Nintendo Reviews Rating:
Age 11+

Star Fox: Assault is the game we've all been waiting for. In that waiting, I think some people gave up. But it's official that
Star Fox will return better than ever. But Rareware also left a pretty decent mark in the Star Fox series, that focused on
puzzles and adventure elements, and now it's more on the familiar action from the franchise. This is what we want, but
Rareware set the bar on graphics. This time, I think Namco has done a pretty good job. From what I have seen, this stuff
looks pretty good. The GCN capabilities will help with things like framerate, and the number of enemies that can be on a
screen at once. Of course, the graphics updates will always be accepted, but it is natural from a N64 to GCN transition.
As to how big the game is, or how the single-player mode is still a mystery, even to us. However, I have seen Namco come
up with very creative things, and I am confident in their ability to impress me. Keep in mind, that Nintendo is overseeing
this, so things can't go too wrong. One new element is the walking feature in the single-player mode. While you could play
on foot in Star Fox 64's multiplayer mode, it is now a completely integral part of the game. This looks like an interesting
part of the game, but hopefully it won't turn out like Star Wars: Rebel Strike did with this addition. From the looks of it,
it should be fine.
Some other franchise firsts is that Krystal will be flying along with Slippy and Falco. Peppy has become too old to fly, but
he'll still assist with missions. The multiplayer mode will also feature Krystal as a player. The multiplayer mode doesn't
look too stunning, but should be satisfactory. I have been itching to play this, as well. The voice samples weren't very good
at E3, so the hope of better ones is there. There's a website that converts LAN Gamecube games into online games
(www.warppipe.com), and they are petitioning for a LAN mode in this game. Unfortunately, this doesn't look like a
feature, but hopefully they will surprise us.
Overall, this looks to be satisfying. This may not be award-worthy, but certainly worth a look. Anyone who has been
patiently waiting for this game will be pleasantly surprised to hear good things from this preview. The action and graphics
are stellar, and the gameplay looks to be a winner. Let's hope it is. You can find our for yourself when the game is
released on February 14th, 2005.