The funny thing is Star Fox Command, despite doing exactly this for some inexplicable reason, actually damn near succeeds. Yes, it's nowhere near as good as Star Fox 64, but it at least controls really well (stylus-only, in fact), which one certainly couldn't say about any time Assault left the damn Arwing.
What is so wrong, though, with going all-all-range? The answer lies, in level design. In short, Star Fox Command doesn't really have any. Yes, the 'strategy' sessions in between missions are well, levels that have been ostensibly designed, but the missions themselves? All variations on a single theme - shoot down enough enemies (and collect their delicious, delicious stars) to proceed. Occasionally there'll be a mothership or something, which means you shoot down enough enemies, then basically fly through some rings. Hoo-ray.
The strategy sessions deserve more discussion, basically the campaign is broken down into a series of 'worlds', basically maps where you dispatch your arwings (and missiles and the great fox &c) to attack bases and enemy fighters. It's turn based and it, while decent enough, just doesn't fit well with what I imagine anyone wanted out of a Star Fox game (I think people wanted like, levels). There's also a time limit for some reason, putting in a arcade racer style checkpoint/added time system that, again, doesn't fit.
Story-wise, someone decided that what Star Fox fans wanted, as opposed to say, Star Fox 64 style gameplay, was a hell of a lot more background on these beloved characters. So now we get, between every 'world', lengthy Golden Sun style blathering between our main characters. Also Slippy gets a love interest. Again, Hoo-ray (though I'm sure furries are ecstatic).
I'm being a bit hard on it here, again, it really does kind of work - it just doesn't work in any way one would expect a Star Fox game to work. Some credit must be given for reinventing the series into something pretty good, it's just such a development isn't that exciting when the original style had been so under-used to begin with.
Star Fox Command
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Q-Games
Released: 8/28/2006
Obtained: October 2006 (Gift)
7.5/10
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Q-Games
Released: 8/28/2006
Obtained: October 2006 (Gift)
7.5/10
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