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WiiU

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Star Fox Zero (Wii U) Review

by Neal Ronaghan - April 20, 2016, 8:00 am EDT
Total comments: 43

8

Star Fox returns with a new control scheme and a story you might have heard two or three times already.

A sense of familiarity pervades all of Star Fox Zero - the third reboot in six games in Nintendo’s Star Fox series. The new Wii U game retells the story of Fox McCloud seeking to save the Lylat System and avenge his father’s death at the hands of the diabolical Andross, hitting all the requisite beats along the way. Fox soars through Corneria as it is under attack. He dog fights with Star Wolf. He does a barrel roll. He fights a lot of bosses that pay homage to their polygonal forbearers. Deja vu is a constant feeling in the adventure, even when it veers off in distinct new directions, such as the new Walker transformation for the Arwing or the slower-paced Gyrowing vehicle. The new control scheme, requiring you to control your ship with analog sticks and aim with the GamePad’s motion controls, is the biggest diversion from what came before, but it still doesn’t hide the ever-present nods to Star Fox’s prior forays on the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 either.

To that end, Star Fox Zero is safe in spaces, regularly feeling like a straight-up remake of Star Fox 64. The new controls aid in introducing more nuance to the experience, but, as you might expect, they are still sure to be divisive. It’s tricky to get the hang of processing two screens at once and moving your ship with an analog stick while tilting the GamePad to aim. Once you start to master it, though, the scheme is fun and engaging, especially as the TV offers up brilliant cinematic views while the GamePad lets you fine-tune your aim to take down targets. These controls allow Star Fox to become more of the Star Wars-esque space opera it’s always felt like, especially with the GamePad’s novel use of 3D audio, as it spits out certain sounds and voices in a way that makes you feel like you’re in the cockpit. The only downside to that is that the 3D audio drowns out the spectacular soundtrack that calls to mind old Star Fox tunes with a brilliant new touch from the composer of Bayonetta 2.

At first, the new control scheme didn’t seem all that necessary, but then I tried the control option that limited the motion controls and the contrast was clear: even if the new controls are a little like rubbing your belly while patting your head, the game is far better and more dynamic with them. I felt like I had more control over my ship with the unique control scheme. Even if you are diametrically opposed to motion controls, Zero is balanced for motion controls, so a “normal” control scheme wouldn’t even help much. Aside from the motion controls, the GamePad doesn’t allow for much more than sporadically useful interactions, whether it’s the cinematic angles on the TV or the viewpoint of the Gyrowing’s little robot.

The Gyrowing, one of the few new vehicles added to fray, is a nice contrast from the ever-moving Arwing, but it’s only used sparingly in a pair of slow-moving stealth missions. The Gyrowing’s hook is that it shoots out a little robot - named Direct-i - who has an annoying voice and the ability to hack computers. It’s ultimately not much more than a brief change of pace. Transformations for the Arwing and the Landmaster make up the rest of the new vehicular additions. The Arwing transforms into the Walker, which is an absolute blast to use. Everything about the little chicken walker, from its animations to its handy maneuverability, is awesome. It’s simply spectacular transforming into the walker in space, landing on an enemy ship, and blowing it up as you transform back into an Arwing and fly away. The Landmaster’s transformation is neat but forgettable. The tank turns into a hovercraft temporarily, but the Landmaster is heavily underutilized so you don’t have a chance to explore much of the new elements, except in the bonus Challenge Missions.

The main campaign features numerous branching paths, most of which you can’t even access your first time through (Word to the wise: don’t bother searching for alternate paths until you’re nearly finished your first playthrough). That’s a little frustrating, but in due time, the secret exits and hidden stages start to reveal themselves organically. Each stage also has medals, which can be obtained in a variety of often obtuse ways, ranging from uncovering a nestled secret to getting a high score. They encourage exploration and experimentation, and also hold some fun bonus rewards (like the aforementioned Challenge Missions). You can roll credits on Zero in under five hours, but like past Star Fox games, the magic is in uncovering other stages and alternate paths. To fully see everything, you’ll need to sink in likely at least 10 hours. However, a lot of that time will be spent replaying a dozen stages of the 20 total stages an awful lot. By that token, Zero’s exactly like what came before it: a short experience with a decent amount of replayability if you’re up for it. You can vary up replays with different paths and the Amiibo usage. The Fox Amiibo unlocks the Retro Arwing, which features old-school SNES sound effects. The Falco Amiibo unlocks the Black Arwing, which has more firepower but less shields. Both vehicles bring a new dynamic to the gameplay and while maybe it’d be cool if they were just regular in-game unlockables, they are nice bonuses for folks with Amiibo.

Star Fox Zero’s tried-and-true format and style is, at times, its greatest strength and greatest weakness. This is a brand new Star Fox shooting adventure in 2016, complete with fun new mechanics, dazzling HD graphics, and tons of secrets. On the other hand, it too often treads into remake-like feelings of familiarity. The level design is all different and unique, but the locations and the story are nearly identical. Zero is a great start for a new Star Fox series, but it’s also a start that features a lot of stuff we’ve seen before. I enjoyed saving the Lylat System once again, but give me a year and this experience might just blend in with Star Fox 64 since it shares so much DNA with that classic.

Summary

Pros
  • Excellent soundtrack and sound design
  • Neat secrets and unlockables
  • New vehicles (the Walker!)
  • Novel control scheme
Cons
  • Control scheme features steep learning curve
  • Sense of deja vu

Review copy provided by Nintendo

Talkback

kokumakerApril 20, 2016

Nintendo is sure to lose some sales with that whole "I'm too hardcore for motion controls" crowd.

KhushrenadaApril 20, 2016

What? That's crazy. Who in their right mind would ever be so obstinate that they would not buy a great game just because it uses a different type of control scheme from the norm? Who would deny themselves an enjoyable experience because of a misguided ideology of personally acceptable control schemes resulting in them not purchasing a game with control schemes beyond this narrow parameter solely on principal?

StratosApril 20, 2016

Wait...only 1-2 player? No 4-player battle mode? They could have made it the same as 64 in terms of options and it would have been better than no battle mode at all. Big bummer.

LemonadeApril 20, 2016

I dont have very much experience with the Star Fox series, so Im pretty interested in Zero. I will be buying it once Im done with TP HD.

I got the SNES game a few years ago and played a bit of that, but its pretty difficult, I didnt get very far. I have also played a bit of the 64 game, but it was so long ago that I cant remember it well.

broodwarsApril 20, 2016

Well, since Nintendo has seen fit to pander to the increasingly senile Miyamoto & his motion control obsession, I suppose my money & time will be better spent on better games on other platforms, as usual. It's a pity, as I really enjoyed the original Star Fox & Star Fox 64. Thing is, the consensus from the other reviews I've seen online has been that even if the controls weren't terrible, it still wouldn't be a fantastic game due to rehashed & uninspired level design. I'll just chalk this up as yet another mediocre Platinum game. Maybe this one can hit the impulse buy bargain bin like certain other Platinum failures have.

SorenApril 20, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

the increasingly senile Miyamoto & his motion control obsession,

Oh no you didn't...

broodwarsApril 20, 2016

Quote from: Soren

Quote from: broodwars

the increasingly senile Miyamoto & his motion control obsession,

Oh no you didn't...

Oh yes I did. His involvement in games seems to be increasingly the kiss of death, between this and Sticker Star. I love the guy's past work, but it's rapidly looking like the company needs the younger blood in leadership positions sooner rather than later.

EnnerApril 21, 2016

"The Next Miyamoto" can be the next "The Next Miyazaki."

Ian SaneApril 21, 2016

Ignoring all else, why did they feel the need to rehash the same story for the third time?  That alone ensures that the game is going to be a little too similar to its predecessors.  And then you take out features from the N64 like multiplayer?  In 2016 I would expect online four player co-op through the campaign mode.

That's some major corners cut so is it laziness?  A lack of ideas?  Or did they focus so much on the controls that they didn't have time to fully flesh out the rest of the game?  I recall interviews about Skyward Sword where they said they spent a huge chunk of the development time on getting the controls the way they wanted and that game is full of padding and filler.  Hmmmm.  I wonder if this is the same thing.  Maybe they spent too much time farting around with the controls that when it came time to actually make the game they were hurting for time so rehashing the old story was an easy way to make up for it.

And that reveals the ultimate flaw in Miyamoto's love of motion controls - if other parts of the game have to be compromised in order to accommodate these controls within a respectable development time and budget then the controls have to be that much more impressive to balance it out.  That puts a lot of pressure on them and if they're not significantly improving the experience then it isn't worth it.  It's really the same principle as the Wii/Wii U model where the hardware is compromised to accommodate the controller - the controller then has to really deliver or it wasn't worth the tradeoff.

Evan_BApril 21, 2016

I just feel like Miyamoto knows gameplay but not story. The best of his games have relatively basic foundations- Mario is about jumping, Zelda is about exploring, Pikmin is about surviving/finding things.

With Cabal shooters, you either need a decent story or a FUCKIN CUH-RAZY ONE (like Sin and Punishment) to justify your set pieces. Only problem with this game is that it's set in the Lylat System, on the same planets... so... there's really no reason to get unique with the story. Plus, it's honestly a bit too formulaic.

alexdickdykeApril 23, 2016

Is anyone else rage quitting on the final boss? I am so mad right now... Obviously I just need to give it another try tomorrow, but it is infuriating.

I remember not being able to unlock the "true form" in SF64 for a couple years, and when I finally did I was so creeped out it took me awhile to beat it.
But this is just different. Like why?

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterApril 23, 2016

I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!


My issue with the controls is not the motion, that is actually very natural. It's having multiple functions assigned to buttons and sticks. I find myself using bombs way too much when I'm in the heat of the moment trying to juke out enemies.


I didn't think I'd say this but this needs to be the way Star Fox controls from here on out. It's just better. Well aside from the right stick getting all these functions into one. It feels like classic Star Fox with a little more precision thrown in for shooting.

Edit:
Sorry Ian, thought you said something else.

I'm sure there are plenty of refinements that could come with the controls but honestly it just feels way better and more involved than Star Fox 64 ever did.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, April 23, 2016

Quote from: alexdickdyke

Is anyone else rage quitting on the final boss? I am so mad right now... Obviously I just need to give it another try tomorrow, but it is infuriating.

I remember not being able to unlock the "true form" in SF64 for a couple years, and when I finally did I was so creeped out it took me awhile to beat it.
But this is just different. Like why?

Once I knew when to turn into an Arwing and fly out of the way, the attacks weren't bad at all. The only thing I didn't like about the battle was trying to get into the central area with that faraway third person dynamic view. Once I used the GamePad screen to center myself through the holes, it wasn't as bad, but still annoying a bit.

alexdickdykeApril 23, 2016

I beat it earlier this morning. I found that switching the gamepad view(first-person) to the tv made shooting the weak spots much easier. I also find the part where you have to fly in quite awkward, however I enjoyed the fight overall after my initial anger.

This game is weird getting used to, but a very good Starfox game. I think the controls are natural for a veteran starfox player.

kokumakerApril 23, 2016

Aaannnd, Broodwars straight up proved me right. Honestly, man, get out of that narrow-minded hatred of motion controls and at least give it a try.

kokumakerApril 24, 2016

Oops. Broodwars is a PlayStation gamer who openly advertises his hatred of the Wii U in his very signature. Never mind.

broodwarsApril 24, 2016

Quote from: kokumaker

Oops. Broodwars is a PlayStation gamer who openly advertises his hatred of the Wii U in his very signature. Never mind.

If you actually knew anything about this website and its history, you'd know that it's a joking reference to something Lindy said about the original Wii. Hence the whole "Infinite Crisis" part.

I own a Wii U. I have over a dozen retail games on it and several dozen more digital. I don't hate it at all. It's just not a system I bother with fairly often due to very rarely having releases, and what releases it has being far less interesting than those on other platforms, IMO.

But by all means, continue. I enjoy watching fanboys strain to put a single coherent thought together, and we see them so rarely these days.

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterApril 24, 2016

As for the story I wouldn't call it rehash. There is a lot of similar dialogue going through much of the same locations but completely redone so it's not like it's just 64 but prettier. There are plenty of brand new places with story developments that never happened so honestly I feel like they basically did make a brand new story just built upon the major blocks that we knew before like the original Star Fox Team with Pigma betraying them.


With that said I don't feel like they were strapped for ideas with creating a new story but I am glad they took this back to the beginning. The planet from Star Fox Adventures was mentioned in the animated short but no Crystal thank goodness and none of the convoluted nonsense that came from Assault and Command. The story in Star Fox needed to start over, it just did.


I actually don't hate Krystal and wouldn't mind her joining into the story going forward. Just don't replace Peppy with her Nintendo!



Triforce HermitApril 24, 2016

The story did need a reboot because any of the Command endings would have been a mess.
I don't think Krystal needs to come back. Ever. I don't mind if they want to add female members to Star Fox, but I don't want Krystal.

StratosApril 24, 2016

Or just reinvent her and write her into the story similar to Kat from SF64, as someone who pops in to help and eventually joins the team. Only problems with Krystal is her backstory of being from Dinosaur Planet.

KhushrenadaApril 24, 2016

Quote from: Stratos

Or just reinvent her and write her into the story similar to Kat from SF64, as someone who pops in to help and eventually joins the team. Only problems with Krystal is her backstory of being from Dinosaur Planet.

Star Fox Adventures Zero NX, here we come!

Triforce HermitApril 24, 2016

I'd rather they dump Krystal and take the two female team members from Starfox 2. Dinosaur Planet never happened

Ian SaneApril 25, 2016

Quote from: kokumaker

Aaannnd, Broodwars straight up proved me right. Honestly, man, get out of that narrow-minded hatred of motion controls and at least give it a try.

So he should $60 on something that he's not sure he would like?  Games cost money.  The whole reason we have reviews is so that we can get some idea if we'll like a game before spending money on it.

The description of the controls sounds unappealing enough to me that it does not seem worth it to risk $60 on it, particularly when my personal experience with motion controls has been almost universally unpleasant.  If there was a demo then I would absolutely try it out.

I had a rough time initially with the controls for the Walker and the Landmaster, especially against the Titania boss. And the Andross fight was infuriating. But I've since opened up a bit more of the game and gotten used to the controls a bit more, and it's fair to say Zero has become my favorite entry in the series.


It might pale in comparison to something like the Ratchet and Clank remake but some of the environments are quite pretty. A lot of the boss fights have been imaginative and fun, and as Greg said on RFN, the all-range mode has never been this fun.


And despite the controls taking a while to getting used to, they really got the Star Fox flight physics right (while games like Assault simply felt "off").


The sign of a great game: while away from it, I can't stop thinking about it and looking forward to exploring the levels and mastering them.


It's awesome.

SorenApril 25, 2016

Quote from: Ian

The description of the controls sounds unappealing enough to me that it does not seem worth it to risk $60 on it, particularly when my personal experience with motion controls has been almost universally unpleasant.  If there was a demo then I would absolutely try it out.

This game wouldn't demo well at all. Also, it's $50 on the eShop.

broodwarsApril 25, 2016

Yeah, regarding Star Fox 0's controls and motion controls in general, I'll just post this week's Jimquisition because I could not agree with it more:

http://youtu.be/9w2RMBrmTsk

KhushrenadaApril 26, 2016

Ugh. You can stand watching/listening to that kind of stuff? I couldn't take that video after 4 minutes. It's just the same old jargon from complainers who want to whine about the controls but can hardly make any substantial reasons why from the game. I tapped out at the point where he started complaining about the chicken walker stating it controlled even worse or like ass while then moving on to complain about Miyamoto being allowed to use a new control scheme for the game. How does the walker control worse? What is so bad about it compared to the other vehicles? Why would the controls be worse for those sections than other sections? Who knows. The "reviewer" just wanted to mention the chicken walker and say it was crap to probably appease the fan base that actually watch these videos and who probably already feel that way about the game without actually playing it themselves and just want their non-factual opinions validated.

As a counter-point, I checked in on the site Pietriots today and was surprised to see some new articles there. One is on the current Star Fox Zero game and can be found here. Although it may have its own editorial slant just like the linked YouTube video above, at least it actually contains descriptions, examples, and real experiences to help you understand why the reviewer is positive on the game and the controls.


The fascinating thing I'm finding about this game is that although I've always planned to buy it at some point, I was going to wait for a potential sale or price drop down the road since $75.00 for a Star Fox game seems pretty pricey for games that traditionally don't take too long to beat. I know there are various replay factors like different paths or medals to collect but mileage on that varies and after playing through the story, it can be hard for me to keep playing for high scores. With Star Fox Command, once I unlocked all the endings, I was done with that game. With Assault, I started to play for some high scores but moved on to other games and let that quest drift away. As such, I'm a bit reserved about plunking down that much cash for Star Fox when it is the equivalent cost of Xenoblade Chronicles X which will give you a lot more bang for you buck.

However, this whole control controversy has me seriously considering paying for the game now just so that I can see what all the fuss is about and make up my own mind on the matter to see who's right. In the end, the motion controls are actually becoming the selling point after all. Plus, the Star Fox Guard game intrigues me as to how that all works and what it plays like. In the end, the motion controls are now my main interest in the game and they never were until the game released and the current debates on them started so well played Nintendo.

mudjahApril 26, 2016

Im confused about the first print edition.


What to do with all these cases. Use the metal one? Throw away the blue ones?

broodwarsApril 26, 2016

Quote from: Khushrenada

Ugh. You can stand watching/listening to that kind of stuff? I couldn't take that video after 4 minutes. It's just the same old jargon from complainers who want to whine about the controls but can hardly make any substantial reasons why from the game. I tapped out at the point where he started complaining about the chicken walker stating it controlled even worse or like ass while then moving on to complain about Miyamoto being allowed to use a new control scheme for the game. How does the walker control worse? What is so bad about it compared to the other vehicles? Why would the controls be worse for those sections than other sections? Who knows. The "reviewer" just wanted to mention the chicken walker and say it was crap to probably appease the fan base that actually watch these videos and who probably already feel that way about the game without actually playing it themselves and just want their non-factual opinions validated.

Actually, that was just an editorial. This is his actual Star Fox 0 review: link (tldr: 2/10)

And no, I'm not a fan of Sterling, either. I actually find him an egotistical blowhard. However, much like the likes of Anita Sarkeesian and some on this site, I read/listen to his work even if I don't like it so I can be well-versed on the various aspects of current video game news.

KhushrenadaApril 26, 2016

I'm sorry I clicked that link and gave that idiot some more traffic. The 2/10 was warning enough. Blowhard doesn't even come close. If that's the state of current video game news, no wonder this industry is in the state it is.

Out of curiousity, have you played Star Fox Zero yet, Broodwars? Just wondering since you say you aren't a fan of Sterling but linked the video stating you were in 100% agreement of it.

Reading that review just made me think of Roger Ebert. He was one of the best examples of a critic. I know he'd get vilified or mocked if his opinion on a movie seemed to differ from the majority but reading his reviews always gave you his reasons why and even if you disagreed, it could make you see things in a film you may have missed. He could give you that different perspective and you could understand where he was coming from and even appreciate his points. And when he was critical of a bomb of a movie, he could eviscerate or highlight its flaws without having to resort to such insufferable statements like Sterling's review of the game like "Star Fox Zero is a dumpster game for people who want to have a garbage time, and it belongs in the toilet." With that, the reviewer has given up all credibility to me for all-time. You can't trust someone willing to make such embellishments.

I wish the gaming industry had a voice like a Roger Ebert. However, unlike film which actually has fields that critique and discuss its art form, the videogame industry doesn't have that since it isn't regarded the same as being culturally enriching like movies, TV, or music. There's been a lot of discussion about the state of game journalism and reviewers these days and so much of it is tainted from all manner of things to bribes, personal prejudice or not even playing the product under review. Every review seems to be viewed as either a personal attack or personal confirmation of one's own views on the matter. The person is either attempting clickbait or is a fanboy. Yet, if video game criticism were able to find a way to become a serious and real endeavor, maybe it could find a voice like a Roger Ebert or other respected critics. If it could do that, maybe it would do away with a lot of the toxicity that clouds game reviews today and create something of value for gamers.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, April 26, 2016

I think if Jim Sterling would get rid of his abrasive character, dressing up like a fool for his Jimquisitons, I could tolerate him more. Instead, THAT review belongs in a dumpster, not this game. I'm tired of snark, hyperbole, and bile being considered anything close to good journalism. It's tiring, it's childish, and it's about time the hobby evolved from pandering to idiots (though I am an idiot, I am of a different variety). I'm also tired of the peanut gallery who hasn't played and won't bother playing SFZ going "True. You tell 'em, Jim! Herp derp! LOLOLOLOLOLO"


Then again, I should just turn into that for my own site. Doing the opposite hasn't gotten me those easy clicks like it does with people of Sterling's ilk.




broodwarsApril 26, 2016

Quote from: Khushrenada

Out of curiousity, have you played Star Fox Zero yet, Broodwars? Just wondering since you say you aren't a fan of Sterling but linked the video stating you were in 100% agreement of it.

No, I haven't, which is why I added "and motion controls in general". Plus, the video in general only uses Star Fox 0 as a stepping off point for a look at Nintendo's obsession with adding stupid gimmicks to their games just for the sake of having them, which I do whole-heartedly agree with. Considering his experience with the controls is pretty common across the board with critics and is pretty much my own experience with motion controls in other games, I doubt my experience would be much different than theirs.

If Nintendo finally sees reason and patches Star Fox 0 to add the option of playing with traditional controls, I'll pick the game up. Maybe I'll even give the gyro controls a try like I did Splatoon (though I didn't like them there, either). But I'm not wasting $50+ on a game I already know I'm not going to like because of how it plays, not after Kid Icarus Uprising.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, April 26, 2016

Getting high scores is dependent on being able to look in different directions on the GamePad screen, particularly in on-rails stages. It's awesome seeing a foe leave the TV screen and being able to shoot them down from the GamePad screen.


Anyway, I don't feel this is an instance where unorthodox controls were thrown in just to be different. I feel they really add to the game experience. Obviously this is a point of contention between both players and those who have read impressions.

OedoApril 27, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: Khushrenada

Out of curiousity, have you played Star Fox Zero yet, Broodwars? Just wondering since you say you aren't a fan of Sterling but linked the video stating you were in 100% agreement of it.

No, I haven't, which is why I added "and motion controls in general". Plus, the video in general only uses Star Fox 0 as a stepping off point for a look at Nintendo's obsession with adding stupid gimmicks to their games just for the sake of having them, which I do whole-heartedly agree with. Considering his experience with the controls is pretty common across the board with critics and is pretty much my own experience with motion controls in other games, I doubt my experience would be much different than theirs.

If Nintendo finally sees reason and patches Star Fox 0 to add the option of playing with traditional controls, I'll pick the game up. Maybe I'll even give the gyro controls a try like I did Splatoon (though I didn't like them there, either). But I'm not wasting $50+ on a game I already know I'm not going to like because of how it plays, not after Kid Icarus Uprising.

If you don't like motion controls and avoid playing a game that relies heavily on them on principle, that's fine and I don't think people should be trying to convince you otherwise. But this whole "Miyamoto and Nintendo shoved these gimmicky controls in here just for the sake of having them" argument is baseless when it comes to Star Fox Zero. I've seen enough people say that the controls eventually felt better than they have in any other Star Fox game that I can't believe they were shoe-horned in here and had so many people like them by sheer coincidence. I know people often like to slam Nintendo and Miyamoto for stuff like this, but it's entirely possible that they put these controls in here because they genuinely thought it was the right choice for the game. Like I said, if you don't personally like motion controls in any capacity, that's cool, but to act like it's not even possible for motion controls to be a good design decision or the right idea for any game is an oversimplification. The world isn't as simple as "I don't like it and many other people don't like it so it's bad" or "this idea was bad in a lot of games, so it's going to be bad in every other game it appears in from here on out." Sometimes the right choice to make the game as good as it can be also ends up making it divisive.

I also don't get where this idea that the game is getting critically panned is coming from. There's basically one "positive" review for every negative one on Metacritic right now, and the majority of those are an 8/10 or higher. I know there was a discussion about review inflation in the other thread, but I can't see all these people giving out an 8+ to a game with bad controls.

broodwarsApril 27, 2016

I find it very hard to believe that Platinum, a company renowned for their tight, responsive controls & near-flawless combat would think that tacked-on gyro controls was "the right choice" for Star Fox. For all my issues with Platinum's general failure as a company (for all the worship they receive, very few of their titles have been commercial successes) and the cult-like worship people have for them, the only games I can think of where their controls have been terrible have been on Nintendo consoles (Wonderful 101 & Star Fox Zero). That reeks to me of Nintendo interference. Hell, Team Ninja was generally known for excellent work as well before Nintendo stepped in had them produce Other M, which ALSO had a terrible control scheme for no real reason (among many other flaws). Miyamoto's never really gotten over the fact that motion controls died with the Wii, and they died because no one wanted them once the casuals went to mobile.

OedoApril 27, 2016

My point wasn't that this was a decision made by Platinum and not Nintendo. The way they described Platinum's involvement in this and the way Miyamoto has talked about the game, they're pretty much on record as saying it was their decision. I didn't think that was really up for debate. My point is that it's possible that they genuinely thought it was the right choice (in other words, they didn't shove them in there "just for the sake of having them in there") and that these controls might have been in the right choice in reality as well. Nothing you've said so far has backed up the argument that the controls in Star Fox Zero are "terrible." If you're going to call the controls in Star Fox Zero terrible, then start talking about the controls in Star Fox Zero at some point. All you've done so far is trash Miyamoto's recent design philosophy, trash the motion controls in other games, and point to the half of the critics that might agree with you. All these things are tangentially related, but Star Fox Zero's controls ultimately stand on their own. If it was as easy as only looking at these factors to decide whether or not something is good, people wouldn't need to play games to actually review them.

EnnerApril 27, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

Miyamoto's never really gotten over the fact that motion controls died with the Wii, and they died because no one wanted them once the casuals went to mobile.

You can't improve if you don't try.
And heck, I at least want to see them try.

elanerobbiApril 27, 2016

Is this going to be available on VR?


I watched the demos on YT.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, April 27, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

Miyamoto's never really gotten over the fact that motion controls died with the Wii, and they died because no one wanted them once the casuals went to mobile.

This is blatantly untrue with the VR devices using motion controls as a control method. Then there's gyro usage that still gets action.

EnnerApril 27, 2016

Quote from: Phil

Quote from: broodwars

Miyamoto's never really gotten over the fact that motion controls died with the Wii, and they died because no one wanted them once the casuals went to mobile.

This is blatantly untrue with the VR devices using motion controls as a control method. Then there's gyro usage that still gets action.

in b4 "Like I said, NO ONE WANTED THEM (motion controls and VR)"

broodwarsApril 27, 2016

Quote from: Phil

Quote from: broodwars

Miyamoto's never really gotten over the fact that motion controls died with the Wii, and they died because no one wanted them once the casuals went to mobile.

This is blatantly untrue with the VR devices using motion controls as a control method. Then there's gyro usage that still gets action.

The new VR devices may support motion controllers, but we have had no sales data to support that anyone is buying or will buy them. The various VR companies are desperately chasing the Wii audience in a vain attempt to try to make lightning strike twice, but that doesn't mean motion control is actually successful again. I suspect that when VR fails this year (as it has before and likely will again, like 3D before it) due to having no compelling software; a high price tag/tech requirement; and there being no way to effectively market it, you'll see those much-vaunted motion controllers lining the bargain bins for years.

PhilPhillip Stortzum, April 27, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: Phil

Quote from: broodwars

Miyamoto's never really gotten over the fact that motion controls died with the Wii, and they died because no one wanted them once the casuals went to mobile.

This is blatantly untrue with the VR devices using motion controls as a control method. Then there's gyro usage that still gets action.

The new VR devices may support motion controllers, but we have had no sales data to support that anyone is buying or will buy them. The various VR companies are desperately chasing the Wii audience in a vain attempt to try to make lightning strike twice, but that doesn't mean motion control is actually successful again. I suspect that when VR fails this year (as it has before and likely will again, like 3D before it) due to having no compelling software; a high price tag/tech requirement; and there being no way to effectively market it, you'll see those much-vaunted motion controllers lining the bargain bins for years.

Well see, I'm seeing so-called hardcore gamers and message board dwellers seem more interested in VR than the casual crowd. It's VR this, VR that, VR is a game-changer stuff on GAF and the like. While some VR devices are being catered towards the more casual of gamers, things like PSVR are heading straight towards those who play a lot of games. The pricing of the devices is hardly something I would say is for the casual anyway.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterApril 27, 2016

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WiiU

Game Profile

Star Fox Zero Box Art

Genre Action
Developer Nintendo
Players1 - 2

Worldwide Releases

na: Star Fox Zero
Release Apr 22, 2016
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone 10+
jpn: Star Fox Zero
Release Apr 21, 2016
PublisherNintendo
RatingAll Ages
eu: Star Fox Zero
Release Apr 22, 2016
PublisherNintendo
Rating7+
aus: Star Fox Zero
Release Apr 23, 2016
PublisherNintendo
RatingParental Guidance

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