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Remember that game that you always loved, but for some reason, you were the only one who thought it was any good? 'In Case You Missed it...' is a segment that will give games from the Atari to the 360 a second chance. Whether it was overshadowed or just not given the credit it deserved, you're sure to find a cost effective alternative when you're burned out on your collection.
Most people got really excited for a new Starfox game when Starfox Adventures for GameCube hit the shelves. Once played through some, people realized it wasn't what they were expecting at all, got disappointed, and never played it again. Starfox Adventures is mostly played on land, whereas in previous installations, space was all you were given. So not only is there a completely new element, but you're thrown into another world and in all honesty, don't feeling like you're playing a Starfox game at all! The reason for this is that the game you're sitting in front of was never actually meant to be a Starfox game in the first place.
That's right, folks. Starfox Adventures was actually supposed to be a game for the Nintendo 64 called Dinosaur Planet, which, coincidentally (or not), is the world Fox travels in. The characters that inhibit Dinosaur Planet just happened to be foxes (the main character is turned into a fox, but you get the jist) that went on a journey through none other than Dinosaur Planet. Let's see how many times I can say 'Dinosaur Planet' in one article. Not only did Shigeru Miyamoto comment that the character, Sabre and Fox McCloud looked 'strikingly similar', but Rare also released many mp3's, trailers, and screenshots from the unreleased game that actually appeared in Starfox Adventures. The title was originally going to be called 'Starfox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet', but the latter was later dropped.
Now that we know the history of the game, we can jump into what it's actually like! I feel like I have a very different perspective on the game for two reasons. One reason is that I played this game all the way through, beat it, and enjoyed it. The second reason is I was abused and deprived as a child because I was never given a Starfox game before I went out and bought Adventures. Because of this, I vaguely knew what to expect and didn't have reason to be horribly let down. But that doesn't mean that my opinion on the game isn't accountable!! If you enjoy Zelda titles, this game is essentially a Zelda game in a Starfox/crazy dinosaur world disguise.
There are many elements that made this game really fantastic, aside from the common things you'd expect. The graphics were just beautiful - Every scene had intense coloring and even throughout gameplay stayed consistent. Gameplay was easy to learn, fun to play, and wasn't frustrating in the slightest. There were challenges that were difficult to get through, such as the 'Test of Strength', but gameplay itself was easy to catch onto. The soundtrack to the game was also very fitting and I felt that certain levels were made complete just by the music in the background.
Other things that I felt made the game its own was the 'Dino Language'. Not only do the characters in-game speak this (Fox gets a translator early on, so you don't always notice it) but in the manual, there is an alphabet translator for speaking 'Dino'. [I'm not even kidding, I used to write letters in school to people in Dino and give them the translation.] Another thing I really enjoyed having was Tricky, the dinosaur prince. It was definitely a love/hate relationship, because he can get annoying sometimes, but he helps you out in many ways and Fox wouldn't get through without him.
There are multiple tests and Krazoa spirits you have to do and collect, but there are also side missions that give some great gameplay elements and add even more to the experience. There are many power ups you can obtain, so using the staff you find doesn't get boring. You also immediately target your opponent as you approach them.There are drawbacks, of course, such as Fox only getting to fly his arwing to different pieces of the planet and the fact that you can't skip through cut scenes, even if you've seen one already.
Ultimately, the entire game plays similar to Ocarina of Time, which is my favorite game of all time, and if you can get past the fact that it's Starfox, you'll probably enjoy it a lot more. I agree this game should not have been part of that franchise in the first place, but if you can set it aside and view the game for what it really is, it's definitely well worth the $6.99 at Gamestop.
