Star Fox 64 was released in the US on June 30th, 1997, and still holds as the most beloved space shooter in the series 20 years later. Set in a planetary solar system known as the Lylat system, players take control of Fox McCloud who heads a four-member crew that is the Star Fox team. A General Pepper hires Star Fox when the planet Corneria is invaded by a sinister scientist that is known as Andross. From there, players then embark on a series of missions with the ultimate goal of taking down Andross and his evil forces. These missions can vary from on-rail shooters to free-range aerial dog fights. They also come in an interesting variety of locations and ship types, ranging from tank missions across an industrial railway to undersea diving in a submarine. Each and every mission in this game is a unique and memorable experience.
That said, the game is a relatively short experience, clocking at just about one hour. But there are several factors that make this a game worth playing over and over again. As previously stated, there are a great variety of planets and missions in this game. However, players will only experience 7 of the 15 planets in any given play-through. This is because many missions have multiple routes or objectives in which lead to different bosses and/or subsequent planets. Finding these hidden paths is half the fun and adds a lot of replay-ability to this game. This also helps curve the difficulty in the game, as failing to find these hidden paths or to clear the additional objectives will lead players to the easier planets. If players are skilled enough to take the hardest route though, they are treated to a hidden final boss with a second better ending. Additionally, this game is very much like an arcade experience meant for quick plays and high scores. Earn a high enough score on a mission to earn a medal, and earn all the medals to unlock an Expert Mode and some nifty shades for your foxy protagonist.
Aside from all this, this game is also beloved for its tight controls and amazingly corny dialogue. The banter between your crew members and dog fights with enemy crews have spawned dozens upon dozens of quotable and memorable lines. So while Star Fox 64 may seem like a simple and cheesy game (of which it assuredly is), it has a lot of hidden depth and charm in its simplicity. If you've never played this classic, do yourself a favor and "Do a barrel roll".
Fun Fact: If you type "Do a barrel roll" into a Google Search, the entire Google page will in fact do a barrel roll and rotate 360 degrees.
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