Nintendo has an impressive 2015 lineup for the Wii U, including Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Mario Party 10, Splatoon and a new Legend of Zelda adventure. One of the more mysterious titles is StarFox, marking the first time we’ve seen the franchise since StarFox 64 barrel-rolled onto the 3DS in 2011.
With this new game, producer Shigeru Miyamoto promised plenty of surprises, although that didn’t stop us from creating a wish list of what we’d like to see in this promising release.
More Flight Levels
Both Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Assault deviated from the norm by including various types of vehicles along with the traditional flying levels, such as an underwater submarine with unlimited missiles and the Landmaster, a rough-and-tumble tank that dished out plenty of damage. We were happy to see these vehicles, but for the new Star Fox game, we prefer to remain inside the Arwing.
Don’t get us wrong, the submarine and Landmaster aren’t bad, it’s just that the name of the game is StarFox, thus meaning it should have plenty of space combat to go around. We’d love to see more flying missions where we put our bombs and barrel rolls to good use, rather than just rumbling around on the ground or underwater.
Traditional Flying Controls
With the Wii U tablet, Nintendo will probably consider using some form of motion controls to direct your Arwing, which isn’t a bad idea since it would make the most from the peripheral. However, being a traditional Nintendo franchise, the company shouldn’t forget about regular controls – the kind we got used to in previous Star Fox games.
An option should be made available where we can choose from either motion-based or traditional controls, so that we have the best of both worlds.
The Original Games as Unlockable Bonuses
The original StarFox and StarFox 64 left quite a legacy over the years, to the point that fans still can’t get enough of these titles. Why not include them as unlockable bonuses for the new Star Fox game?
Nintendo could easily make the games bonuses to earn as you complete missions, like the hidden jackpot machine from the original StarFox. Have players find hidden zones, complete missions with gold medals or even take on a Slippy challenge (where you try to control the craft while staying out of danger) in order to earn the games. At the very least, Nintendo should consider re-releasing them in the Virtual Console portion of the Wii U eShop, so we can at least experience them separately.
Plus, StarFox would provide a good opportunity to officially release StarFox 2. Here’s a game that was practically finished for the SNES, but Nintendo opted not to release it. The game deserves a chance to shine.
Multiplayer, Multiplayer, Multiplayer
The multiplayer aspect – first introduced with StarFox 64’s split-screen versus mode – should remain perfectly intact with the new game. We’d love to see not only the option to run and gun between team Star Fox and team Star Wolf through online play via the Nintendo Network, but also locally, through a five-player split-screen battle.
One player could play as Fox (or someone on Star Wolf), while the other players hunt after him or her within an allotted time frame. Of course, the traditional two-on-two set-up isn’t bad either. Nintendo could have a lot of fun with this mode.
Amiibo Support
Finally, with amiibo this popular, it makes sense for Nintendo to include support for its new StarFox game. The Fox McCloud amiibo is tough to find, but the Big N could always release a new figure and support characters, just as it will for Mario Party 10. Yes, that means even Slippy would get a figure – although he’d probably just get in trouble sitting on your shelf.
Expect more info on StarFox Wii U later this year.
Published: Feb 20, 2015 06:39 pm