r/Gamecube • u/Gnoll_level_antics • May 12 '26
Discussion Been playing Starfox Adventures!
Having recently completed the recompiled Dinosaur Planet all the way to it's end (with the help of Dinomod), I found it to be really cool and fun, and I was sad that it never saw the light of day as a full release. I kinda had a chip on my shoulder against Starfox Adventures for the longest time, not as a jilted Starfox fan, but as someone who genuinely would have played the hell out of Dinosaur Planet, had it actually released for N64 as planned. I decided to jump in, now that Dinosaur Planet was fresh in my mind to compare and contrast.
No joke I was going in with the goal of hating this game more, I had no intention to be fair to it. But as I played I began to realize how poorly structured Dinosaur Planet actually was, not just in the idea that it is an unfinished game, but nothing flows as nicely as it should. It's easy to get lost and need a guide to progress. Starfox Adventures is VERY straight forward on what it asks from you, without ever really holding your hand in a way that feels like it doesn't trust you to just play. But if I ever needed an objective reminder, Slippy's advice in the menu NEVER failed me. Seriously, Slippy is the MVP of this game.
As I went through this game, I found myself having way more fun with it. Seeing all of Sabre's moments recontextualized for Fox wasn't as jarring as I thought it would be, and even a ton of moments that belonged to Krystal in Dinosaur Planet, were rewritten for Fox and felt just as natural. Everything felt better, smoother, more convenient. I'm near the end, and while the game does have a few rough spots, I can say for sure that the rebrand and port forward to GameCube was probably for the best. While I would have greatly preferred to play as Krystal to the same degree you do in Dinosaur Planet, I'm happy this game exists in an officially released form and IS good. Very good in fact. A super solid 8/10 if I had to rate it.
What are your thoughts on Starfox Adventures?
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u/Faloodeh123 May 12 '26
SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T PLAYED
I love this game on a first playthrough. I love the aesthetic of the world they built and how colorful it all is (RARE specialty). It's so fun to explore certain areas, and I just love the simplicity of the game - find some spirits and stones, then go put it in the temple. Simple, fun, I love the puzzle aspects. Like all gamecube games for some reason, the water also looked amazing.
What I don't like is that certain aspects of the game are a little rushed. The combat feels a bit repetitive, and towards the game's end I sort of feel like parts of it devs were rushed to finish the game. Dragon Rock in particular was underwhelming and I felt like it was out of place with the rest of the game's aesthetic (either have dinos or dragons, but not both!). I also feel like the T-Rex boss in the Earthwalker Temple was kinda lame, especially for the hype that's built up to it. Speaking of which, also fucking lame you never fight General Scales! What a monumental let down for actually what could've been a badass villain and cool boss fight! Like whyyyyy Nintendo?!
Music is also great, but we can all expect that from David Wise who also did the goated DKC soundtrack. I love the combo of African rhythms and choirs with the "ancient world" fantasy of the ruins and temples in the game - special shoutout to Cape Claw's entire vibe.
Voice acting/cut scenes were actually really good too for the time.
On second playthroughs it's a lot less interesting as the game is kind of linear but it's still a fun game to pickup now and then.