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CheatCC’s Official Call to Delay Star Fox Zero

CheatCC’s Official Call to Delay Star Fox Zero

I got my Nintendo 64 later than most of my friends, but I still remember it so clearly. I got an N64 for my birthday the summer before I started the third grade. My family and I were moving away from my childhood home to live in a bigger house about half an hour away, and I was rezoned to go to a different school. At the time it seemed like the end of the world. Our house was big, empty, and frightening. None of the smells were familiar. I didn’t know a single kid in my neighborhood and I was terrified at the prospect of finding a new group of friends at a new school. That summer leading up to the new school year would have been awful if not for one thing: Star Fox 64.

For most of you, the first N64 game you played was Super Mario 64, which is obviously a timeless game, but there was something about Star Fox 64 that I really needed during that time. I wouldn’t have traded it for any other game. Knowing every secret path in every stage gave me a comforting sense of direction and grounding during a confusing time, and I just loved to fly. That game really took hold of my imagination, and piloting my Arwing was a total escape. Star Fox 64 is also the reason that I play every game – be it an FPS, an adventure game, platformer, you name it – with the Y-axis inverted.

Because Star Fox is so near and dear to me, I was glad to hear the latest rumors that speculate Star Fox Zero may be delayed again. Originally the game was set to be released by holiday 2015, but Nintendo delayed it until this April in order to improve the controls and polish it up a bit. I was perfectly fine with that. I mean come on, a new Star Fox game developed by Nintendo and Platinum? How could this not be incredible? Except from what I hear, the game is shaping up poorly.

While the gameplay sequences I’ve watched in demos seem promising, and I’m sure that the presentation is still the same, cheesy, melodramatic storytelling that we know and love, it seems as though the controls aren’t what they should be. New players are consistently putting down how the game feels , and the feel of Star Fox 64 is what made me fall in love with it in the first place. I’m seeing a lot of people repeat the following sentiment: “If Nintendo delays this game again, I’m going to be pissed.” I, on the other hand, am hoping for just that.

CheatCC’s Official Call to Delay Star Fox Zero

One investigative reporter stated that QA testing for Star Fox Zero is a going horribly, and it’s kind of coming down to the wire. If Star Fox Zero is going to come out in April it will be due for certification very soon, but there’s always a chance that QA could recommend Nintendo delay the game once more. Honestly – and I’m saying this as a huge fan – if the motion and tilt controls aren’t spot-on, I’d rather Nintendo scrap them altogether and make us wait another 6 months than release a game that’s not fun to play in April.

Now, I’m trying to observe the silver lining here. It’s possible that this is all hearsay, and it’s possible that all of the journalists who played the demo just sucked at using the motion controls like they were meant to be used. I did hear one reporter say that it reminded him a lot of Splatoon which, if you know me at all, you’ll know is music to my freaking ears. The subject of motion controls vs. dual analogue stick controls in Splatoon is a divisive one, but I guaran-damn-tee you that if you get used to using motion controls in that game you’ll never look back, and you’ll realize that you can play much faster and shoot much more accurately than ever before. If SF0 controls are at all comparable, I’ll be in good shape.

On the other hand, I also want this game to sell really well. I want more Star Fox games; I’d love to see one on the NX when the time comes. While I may be content with a a control scheme that revolves primarily around the use of the gamepad and its motion controls, I’d be willing to wait longer to play the game if it meant Nintendo and Platinum finding a solution for players who refuse to play that way. If it’s going to ruin the game for the majority of potential buyers, then it’s not worth pushing forward.

What do you guys think? Have you seen the Star Fox Zero demos, and have you watched the players using the gamepad? If the game uses motion controls exclusively and forces you to aim and shoot using the gamepad screen through multiple segments – is that a deal-breaker? I’d like to know how you feel about it.

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