Starfox Adventures MEGA RANT (DISCUSSION THREAD)

[Robert Monroe]

STARFOX ADVENTURES THE MEGA RANT

HERE IT IS. YOU ASKED FOR IT (not really), YOU GOT IT. Starfox Assault isn't the only crappy Starfox game to suffer my endless wrath, now it is Adventures' turn. I won't bore you with my dumb backstory involving why I'm doing this at all (you can read that under my Assault rant thread), but things are going to be a little different here than they were before.

First and foremost is Adventures is (allegedly) an ADVENTURE game, not an action one. It isn't broken down into levels, it's a (allegedly) large, (allegedly) open ended game where you run around at your own leisure to find stuff to progress. Therefore the level-by-level, point by point breakdown style I used for Assault isn't going to quite work out here. Instead rather I am going to review the game in "chapters", with each chapter roughly being a thematically relevent part of the game that segues into the next. 

For example, the Krystal prologue is one chapter. The rescuing prince Tricky part is another. Dark Ice mines another, so on, so forth, you get the idea. There will be a lot more at looking at the game as a whole and how it works as an adventure game (spoiler alert: IT FUCKING DOESN'T) rather than an intricate nitpick of everything I can find wrong and loathsome... though there will be some of that when appropriate, here an there.

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT, LET'S JUST GET RIGHT INTO THIS HOT MESS OF DISSAPOINTMENT. THIS IS ROB'S STARFOX MEGA-RANT 2: ADVENTURES BOOGALOO.

 

Read it HERE!

Oh, and for the curious, here's what the pinup calender on the Greatfox looks like: Link!

[Xidphel]

[Robert Monroe]

You used that gif in the last rant! Get a new gif!

[Pharaoh Shadon]

Just a fun fact for that airship thing. It's actually moving. I used action replay to float up and whenever I did, the ship went forward as I just floated up. Eventually I floated up enough so the ship passes me and i'm off the ship and below is just an abyss of clouds. I tried finding the ship again by floating up though it kinda left me XD

 

As for the telepathy thing. Although it was never said, I do think it was heavily implied. I don't remember too too much, but I do recall telepathic messages later on. Although the two instances I remember there was a middle man (The staff and the Krozoa guy) and it could be interpreted that he read her mind or something, and the staff message was put there before that point. But both I would think requires a bit of telepathy. And you're right, there doesn't seem to be that good tech to send out a distress call. The only way to really do that with what tech they seem to have is telepathic means.

 

As for boarding the ship when she didn't have to. Well I don't know about you, but if some ship attacked me like that, I'd board it too. See what's up, find out why, disable it/take it over. All that good stuff. She's also young and curious so I don't see it as outside the realm of possibility. I mean I wouldn't just leave a ship like that XP

[Robert Monroe]

Updated with a new part: Fox fucking around Thorntail hollow, horray!

 

And no, it is not even implied. Not even a little bit. I just played the entire Krystal segment of the game, and not once, ONCE, is there any evidence or implication she had psychic powers in this game. Her using them would be retroactive canon courtesy of Starfox Assault tacking that ability onto her. Which honestly, given the fact Krystal is the one who used the staff first and her go-getter attitude, strikes me as weird. Krystal, if anything, should be a martial artist fighter, not some dainty weakling wimp with brain powers ala Diet Jean Grey. The message in Krystal's staff is the equivilent of a voice mailbox message being left behind for whoever picks the staff up - it isn't a live broadcast. The dialogue even says as much, "If you are hearing this message then blah blah blah".

 

And my point about the ship is that it accomplishes nothing plotwise and just kind of comes out of nowhere. There's so many better ways it could've been implemented and made the narrative flow better.

[AlGore'sleftshoe]

This is coming from a guy who thought Jet Force Jemini was a good game, I remember having it on N64 actually, I got rid of it for $2 and I still feel like I got the short end of the stick.

Anyways, I still agree with some of the complaints, Krystal's use in this whole game was an absolute smack in the face, an insult to what she was SUPPOSED to be in the original Dinosaur Planet, and an absolute waste.

I still like the game a bit, don't get me wrong,  but it got screwed, and I mean REALLY screwed. I give it 7/10 at absolute best, but I feel Dinosaur Planet could have been one of Rare's best games yet. :'( but life sucks, and this is just a small reminder, even amongst old ass vidya games.

Also I feel this is relevant so....enjoy. The best we're ever gonna get of the original game footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOVBRJToVDY

Personally, I think the voice acting still kinda sucks, and the game is incomplete, but looking at StarFox Adventures, and how badly it was held back, it's sorta sad.

[Dr. Orange]

You used that gif in the last rant! Get a new gif!

 

 

[Robert Monroe]

Some of the acting is really good and some is horrendous. Fox is great. Krystal is alright. Scales is good. Tricky is obnoxious. The Queen is pretty lame. Peppy sounds like a bad impersonation. Slippy starts out ok and like... gradually gets worse as the game progresses. Pepper is ok.

 

The game IS incomplete as hell though, and I'll address that when parts that are obviously cobbled together from broken parts come up.

[AlGore'sleftshoe]

Some of the acting is really good and some is horrendous. Fox is great. Krystal is alright. Scales is good. Tricky is obnoxious. The Queen is pretty lame. Peppy sounds like a bad impersonation. Slippy starts out ok and like... gradually gets worse as the game progresses. Pepper is ok.

 

The game IS incomplete as hell though, and I'll address that when parts that are obviously cobbled together from broken parts come up.

I personally thought Krystal was great, Fox was meh, sorta annoying, and Falco probably had the best voice, Scales had to be one of Rare's cheesiest characters AND voices yet, but ok.

[Scott7]

Even I'll admit the tone shifts in the voice-acting as the game progressed just boggled me. Especially later on in the game.

[Pharaoh Shadon]

Updated with a new part: Fox fucking around Thorntail hollow, horray!

 

And no, it is not even implied. Not even a little bit. I just played the entire Krystal segment of the game, and not once, ONCE, is there any evidence or implication she had psychic powers in this game. Her using them would be retroactive canon courtesy of Starfox Assault tacking that ability onto her. Which honestly, given the fact Krystal is the one who used the staff first and her go-getter attitude, strikes me as weird. Krystal, if anything, should be a martial artist fighter, not some dainty weakling wimp with brain powers ala Diet Jean Grey. The message in Krystal's staff is the equivilent of a voice mailbox message being left behind for whoever picks the staff up - it isn't a live broadcast. The dialogue even says as much, "If you are hearing this message then blah blah blah".

 

And my point about the ship is that it accomplishes nothing plotwise and just kind of comes out of nowhere. There's so many better ways it could've been implemented and made the narrative flow better.

Well yeah, but didn't later on Fox started hearing Krystal cry for help and then it was explained to him what it was and Fox was like "I don't have time to save some random girl, I got a planet to save"

[Robert Monroe]

Scales was cheesy but it was a good cheesy. He had good villain-sense.

 

And yes there is the bit in Moon Mountain Pass but like everything else none of this shit is explained as to what the fuck it is. I've heard theories that the krazoa that shows up to tell Fox about Krystal is just Andross in disguise pulling the strings to make sure he gets resurrected but again - it's all utterly baseless conjecture and making stuff up.

[ArwingFan]

My nostalgic feelings, the gorgeous aesthetics and music aside, looking back Adventures is a very flawed game.  The krazoa /Krystal/Cerinia fiasco never paid off, the test of strength, the button mashy combat, the overly situational staff powers, the point of no return before the final boss.  Still prefer it over Assault and Command.

Edited September 18, 2015 by ArwingFan

[Robert Monroe]

New update! We saved prince Tricky and our reward is him following us for the rest of the game. Hooray?

[Robert Monroe]

Notice: I've been busy the last couple weeks, so I've not had time to play and update, but this isn't dead, I assure you.

[Icy]

You know, even though I'm one of the most die-hard Adventures fans there is, I really like seeing you tear this game apart, exposing every ridiculous flaw in the game. It's pretty fun to read through.

Thanks, Rob.  

If I see anything worth arguing, I will, don't worry. :3

Edited October 9, 2015 by Icy

[fanfictiondreamer]

To tell you the truth, as much as I love Starfox Adventures, there were a lot of things wrong with it. Regardless, I don't care how bad it was. The graphics were gorgeous, the cutscenes were always my favorite parts of the game and the year that it was released, I was having the worst school year of my life. My homeroom teacher that year was an emotionally abusive chemo patient with lousy people skills to boot, with me, at least. The game itself was a coping mechanism that really helped me out through that terrible year. 8th grade may have ended for me many years ago, but the psychological damages that I have suffered stayed with me to this day.

I would also like to add that it is perfect for my story. Rip Starfox Adventures out of the main story line and give it to me. It will work. At least, I believe it will.

[Robert Monroe]

There's lots of was SFAd can work already, the problem isn't that it doesn't fit, the problem is its a fucking unfinised mess.

[fanfictiondreamer]

Yes, true. It could do better. It was either rushed or they didn't put enough effort into it. I know what I would do if I were to remake the game.

[AlGore'sleftshoe]

Yes, true. It could do better. It was either rushed or they didn't put enough effort into it. I know what I would do if I were to remake the game.

I'd be really pissed if they made a remake of StarFox Adventures instead of doing a remake/release of Dinosaur Planet actually completed the way it was supposed to be, and shined up with modern visuals and probably the same general gameplay except hopefully smoother and a bit less button mashing.

 

To add to my said point before; I really think that had it been Dinosaur Planet with the originally planned story, the inconsistent and mind-boggling parts forcibly thrown together would never have been a problem, the game was literally turned into a rubix cube and quicky reassembled as fast as possible, so it came out a bit unrefined, and rugged.

If they didn't forcibly turn it into a StarFox game it probably would have worked out seamlessly. It was a mistake from the beginning to turn it into a StarFox game for incomprehensibly stupid reasons, but I still like the game anyway, it's positive attributes still...somewhat out-weigh it's problems, it's forgiveable, but I can't help but be especially frustrated with this game.

[Robert Monroe]

Yeah so like, my controller was basically dying on me when I started this and that's why I haven't updated like I wanted to. C-Stick was very hard to get a response out of, which I thought I could live with, but NOPE that shit just wasn't flying.

 

I replaced my controller this weekend, though! Feels like brand fuckin' new, so this will resume! Hooray!

[Robert Monroe]

New part updated! The spoiler tags are going haywire right now and I can't goddamn edit my post for some reason so just bear with me on this one, eh? Next is the Darkice Mines.

Nevermind I fixed it. EH. EH.

[Setsuna]

once you know what went on behind the scenes on what starfox adventures was really supposed to be (dinosaur planet) everthing just clicks.

looking at starfox adventures by itself, krystal's promise as a character is ruined the moment the game shifts focus back on the familar space furries we love. because her character quite literally and figuratively goes nowhere and eventually becomes nothing more than pairing fodder in a later game.

fox as a character is a mercenary at heart and we can see why how desperately he wants to be paid. saving the planet, the lylat and getting a new member/girlfriend were just bonus's.

when i first played this game way back when it was first released, after i saw that cutscene of fox making googoo eyes at krystal it suddenly had a romantic tone going on about it. even though fox himself calls her a stranger he still hauls tail to try and save her even going as far as shouting "NO!" when it looks like she's about to die. makes me wonder if kystal looked any different would he still have the same reaction?

scales is sadly tossed aside in favor of andross returning and is an excuse to get back in the arwing reminding the player "see? this is a starfox game!" originally falco was suppose to come in and help you fight scales, imagine that?

 

gameplay wise its zelda. is that a bad thing? well people love starfox for the arwing so, but as a kid i always wondered what it be like to play on foot.

graphic wise its beautiful

music wise its rareware. its beautiful.

[InfinitySquared]

My biggest problem with Krystal is that she's just scooted off into the corner before she can actually do anything useful and spents the remaining 98% of the game swept under the rug. She's not even presented as someone to be rescued, which kinda makes that first 20 minutes of the game feel pointless. Fox doesn't even know about her until he hears her voice crying out in the valley and the Krazoa says something along the lines of "save her". Even after creeping on her inanimate body while on the intercom with Peppy and Tricky, he never even mentions her. You'd think finding someone of your own species, trapped in a crystal at the top of Mt. Macguffin, would be kinda noteworthy. Instead, she's just kinda forgotten about until, well, this scene:

 

I'll just let this scene (in it's shitty, shitty quality) do the talking. Not only does it just randomly start out of nowhere, notice that everything from the character movements to the sound quality takes a huge dip in quality. I guess it was left over from an earlier draft of the game, but I'd expect something from freaking RARE to have a bit more quality control. 

What a fucking mess this game is.

[ArwingFan]

Infinity pinpoints Krystal's biggest flaw. She's been forced into a series she wasn't originally intended to be in and the writers don't know what to do with her. If they include her into the Zero timeline, hopefully they will learn from their mistakes.