Star Fox Zero

Star Fox Zero is the most fun I’ve had with any Wii U game to date. The title more than makes up for Fox McCloud’s conspicuous absence for a decade and proves just what a uniquely satisfying gaming experience the gamepad offers when treated as an asset by game designers, rather than a bulky requirement to work with Nintendo’s mascots. It’s beautiful, challenging, deep, addictive, and plays unlike any other space shoot em’ up I’ve ever experienced.

Star Fox Zero is the first game that really exploits the capabilities of the Wii U's gamepad. Its superb controls, great music, awesome characters and breathtaking level design make it a must have to all Nintendo's fans out there. If you were expecting a sequel to the great Star Fox 64, we can tell you that the wait is over.

Despite its poor visuals compared to other recent titles for Wii U, StarFox Zero retains the charm that made the StarFox saga a classic, almost a genre on its own, and implements a new control scheme that uses the GamePad for precise aiming. Full of hidden paths, with a great learning curve, different vehicles, and true "classic" gameplay, StarFox Zero is a MUST if you own a Wii U.

A return to form for the Star Fox franchise, Zero is a winning mix of Nintendo's innovative gameplay and Platinum straightforward, dashing action, but it can be confusing for newcomers. It will be divisive, but it shines.

It's rough around the edges, but it sports one of the best, most interesting uses of the Wii U hardware – it just takes a bit of time and effort for the control scheme to really show its true colours.

Star Fox is back with the best game of the series so far. Fun, frenetic, replayable and with the amazing final battles you can expect from Platinum Games.

Star Fox Zero is hard to master, but eventually the new control system works pretty well. Even if not all the vehicles are equally fun to play, the game is a convincing comeback of a much beloved franchise.

Star Fox Zero is an excellent shoot'em up, but at the same time an intimate tribute to an era where high scores and fun for fun's sake were king. The game offers solid gameplay, good variety and a frantic pace. A title that deserves a place in every Wii U owner's house.

It’s a little sad that Star Fox Zero, a game that wonderfully shows the benefits of the Wii U Gamepad, came out so late in the system’s life. Still, it’s worth getting for anyone who owns the console, especially if you were a fan of the series in the ’90s.

A willfully offbeat shooter with real depth. Awkward at first, but incredibly satisfying to master. [May 2016, p.76]

Fast & furious: the Fox team is back with an old-school shooter that's visually underwhelming, but that's a joy to play (even if the control scheme can be a bit tricky).

Aside from its painfully short single player campaign and “sometimes good, sometimes bad” controls, Star Fox Zero is a very fun game.

Star Fox Zero is a wonderful re-imagining of one of the most beloved games in the series, blending elements from its early history in a tasteful manner. The meatier story mode leaves you with a better sense of fulfillment over its predecessors, and while there isn’t an online leaderboard to compare best times or scores, there are other extras to keep you playing. Adapting to the new controls might take more patience than some players are willing to give, but those who stick it out are rewarded with a higher-degree of precision than previously possible. It’s by no means perfect, but it’s safe to say Miyamoto’s latest experiment is a success.

If you can handle the gyroscope, you’re in for a quality thrill ride through the Lylat System, difficult but rewarding.

Star Fox 64 remains the reigning king of this franchise in my book, but Zero is a great Star Fox game too – if you give it a chance. [Issue #21 – May/June 2016, p.75]

I found it challenging, but rewarding, vibrant and dynamic without being beyond my skillset. I don’t necessarily understand – nor agree – with people criticising the game for trying to be a streamlined dogfight simulation, but at the same time I don’t think this game has nearly done enough to push it forward.

Once you have mastered the new controls, which are only slightly tweaked, it’s a fun experience that new players and fans of the original will enjoy. It’s a shame that the game didn’t make its return earlier in the Wii U’s life cycle as I see it as a pretty decent exclusive title.

A videogame that returns to the origins of the saga without neglecting innovations. A "reboot" of classic Star Fox.

Star Fox Zero is a surprising game that gets better level after level. The unusual control scheme might be hard to master, but you'll soon discover that is the fulcrum for an original and innovative experience, shaped by the creative talent of Shigeru Miyamoto.

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.

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.

The additions made to the Wii U title are generous, with the Walker, enhanced Landmaster and Gyrowing each bringing with them different tactics, strengths and gameplay possibilities. The only issue is that while these alternative modes of transport are fun to use in short bursts, the Arwing is much more fun to pilot - especially when you're dashing through enemy armadas or engaging in thrilling dogfights using the game's all-range mode.

Star Fox Zero’s tried-and-true format and style is, at times, its greatest strength and greatest weakness. This is a brand new Star Fox shooting adventure in 2016, complete with fun new mechanics, dazzling HD graphics, and tons of secrets. On the other hand, it too often treads into remake-like feelings of familiarity. The level design is all different and unique, but the locations and the story are nearly identical.

I loved the experience Star Fox Zero provided. I felt my skills improve every time I ran a new mission and I still get cravings to just go back into the game for the feeling it offers of flying and shooting down enemies. It’s extremely disappointing that there isn’t more content to offer above its 20 levels as the Gameplay is incredibly fun for those who take the time to master it. I truly believe this could have been regarded as one of the Wii Us must-have titles, but unfortunately, the limited content and unintuitive controls hold the game back from its potential.

Feels like a return to form for the long-dormant series. The new control scheme courtesy of the Wii U GamePad makes it standout, alternate vehicles like the Arwing’s Walker form change up gameplay from existing predecessors, and the pure challenge present throughout every new area makes this a game that players will come back and jump into at a moment’s notice.

Star Fox Zero is great. It’s loads of fun, even more fun with friends, and I can’t help but recommend it. Another Wii U essential? Well, it might not be for everyone but Star Fox fans will adore it.

It’s a little short and familiar, but forget Adventures, Assault, and Command, this is the Star Fox game that we should have got a long time ago.

While there’s a lot to like about Zero, its gameplay innovations seem sometimes obstructive and the presentation fails to impress in some regards. It’s still a great game, but measured against other timeless Nintendo classics, its shortfalls hold it back from standing in the company of giants.

For a 2016 game, Star Fox Zero’s looks are poor, but that’s because it renders two pictures at the same time: on TV, you see the fighter and its surroundings, while Wii U controller shows the view from the fighter’s turret – and you can move it around to turn the turret itself. It doesn’t impact the course of fighter itself, so you can fly in one side while shooting to another.

It's more like a remake than a new part of the series. Star Fox Zero relies on the old strong points of the series but doesn't offer anything really new.

Star Fox Zero has much of the great franchise mechanics and a good aim system. However, technical issues and some problems with the targeting system are unsatisfactory.

If you are looking for something totally new, avoid this game. Star Fox Zero is mainly a classic Star Fox game, though it does comes with some fun surprises. The controls are not great and the choice in airplanes is slim, but still, this is a pretty cool action game for Wii U.

Star Fox Zero is a nice game, but a bad attempt to innovate with the Wii U Gamepad.

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.