Star Fox Zero isn't quite a remake, then, but it most definitely feels like a reunion, where heart-warming bursts of nostalgia and shared memories occasionally give way to bouts of awkward shuffling. It's enjoyable enough, and if you've any affection for Star Fox 64 it's worth showing up, but there'll definitely be moments where you wish you were elsewhere.

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The result is more a loose collection of segments than anything approaching a complete experience. It’s a tech demo for equipment long past its prime. Longtime fans will find some occasional pleasures, as all the old touchstones—rings, warp zones, a robotic voice saying “Good luck”—at least offer an illusion of continuity. But the illusion only goes so far. With no rise and fall to the experience, and no growing intensity outside of a handful of irritating difficulty spikes, Zero resembles a racing game with a limited series of tracks to choose from, a forced and utterly unconvincing story, and not much else. Even a short racing game gives you something fun to drive.

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Star Fox Zero is, without a doubt, the follow-up to Lylat Wars / Star Fox 64 that fans have been waiting for. Sure, it includes some elements that appeared in previous games – but every single familiar element that is returned is subsequently rejigged or reworked into something truly unique and special. There’s fantastic boss battles. There’s on-foot segments (kind of) that don’t ruin the game’s pacing. There’s a wide variety of vehicles that can transform on-the-fly. There’s fantastic potential for replayability and arcade style score chasing.

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Star Fox Zero is, simply put, a great Wii U game. While the control scheme is unconventional, it's fitting for a game that goes out of its way to surprise you with additional modes, trophy rewards, hidden locations, and a spin-off with gameplay never before attempted within the series. Which, in a way makes sense. Star Fox 64 was incredible, after all. Of course a game inspired by it would be amazing in its own right. And Star Fox Zero is. Once you find your footing, you'll be proud to be part of Team Star Fox.

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Vampirolol's kind summary of his review (since it's in Italian) said:

I gave it a solid 9/10. The game is so good, my only complaints are about graphics and controls that need some practice. Personally in a few hours I learned and fell in love with the controls, dual screen is completely justified by the game itself. Overall the gameplay, the difficulty level, the fantastic score and the secrets to find make it a worthy Star Fox game. As always you will finish the game in a few hours and then complete it in like... well, lots of hours.
The story is half Nintendo half Platinum epicness, I would have prefered something like W101 but this still managed to be awesome. Some will say that it borrows too much from SF64 and maybe that it kinda recycles some enemies, but every level is an experience on its own. Loved it.

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Star Fox Zero is a classic Star Fox game that stays true to the formula set by its predecessors. With a focus on replayability, unlockable content, discovering alternate paths, and pushing for higher scores, fans of the SNES original and Star Fox 64 will find that the game has everything they love about the franchise and plenty more. In the current gaming era, it is rare to see an on-rail arcade shooter like this release, and that makes Star Fox Zero a treat for Wii U owners. It plays and feels like a successor to Star Fox 64, and fans of the franchise shouldn’t miss out.

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Star Fox Zero is a solid entry in one of Nintendo's most underused franchises, and - if the forthcoming Zelda does indeed straddle the generational divide and launch on both Wii U and NX - arguably the last great Wii U exclusive.

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I enjoyed saving the Lylat System once again, but give me a year and this experience might just blend in with Star Fox 64 since it shares so much DNA with that classic.

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The sort of expertly orchestrated action you’d expect from a team-up between Nintendo and Platinum, but the lack of innovation is a little disappointing.

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Star Fox Zero’s fun stages and impressive boss fight give me lot of reasons to jump back in and play them over and over, and especially enjoyed them in co-op until I got a hang of juggling two screens myself. I’ve played 15 hours and I still haven’t found everything. Learning to use the unintuitive controls is a difficult barrier to entry, though it comes with a payoff if
you can stick with it.

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The motion controls are decent and there are some great levels, but Star Fox Zero lacks replayability - a problem given that a dedicated player can probably knock it out in less than a day. Still, the level design has merit, and the second half of the game in particular is a reminder of how great Star Fox can be. Star Fox Zero falls short in a lot of ways; but for better or worse, it's still the best game the series has seen in years.

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If you can manage to overcome the controls and go in to the game understanding that this is not an entirely new experience, there’s a great deal of fun to be had with Star Fox Zero. It might not be the game that the Wii U faithful were imagining when rumors began to spread that Star Fox would make its way into the new generation, but I have a feeling Nintendo fans are going to find a lot to appreciate.

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Star Fox Zero is a pleasant return for Fox McCloud and his merry squadron, albeit one with a few flaws that stops it from sitting alongside the Wii U's best.

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Though I feel like I've seen most of this adventure before, Zero is a good-looking homage with some new locations to find and challenges to overcome. It doesn't supplant Star Fox 64, but it does its legacy justice.

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While Star Fox Zero offers up some exhilarating dogfights with a unique control scheme that actually makes motion controls work, its highest highs are let down all too frequently by repetitive, mundane on-rails segments that sour the freedom that the game gives you in short bursts.

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Star Fox Zero is like visiting a place you remember fondly, but have outgrown

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If you’re a fan of the genre, a Star Fox junkie, or someone who’s simply curious about this type of experience, Star Fox Zero is worth checking out. It’s just not what it could’ve been, and hovers between decent and pretty good as a result. That said, it’s still a pretty enjoyable way to spend some time with one of gaming’s most iconic characters.

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As much as there is to love in Star Fox Zero, sadly the awkward controls of various vehicles, and the horrendous forced second viewpoint and gyroscope targeting of regular Arwing and Landmaster stages almost ruin the entire experience. There are tremendous highs when the core Star Fox controls kick back in, but moments of frustration are present that simply wouldn't have been if feedback from early hands-on reports had been taken on-board. Learning curve or not, the forced control system is simply a disaster that needs to be patched out in a future update as it spoils what could have been a truly wondrous return to form. Thankfully, though, there are new vehicles brought in to expand the game considerably, along with some wonderful presentation and well developed stages, which do enough to keep the experience feeling fresh and enjoyable enough.

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At the core of Star Fox Zero lies a somewhat enjoyable experience. Multiple mission branches, different styles of missions, a steady framerate, an enjoyable musical score and vehicle variance make for a competent core gameplay system. It’s the disastrous gyroscopic controls, short campaign, outdated visuals and terrible voice acting that bog gameplay down. You have to overlook a bevy of flaws to enjoy the game for its core mechanics, which is quite the unfortunate turn for the storied franchise.

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As a game that lives and dies on its mechanics, Star Fox Zero is only intermittently successful at selling its dual screen dynamics. It’s at its best during the classic Arwing sections, but the Walker form becomes overly fiddly and the different viewpoints often cause more problems than they solve. Sadly it’s somewhat fitting that one of the final Wii U first-party games still doesn’t convince us on the viability of a dual-screen home console.

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Star Fox Zero swings from one pole to the other, oscillating between satisfying homage and unwieldy slog.

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There is a good game somewhere inside Star Fox Zero, but its forced reliance on the Gamepad's screen and motion controls cause it to barrel roll right into mediocrity.

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All of this would have been welcome in the early 2000s, but the years of disappointing follow-ups and the overall progression of industry standards leads to Star Fox Zero having the impact of an HD rerelease rather than a full sequel. Being able to beat the game in 2-3 hours doesn't help, no matter how many branching paths or lackluster challenge missions are included. Even the moment-to-moment action doesn't have anywhere near the impact that it had almost two decades ago, as this limited style of gameplay feels dated in 2016. Nintendo finally released the Star Fox game that I thought I wanted, but it leaves me wondering what place Fox McCloud has in today’s gaming landscape.

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What we see is a terrifying game wrapped in a charming coating with lots to do if you're so inclined. The main game is satisfying on its own, and throw in the excellent My Squad online mode and you've got yourself a party. Player beware; you're in for a scare.

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Smaller and tighter in focus than Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard utilises the Wii U’s abilities in a far more cohesive and enjoyable manner than its bombastic sibling. Fun and frantic, it marks a unique take on a well known genre, which, with typical flair, Nintendo have made their own.

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Star Fox Guard might not be as big or as ambitious as Star Fox Zero it’s still a very enjoyable experience that the developers have poured just as much heart and soul into. It’s got a good variety of challenges, lots of unlockables and a great slew of enemies to keep things interesting throughout the entire experience.

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Star Fox Guard is a fun action-tower defense game about managing different perspectives to put out fires as you use your resources to grow an awesome arsenal of robot-busting turrets. Its graphics are plain considering Nintendo’s artistic pedigree, but it’s still an elegant little game that can get a whole room of friends working together.

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Star Fox Guard is as unbearably tense, and frighteningly stressful as it is fun. It may look like a simple, throwaway digital game, but it could be better than the game its packaged with.

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It's fully featured and has a nice long single player campaign. So what if it’s a little repetitive, you didn’t pay anything for it so what does it matter if you never finish it. However Star Fox Guard is also being sold as a separate game digitally via the eShop. Here is where it’s a little harder to justify. As a party game it’s a great experience to have with your friends, and one that can only be accomplished on Wii U. As a single player offering it may not keep you entertained.

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Star Fox Guard is a smart use of the GamePad controller, by using the touch-screen as a radar to add another layer of what's happening on the TV screen. A simple concept that has an arcade, frantic feel whilst slotting into the Star Fox universe with a handful of cheesy (though unfortunately voiceless) dialogue. The game perhaps could have done with more tower defence elements to extend the idea further, but as a standalone package it's a compelling little gem that does well in framing the GamePad's benefits and is worth a try.

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Star Fox Zero’s fun stages and impressive boss fight give me lot of reasons to jump back in and play them over and over, and especially enjoyed them in co-op until I got a hang of juggling two screens myself. I’ve played 15 hours and I still haven’t found everything. Learning to use the unintuitive controls is a difficult barrier to entry, though it comes with a payoff if you can stick with it.

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Scrawnton said:

Hoping for good reviews because id love to have a good Star Fox game.

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Kenzodielocke said:

Giantbomb - 2/5

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Star Fox Zero is, without a doubt, the follow-up to Lylat Wars / Star Fox 64 that fans have been waiting for. Sure, it includes some elements that appeared in previous games – but every single familiar element that is returned is subsequently rejigged or reworked into something truly unique and special. There’s fantastic boss battles. There’s on-foot segments (kind of) that don’t ruin the game’s pacing. There’s a wide variety of vehicles that can transform on-the-fly. There’s fantastic potential for replayability and arcade style score chasing.

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Star Fox Guard might not be as big or as ambitious as Star Fox Zero it’s still a very enjoyable experience that the developers have poured just as much heart and soul into. It’s got a good variety of challenges, lots of unlockables and a great slew of enemies to keep things interesting throughout the entire experience.

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Kenzodielocke said:

Giantbomb - 2/5

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Pros: Great level variety, perfect difficulty, fast tempo, high replay value, wonderful music, pleasant environmental design, a host of extra content to unlock, fun bosses

Cons: Frustrating controls, short, primitive graphics

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Kenzodielocke said:

Giantbomb - 2/5

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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DoctorWho said:

I kind of still want that game.

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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At the core of Star Fox Zero lies a somewhat enjoyable experience. Multiple mission branches, different styles of missions, a steady framerate, an enjoyable musical score and vehicle variance make for a competent core gameplay system. It’s the disastrous gyroscopic controls, short campaign, outdated visuals and terrible voice acting that bog gameplay down. You have to overlook a bevy of flaws to enjoy the game for its core mechanics, which is quite the unfortunate turn for the storied franchise.

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Chacranajxy said:

That comes across as more of a recommendation than they probably wanted it to be. Video games were pretty cool in 2002.

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ThePeoplesBureau said:

If this game got 11/10 across the board, people would still find reasons to trash it.

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Social said:

Eurogamer

They dind't seem to like it that much.

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It's enjoyable enough, and if you've any affection for Star Fox 64 it's worth showing up

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Kenzodielocke said:

Giantbomb - 2/5

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DecoReturns said:

Games were better around 2002, so I'll take it.

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Matush said:

"It's the Star Fox game you wanted...in 2002." LOL

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