Star Fox Zero asks you to fly an Arwing with one screen in your hands and another across the room. Nintendo and PlatinumGames built the Wii U game around that split, and it is the whole argument for and against the thing.
Fox McCloud’s Two Screens
The setup is simple enough. The left stick flies the craft while gyroscopic controls aim your weapons. A cockpit view sits on the GamePad, a cinematic view on the TV. The minus button swaps them whenever you like.
That idea is the most interesting thing here. It is also the reason the game feels like work.
The Arwing Walker and the Gyrowing
Vehicles transform, and the roster is the best part of Star Fox Zero.
- The Arwing becomes a bipedal Walker, a form pulled from the unreleased Star Fox 2, for platforms and tight spaces.
- The Landmaster tank becomes the Gravmaster, good for short bursts of aerial maneuvering.
- The Gyrowing, a new drone-like helicopter, lowers a robot called Direct-i to hack computers or drop explosive cubes on enemies.
Laser upgrades and smart bombs round out the loadout. The charge shot, barrel roll, somersaults and U-Turns all return.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| On-rails | Puts the player on a predetermined path |
| All-Range | Lets the player move freely in a closed-off space |
There is no life system. Lose the vehicle, or miss an objective on some stages, and the mission restarts.
A Reimagining, Not a Remake
Star Fox Zero is the sixth game in the series and a reimagining of Star Fox 64. Miyamoto has said it is not a remake, not a sequel and not a prequel. The levels, graphics and boss fights drew praise. The short length and the control scheme drew complaints. So did the familiarity.
Star Fox Guard, a standalone tower defense game, shipped bundled with it.
The split-screen idea is real, and it works best in the Walker sections where the two views finally earn each other. Everywhere else it is a tax on attention. The Gyrowing is the freshest thing in the package, and it gets the least room.
Star Fox Zero is a game you respect more than you enjoy.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
