Megalextoria

TStar Fox 64 is a 3D scrolling shooter game in which the player controls one of the vehicles piloted by Fox McCloud, usually an Arwing. Most of the game takes place in “Corridor Mode,” which forces Fox’s vehicle down a fixed path straight forward through the environment. The player can maneuver somewhat around the path and slow their vehicle temporarily, but cannot truly stop or change direction. Some stages of the game, including many bosses, take place in “All-Range Mode” by comparison (as does Multi-Player Mode). In this variant the player can move freely within the confines of a large arena to engage in combat.

In Corridor Mode, the player’s vehicle can be maneuvered around the screen to dodge obstacles and shoot incoming enemies with laser cannons, and can also perform a somersault to get behind enemies or dodge projectiles. The Arwing is also capable of deflecting enemy fire while performing a spinning maneuver called a “barrel roll” (actually an aileron roll in real life aviation terms). The Arwing and Landmaster can also charge up their laser cannons to unleash a powerful lock-on laser. The Arwing can also perform one new maneuver in All-Range Mode: an Immelmann up-and-over to change direction. In-game, this is called a U-turn.

Throughout the game, the player can fly or drive through power-ups to collect them. These include rings that charge up the vehicle’s shields, Smart Bombs, laser upgrades, wing repairs and, rarely, extra lives. Most stages also contain at least three gold rings – collecting three of these increases the vehicle’s maximum shield level. If the player successfully collects three additional gold rings in the same stage, an extra life is awarded. Aside from the maximum shield boost, all power-ups carry over to the next stage. If the player runs out of lives, the game has to be started all over, since there are no continues.

Returning from the original Star Fox are wingmen that fly beside the player in Arwings and are sometimes pursued into the player’s field of view by enemies. If the player fails to defeat the enemies chasing a wingman, that wingman may be forced to retreat to the mothership Great Fox for repairs. The wingman will then be unavailable throughout the next stage. Each wingman provides a different form of assistance to the player: Slippy Toad scans boss enemies and displays their shields on the player’s screen. Peppy Hare provides gameplay advice, and Falco Lombardi occasionally locates alternate routes through stages. Some stages also feature appearances from supporting characters that assist the team.

Star Fox 64 features a branching level system, in which more difficult paths are unlocked by completing certain objectives such as defeating a specific boss or completing the stage within a time limit. All of the game’s possible routes start at Corneria, eventually put the player in contact with the Star Wolf Team, and end in a confrontation with Andross.

Finally, to add replay challenge, the game features awardable “medals,” which are earned by accomplishing a mission with all wingmen intact and having achieved a certain hit total. These totals are often a high percentage of the total enemies on the stage, leaving little room for error. Obtaining medals results in unlocking bonus features, such as a sound test and the ability to use the Landmaster tank and fight on foot in multiplayer mode. Acquiring all medals unlocks a new Expert mode in which there are more enemies per level, the player’s Arwing takes more damage (a single direct collision with solid obstacles will destroy one of the Arwing’s wings and rid the player of any laser upgrades), and Fox wears sunglasses similar to those of his father, James McCloud. Acquiring all medals on Expert Mode unlocks a new title screen for the game; a medal on Venom in Expert Mode allows players to use the Star Fox team as foot soldiers in multiplayer mode.