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[SlasherJPC]

Because a lot of games back in the 90s were only a couple of hours long. That's not the case anymore.

Oh and how I wish more games were. See as you get older and have kids, family etc. I really, really (as much as I'd like) don't have the time for every game to be 30+ hours long. It's detrimental really. Granted I can understand, when I was young and in my teens/20's I laughed at 40 rpgs as I could beat them in a week. So I get it, but value and price should be separated for each person. I get why some would not like the price to time ratio, but then understand why others enjoy shorter games!

 

[Red Devil]

These scores seem to average around 7-7.8. That is what I figured would happen. If there was serious problems with this game six-eight months ago then I think Nintendo is happy they got it to this point.

But were there any problems?

 

[J@hranimo]

I've got the game. It feels like I'm playing a weird amalgamation of Splatoon and Kid Icarus Uprising. So basically, the control scheme is really good and allows for more precision and technique than a traditional scheme, but it really does require getting used to.

The game itself is great, epic-feeling Star Fox. The visuals are surprisingly good considering the Wii U is drawing two screens. I'm not sure if the second perspective is worth the hit in visuals, since I'm using it rarely, but I'm only a few levels in. Some of the game does feel very gimmicky, but I don't have a problem with it, it's always at the very least entertaining and video-gamey. The sound is really good. Great music, and the sound effects in particular are superb. I do wish the game had channelled more of the SNES game than the N64 one, but 64 is the one everyone remembers, so hey. The Nintendo/PG polish is present. It's smooth, colourful and responsive, if initially awkward.

Even at this early stage, I'm happy with my purchase.

This has my hype. Both of those games I love for the control schemes.

 

[SkyTurnsRed]

Old school shoot em up style game getting bad reviews for being an old school shoot em up. This is why we can't even get arcade style racers either.

Damn shame.

EDIT: It's not fair to say that actually as it's getting mixed reviews. That's not too bad then.

No, it's getting bad reviews because people don't like it. Sin and Punishment 2, Kid Icarus Uprising, Rodea on the Wii were all well received. This has nothing to do with what type of game it is.

 

[maxcriden]

Because a lot of games back in the 90s were only a couple of hours long. That's not the case anymore.

I'm torn on this topic. On the one hand, yes, definitely more games last longer now than they did then, besides adventure and RPG games most games then were shorter than they are now. OTOH, I don't think shorter games if that's the intention, especially for people who are super into full game replays for games like this (not my thing, but I know there are many who are), the game has probably plenty of value for them. But...yeah. For me $40 sans Guard seems to be the sweet spot for the game. Or charge $60 as they are but throw in an amiibo I guess, even if I have generally minimal interest in amiibo. Hm. I will say I like that the two games can be purchased separately on the eShop, though I don't love the "$5 more if you only get one of them" deal. But, I digress. This is why as a primarily SP game fan, I GameFly'd Splatoon and will do so for SF0 as well.

 

[TheSlySoul]

I've got the game. It feels like I'm playing a weird amalgamation of Splatoon and Kid Icarus Uprising. So basically, the control scheme is really good and allows for more precision and technique than a traditional scheme, but it really does require getting used to.

Andre said the same thing as well.
Honestly the more I hear about it, the more I am willing to try it out.

Yeah, game length is about right with the history of the series. It could have been longer though, it really could have. It just feels so barebones.

Yeah, I can see that as an actual complaint. I will probably have plenty to say about it being a huge SF64 fan.

 

[Ridley327]

Or maybe they expected/wanted Nintendo to fill the game with content ? It's not because the genre had short games that today, they all need to be.
Sin and Punishment was longer. Heck, Kid Icarus Uprising was far longer too.

I feel like S&P is a bit of an outlier for the genre as a whole. I think that's more because Treasure typically puts about 20 games worth of ideas into that series, which tended to be their MO for their non-shmup efforts.

Games like the actual rail shooter Panzer Dragoon titles, Rez, Child of Eden and just about every light gun game in existence all fit snuggly in that whole 1-4 hour timespan.

 

[Z3M0G]

Guard looks great. I'd like to get that for sure. I just need to decide if I want Zero along with it or not.

 

[Vire]

Oh and how I wish more games were. See as you get older and have kids, family etc. I really, really (as much as I'd like) don't have the time for every game to be 30+ hours long. It's detrimental really. Granted I can understand, when I was young and in my teens/20's I laughed at 40 rpgs as I could beat them in a week. So I get it, but value and price should be separated for each person. I get why some would not like the price to time ratio, but then understand why others enjoy shorter games!

Oh trust me, I wish The Division was half the length and removed all the bullshit in between the main missions. At the same time, I feel 6 hours is like a bare minimum in length for games these days (especially ones that charge full price).

 

[Lunar15]

Yeah, game length is about right with the history of the series. It could have been longer though. It just feels so barebones.

I'm the guy that replays Platinum games over and over and doesn't mind their short length. Star Fox Zero doesn't have that draw, at least for me.

 

[SmartWaffles]

So I take it that it is a good game that came out about 15 years too late?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

FWIW, per Nintendo's official site:

Gotcha. Yeah, I think it's a game that's gonna be hard to justify for me dropping full price for--people like me and I presume you as well, who aren't as into Score Attack and replaying for different paths and levels, are probably better off getting it off GameFly for a free trial or something. I do plan to pick up Guard though, getting it for $10-15 from a GAFer and I feel like that'll be more up my alley potentially.

Didn't realize Guard was only $15. I'll probably pick it up.

 

[Broritos]

I guess it's to be expected, in the end where do on rail shooters stand in the current landscape of video games?

But whatever haters gonna hate, I can't wait to play it.

Yea..I was just hoping that the rise and success of niche indie games would shift the industry in a way that would support a more variety of genres. I shouldn't be complaining though as I too am hyped for Zero.

P.S. Bless the Wii for reviving light gun games even though it was short lived.

 

[brandonh83]

Oh trust me, I wish The Division was half the length and removed all the bullshit in between the main missions. At the same time, I feel 6 hours is like a bare minimum in length for games these days (especially ones that charge full price).

I played the older ones for far more than that. Far more. There are multiple courses and great replay value.

 

[TheSlySoul]

Didn't realize Guard was only $15. I'll probably pick it up.

Yeah, Guard is $15 and Zero is $45 I think. You get $10 off if you buy them both together which nets you the $50 retail price.
Since opinions are varied, it was probably smart to bundle 2 games for $50.

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

You probably could do it if they did it like Ratchet and Clank with cutscenes. However, I really do not want a Star Fox game with cutscenes myself.

 

[El Odio]

Watching the gamexplain review I can't really get behind the complaints regard the path structure.
-You can now pick any level from the map screen and replay it as many times as you want to go for the hidden exit: So? I enjoy that feature in 64 3d because it let's me play area 6 to my hearts content without having to go through a whole bunch of other stuff first. Plus, nothing is stopping someone from my knowledge to playing through the game again anyway to accomplish that
-The exits aren't exciting: The really weren't in 64 either. One is just flying through arches on the first level, 3 are defeating the boss in a reasonable amount if time and another is scoring decently on the second level. Zoness's was pretty neat with added stealth but that's about it.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Personally I'm "eh/good" on the Wii U. I got my Smash, Kart, Mario, etc, and I only buy 10-15 games a gen regardless. So it's been good enough for me.

So I'm excited about the next console. If nothing else, just to get the next iterations of 10-15 games.


But....I keep seeing this notion, about people being disappointed in the Wii and Wii U and sometimes 3DS. And yet then they say bring on the NX. Like, if the efforts of the past two gens weren't good enough, you expect next gen to be different lol? Seems weird to me.

It's kind of OT, but I've seen it in this thread a litte too.

If the first party efforts of Wii U and 3DS weren't up to snuff, why would NX or whatever be different?

 

[SmackCrackleNPop]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

 

[Lionel Richie]

As usual, since Giant Bomb doesn't like it I know I can buy it. This rule haven't failed me once.

 

[brandonh83]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

lol, this is another truth.

 

[imae]

Seeing 'controls have learning curve' as a negative in review summaries makes me more excited to play this. For me, a major part of the fun in games is the learning side.

It arguably has less content, or at least it felt that way to me. Levels just feel really really short, and I even went back to SF64 to see.

All in all, I beat all of the alternate paths in roughly 6 hours.

Did you Gold all missions too?

I've heard about an arcade mode and a hard mode, but can't find much info on these.

 

[Neoleo2143]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

But it isn't wrong to ask for more planets and unlockables no?

 

[atr0cious]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

I get where gamexplain is coming from, since usually platinum games have difficulty levels, you can just turn it up and replay. Since it seems Zero doesn't, all you're doing is redoing levels, which wasn't a problem in 64, though the mission structure was part of why. I'm torn on the new mission structure, I like having to work for levels, but sometimes its nice not doing the same 3 levels just to play the one you want.

 

[Roussow]

As usual, since Giant Bomb doesn't like it I know I can buy it. This rule haven't failed me once.

So wait, by this logic the last four games you bought were Quantum Break, WWE 2K16, Need for Speed, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5?

 

[NotLiquid]

It's forbidden now because we have needlessly giant open world checklist games that take 300 hours that are worth the money.

Or games that consist of a lot of walking + cutscenes.

Really, I don't think there's a standard "length" as far as triple A titles go depending on how you disperse content, and general game length across titles hasn't changed much since the N64 days which was when Star Fox was at it's prime. That generation still saw dozen hour long epics like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid (mostly on account of cutscenes) and Ocarina of Time enjoy critical success alongside games like Star Fox 64. This is a game that just so happens to focus more on how you play it's elements as opposed to the amount that constitutes the specific elements.

I'm not saying it couldn't be longer though, because I imagine especially if you like the core foundation you'll be left wanting more - but I'm still not fully sure there's a specific quota to meet for something like this based on an arbitrary comparison.

 

[mavo]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

Yeah, i see the whole 3 hours as a bad thing because of the arcade mode, i hope they made some adjustments to the mode so it can be shorter (or maybe once you mastered it is shorter, i hope so).

 

[Litri]

I knew the controls would be divissive, anyway I will buy it being a Star Fox fan.

 

[NEO0MJ]

I get where gamexplain is coming from, since usually platinum games have difficulty levels, you can just turn it up and replay. Since it seems Zero doesn't, all you're doing is redoing levels, which wasn't a problem in 64, though the mission structure was part of why. I'm torn on the new mission structure, I like having to work for levels, but sometimes its nice not doing the same 3 levels just to play the one you want.

I thought it was confirmed there were difficulties?

 

[Nanashrew]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

Yep. It's an arcade series meant to be short and endlessly replayable.

 

[nib95]

You wouldn't want Star Fox to be a 10 hour game. You'll get bad reviews saying it gets repetitive.

If they kept the same formula, sure. But if they added more of a story, or more diversity to missions, gameplay, a wider range of cool upgrades, collectibles etc, then I doubt it.

 

[Neoleo2143]

I thought it was confirmed there were difficulties?

It generally gets harder if you go after the medals and there's some unlockable mode so we'll see.

 

[Lionel Richie]

So wait, by this logic the last four games you bought were Quantum Break, WWE 2K16, Need for Speed, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5?

Yes on Quantum Break and WWE 2K16, no on the others. Every rule has exceptions

 

[Lunar15]

Seeing 'controls have learning curve' as a negative in review summaries makes me more excited to play this. For me, a major part of the fun in games is the learning side.



Did you Gold all missions too?

I've heard about an arcade mode and a hard mode, but can't find much info on these.

I definitely did not, so that will absolutely increase playtime. For me, however, playing the game wasn't really fun, so I didn't feel compelled to get a gold on every mission. Your mileage will definitely vary.

On motion controls, I'm always willing to give them a shot. I love Skyward Sword, I love Kid Icarus, and I love plenty of games with weird controls that take time to master. Star Fox Zero's controls never clicked for me and I often wondered what they were adding to the experience. As I said before, your mileage will vary.

Length isn't the game's problem. It's just a factor in a much larger problem: This game doesn't do much differently than 64, and what it does do differently, isn't that great.

 

[georly]

Because a lot of games back in the 90s were only a couple of hours long. That's not the case anymore.

Right, but this isn't a new zelda. This is a new starfox. If this were a zelda or mario game and you could finish it in 3 hours, people would be rightfully upset. There's precedent.

I assume the '3 hours' clear time refers to a single playthrough, no? Ignoring any replayability the game is designed around. I guess starfox is a bit unique, as it doesn't have a large multiplayer component that other short campaigns have, but starfox is clearly designed to be replayed on harder difficulties and different modes.

It arguably has less content, or at least it felt that way to me. Levels just feel really really short, and I even went back to SF64 to see.

All in all, I beat all of the alternate paths in roughly 6 hours.

What about other difficulties/etc?


Also, not trying to say the game is for you if you think it's not worth it at 50-60 bucks, that's fine. It's just, i'm not surprised at all. This is 100% what I expected out of a new star fox.

 

[brandonh83]

Or games that consist of a lot of walking + cutscenes.

Really, I don't think there's a standard "length" as far as triple A titles go depending on how you disperse content, and general game length across titles hasn't changed much since the N64 days which was when Star Fox was at it's prime. This is a game that just so happens to focus more on how you play it's elements as opposed to the amount that constitutes the specific elements.

It's simple. Let a game be what it is. Different people will find the $50 value in it. Some won't. That's totally okay for them. I'm going by the fact that I find this series fun as fuck and I do everything you can do, or try. This for me going by past experience is worth the price. It isn't a mileage per dollar scenario, same with franchises like Castlevania or Mega Man.

 

[freethoughtbubble]

Seeing 'controls have learning curve' as a negative in review summaries makes me more excited to play this. For me, a major part of the fun in games is the learning side.

High five at the bolded. Too bad most gamers (and people, let's be honest) aren't about that life, it seems.

 

[Red Devil]

Yea..I was just hoping that the rise and success of niche indie games would shift the industry in a way that would support a more variety of genres. I shouldn't be complaining though as I too am hyped for Zero.

P.S. Bless the Wii for reviving light gun games even though it was short lived.

Yeah it's a pity, I guess Star Fox in its true form might as well go back into the dark because it has no place in modern gaming.

-The exits aren't exciting: The really weren't in 64 either. One is just flying through arches on the first level, 3 are defeating the boss in a reasonable amount if time and another is scoring decently on the second level. Zoness's was pretty neat with added stealth but that's about it.

Attempting to get the warp on Sector X, and it leads you into Sector Z... Bleagh(I didn't like Sector Z).

 

[DeuceGamer]

Guard is $10 extra though if you go digital I think you get it for $5.

Guard is $15 and if you buy both Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard digitally you get $5 off.

Edit: I can appreciate the added value and instead of waiting, it made me go ahead and decide to pick it up since Guard adds value to the overall package.

 

[NotLiquid]

If they kept the same formula, sure. But if they added more of a story, or more diversity to missions, gameplay, a wider range of cool upgrades, collectibles etc, then I doubt it.

Assault basically tried this. It was received worse than this was (which is still what I'd like to call an "okay/average" game by every definition).

 

[TheSlySoul]

Right, but this isn't a new zelda. This is a new starfox. If this were a zelda or mario game and you could finish it in 3 hours, people would be rightfully upset. There's precedent.

I think I beat the original NSMB in 3 hours, LOL

 

[shortsFortallPeople]

Star Fox SNES and 64 took about 45 minutes through one course. This is an arcade inspired series.

naw, SF64 was like a two hour game, +3 if you went back and did the alt courses.

 

[brandonh83]

naw, SF64 was like a two hour game, +3 if you went back and did the alt courses.

That's what I mean. One course took about an hour tops. You're not supposed to stop with the basic course.

 

[aBarreras]

If they kept the same formula, sure. But if they added more of a story, or more diversity to missions, gameplay, a wider range of cool upgrades, collectibles etc, then I doubt it.

but then it wouldnt be star fox, right?

 

[oti]

Eh...quality?

It's still in development, but looking at the previews (which are reminding me of Sticker Star) it's not exactly looking that great.

What are those previews based on? The three minute long Direct segment? Not that I disagree with the sour first impression, but it's way too early for any meaningful preview coverage at this point.

 

[mrmickfran]

Has any reviewer said if hard mode is only unlocked through the Falco amiibo, or if one can unlock it in game?

 

[Lunar15]

but then it wouldnt be star fox, right?

How is that remotely true? Most games add more on to existing structures in their sequels.

Like I said, length ain't the deal breaker. Had the game been enjoyable for me, I woudld have happily replayed it over and over. This is why people who are fine with the controls and enjoy what the game has to offer will have no qualms with the length.

Zero often feels like less content, even though it's roughly the same. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain 64 had 15 different planets, while Zero has 13. Several of the alternate routes and missions have you going back to old planets, so it just feels like less content.

End Game Spoilers:

Spoiler

There is no traditional Venom level in the game. Instead, you go back and play a complete retread of Corneria, but with more enemies and a different boss battle. You then warp to Venom, which is a small Mario Galaxy-esque planet where you fight Star Wolf's team. It feels so lackluster compared to how the original two games handled Venom.

 

[Lionel Richie]

If they kept the same formula, sure. But if they added more of a story, or more diversity to missions, gameplay, a wider range of cool upgrades, collectibles etc, then I doubt it.

That sounds pretty much like Star Fox Adventures, which was criticized for not being Star Fox enough.

 

[Possumowner]

Oh well,I'll still play it.At least it's not shockingly bad reviews,sort of hovers around pretty good to poor,guess I'll find out

 

[Nanashrew]

How is that remotely true? Most games add more on to existing structures in their sequels.

Honestly, they still can. It's a reboot taking the series back to its roots starting with the basics and a simple story.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

If they kept the same formula, sure. But if they added more of a story, or more diversity to missions, gameplay, a wider range of cool upgrades, collectibles etc, then I doubt it.

Keep story well out of the Star Fox series. Every attempt at that has gone horribly. They should (and seem to be) embracing the campy, cheesy dialog and generic space adventure story. That's the sort of story people like from Star Fox. Not like depressed Krystal leaving Fox to find love with Wolf or junk like that.