Starfox Command

Starfox Command, for the Nintendo DS
Esrb rating: Everyone 10+
Wifi compatibility: Yes
Multiplayer: 2-6 player local, 2-4 player wifi
Other information: This game is compatible with the Nintendo DS rumble pak



Background information: Starfox. Originally created as an in studio test game for the Super Nintendo's "FX" chip, Starfox was eventually released into stores. In my opinion, Starfox (Snes) and Starfox 64 (N64) were truly classic games, and Starfox: assault and Dinosaur planet (Both on GCN) kept me mildly entertained. So, it was only natural that I would buy the first portable game in the series: Starfox Command.

Storyline Overview: Several years ago, the Starfox team, made up of Fox McLoud, Slippy Toad, Peppy hare, And Falco Lombardi, fought their way to planet Venom and stopped the evil Andross from taking over the Lylat star system. Since then, Venom has been declared a "forbidden planet" and had not been visited by anyone. This time has given the Anglar race, a species of fishlike creatures that inhabit Venom's acid seas, an opportunity to prepare for their own takeover of Lylat. One day, they attack.

Once again, Fox Mcloud flies in to save Lylat. There is one problem, however. The starfox team had disbanded in the years since Andross was stopped. Fox flies into the fray alone...

Graphics: 4/5, Nice 3-D graphics during dogfights. I didn't, however, like the slightly pixilated 2-D graphics in the dialogue scenes and the map scenes

Dogfight graphics
Sound: 4/5, Excellent music is exhibited during gameplay. Sound effects are also great. The sound you hear when you fire a laser or bomb is stunningly realistic. My one problem with the sound is in the dialogue scenes. In past starfox games, the characters spoke with actual words. In Starfox Command, the character speak in gibberish (similarly to the voices in Banjo kazzoie for N64)

Gameplay: 3/5, Gameplay is separated into two categories, single player and multiplayer.
-Single player. One word: strategy. When you enter a stage, you are brought to a map of the area, including the locations of enemy ships and bases. Using your stylus, you draw a trail around the map. You may continue drawing until you use up your small amount of fuel. Your ship (or ships, in later stages) flies across the trail. If you meet up with an enemy, you will have a dogfight. If you win, you are given a certain amount of stars, depending on how many ships you defeated. The goal is to get every star while defending Greatfox (the mother ship of the starfox team). Here’s where the strategy comes in. You must keep at least one ship near Great fox at all times, as one impact from an enemy ship will end the game. If that weren't difficult enough, you're only given a certain amount of turns.

-Wifi and multiplayer. Multiplayer was disappointing in my opinion. Four ships (six in local multiplayer) are sent into a dogfight, each with a different color. The goal is to shoot down your opponents and collect the golden stars they leave behind when shot down. Most stars at the end wins: simple enough. It's the same on wifi. One problem, though. There is no penalty for disconnecting. You can just walk away from your router, and a loss won’t be added to your record. Also, the game MUST have four players in ranked matches. If even one player quits, the game ends! Because of this, I only complete 1 out of 5 random wifi matches I play. It is also a bit laggy sometimes.

Replay Value: 5/5, There are many different story mode endings, and countless different trails between areas you can take to them.

Conclusion: Overall, a pretty good game. A must buy for fans of the series, as well as those looking for a fun, time consuming, and strategy oriented game. 8/10

~Snowdog4691