There are some games that I feel don't need an introduction. They're so acclaimed and beloved that they just command respect. Some titles are even held up as benchmarks for future games to follow. Some, though, age poorly to the point where it's hard to respect them compared to what's come out since. To cut to the chase, "Star Fox 64" is not one such game. Its release did come at the expense of a proper sequel on the SNES (at least...for 12 years, it did), but to some, none of that mattered. What mattered was that "Star Fox 64" provided stellar gameplay and used as much of the Nintendo 64 as possible to create an incredible experience. To be honest, I did drop the game when I first played it (I blame the lack of a save system, which I'll get into later), but I recently decided to give it another go thanks to...extremely legal methods that have nothing to do with emulators...don't give me that sass. Either way, I'm really glad I gave it another chance.
"Star Fox 64" finds success in its addicting gameplay and showcase of the Nintendo 64's tech early on. From a gameplay perspective, it may not have been a quantum leap forward from the original game (it didn't quite do what "Super Mario 64" did for its franchise), but it remains as tight and fun to play as ever. The controls are extremely fluid, the combat remains fast-paced and compelling, and movement is improved greatly thanks to the analog stick. I also think the idea of offering different paths based on things like player performance is fantastic, and it makes the game ripe for repeat playthroughs. From an aesthetic standpoint, I know the visuals may not have aged as beautifully, but I still really enjoyed the game for its great character models and cinematic presentation. While I know the voice acting is a point of contention among the fanbase, I love it in so many dumb ways, and I think it's worth praising how they were able to implement such audio clips into a cartridge at the time. Top it off with an epic soundtrack, and "Star Fox 64" serves as a treat for the eyes, ears, and imagination.
There are some light things I'm not crazy about with the game, though. For starters, I'm not sure how I feel about the enemy AI. Sometimes, it feels like your team doesn't do a thing, which feels ironic for a character like Falco who's supposed to be an "ace pilot." Whatever helps you sleep at night, Mr. "I Prefer the Air." Also, while I know this was probably a product of its time, I'm not too keen on the game not allowing you to save. It's what made me put it down in the first place: getting a game over and being kicked all the way back to the start. It's not something that aggravates me heavily, because I know it's not a long game and it's a design choice emblematic of the time, but it just kinda makes me happy that we've moved past that. I'm also happy that, to my knowledge, the 3DS remake does away with that.
Overall, "Star Fox 64" earns plenty of respect not just for what it did at its time, but for how well it still plays today. It's an epic adventure that takes full advantage of the Nintendo 64's technology to succeed at every turn. And sure, it may feel frustrating that one or two future "Star Fox" games merely attempted to rest on this one's laurels, but even with that in mind, it's great to see that the classic still plays this well. If you haven't gotten a chance to experience it, I highly recommend doing so. The addition of a save system in the remake "Star Fox 64 3D" may make the 3DS version ideal, but no matter which one you go with, you'll have a blast.
Final rating: 9 out of 10 "Awesome"