Star Fox: Assault is an underrated gem, and does so many things right.
Lows: Story can get very dark, annoying enemies, ground controls can take a little while to get used to, too short, can be a very easy game once you get used to it.
Verdict: May not be 64 or Adventures, but Assault is still a good game in it's own right.
We have just had three main series Star Fox games, and how would Nintendo keep the excitement going? By teaming up with Namco, the same developer that created classics like Pac-Man and Time Crisis, and releasing the 4th game in the long-running series, Star Fox: Assault, released for the GameCube in 2005. In Assault, you play, again, as Fox McCloud, and he and the rest of the Star Fox team (Falco, Peppy, Slippy and Krystal) along with former rival team Star Wolf (who eventually join you later in the game), must team up together to exterminate an evil alien race called the Aparoids, and bring peace to the Lylat System that has been invaded by these evil beings. While playing Assault, there are Arwing missions, and there are ground missions in the game, as you must eliminate the threat of the Aparoids. Controlling the Arwing should be like the same in past games in the series, as you should get used to it easily. During the on-foot missions, you control Fox as he has his blaster and other weapons you can collect, such as machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, and more. You can also use the landmaster tank during ground missions, as it has a hover feature as well as the ability to roll using the R button+the control stick to roll in different directions. On most of the ground missions, you can use an Arwing as well, to defeat airborne enemies and clear up the sky or space if there is too much enemy interference. Also, on only 2 ground missions, you can ride on the wing of your partner's Arwing and use a plasma cannon to destroy enemies in the air. Now that is an awesome concept if I ever saw one! The game has excellent multiplayer as well, as you and your friends can compete in some epic deathmatches on ground and in the Arwing too. Star Fox: Assault brings so much new things to the series that it adds up to the same level of Star Fox quality. There are some flaws, however. The game has only 10 missions, which is pretty short, the ground controls can take a while to get used to, there are some annoying enemies as well as some respawn infinately, and it can become too easy after a while. Overall, it's still a good game in it's own right. It has it's flaws but there is more to like about Star Fox: Assault, then there is to hate.