not simplify them and focus on fun? After all, if the game is really fun, maybe when a player is riding the bike and not “throwing kicks”, they will not even think about those animations, since they would only see them by pressing a specific button.
Even with hyper realistic physics, if a bike could perform moves with buttons equivalent to human kicks and punches, it would still look odd in a trailer, at least to me. Maybe these are creative liberties within game routines, things that should be taken in the right context to provide good feedback: definitely with the controller in hand, not just through a video.
Of course, these are just guesses. Maybe everything will feel much clearer and smoother once we actually play it.
It's a 'wait and see' for me in terms of how the bike reveal is done and what it feels like in play, but my overriding thought currently about the bike is, rather then Samus obtaining some random bike, wouldn't it be cooler if Samus morphed into a bike, as an upgrade to the morph ball.
You guys had me at blood and semen.
What better way to celebrate than firing something out of the pipe?
Chiming in here, and doing my best not to sound too negative...
I'm actually not a huge Prime fan in general, far preferring the 2D entries by a long way. I'm open minded though and very willing to give MP4 a shot - but I just don't feel excited by this game at all really.
The fact that it is backward-compatible is what really is killing the hype. I know the S2 version will be enhanced, graphically superior, mouse controls etc etc.... but undoubtably the scale and scope of this game will be 'held back' by the fact that a 'version' of it will run competently on S1.
I'm still waiting for a killer 1st party drop from Nintendo, something that has the same level of 'oomph' as BOTW or Odyssey. I'm loving the third party support in the meantime, Hades 2 / Cyberpunk / Silksong etc, but still yearning for a 1st party killer app.
Where's the open world Starfox game... Outlaws crossed with Starfield?!
Where's the open world Starfox game... Outlaws crossed with Starfield?!
I like the more open-ended approach Nintendo's been taking but I don't think making Star Fox an open world game is the right move. I think a new Star Fox should expand more on the level structure and progression system previous titles had in regards to giving players freedom of choice.
"Now I have an obligation to tag along and clear the area if Luigi so much as glances at a stiletto."
@N00BiSH I'd settle for a spiritual successor to SF64 in fairness, just give me anything that is a concerted effort to utilise that IP!
@kkslider5552000 Ah I think there are a lot of good ideas in both Outlaws and also Starfield (moreso the former of the 2). I think the Armored Core 6 formula would work really nicely also though, mission based structure, plenty of opportunity for customisation of ship. Out of interest, what would you do with the IP?
Ah I think there are a lot of good ideas in both Outlaws and also Starfield (moreso the former of the 2). I think the Armored Core 6 formula would work really nicely also though, mission based structure, plenty of opportunity for customisation of ship. Out of interest, what would you do with the IP?
I have two specific ideas.
1. Make another game in the style of 64 that's actually a sequel and not a weird remake thing like Zero but this time with an understanding of why 64 was memorable and replayable. To counteract the people who only base playtime on single playthroughs and not replays (aka the appeal of Star Fox) have the true ending both difficult to get to and unlock a series of levels as a secret second half of the game. (my generic story idea for why is that maybe Andross or whoever the final boss is teleports you to a different solar system of levels to go through to get back to Venom)
2. Take the best ideas from the Rogue Squadron series or Crimson Skies of more explorable open levels (but not in generic needlessly large open world ways) and then put some classic Star Fox on-rail levels in between for the sake of variety.
a Rogue Squadron riff is a great take actually, hopefully Nintendo read your post…!
Considering they're gonna put out a Kirby Air Ride sequel in a few weeks, I guess wanting Nintendo to follow my specific wishes is something that could actually happen.
So, my opinion on Star Fox: As unpopular as it might be, keeping Star Fox as essentially a score attack rail shooter would basically doom it. Or at the least, greatly restrict its potential for success. The fundamental problem being that there is relatively little in the way of an audience for "Replay short game to do progressively better each time" as a gameplay premise. This means the budget would have to be kept very limited so that it doesn't need to sell much. . . except that runs into the reef that is "At heart Star Fox is a 'tech showpiece' series". Can you make a game that is basically "Star Fox 64 2", while both keeping the budget low and making it shiny enough? I am skeptical.
Which is why I am an advocate for making Star Fox into a space sandbox, so that you can deliver the same fundamental space dogfighting gameplay, but in a larger framework that provides a bigger more substantial game ( that can justify a full retail MSRP ). Though I would note that when I say "sandbox" I specifically mean something along the lines of Star Link, not a game where you spend a ton of time running around on foot. I know some people want to see Star Fox Adventure 2 as the way forward, and its not impossible. . . but its not optimal IMO. Better to stick to the cockpit, and have the sandbox play in the context of flying and fighting an Arwing.
The fundamental problem being that there is relatively little in the way of an audience for "Replay short game to do progressively better each time" as a gameplay premise.
Apparently someone has never heard of rogue-likes.
Also no one has used Star Fox as a visual highlight game since Adventures, no one cares, certainly not Nintendo that went out of their way to make sure Zero was 60 FPS on both screens to the detriment of visuals.
Apparently someone has never heard of rogue-likes.
Or arcade games, for that matter. Score chasers are all about replaying to get better.
At least you could make the case that arcade games are no longer remotely relevant. Rogue-likes are a very specific modern gaming trend with a good amount of games that are likely more successful than Star Fox has been this century.
The fundamental problem being that there is relatively little in the way of an audience for "Replay short game to do progressively better each time" as a gameplay premise.
Apparently someone has never heard of rogue-likes.
Also no one has used Star Fox as a visual highlight game since Adventures, no one cares, certainly not Nintendo that went out of their way to make sure Zero was 60 FPS on both screens to the detriment of visuals.
Sigh. I knew I should have put a couple more paragraphs in the post. . .
Okay. Why are rogue-lites not relevant to this issue? Because there is a fundamental difference between "Playing a game repeatedly in pursuit of completing the game" and "Playing a game repeatedly, to completion, in pursuit of a higher rank". In a rogue-lite, you may "play the game" repeatedly, but you do so not out of an abstract desire to demonstrate yourself as having gotten "better" at the game. You do so, in order to unlock more of the game. In effect, the rogue-lite isn't finished until the player actually gets to the 'end' of it. The majority of a typical players "runs" will be before reaching that point. Whereas in a score attack game, that only happens if the game is especially hard and even completing it once it unlikely ( and that introduces its own set of problems ).
I mean, I don't think it would be difficult to make Star Fox fit into that role. They made Splatoon rogue-like recently in that last major DLC and that's an equally sudden turn for a Nintendo shooter series. They could just fully go in that direction.
And even if they don't, I can say for myself that it took me quite a number of tries to get to the true ending of Star Fox 64 growing up, and that even my most recent playthrough caused me quite a few deaths despite being an expert. (which ironically wasn't even in the unlockable expert mode) For that matter, I've failed multiple attempts to beat Star Fox 1 in any way. Either way, I don't feel a successful playthrough needs to be the actual average playtime for someone. (like how NES games worked, but with good game design more than 5% of the time this time :V)
It's a clearly possible to avoid issue, at least to enough of an extent to justify it being made.
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