My Star Fox screenplay

[XplodinGrandmas]

Hello everyone! I've been a hardcore Star Fox fan since I was two years old. I use to play the 64 game all the time (frankly, now I wish I grew up with the SNES game instead) and since screenwriting is one of my biggest passions, I decided to pursue my own film adaptation of the Star Fox franchise.

 

The reason I bring this up is that I need opinions from fellow Star Fox fans on this website. I plan to take elements mainly from the SNES game, and I want to ask a few things of you guys:

 

• What were your favorite parts of the original game? Most epic moments? What did you feel when playing the game?
   
• What tone do you think I should go with, considering the source material? (I think Iron Man (2008) would be a good reference.)
   
• What kind of message or idea could be communicated really well through this universe and these characters?
   

I would like a few opinions from you guys. It's not usually a good idea to get other people's opinions before your own, but since I respect the source material as a lot of other people do as well, I think a few outside voices wouldn't hurt. Thank you for your time.

[Drasiana]

Sup screenwriter buddy! I'm trying to work out a Star Fox script myself right now (aside the, y'know, paid stuff) so I guess I'll just throw up some of the guidelines I've used myself so far:

 

1. This is a good question. The original game wasn't quite as laden with as much character as you'll want to evoke with a script, so what you'll want to do is introduce elements similar to those found in the original game in a way that corresponds to the character arcs you'll introduce. Also make sure each action scene is distinct. When I plan out my action setpieces per film I try to distinguish them as A Chase, An Escape, A Battle, and A Duel. Obviously, you don't have to do it this way and can change up the formula but it's at least a foundation for keeping in mind ways to prevent your action from becoming too samey. Sorry if this isn't specific enough...there are just LOTS of ways you can go with a Star Fox movie, the sky's the limit!

 

2. Somewhere around Firefly, Star Wars or Independence Day is where Star Fox has always sat. The SNES comics really got into Space Western territory and 64 was really genre aware. Star Fox should not get overly dark or serious...while it can deal with serious themes, they really shouldn't escalate in angst past a Star Wars or Disney movie. But that's okay because both of these entities did manage to handle mature themes in an accessible and memorable way. Being that Star Fox is tonally similar, it shouldn't be too hard to replicate that. Iron Man is a good influence as well, though more "Tony Stark built this in a CAVE" Iron Man rather than the "skimpy dancers and booze penthouses and shiny EVERYTHING" Iron Man. Assault, for instance, looked and felt much too (aesthetically) clean.

 

3. Honestly, let it naturally evolve from what you have. Star Fox has never gotten deeper than Fox's need to live up to James' legacy and that should be enough of a starting point. Trying to force a theme into Star Fox is why we wound up with nonsense like "SHE TRIED TO BYPASS EVOLUTION BY STEALING SOULS...BUT YOU HAVE TO BE BORN WITH ONE". Just cling to the things that drew you to Star Fox and its characters and the connections will make themselves as you write it.

[psy_commando]

Hello everyone! I've been a hardcore Star Fox fan since I was two years old. I use to play the 64 game all the time (frankly, now I wish I grew up with the SNES game instead) and since screenwriting is one of my biggest passions, I decided to pursue my own film adaptation of the Star Fox franchise.

The reason I bring this up is that I need opinions from fellow Star Fox fans on this website. I plan to take elements mainly from the SNES game, and I want to ask a few things of you guys:

• What were your favorite parts of the original game? Most epic moments? What did you feel when playing the game?
• What tone do you think I should go with, considering the source material? (I think Iron Man (2008) would be a good reference.)
• What kind of message or idea could be communicated really well through this universe and these characters?

I would like a few opinions from you guys. It's not usually a good idea to get other's people's opinions before your own, but since I respect the source material as a lot of other people do as well, I think a few outside voices wouldn't hurt. Thank you for your time.

Hi there ! The SNES game is my favorite game of the series, and I just love the pre-64 continuity ! Its rare these days to see others that feels the same way !

First things first, ever heard about Irwin Rathore ? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Director-Irwin-Rathores-Starfox-film-project/127544070639727

Well, that's the perfect example of how NOT to do it ! He pissed a lot of people off, was very arrogant, poorly researched his subject, and his vision is basically making Starfox as dark as possible and filling it with irrelevant and excessive drama..

Anyways, here's my opinion on what you asked :

"What were your favorite parts of the original game?" :

Not in order:

• The cinematic at the beginning.
• The intro of the first stage.
• Corneria route 1-2-3
• Titania.
• Fighting Professor Hangar(whatever its supposed to be spelled) on Titania.
• Sector Y with the space fishes !
• Seeing the space whale !
• Venom's Highways ( Venom route 2 )
• The black hole !
• Jumping to FTL speed to assault the Space Armada !
• Destroying ships from the inside !
• Fortuna (its hard as hell, but I still love it )
• Macbeth (flying in tight spaces, and being surprised by enemies on the ceiling)
• Fighting the Great Commander for the first time ( its first form I mean. Too bad that was the only "jousting style" boss battle in the game ! )
• The first time I kept my shields power-up ( aka wireframe mode) until after beating Andross !
• The long and awesome ending with the fantastic and extremely inspiring Starfox main theme !

I also enjoyed the comics very much !

"Most epic moments?" :

• The first time you use a nova bomb !
• Space Armada
• the black hole
• the "scramble" intro
• Whenever you have the twin blaster type B ! (fully upgraded blasters)
• Venom Highway
• The fight against the Great Commander
• The FTL jump
• The moment the space whale shows up !
• When you destroy the battleship in Space Armada !

I still find cool things I never seen before in this game and most of them are pretty epic ! Once, Slippy's ship hit an unbreakable asteroid during the FTL cutscene after the asteroid belt rout 1. And the asteroid just blew up 0_o

Oh and when fighting the Phantron transformed, when you reflect every single shots it fires at you and shoot all its missiles ! There's something awesome in hearing : plink,plink,plink,plink,plink,plink, etc...

And there's also something awesome in shooting the twin blasters' last upgrade !

"What did you feel when playing the game?" :

• Frustration
• Joy
• Excitation
• Fulfillment

Sometimes, when I'm really into it I feel like "enraged". I just want to fly faster and blow everything I see up. I'd say it feels like in any movies where protagonists are rushing headfirst into a bunch of enemies with a sword and screaming ! XD

And during the ending, I had all kinds of feeling, just listening to the music and thinking about the SF universe. And there was also the sadness from the game being over. And also from the game being over and never having a proper continuation ( There is SF2 but there is no plot information available anywhere, and they changed a lot of things which are kinda hard to accept without a plot to "rationalize" it ).

"What tone do you think I should go with, considering the source material? (I think Iron Man (2008) would be a good reference.)"

Drasiana pretty much summed it up. And I really love the way the Ironman movies are made ! I also think Indianna Jones, Back to the future, and I don't know why but The Bridge on the River Kwai, the tv show The Black Sheep ( that old show loosely inspired by Pappy Boyinghton : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2b5xpGDgtI ), would make some interesting sources, especially the black sheep squadron (I love that show)!

"What kind of message or idea could be communicated really well through this universe and these characters?"

I'm not sure, probably something classic, like friendship, empathy, honor, integrity, perseverance, etc, are good values.. But, what would you want to communicate ? And in my opinion, its not necessary to do so, at least knowingly. People will make their own conclusions.

And by the way, I was wondering. I'm working on a relatively similar project, except that its in a video game form. And once I can get some time to finally get some of the plot on the forums, do you think you could share your opinion on it ?

But don't feel forced at all though. We'll manage anyways. However, its always good to hear from people actually working in a related field, and people that enjoyed the first game !

[Snys93]

 

   The Snes game has always been my favorite and I'm pleased that you wish that one to be a film. When I think of the original Starfox I think of the original trilogy of Star Wars, mainly the Death Star scenes in New Hope and Return of the Jedi. They are in a way very Starfox-sque when flying into confined spaces while evading enemy fire and reaching the goal of blowing up the reactor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   However when writing a movie like Starfox, personal preference as to the substance to the universe down to the texture and feel of the environment is optional. As for me I see a universe that is gritty with a people that have strong ties to they're past no matter how ancient, their roots to their mythology and their hopeful look toward the future. Not grim-dark, but it is realistically in our world.

 

   Example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x3Q1ZkDIos

 

   Or this (my personal favorite):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBgjS_xQWXM

 

 

   You can get ideas from us, but ultimately how you portray the universe is up to you and I realize writing a screenplay isn't anything like writing a fanfic lol.

[Guest BlueRaccoon]

I like this idea

 

As for my favorite parts of the games, I am actually a bigger fan of the 64 version.  I like how you can travel across the Lylat System, in any direction you want, and fight Andross the entire way.  It's kinda like Star Wars: Battlefront, but with starfox.  I think your project should be something like that but, like everyone else has said, it's up to you.

 

The tone should be something similar to the games.  Maybe a little darker so it's not just a fairy tale, but not so dark that it doesn't even make sense.  You know what I mean?  Like a bad scary movie or a soap opera.  Something with a nice, even mixture of drama and fun.

 

As for the final question, I'm 100% with Drasiana.  I'm not exactly sure how to use the "quote" option on here, so I'll just say what I think.  The games leave so much to be desired as far as storyline.  Especially with Krystal and Panther and anything new that shows up.  I suggest that you leave the important details, like James' death, and just create your own reasoning.  I don't believe it has to be 100% in the canon when the canon lacks important details itself.

[XplodinGrandmas]

 

Sup screenwriter buddy! I'm trying to work out a Star Fox script myself right now (aside the, y'know, paid stuff) so I guess I'll just throw up some of the guidelines I've used myself so far:

 

1. This is a good question. The original game wasn't quite as laden with as much character as you'll want to evoke with a script, so what you'll want to do is introduce elements similar to those found in the original game in a way that corresponds to the character arcs you'll introduce. Also make sure each action scene is distinct. When I plan out my action setpieces per film I try to distinguish them as A Chase, An Escape, A Battle, and A Duel. Obviously, you don't have to do it this way and can change up the formula but it's at least a foundation for keeping in mind ways to prevent your action from becoming too samey. Sorry if this isn't specific enough...there are just LOTS of ways you can go with a Star Fox movie, the sky's the limit!

 

2. Somewhere around Firefly, Star Wars or Independence Day is where Star Fox has always sat. The SNES comics really got into Space Western territory and 64 was really genre aware. Star Fox should not get overly dark or serious...while it can deal with serious themes, they really shouldn't escalate in angst past a Star Wars or Disney movie. But that's okay because both of these entities did manage to handle mature themes in an accessible and memorable way. Being that Star Fox is tonally similar, it shouldn't be too hard to replicate that. Iron Man is a good influence as well, though more "Tony Stark built this in a CAVE" Iron Man rather than the "skimpy dancers and booze penthouses and shiny EVERYTHING" Iron Man. Assault, for instance, looked and felt much too (aesthetically) clean.

 

3. Honestly, let it naturally evolve from what you have. Star Fox has never gotten deeper than Fox's need to live up to James' legacy and that should be enough of a starting point. Trying to force a theme into Star Fox is why we wound up with nonsense like "SHE TRIED TO BYPASS EVOLUTION BY STEALING SOULS...BUT YOU HAVE TO BE BORN WITH ONE". Just cling to the things that drew you to Star Fox and its characters and the connections will make themselves as you write it.

 

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

One of my biggest concerns is the sky/space batles becoming too repetitive, like the Star Wars prequels. As for character and story, The Protomen are my main influence (they're a rock band that made a few concept albums based on Mega Man; EPIC STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS.)

 

I did like the comics; they were really cool! One film that grabbed my attention for inspiration was The Adventures of Tintin (2011). That film, like Raiders of the Lost Ark, had an exhilerating story and set pieces while maintaining dark undertones. I hated how Assault was; it was too clean cut and simplistic.

 

I don't plan to make this script TOO dark. It's freaking animal mercenaries in space. How is that gonna be taken seriously? (Make the characters relatable? Something along the lines of that...) I suggested Iron Man because it dealt with dark elements while remaining fun and actiony in tone. I wonder though... would including the amputated metallic legs be trying too hard?

 

That fucking forced moral from Assault. That game was bad enough as it was (actually, I enjoyed some of the flight missions.) You're right, though, about the theme. One idea I would like to explore, however, is self-control (the characters grasping onto their "humanity" in very tense moments and trying to keep from slipping into their animalistic natures.)

Hi there ! The SNES game is my favorite game of the series, and I just love the pre-64 continuity ! Its rare these days to see others that feels the same way !

First things first, ever heard about Irwin Rathore ? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Director-Irwin-Rathores-Starfox-film-project/127544070639727
Well, that's the perfect example of how NOT to do it ! He pissed a lot of people off, was very arrogant, poorly researched his subject, and his vision is basically making Starfox as dark as possible and filling it with irrelevant and excessive drama..

Anyways, here's my opinion on what you asked :

"What were your favorite parts of the original game?" :
Not in order:

• The cinematic at the beginning.
• The intro of the first stage.
• Corneria route 1-2-3
• Titania.
• Fighting Professor Hangar(whatever its supposed to be spelled) on Titania.
• Sector Y with the space fishes !
• Seeing the space whale !
• Venom's Highways ( Venom route 2 )
• The black hole !
• Jumping to FTL speed to assault the Space Armada !
• Destroying ships from the inside !
• Fortuna (its hard as hell, but I still love it )
• Macbeth (flying in tight spaces, and being surprised by enemies on the ceiling)
• Fighting the Great Commander for the first time ( its first form I mean. Too bad that was the only "jousting style" boss battle in the game ! )
• The first time I kept my shields power-up ( aka wireframe mode) until after beating Andross !
• The long and awesome ending with the fantastic and extremely inspiring Starfox main theme !

I also enjoyed the comics very much !

"Most epic moments?" :

• The first time you use a nova bomb !
• Space Armada
• the black hole
• the "scramble" intro
• Whenever you have the twin blaster type B ! (fully upgraded blasters)
• Venom Highway
• The fight against the Great Commander
• The FTL jump
• The moment the space whale shows up !
• When you destroy the battleship in Space Armada !

I still find cool things I never seen before in this game and most of them are pretty epic ! Once, Slippy's ship hit an unbreakable asteroid during the FTL cutscene after the asteroid belt rout 1. And the asteroid just blew up 0_o
Oh and when fighting the Phantron transformed, when you reflect every single shots it fires at you and shoot all its missiles ! There's something awesome in hearing : plink,plink,plink,plink,plink,plink, etc...
And there's also something awesome in shooting the twin blasters' last upgrade !

"What did you feel when playing the game?" :

• Frustration
• Joy
• Excitation
• Fulfillment

Sometimes, when I'm really into it I feel like "enraged". I just want to fly faster and blow everything I see up. I'd say it feels like in any movies where protagonists are rushing headfirst into a bunch of enemies with a sword and screaming ! XD
And during the ending, I had all kinds of feeling, just listening to the music and thinking about the SF universe. And there was also the sadness from the game being over. And also from the game being over and never having a proper continuation ( There is SF2 but there is no plot information available anywhere, and they changed a lot of things which are kinda hard to accept without a plot to "rationalize" it ).

"What tone do you think I should go with, considering the source material? (I think Iron Man (2008) would be a good reference.)"
Drasiana pretty much summed it up. And I really love the way the Ironman movies are made ! I also think Indianna Jones, Back to the future, and I don't know why but The Bridge on the River Kwai, the tv show The Black Sheep ( that old show loosely inspired by Pappy Boyinghton : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2b5xpGDgtI ), would make some interesting sources, especially the black sheep squadron (I love that show)!

"What kind of message or idea could be communicated really well through this universe and these characters?"
I'm not sure, probably something classic, like friendship, empathy, honor, integrity, perseverance, etc, are good values.. But, what would you want to communicate ? And in my opinion, its not necessary to do so, at least knowingly. People will make their own conclusions.


And by the way, I was wondering. I'm working on a relatively similar project, except that its in a video game form. And once I can get some time to finally get some of the plot on the forums, do you think you could share your opinion on it ?
But don't feel forced at all though. We'll manage anyways. However, its always good to hear from people actually working in a related field, and people that enjoyed the first game !

 

 

Hey psy_commando, thank you for the input!

 

I have heard of that Irwin guy's project. He definitely had the wrong idea going.

 

YES, THE FLIPPIN' SPACE ARMADA OH MY GOD GREATEST LEVEL EVER. My challenge, though, is creating a story where these events would come organically and maintain character arcs at the same time.

 

About the tone/feeling, I would like to replicate what everyone felt while playing the SNES game. That exhilerating and joyful feeling mixed with that frustration of something hindering your progress every five moments, all while keeping an epic tone.

 

I also looked at your mod "Lylat's Last Stand." I think it's cool! Just keep building onto it; I hope it'll come to fruition.

[XplodinGrandmas]

 

   The Snes game has always been my favorite and I'm pleased that you wish that one to be a film. When I think of the original Starfox I think of the original trilogy of Star Wars, mainly the Death Star scenes in New Hope and Return of the Jedi. They are in a way very Starfox-sque when flying into confined spaces while evading enemy fire and reaching the goal of blowing up the reactor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   However when writing a movie like Starfox, personal preference as to the substance to the universe down to the texture and feel of the environment is optional. As for me I see a universe that is gritty with a people that have strong ties to they're past no matter how ancient, their roots to their mythology and their hopeful look toward the future. Not grim-dark, but it is realistically in our world.

 

   Example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x3Q1ZkDIos

 

   Or this (my personal favorite):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBgjS_xQWXM

 

 

   You can get ideas from us, but ultimately how you portray the universe is up to you and I realize writing a screenplay isn't anything like writing a fanfic lol.

 

These space battles will help quite a bit. Thanks!

 

I'm still debating on the presentation of the universe, though. What's hard is that with screenwriting, everything has to be condensed and only so much info and detail can be shown to the audience. The film shouldn't be TOO gritty; it's a video game movie. There shouldn't be political or social satires included, or any grim outlooks. (Their beliefs and histories definitely SHOULD come into play.) Like Iron Man or The Adventures of Tintin or Raiders of the Lost Ark, it should just be pure entertainment. A smart story attached wouldn't hurt, either.

I like this idea

 

As for my favorite parts of the games, I am actually a bigger fan of the 64 version.  I like how you can travel across the Lylat System, in any direction you want, and fight Andross the entire way.  It's kinda like Star Wars: Battlefront, but with starfox.  I think your project should be something like that but, like everyone else has said, it's up to you.

 

The tone should be something similar to the games.  Maybe a little darker so it's not just a fairy tale, but not so dark that it doesn't even make sense.  You know what I mean?  Like a bad scary movie or a soap opera.  Something with a nice, even mixture of drama and fun.

 

As for the final question, I'm 100% with Drasiana.  I'm not exactly sure how to use the "quote" option on here, so I'll just say what I think.  The games leave so much to be desired as far as storyline.  Especially with Krystal and Panther and anything new that shows up.  I suggest that you leave the important details, like James' death, and just create your own reasoning.  I don't believe it has to be 100% in the canon when the canon lacks important details itself.

 

Hello, BlueRaccoon!

 

My problem with the 64 game is that it's so cartoony and less epic feeling in comparison to the SNES game. It's still fun to play, but the SNES game just brought so much more feeling and exhilaration to me. That said, I might include a small number of elements from the 64 game...

 

Speaking of soap operas, did you know Nintendo planned at one point to make Star Fox into a puppet drama if the games were successful enough? (Puppet drama example: Thunderbirds.) As if it wasn't ridiculous enough...

 

Every character and element introduced from Adventures onward I don't really like (maybe except Panther, and reintroducing some characters with completely different backstories wouldn't hurt.) The games took a turn for the worst mainly because Adventures stemmed from a corporate sellout with Rare.

 

But anyway, thank you for the input!

[Drasiana]

One of my biggest concerns is the sky/space batles becoming too repetitive, like the Star Wars prequels.

 

I'd play through Star Fox 64 again and examine the way the levels are structured. Despite it being a very simplistic story, there are defined action beats in each level, so it isn't just a matter of "shoot things, win mission": you also have to worry about things like saving your teammates, finding alternate routes, and dealing with environmental factors. The great thing about Lylat is does give you a wide berth of settings to place your action, so as long as you remember to play with these environments--be they asteroids, harsh weather, radiation--instead of relying entirely on vague enemy ships, you can make the action a lot more interesting and unique.

 

Also remember to ensure that mostly everything the characters do within the action scene furthers their character in some way. Flashy lightsabers might look cool, but the most memorable action sequences are the ones where each movement reveals something about the characters. I don't know if you're actively in the film industry, but if you are, try to talk to a fight coordinator. Generally their approach to action as character-driving is fascinating.

 

 

 

One film that grabbed my attention for inspiration was The Adventures of Tintin (2011). That film, like Raiders of the Lost Ark, had an exhilerating story and set pieces while maintaining dark undertones.

 

I think you have this in the bag. Those were two perfect examples that I would've turned to as well.

 

Another movie you might want to check out is Titan A.E., if you haven't already. It's gritty animated scifi so it toes the line between lighthearted animation and a lot of darker themes, plus it's got a lot of pretty cool action sequences and a lot of the setpieces are pretty Star Foxy.

 

 

I don't plan to make this script TOO dark. It's freaking animal mercenaries in space.

 

I think you are literally the first person trying to write a Star Fox screenplay that has posted here to ever say and acknowledge this. LET ME LOVE YOU.

 

 

How is that gonna be taken seriously? (Make the characters relatable? Something along the lines of that...)

 

Yep! Contrast and compare the characters to similar ones from other movies, like Simba (Lion King) for Fox, Terk (Tarzan) for Falco, Gune (Titan A.E.) for Slippy, etc. These are all animated characters, but they're ones you care about that fit into their lead or support roles well, with enough meat behind their arcs where necessary to invest us in their stories. Sometimes the simpler, the better...the more you try and force your characters to be deep, complex and tortured, the harder it actually becomes for us to care about them, because they're either too complicated to relate to (which is where you'd need another protagonist to provide audience identification, like Watson with Sherlock Holmes), or because it's just obvious that the writer is trying too hard. Unfortunately it's most commonly the latter.

 

 

I suggested Iron Man because it dealt with dark elements while remaining fun and actiony in tone. I wonder though... would including the amputated metallic legs be trying too hard?

 

aaaaa yeah skip out on the metal legs thing. It's been debunked as completely nonsensical multiple times by the fandom for a huge host of reasons.

 

 

That fucking forced moral from Assault. That game was bad enough as it was (actually, I enjoyed some of the flight missions.) You're right, though, about the theme. One idea I would like to explore, however, is self-control (the characters grasping onto their "humanity" in very tense moments and trying to keep from slipping into their animalistic natures.)

This could be interesting if pulled off right, my only apprehension would be surrounding the part where this hasn't really played a big factor in the games so far and it might be an entire new trait of all their characters to be injecting, which could throw the audience off-guard. It could PROBABLY work though if you made it a metaphor for wants and needs. For example, Fox might WANT to just straight-up get revenge and kill Wolf or Andross or whoever right there, but realizes that he NEEDS to be the better person, and has to put aside that instant gratification to do what's right. Maybe just amped up with their animal traits. Was this sorta what you were going for?

 

Again, more props to you for actually getting this feedback from us and actually seeming to know things about Star Fox.

[Snys93]

Will your screenplay feature the death/disappearance of James Mcloud?

[XplodinGrandmas]

Will your screenplay feature the death/disappearance of James Mcloud?

 

I will include James McCloud and most likely his disappearance in the SNES game, as opposed to his (apparent) death in the 64 game.

 

His backstory is something I want to change though (taking BlueRacoon's advice). His role as the original Star Fox leader is something I might abandon. He'll have a specific history with Andross (still working on his character and the backstory) and the black hole from the SNES game might be involved in the story (maybe heavily).

 

To answer your question: yep.

 

EDIT: I realized from psy_commando's post below this that James wasn't the leader of Star Fox in the SNES game. That slipped my mind when writing this post. My bad.

Ignore the leader line. Or that whole paragraph, since bringing up his disappearance in the first game makes the other part in the paragraph seem redundant. Actually, either the first or last line is all you need to know.

[psy_commando]

Thanks for the advice!

One of my biggest concerns is the sky/space batles becoming too repetitive, like the Star Wars prequels. As for character and story, The Protomen are my main influence (they're a rock band that made a few concept albums based on Mega Man; EPIC STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS.)

I did like the comics; they were really cool! One film that grabbed my attention for inspiration was The Adventures of Tintin (2011). That film, like Raiders of the Lost Ark, had an exhilerating story and set pieces while maintaining dark undertones. I hated how Assault was; it was too clean cut and simplistic.

I don't plan to make this script TOO dark. It's freaking animal mercenaries in space. How is that gonna be taken seriously? (Make the characters relatable? Something along the lines of that...) I suggested Iron Man because it dealt with dark elements while remaining fun and actiony in tone. I wonder though... would including the amputated metallic legs be trying too hard?

That fucking forced moral from Assault. That game was bad enough as it was (actually, I enjoyed some of the flight missions.) You're right, though, about the theme. One idea I would like to explore, however, is self-control (the characters grasping onto their "humanity" in very tense moments and trying to keep from slipping into their animalistic natures.)




Hey psy_commando, thank you for the input!

I have heard of that Irwin guy's project. He definitely had the wrong idea going.

YES, THE FLIPPIN' SPACE ARMADA OH MY GOD GREATEST LEVEL EVER. My challenge, though, is creating a story where these events would come organically and maintain character arcs at the same time.

About the tone/feeling, I would like to replicate what everyone felt while playing the SNES game. That exhilerating and joyful feeling mixed with that frustration of something hindering your progress every five moments, all while keeping an epic tone.

I also looked at your mod "Lylat's Last Stand." I think it's cool! Just keep building onto it; I hope it'll come to fruition.

You're welcome ! And thanks !
And did you know that you could actually play the space armada level almost endlessly ? Just turn hard left or right when you're about to enter a ship to destroy it, and you'll be back at the beginning of the sub section. And everything respawns, except powerups ! The space armada is great, but I also really love the Venom Highway stage. It was just soo different. And I don't know many games where you fly a spaceship in an highway tunnel !

These space battles will help quite a bit. Thanks!

I'm still debating on the presentation of the universe, though. What's hard is that with screenwriting, everything has to be condensed and only so much info and detail can be shown to the audience. The film shouldn't be TOO gritty; it's a video game movie. There shouldn't be political or social satires included, or any grim outlooks. (Their beliefs and histories definitely SHOULD come into play.) Like Iron Man or The Adventures of Tintin or Raiders of the Lost Ark, it should just be pure entertainment. A smart story attached wouldn't hurt, either.



Hello, BlueRaccoon!

My problem with the 64 game is that it's so cartoony and less epic feeling in comparison to the SNES game. It's still fun to play, but the SNES game just brought so much more feeling and exhilaration to me. That said, I might include a small number of elements from the 64 game...

Speaking of soap operas, did you know Nintendo planned at one point to make Star Fox into a puppet drama if the games were successful enough? (Puppet drama example: Thunderbirds.) As if it wasn't ridiculous enough...

Every character and element introduced from Adventures onward I don't really like (maybe except Panther, and reintroducing some characters with completely different backstories wouldn't hurt.) The games took a turn for the worst mainly because Adventures stemmed from a corporate sellout with Rare.

But anyway, thank you for the input!

You know, maybe you could write a "companion guide" or codex ? So you don't have to trash everything that's too much for the story. That way people that are interested will be able to satisfy their curiosity !

We kinda plan to do the same with the mod. Maybe even release a fanfic version of it that's more detailed than what we'll have in the game. Though, I can't say if it will happen for sure at this point Our writing team is slightly busy these days, so we'll see if we won't eventually have to go for something simpler..

His role as the original Star Fox leader is something I might abandon

I'm not sure what you mean. On the snes, he never was the leader of a former starfox team. He was just an ace pilot.

And regarding his backstory involving Andross and the black hole its also already the case, no ?

[XplodinGrandmas]

You're welcome ! And thanks !

And did you know that you could actually play the space armada level almost endlessly ? Just turn hard left or right when you're about to enter a ship to destroy it, and you'll be back at the beginning of the sub section. And everything respawns, except powerups ! The space armada is great, but I also really love the Venom Highway stage. It was just soo different. And I don't know many games where you fly a spaceship in an highway tunnel !

 

 

You know, maybe you could write a "companion guide" or codex ? So you don't have to trash everything that's too much for the story. That way people that are interested will be able to satisfy their curiosity !

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean. On the snes, he never was the leader of a former starfox team. He was just an ace pilot.

And regarding his backstory involving Andross and the black hole its also already the case, no ?

 

 

Hello!

 

The Venom Highway was incredibly epic! I'd like to use it, but I'm not sure right now.

 

Quick edit: By codex, do you mean like a bible-like book of all the elements of the game? (I didn't mean to sound mean to anyone here; it's just there's a few things about the later games I wasn't really fond of.)

 

About James McCloud, I totally contradicted myself, didn't I? He wasn't Star Fox's leader in the SNES game... Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that!

 

I appreciate the input from you guys. Thanks again!

[psy_commando]

Hello!

 

The Venom Highway was incredibly epic! I'd like to use it, but I'm not sure right now.

 

Quick edit: By codex, do you mean like a bible-like book of all the elements of the game? (I didn't mean to sound mean to anyone here; it's just there's a few things about the later games I wasn't really fond of.)

 

About James McCloud, I totally contradicted myself, didn't I? He wasn't Star Fox's leader in the SNES game... Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that!

 

I appreciate the input from you guys. Thanks again!

Oh its all good, I was just meaning that Venom Highway was pretty much a tie with Space Armada for me.

 

And I meant not something as elaborate as a "bible" but more or less like in mass effect. But, maybe not with as much content.

 

And what do you mean, you didn't sound mean.

[XplodinGrandmas]

Oh its all good, I was just meaning that Venom Highway was pretty much a tie with Space Armada for me.

 

And I meant not something as elaborate as a "bible" but more or less like in mass effect. But, maybe not with as much content.

 

And what do you mean, you didn't sound mean.

 

I meant my reply to BlueRaccoon. Some people might take something the wrong way. I sometimes have trouble wording sentences to the point of misunderstanding.

 

One thing that's kind of jarring to me is how many different elements and settings a movie can introduce one right after another.

(Ex: The Adventures of Tintin: Belgium, the cargo ship S.S. Karaboudjan, the ocean, the desert, Bagghar, and back to Belgium. I'd also use Raiders as an example, but I can't remember every setting in that film at the moment.)

It's just that introducing so many different elements in a condensed period of time feels like the story could drive off course as easily as it got on in the first ten minutes.

 

Right now, I'm not sure how the story will go. There's a fair number of elements I would like to include, but the challenge lies in making the events come through organically and driven by the characters, Like, for example, the reason the Star Fox team jumps from Corneria to space to, say... Titania to Venom would be a challenge to come up with. The characters are the reason for action, but it feels kind of rushed and action-driven more than anything.

(I could make Corneria the center of the film, the film's events focusing on its importance in some way.)

 

I'm trying, though. I don't know if I'll get to the writing stage sooner rather than later, but I'm staying optimistic.

 

I'm always open for more input from you guys!

[psy_commando]

I meant my reply to BlueRaccoon. Some people might take something the wrong way. I sometimes have trouble wording sentences to the point of misunderstanding.

 

One thing that's kind of jarring to me is how many different elements and settings a movie can introduce one right after another.

(Ex: The Adventures of Tintin: Belgium, the cargo ship S.S. Karaboudjan, the ocean, the desert, Bagghar, and back to Belgium. I'd also use Raiders as an example, but I can't remember every setting in that film at the moment.)

It's just that introducing so many different elements in a condensed period of time feels like the story could drive off course as easily as it got on in the first ten minutes.

 

Right now, I'm not sure how the story will go. There's a fair number of elements I would like to include, but the challenge lies in making the events come through organically and driven by the characters, Like, for example, the reason the Star Fox team jumps from Corneria to space to, say... Titania to Venom would be a challenge to come up with. The characters are the reason for action, but it feels kind of rushed and action-driven more than anything.

(I could make Corneria the center of the film, the film's events focusing on its importance in some way.)

 

I'm trying, though. I don't know if I'll get to the writing stage sooner rather than later, but I'm staying optimistic.

 

I'm always open for more input from you guys!

Alright.

 

And as to make the character go somewhere, why not just near the beginning have them come up with a plan and explain it. For example, General Pepper has a plan and it involve striking at strategical targets throughout the system ? Unless, that's not what you mean.

[XplodinGrandmas]

Hey guys! A quick update...

 

I'm still researching and working on the story, but thanks to you guys' advice, I'm on a clear path now! I don't mean to be a bit zealous about your help, but it means a lot, especially when there are few Star Fox fans left in this generation. SO... thank you for the last time! (Maybe not, I dunno.)

 

I'll be posting my progress frequently if any of you are interested in finding out if this goes any further. To the creative ones out there, happy creating!

[Snys93]

Good to hear.

 

I have visions of Vemonian Attack Carriers being assaulted by Arwings in flight!

[XplodinGrandmas]

QUICK UPDATE:

 

The structure is KILLING ME HERE. I got the elements gathered, but still piecing together. Here's a few things about it:

 

• The theme of my script (so far) is create your own legacy, but not for the wrong reasons, or simply, legacy.
   
• The Black Hole from the SNES game will feature prominently.
   
• Space Armada will be the huge battle of Act III and will take place outside of Corneria's atmosphere.
   
• The story and characters will mostly stay true to canon, and will balance out with the flight scenes.

[TCPeppyTc]

When can we expect this screenplay/movie to be released?

[XplodinGrandmas]

When can we expect this screenplay/movie to be released?

 

It's a fan screenplay adaptation, nothing huge or official. I'm still a ways from starting writing; I started this forum to get opinions from other fans before I began to outline. Once I finish a draft or two, I might post a PDF here (if I can) or ask me to PM me if interested in reading when the time comes.

[TCPeppyTc]

I definnitly would be!

[XplodinGrandmas]

...meant to post something, but decided against it. And I don't know how to delete posts, so.... ignore this.

[bigfootRULES!]

if it where a movie, who would you cast? Personally i would cast Leonard Nimoy as Andross and Jeffery Combs as Peppy Hare. 

[Snys93]

My cast is as follows:

 

D.B. Sweeny as Fox Mcloud

 

Zachary Quinto as Falco Lombardi

 

Crispin Freeman as Wolf O'Donnell

[bigfootRULES!]

My cast is as follows:

 

D.B. Sweeny as Fox Mcloud

 

Zachary Quinto as Falco Lombardi

 

Crispin Freeman as Wolf O'Donnell

does your cast include Leonard Nimoy ?