15-03-2014 06:57
![[Imagen: star-fox-header.jpg]](http://www.dromble.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/star-fox-header.jpg)
Why Rebooting Star Fox IsnÔÇÖt Easy For Nintendo
Everyone criticizes NintendoÔÇÖs treatment of Star Fox, but who exactly is the audience for Star Fox?┬áLast year, Japanese gamers┬áwere asked in a survey┬áabout what┬átheir top ten favorite Nintendo franchises were. Star Fox was┬ánot listed┬áanywhere in the top ten for males or females. ┬áIn fact, more women in Japan prefer Pikmin over Star Fox, and males preferred F-Zero over it as well. ┬áThe ÔÇ£MotherÔÇØ franchise hasnÔÇÖt released a new installment since 2006, but the franchise was ranked at number 7 for Japanese men.
The shoot emÔÇÖ up genre began life in the arcades with games like Space Invaders and Space Harrier. If someone enjoyed an arcade game, they were later influenced to purchase the home console version. Unfortunately, the technology of home consoles began to rival arcades, and this forced many arcades to eventually close down. The demand and interest for shoot emÔÇÖ ups was weakened, and the genre became increasingly niche by the mid 90ÔÇ▓s. ┬á
The original Star Fox capitalized on shoot emÔÇÖ ups at the height of the genreÔÇÖs popularity. When the┬áshoot emÔÇÖ up fad was over, the Star Fox franchise became a lost chicken with its head cut off.┬áThis isnÔÇÖt any different from how skateboarding games and music games (Guitar Hero, Rock Band) were once popular trends that eventually faded away.
Star Fox isnÔÇÖt relevant today because the gameplay never offered anything┬áoriginal┬áto begin with. ┬áMaybe it deserves credit for improving on existing formulas, but its contributions to the genre have been vastly overrated. ┬áParappa the Rapper contributed more brand new ideas to the rhythm music genre than Star Fox has contributed to rail-shooters and shoot emÔÇÖ ups.
1993ÔÇÖs Star Fox (SNES) was a compilation of the best ideas from 1991ÔÇÖs┬áStarblade, 1988ÔÇÖs┬áGalaxy Force II,┬á1986ÔÇÖs┬áSlipheed,┬á1985ÔÇ▓s┬áSpace Harrier,┬áand 1983ÔÇÖs┬áStar Wars (Atari). ┬áIn fact, ArgonautÔÇÖs previous railshooter ÔÇ£StargliderÔÇØ was heavily inspired by the gameplay in 1983ÔÇ▓s Star Wars for Atari. ┬áArgonautÔÇÖs 1992 Game Boy title ÔÇ£XÔÇØ was heavily influenced by┬áStarblade┬áwhich released in arcades one year earlier.
From SNES through GameCube, Star Fox imitated whatever was trendy or popular at the moment. ┬áWhen Zelda (N64) and large 3D adventure games became popular, Shigeru Miyamoto added Star Fox to a game with Zelda gameplay called ÔÇ£Dinosaur PlanetÔÇØ. ┬áToward the end of the GameCube era, third person action games were gaining popularity, and Nintendo needed to appeal to young adults. ┬áTo appeal to an older demographic, Namco added on-foot third person shooter levels to Star Fox Assault.
[img=1278x495]http://www.dromble.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/slipheed-sf-copy.jpg[/img]
Games like ÔÇ£XÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Star FoxÔÇØ are hailed for their technical achievements on weaker hardware, but how did their gameplay ÔÇ£reinventÔÇØ the genre?┬áHow many brand new gameplay ideas did Star Fox introduce to the genre that┬áStarblade,┬áGalaxy Force II, and┬áAfter Burner II┬ádidnÔÇÖt already introduce? ┬áMaybe one? Maybe two if you want to be really, really generous.
Would Star Fox (SNES) still be remembered if it was published by Sega or Namco instead of Nintendo?
The graphics of SegaÔÇÖs Galaxy Force II were way ahead of their time for a late 1980ÔÇ▓s arcade game, but most people wonÔÇÖt acknowledge it for its technical achievements. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston both owned arcade machines of Galaxy Force II, and yet most gamers still donÔÇÖt remember this game. ┬áIt canÔÇÖt be because itÔÇÖs a bad game since Nintendo Life gave the 3DS version an 8 out of 10, and itÔÇÖs currently scoring a┬á77 onMetacritic.
If you stripped away the talking animals, would Star FoxÔÇÖs gameplay be anymore appealing than ÔÇ£Sin and Punishment: Star SuccessorÔÇØ or the flying sections in ÔÇ£Kid Icarus: UprisingÔÇØ?
Contrary to popular belief, Star Fox is not an easy franchise to reboot. The franchise is too hardcore to appeal as a family game like ÔÇ£Mario KartÔÇØ, ÔÇ£New Super Mario BrosÔÇØ, and ÔÇ£Wii SportsÔÇØ. ┬áIt struggles to appeal to the Titanfall/Gears of War audience because it has talking animals for protagonists. ┬áStar Fox struggles to attract small children because the characters arenÔÇÖt drawn cutesy and adorable like Yoshi, Kirby, or Animal Crossing. Nobody plays Star Fox at competitive tournaments like Super Smash Bros or Pokemon. It lacks Japanese appeal like Monster Hunter, Persona, Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem, etc.
I donÔÇÖt blame Nintendo for running out of ideas on how to properly reboot Star Fox.
Star Fox CanÔÇÖt Sell Without Gimmicky Technology
The Star Fox franchise sells best when itÔÇÖs the first game to introduce gimmicky technology. When Star Fox isnÔÇÖt the first to introduce gimmicky technology, it becomes just another rail shooter to throw on the pile.
In the early 1990ÔÇÖs, there was a tremendous amount of hype surrounding the Super FX chip for SNES. The original Star Fox┬ásold four million units┬ábecause it was the┬áFIRST SNES game to use the Super FX chip. Before 1993, if you wanted to see more games pushing smooth 3D polygon graphics then you had to visit the arcades.┬áThe first Donkey Kong Country and the original Star Fox share some similarities with each other. ┬áNeither game reinvented their respective genres with innovative gameplay, but they blew everyone away with their graphics.
Timing is everything, and┬áStar Fox┬áwas released at the right time┬áwhen there was a huge debate about ÔÇ£Mode 7ÔÇ│ versus ÔÇ£Blast processingÔÇØ. No matter how fun the original Star Fox was, it wouldnÔÇÖt have sold four million units if it werenÔÇÖt for all of the hype surrounding the new graphics technology. ┬áLetÔÇÖs pretend, hypothetically, that┬áStunt Race FX┬áhad been the first SNES game to use the Super FX chip. Would┬áStar Fox┬á(SNES) still be viewed as something special? ┬áI highly doubt it.
HereÔÇÖs an SNES advertisement hyping up the SuperFX chip behind Star Fox (Starwing in Europe):
[img=2547x1680]http://www.dromble.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Advertisement-for-Star-Fox-SNES.jpg[/img]
Nintendo didnÔÇÖt even release ÔÇ£Star Fox 2ÔÇ│ on SNES because the excitement for the Super FX chip was gone. The Super FX chip was no longer new or interesting. They needed a┬ánew gimmick┬áto sell a Star Fox game, and they found that gimmick on the Nintendo 64. ┬áThat new gimmick was called rumble.
In 1997, Star Fox 64 was the┬áFIRST console game to support rumble,┬áand Nintendo ran a cross-promotion between the two products. Sega never picked up on rumble with the Saturn, and the PlayStation Dual Shock controller wasnÔÇÖt released until 1998 in North America and late 1997 in Japan.┬áOne of the biggest reasons why Star Fox 64 sold 3 million units worldwide is because it was initially┬ábundled┬áwith the rumble pak. ┬áItÔÇÖs similar to why Wii Play sold extremely well because it was bundled with the Wii remote.
The timing is interesting because GoldenEye 007 was released on the same year as Star Fox 64, and it was compatible with the rumble pak. If you wanted to try the Rumble Pak with GoldenEye 007, it made sense to buy Star Fox 64 since it came bundled with it.
How different would sales have been for Star Fox 64 if it wasnÔÇÖt the first console game to introduce rumble? It definitely wouldnÔÇÖt have sold 3 million units if the rumble pak wasnÔÇÖt bundled with the game. The inclusion of the rumble pak made gamers more forgiving of Star Fox 64ÔÇ▓s short length.
Star Fox Command┬áwas NOT the first game to show off the Nintendo DS touchscreen.┬á Therefore, most people werenÔÇÖt excited about┬áStar Fox Command┬áusing the touchscreen. ÔÇ£Star Fox 64 3DÔÇØ┬á┬áwas NOT the first game to show off 3DSÔÇÖs stereoscopic effects and gyroscope motion controls.┬á By the time┬áStar Fox 64 3D┬áreleased, we had already seen stereoscopic effects and gyroscope controls in games like ÔÇ£Ocarina of Time 3DÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Steel DiverÔÇØ.
Star Fox Adventures┬áand┬áStar Fox Assault┬ádidnÔÇÖt introduce any new pieces of gimmicky technology, and therefore, most people didnÔÇÖt pay any attention to them.
Based on these observations, Star Fox performs dramatically worse in sales when itÔÇÖs not the first game to show off a new piece of technology ÔÇö like N64ÔÇÖs Rumble Pak or SNESÔÇÖs Super FX chip. ┬áBeing innovative isnÔÇÖt enough if you arenÔÇÖt the first game to introduce those innovations.
Price versus Game Length
There is a belief that the only ÔÇ£properÔÇØ or ÔÇ£correctÔÇØ way to reboot Star Fox is by following the formula and ideas of Star Fox 64. ┬áFans want a rail-shooter for the entire game without any on-foot missions like Star Fox Assault or Star Fox Adventure. They want a game that sticks closely to Star FoxÔÇÖs roots instead of attempting something experimental or drastically different with the series.┬á
Unfortunately, you canÔÇÖt sell the traditional Star Fox formula ÔÇö a short but sweet rail-shooter ÔÇö to todayÔÇÖs gamers who demand a ridiculous amount of content for their $50-$60.
The main story modes of ÔÇ£Star FoxÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Star Fox 64ÔÇ│ didnÔÇÖt last much longer than┬átwo hours, and they were both originally released at the price of $60-$70. The best Star Fox games were designed as short games that players would replay multiple times to unlock everything.┬á┬á Nowadays, too many gamers care more about a gameÔÇÖs length instead of itÔÇÖs replay value, and todayÔÇÖs gaming media would absolutely crucify a $50-$60 Star Fox game that is shorter than five hours long without some extremely solid online multi-player.
On June 2013, Avalanche Studios founder Christofer Sundberg┬áwas asked why┬ámost games are traded in, and he said itÔÇÖs because todayÔÇÖs modern games are too short.
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm sure itÔÇÖs been an issue but thatÔÇÖs because games have been too short,ÔÇØ said Sundberg. ÔÇ£I mean,┬áwhen you can play a game through from 8 to 10 hours, I would return the game too, because thereÔÇÖs no reason for players to play it again.ÔÇØ
When eight hour games are considered short, thatÔÇÖs when you know Star Fox has an uphill battle.
For example, Giant BombÔÇÖs Matt Kessler singled out Star Fox 64 3DÔÇÖs length in┬áhis review┬áof the game. Kessler explains, ÔÇ£Star Fox 64 3D is too short and feature-deprived at $40 to satisfy newcomers while missing some of the nostalgic hooks that made its predecessor beloved.ÔÇØ A caption under one of the screenshots in his review reads, ÔÇ£$40 for a two hour game? CanÔÇÖt let you do that, Star Fox.ÔÇØ
Many reviews tore into the short length of Star Fox Assault for the GameCube. ┬áÔÇØFrom a value perspective, youÔÇÖre dealing with a feature-filmÔÇÖs worth of content for fifty bucks,ÔÇØ said Game Revolution.
Kotaku said Star Fox Command is a lot of fun, but┬áthey complained┬áthat it was a ÔÇ£touch too shortÔÇØ. GamePro┬áagreed withKotakuÔÇÖs criticisms, ÔÇ£The maps are small and cramped and the game is just too short.ÔÇØ
Last month, Game Informer claimed that the core-story mode of ÔÇ£Metal Gear Solid V: Ground ZeroesÔÇØ could be completed in two hours. Consumers were unhappy that Konami would charge $40 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions.┬á This sparked a debate about price versus value, and Konami eventually lowered the price from $40 to $30. ┬áMany were still unhappy with spending $30 for a core-story mode that lasts over two hours long.
The recent reviews of ÔÇ£South Park: The Stick of TruthÔÇØ have been mostly positive, but one of the common complaints is that the game is too short. The average length is estimated between┬á13 to┬á15 hours┬áif you choose to explore everything without rushing. ┬áMost critics will tell you that the game is quite fun, but the length of the game is constantly pointed out as a negative.
During the SNES and N64 days, publishers could easily get away with selling us a five-hour game for $60-$70. Today, people are slightly more educated and informed about their gaming purchases thanks to reviewaggregators like Metacritic, social networks like Twitter, customer product reviews on Amazon, or major gaming forums like NeoGaf.
Can Star Fox Learn From Donkey Kong?
Shigeru Miyamoto is constantly labeled as ÔÇ£crazyÔÇØ or ÔÇ£out of touch with gamersÔÇØ because it was his decision to add Star fox to RareÔÇÖs┬áDinosaur Planet. ┬áTrusting Rare to reinvent the Star Fox franchise with Zelda gameplay was no more crazy than having Rare reinvent the Donkey Kong IP with Super Mario World gameplay.
Giving Star Fox an on-foot adventure wasnÔÇÖt MiyamotoÔÇÖs mistake. ┬áThat was a┬ágood idea┬ábecause the action/adventure genre is the only way to broaden Star FoxÔÇÖs marketing appeal in the long run. ┬áStar Fox was on a dead-end street as a railshooter, and the franchise has┬áno future in todayÔÇÖs market┬áif you keep pushing for a ÔÇ£prettierÔÇØ Star Fox 64. Many Star Fox fans donÔÇÖt want to hear that, but that is the depressing truth.
MiyamotoÔÇÖs only real mistake was shoehorning Star Fox into a mediocre game like Dinosaur Planet. ┬áThe truth is, ÔÇ£Dinosaur PlanetÔÇØ would have still been a mediocre, watered down Zelda, even without the Star Fox IP attached to it. ┬áI donÔÇÖt understand why people believe that Dinosaur Planet would have been some brilliant masterpiece if the Star Fox IP wasnÔÇÖt shoehorned into it. ┬áA watered down Zelda will always be a watered down Zelda.
The ideas behind Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Adventures were good, but even the best ideas can end up with sloppy execution or below average results. ┬áUnfortunately, people use those two games as evidence on why Star Fox shouldnÔÇÖt explore the action/adventure genre more. ┬áYes, Star Fox Adventures sold one million units which is less than Star Fox 64ÔÇ▓s three million units, but GameCubeÔÇÖs install base was also significantly smaller than Nintendo 64ÔÇ▓s install base.
Star Fox could learn a lot from how RarewareÔÇÖs ÔÇ£Donkey Kong CountryÔÇØ series reinvented and modernized the ÔÇÿDonkey KongÔÇÖ intellectual property for a new generation of gamers. The ÔÇ£CountryÔÇØ trilogy made Donkey Kong feel cool and hip again with 90ÔÇ▓s kids who were obsessed with cool and edgy mascots like Sonic the Hedgehog and Earthworm Jim. ┬áIt established Donkey KongÔÇÖs universe with an entire family of Kongs, an entire cast of enemies, and a wide selection of animal buddies.
What if ÔÇÿDonkey Kong CountryÔÇÖ had never existed? The classic arcade game, ÔÇ£Donkey KongÔÇØ would have still remained popular and timeless, but Donkey KongÔÇÖs brand (as a whole) would have suffered. Games like ÔÇ£Donkey Kong ÔÇÖ94ÔÇ│ and ÔÇ£Mario vs DKÔÇØ were great, but they wouldnÔÇÖt be enough to keep Donkey Kong relevant in society. Therefore, the Donkey Kong Country was born, selling 9 million units, and becoming the second highest selling SNES game of all time. ┬áÔÇØDonkey Kong Country ReturnsÔÇØ from Retro Studios was released in 2011 for the Wii, and it sold over 5 million copies.
How does this relate to Star Fox?
Nobody has a problem with Mario having┬átwo┬áRPG┬áseries (ÔÇ£Paper MarioÔÇØ, ÔÇ£Mario & LuigiÔÇØ). Many Wii U owners were cool with Zelda having a Dynasty Warriors spinoff franchise called┬áHyrule Warriors. ┬áNobody complained when┬áDonkey Kong Country┬áditched the old 80ÔÇ▓s arcade gameplay and imitated ÔÇ£Super Mario WorldÔÇØ. ┬áEveryone loves when Nintendo tries experimental ideas with Kirby likeÔÇ£Kirby Canvas CurseÔÇØ. There are no complaints when Pokémon┬ágets spinoffs like┬áÔÇ£Pokémon SnapÔÇØ.
And yet, for some reason, nobody is cool with the idea of the Star Fox franchise branching out to other genres, or trying something new and experimental. ┬áNobody is cool with the idea of Star Fox broadening its appeal outside of a currentlyunpopular┬ániche┬ágenre┬á(shoot em ups, railshooters) so it can become more marketable.┬áThere will never be a large audience for a pure, traditional Star Fox game until thereÔÇÖs a market again for linear shoot-em-upÔÇÖs and railshooters. ┬áAs long as games are being sold for $60 a pop, I canÔÇÖt ever see that genre making a huge comeback in the near future.
If you continue chasing the Star Fox 64 formula, the franchise will continue running into brick walls. ┬áEven with online multiplayer, there is still no future in todayÔÇÖs world for a $50 railshooter.
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