Star Fox 64 3D Preview

Do a barrel... oh forget it.

You know how they say that some things are just like riding a bike. That's not true. There are some actions that are very easy to forget. If you haven't juggled in years you're bound to drop something. That goes for those classic video games you used to play. Goldeneye 007 is nothing like you remember it.

It requires a lot of work to stay competent at classic video games. That's why I play Star Fox 64 through once a year. The classic Nintendo game from the 64 bit console of my youth suffers from a horrible vulnerable frame rate and muddy graphics now but some loves never fade. The secret item pick ups, alternative routes through the world map, and timeless dialog kept me coming back for more all these years.

Star Fox 64 3D brings back all of those things and wraps it in a beautiful new visual wrapper, and a 3D one at that. Nintendo's remastered clasic shooter brings back the Arwings, enemies, and environments with a crisp, vibrant flair. Everything seems shiny and new with enhanced textures and even more polygons. Something tells me we're not on Corneria anymore. The E3 2011 demo available in Los Angeles provided three separate levels in Score Attack mode, as well as four player wireless ad hoc multiplayer.

Corneria (thanks to Sara_Gunn), Meteo, and Solar were available for players. Each level felt practically copied and pasted into Star Fox 64 3D. If you're not a fan of Star Fox, this factor won't matter. If you're a purist with love that lived and died with Star Fox pre-Rare, this is a huge deal. I've [image]1always though of Star Fox 64 as Super Mario, but in space and you shoot. Alternate pathways are available should you follow a specific flight pattern or succeed in particular maneuvers. Maybe that means an extra bomb or even a gold ring. It also means alternate endings to levels and new pathways to the boss. It makes sense when you think about the fact that Miyamoto directed Star Fox, Star Fox 2, and Star Fox 64.

Star Fox 64 3D's multiplayer mode is harder to react so positively to. While online multiplayer seems like a no-brainer, Nintendo has confirmed that you'll be able to dogfight with friendsm, but only if they're in the same room. While it's kind of cool seeing your opponents face hovering above their ship or in your kill records, it almost seems like online isn't supported specifically for this rather lackluster feature. I'd much rather have an endless pool of opponents at any time. Trust me, online does not need to support everyone putting a picture of a penis up to the camera after kills.

Overall, unabashed fanboys like me will justify the purchase of a Nintendo 3DS for Star Fox 64 3D. Everyone else may wait and see.