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Star Fox 64 3D

Star Fox 64 3D

We've got a situation. One of the "screenshots don't do this justice" variety.

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In grabbing fresh screens of Starfox 3D, it's immediately obvious they do little to convey the true beauty of the game.

For the first time since we've seen the disclaimer along the lines of "2D representation of a 3D image", we groan. Because after swooping through a three-level demo that was hotter than the laser-fire scorching our Arwings, we're left with the opinion that this is the best demonstration yet of the handheld's 3D abilities. Cliche it is, but you need to see this running with your own eyes.

Incredibly, Star Fox 64 3D (or Lylat Wars 3D, to assume once more the legal-friendly moniker it originally wore when arriving on these shores in 1997) amazes even more than Ocarina of Time with its arrival on the handheld.

While Nintendo's first 3D Link adventure has been re-released multiple times through special edition compilations and digital downloads, Lylat Wars only hit consoles twice: the N64 on first release, then an appearance on Wii's Virtual Console.

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And despite the franchise's integral part in gaming advancements (the SNES original Starwing used the Super FX Chip to produce until then unseen graphical achievements on home console, while Lylat Wars was bundled with the Rumble Pak controller add-on, a precursor to all hardware companies adopting rumble tech in their control pads) you'd unlikely see the first two titles, seen as the best of the bunch, charting highly in any Top gaming 100s. Like Kirby, Star Fox has never had as much impact as other Nintendo series in the West.

Fifteen minutes with its repackaged and redone 3DS version though, and two thoughts solidify. One, as much as Ocarina, the game proves Nintendo games are truly timeless, and two, the console's creator is still ahead of anyone else in utilising the 3DS successfully, remaining the James Cameron of this new technology.

Star Fox was always going to be a game to which 3D was its perfect match. Gameplay, flying into the screen while shooting your way through intergalactic battlefields that stretched out into the distance, realises its true breath-taking potential with the increased depth of field, with the 3D effect adding extra tension to some of the best space dogfights seen outside Star Wars.

We get a trio of levels to try today - soaring into a planet-wide invasion in opening stage Corneria, navigating mile-wide asteroids and dodging the sort of traps that'd make General Ackbar proud in Meteo, and roasting the underbelly of our Arwings as we plunge along the surface of a sun in Solar. A diverse bunch, and a good look at the improved detailing that comes from the visual upgrade, and what benefits are gained from 3D.

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It's in the latter two levels this really shines; we find ourselves unconsciously ducking and moving to the side as we nip through the tiny split-second gaps as massive meteors grind against each other and sail dangerously close to our craft, while the introduction of the boss that ends Solar is nothing short of spectacular, as it bursts out of the lava below and thrusts its roaring face towards us. We idly wonder whether Nintendo had its hands on a DeLorean back in 97 - the game's rammed with the type of money-shots that Hollywood's crowbarring into 3D movies today.

But as Avatar reviews can contest, all the spectacle is worthless if layered onto a damn squib. Yet Starfox is ferocious with your reflexes.

While it's easy to survive your flight past Corneria's invaders, trying to rid the planet's surface of them all is near impossible on first try, and this is even before you start dealing with combo chains, ring collections and perfecting barrel rolls to spiral your through a the eye of a needle; or in the this case, a series of tightly-packed arches. To score big requires either religious interference, or repeated play.

Starfox holds up to repetition, and even though we discover how rusty our reactions are in the time between them, fourteen-year old memory meets today's gaming standards and finds nothing lacking.

This is still a joy to play even with a fleet of shooters having past through our hands in the last decade. From the slick responsiveness of our Arwings, the precision needed from lining up charged shots for maximum damage - tactical release when enemies are grouped for a few seconds earns higher score chains - and the switch from corridor blasting to open area boss fights.

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Be it the choice of multiple routes, the memorable stages (we can't wait to play the space armada level in 3D), the Star Wars-style story, or the Score Attack mode that'll be the make of the game's longevity long after your triumphant flight out of Venom, the game offers galaxy-spanning appeal.

Nintendo has pulled off a double-whammy; a score attack-heavy shooter that's encased in that classic Nintendo flair that keeps the action enjoyable for all. Starfox is a rare breed, and reminds you that its developer can pull off such quality titles with such ease that it borders on criminal. Needless to say, we cannot wait to get our hands on with the final game.

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Star Fox 64 3D

REVIEW. Written by Gillen McAllister

"It's an oddity in Nintendo's catalogue, riffing as it does on popular culture - Star Wars, Top Gun - while applying a large side order of Score Attack mechanics."

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Star Fox 64 3D

Star Fox 64 3D

PREVIEW. Written by Gillen McAllister

"We idly wonder whether Nintendo had its hands on a DeLorean back in '97 - the game's rammed with the type of 3D money shots that Hollywood of today loves."



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