One of the rather surprising announcements to emerge from the recent Nintendo Direct was that the previously shown "Project Guard" was to be repurposed as a new game starring Slippy Toad – called Star Fox Guard – to be launched alongside the release of Star Fox Zero. The Five Nights at Freddy's-esque style gameplay certainly seems to be interesting, and it'll no doubt use the GamePad in interesting ways.
The Japanese site for the game just opened, and there have been a few more details revealed that have given us a clearer picture of what to expect. The 100+ missions will be primarily divided into two different categories: Main Missions and Extra Missions. Main missions will center around you taking on the persona of a nameless worker at Corneria Special Metals Ltd. – owned by Slippy's uncle, Grippy Toad -- as you defend various outposts throughout the Lylat System against robot invaders. Progress in main missions will occasionally unlock extra missions, which will have different objectives or restrictions.
Some types of extra missions are listed on the site, and they are as follows:
- Sniper – Ammo will be limited, with the focus being on precise shooting
- Airborne – Enemies will air drop in, with the focus being on shooting them down before they make it to the ground
- Tottori Tour – A camera is placed on top of a robot bird that moves around the stage as the player shoots enemies below
Robots will come in two general types: Attacker and Jammer. Attacker robots will come in Attacker form – which moves faster once damaged – and Shield form, which has a shield in the front, but is vulnerable in the back.
The Jammer type has four different kinds, which focus more on support than assault.
- Hi-Ho: This robot has low health, but it self-destructs if it gets close to a camera
- Jack: This robot jams signals and prevents the player from seeing out of the camera it's hampering
- Smog: Defeating this robot will cause it to spit out some gas that blocks the view
- Green Tank: Fires a cannon back at cameras to damage them
All told, it seems like this game is shaping up to be the Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker to Star Fox Zero's Super Mario 3D World. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, and how this experimental game will be received.
Hat tip to Nintendo Everything for the translation work.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Star Fox Guard? What do you think of the gameplay? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source nintendoeverything.com]
Comments 56
Really looking forward to this,I've never played a game anything like this before so it will be a completely new experience for me,made even more unique by the Gamepad.This and Zero should keep me busy for a while.
As long as there's enough variety, I won't complain. Looks pretty difficult though.
This made me much more likely to pick up Star Fox Zero. : )
I think this is a great idea, and I'd love to see Nintendo do more projects like this and Captain Toad. I like these short, concept based side games. As long as they don't massively overshadow development of big titles, these should continue.
I;m actually looking forward to this one a lot. I was on the fence about zero, but wanting this physically cemented this for me.
My initial reaction was, that this should've been a mode in Star Fox Zero. It remains to be seen whether it warrants it's own release. If the price is right ~
On the face value, it seems it could be a fun game and 100+ missions seems to be plenty of content.
Really glad that Project Guard became a full game, and since it's being included with first-print copies of a game a lot of people are already buying, all the better.
I think this looks like a really cool fun little game. I'm excited to pick this up with Star Fox Zero.
Always wanted to try a tower defence type game, so I'm really excited for this.
I'm beginning tothink this will be more popular than Star Fox Zero!
The Amiibo symbol is against the game on the Japanese site too so possibly even more integration.
This game looks extremely repetitive, but sort of fun. To me, Star Fox Guard is just a nice bonus that comes with Star Fox Zero. I wouldn't get it on it's own though!
Right up my alley this, which puts the icing on my starfox cake! If anything I'd have preferred not to wait for this as I get the impression this has been a completed game for a while waiting for a theme/angle to launch it with.
These kind of games are very common on mobile. I'm guessing by creating these games (Captain toad and Star fox guard), they get more experienced with the kind of mobile games they are going to release.
I am already sure I'll stop playing this after one try. This is not the type of game I like and I have so many other games I actually want to play.
@DiscoGentleman Agreed. Besides, this game's concept was revealed before the first FNAF was even announced/released.
@Mario-Man-Child I don't mean Dark Souls style of difficulty, you know, as in the traditional sense of difficulty. It's the looking on the GamePad and keeping track of 12 small screens that is already difficult on its own.
@Mario-Man-Child
It's a real problem trying to nail difficulty in games. On the one hand you have the more skilled, hardcore players who want something difficult, but the majority of players are even less skilled than most realize- Miamoto was talking about this on an interview video once- really interesting if you're ever curious. Sure it could be googled.
Anyways, the more difficult a game is the less people it appeals to. Which is why, I think, Nintendo has mastered the art of appealing to everyone. Like 3D World starts out really easy, yet it was still really fun, even for skilled platformer aficionados such as myself. But those extra 4 worlds got brutal, especially the last one. To this day I still haven't beaten that world 12 stage with blinking blocks (so ashamed).
But I think they actually do still make some difficult games. DKC Tropical Freeze singlehandedly threatened @rjejr 's sanity lol, Fire Emblem has turned off many new players because they're just not skilled enough (tried getting Sinalefa into Awakening, but he gave up before he even got to Chapter 10- and that was on Normal/Casual mode). Xenoblade X was had a lot of complexity... so ya, it's a fine line to walk, but I'd say I'm pretty happy with their approach.
If this is even slightly like Captain Toad then I should love it. I was getting Star Fox Zero anyway so this is just a bonus. Nice.
I think it's looking pretty good, the level sharing feature is a great touch.
My attention has turned to Starfox guard. I have never been a Starfox fan and am not bothered about the delays, although I can see why others are. I think a lot of momentum has been lost with Starfox, which should have been under a lot of Christmas Trees.
That said is Guard a full game at full price, or is it a sort of Links crossbow type game? Is it there to sell more Amiibos?
I am not planning to buy Starfox but I will take a look at Guard.
This looks like an awesome TD game. Was on the fence about getting StarFox, but with the addition of this it's a day one purchase. The level sharing is a great addition. Good job on this package deal nintendo c:
Am I the only one who thinks this looks boring? Miyamoto was determined to shoehorn his experiment into the Star Fox universe and being Miyamoto he can do pretty much what he likes. I hope I'm wrong and that there's fun & depth in it.
So it is kind of like a Star Fox TD?
I'm in!
I will be getting this with the Star Fox Zero; First Print Edition so it will be a freebie anyway
I'm all for it. Treasure Track is a treasure. That was way great and too cute for its own good. So, this will give me a chance to try a game out that I would normally not play because I'm so getting Star Fox. Expand your horizons.
@Sligeach Heaven forbid Miyamoto do what he likes with Star Fox, including introducing new gameplay mechanics, characters and concepts into its universe. Only thing that could possibly be worse would be for Miyamoto to have any influence in Pikmin 4, I mean can you imagine? Perish the thought. What has he done for these series of games that gives him that right? Give it to people who care Nintendo!
@TheLastLugia
Miyamoto created and produced the Pikmin franchise. Are you just here to hate?
@zool
It's like the Bayonetta 1&2 bundle as far as I understand. They are bundled together as one retail priced game, at least the first print edition. And you can buy them separately in the eShop. Probably a bit pricier separately but the discount kicks in if you buy the two to make it the same price as one retail game.
@Splatburst: The irony is obvious. Without Miyamoto there wouldn't be such a thing as Starfox or Pikmin at all.
@SKTTR
LOL I apologize, I think I misunderstood. @TheLastLugia is being sarcastic am I correct? Or he wasn't?
I'm honestly more interested in this than in Star Fox Zero, but then again, I was never a Star Fox fan to begin with. I do like tower defense games however.
@JaxonH I don't mean to cause you further pain but... I've beaten that level in Super Mario 3D World! I've beaten the game 100% in fact
Now give us a Slippy Toad Amiibo to go with the game!
@DiscoGentleman
No need for us to draw unnecessary comparisons, that's the FNAF fandom's thing. (Seriously, have a drink any time a FNAF fan makes a reference to said series under a Youtube video that has nothing to do with it. Have a nice stay at the hospital.)
I'm still waiting for preorders of this to appear somewhere in the UK. I'm super excited, and considering its only a month away I'm surprised that the listing isn't in major retailers. If anybody knows where I can pick up the first print edition, feel free to clue me up!
@MJKOP
All hail the champ!
Speaking of which, that's the name of that stage, isn't it? Champion's Road lol? Now I remember.
One day... I'll get there one day...
@Splatburst He was. Sarcasm is hard on the internet.
It does a great diservice to this game to compare it to FNAF. Given that Night Trap preceded that game by decades and as far as I can tell is the first example of that gameplay mechanic, and involves actually trapping/defeating the enemy, that would be a better comparison.
While this isn't a ground-breaking play mechanic, the way it has been used in this game is somewhat unique and more.interactive and I thinknit sounds like fun!
@Splatburst @zool
This is what happens - Nintnod has been so bad at marketing and advertising and social media over the past few years that even when they get something right nobody knows about it b/c nobody expects Nintendo to do anything right.
From the NoA news site - sorry, I'm not sure about elsewhere:
http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/rE7aH-wjfkkHT8_OFUxYFs6ZX7aakaSw
"The only way to get the physical version of Star Fox Guard is by purchasing the packaged version of Star Fox Zero. The game can also be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $14.99. Customers that purchase the digital version of either Star Fox Zero or Star Fox Guard will receive a $4.99 Nintendo eShop discount toward the other game."
Star Fox Zero is $49.99 on the eShop by itself. So if you try out Guard first for $15 then Zero would cost you $45 later.
Apologies if the above came off condescending, I'm barely awake, just trying to be informative.
@JaxonH I have no idea what is going on in this game. I'm a big fan of tower defense games, but I always envisioned this one as a sort of very limited FPS shooter where you stand your ground in one of those anti-aircraft guns that occasionally pop up in all types for games from platformers to adventure games and use the Gamepad in FP view like the minecart in Captain Toad:TT while the TV has a top down view so you can see which directions enemies are attacking you from. You would baiscally stand in the middle of your living room spinning in circles while you try to look at the tv to se which way to shoot.
Obviously this is NOTHING like that. Looks more like a Sly Cooper 4 minigame.
I think if there were ever a game that needed a demo it's this one. 2 or 3 random levels from the game so people can figure it out. There are over 100 levels in the game, they can spare 2.
That's cool. I was seeing Star Fox Guard as a Captain Toad Treasure Tracker too. I'm glad this game didnt get canned when it was shown at E3 two years ago. It looked fun and interesting.
So it's 5 Nights at Freddy's when the fursuits get into the security room and try their hand at keeping everyone out.
(if 5 Nights had a toad instead of a bear then I would be skeptical)
@Radbot42 I was never on the fence about Zero (it looks better and better the more I see it), but this is an amazing bonus, especially since I thought it would be eshop only.
@JaxonH it nearly drove me insane to be fair... lol I tried it again recently when my nephew was round, he wanted to see it, but I couldn't do it!
Looks like fun! Nintendo usually doesn't put out tower defense games, at least to my knowledge. Slippy as the main character is hilarious, too.
This does get me wondering....what ever happened to Project Giant Robot? Project Guard got revived as a Star Fox title, so will PGR meet the same fate?
I´m really excited about this game. Not only we get a new Star Fox but a fun looking spin-off title.
I wish some other Nintendo series would get this treatment too: release a new title in the series too and not just a spin-off.
This game actually sounds like a pretty good stand-alone release. I'm most likely going to get it with the first launch release of Star Fox Zero though, since I doubt it will go down in price anytime soon. At least, I most likely will anyway.
@BluStreak I'm sure it'll re-appear eventually in some form.Miyamoto seemed passionate about it so I can't imagine it being canned.Maybe it'll be added as DLC for Starfox later in the year.Or it could be whatever form of controller the NX has suits the game better.Hopefully we wont have long to find out as I was looking forward to that too.
Always kinda thought that 'Project Guard' was never intended to be a full release, along with 'Project Giant Robot'. I surmised that Guard would appear in a small minigame form in Star Fox Zero, but I was actually very happy to see the decision to release not one, but two Star Fox themed retail Wii U games at the same time, especially if they are bundled together for the regular price.
I am so psyched to play Zero and Guard, and I hope that the multiplayer is more interesting than they have revealed so far. I would love a Star Fox themed imagining of Metroid Blast from Nintendo Land.
This does make me wonder what will happen to project robot which i was interested in. Perhaps it will get tied to another franchise as well? I still say punch out could use some extra promotion!
seriously cant wait to get my hands on star fox zero
Seems win win. With the shortage of wii u releases most people will pick this up day 1 who want it. So therefore its a free game in a collectable case. If it really takes off as a sleeper hit then others can get on board. Kinda wish it was a download code though. Seems like a fun game for short bursts that i can just click on and play. Not sure im gonna keep swapping the disc in just to play 5 minutes here and there.
@JaxonH
Add to the difficulty playing a game in a genre I don't enjoy. P* games are hard but I beat them cause I like the gameplay.
If this games is fairly well received, I'd guess it will get a limited holiday release for say $19.99 as a shelf filler for Black Friday. I love the older StarFox style and enjoy tower defense games though so I'll take the 20% off Amazon bonus and buy both at launch.
So... Five Nights at Slippy's?
I've been pumped for this ever since it was Project Guard, can't wait to get it!
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