u/redDKtie

I'm playing through all the Starfox games leading up to The Switch 2 game. Having a blast. And luckily most of the games are short for just a single playthrough.

I played Command when it came out in 06 and I have fond memories of it, but I haven't played it since. And as of right now this game has me stumped and frustrated. So I'm wondering if I'm missing something or doing something wrong.

Getting off Corneria was easy enough. I wanted to go back and rescue Peppy, but that option was locked for some reason. So I went ahead to Fichina.

Before I get ahead of myself... Is there no way to just do normal controls in this game without the touchscreen? It feels terrible trying to fly the Arwing. Why did they map everything to touch gestures? Can I set my d-pad to boost/break/roll?

Anyway, Fichina... I must've attempted this planet 6 times before I got the "right" strategy with the paths to both prevent Great Fox destruction AND get enough cores to complete the level without running out of turns. Which kinda feels like BS if you ask me. Why do I have limited turns? I thought this game was going to let me sort of explore but apparently it's more about doing the exact right strategy. Pretty frustrating if you ask me.

On that note, is there any flying in this game that isn't just "destroy X number of enemies within the time limit?" I thought there were some on-rails sections of this game but maybe I'm misremembering.

So I finally beat Fichina, I feel accomplished and I'm ready for the next challenge. Then Star Wolf shows up and now for some reason the game thinks I'm ready for a 3 on 1 dogfight, with limited time, and infinite bombs everywhere.

After several tries, I ran out of lives and just closed the DS.

Hopefully I'm missing some big obvious detail that will make the game more fun, because I'd like to play it, but as of right now it kinda sucks.

Tl;dr - Can you remap buttons or change the control scheme? Is there a difficulty setting? Why does this game hate me?

Unless you've been living on another planet, you've experienced the wide divide on Fox and company's new look. Especially within the fanbase.

I'm here to pitch what may not be that crazy of an idea, but I haven't seen it discussed yet.

That Nintendo chose this design explicitly because it would be divisive.

Point #1: The best marketing is word of mouth.

Marketing is expensive as heeeeelllll. So if you can get people talking about your thing, that's both free and (usually) more effective than throwing a wide net. And history has shows us that a negative headline is better for sales than no headline at all. Being note-worthy, whether it's positive or negative, gets attention. Which is in short supply. So from a marketing perspective it makes sense to present a slightly off aesthetic that will get people talking, even arguing. Because it will stay in the conversation. Studies show that people might tell 1-3 other people if they had a positive experience at a restaurant, but if they had a negative experience, that number skyrockets.

Point #2: Nintendo's designers aren't blind.

We've all seen the posts. Amateur photoshoppers slightly redesigning Fox and the crew to be more appealing. Do we actually think the professionals at Nintendo didn't know what they were doing? No. They presented several options and intentionally chose the one that would create buzz. Again. Even negative buzz is advantageous. Especially when it's something as inoffensive as "how Starfox looks".

Point #3: Starfox at it's core.

In my humble, 40 year old, fan since 1997 opinion, the MOST important thing about a Starfox flight game is the feeling of the Arwing in your hands. It's what separates a 29 year old game from the countless indie attempts since. It's why I have trouble playing Starfox 64 on anything other than an original N64 on a CRT. (I'm not saying that's how you have to play it, I'm just saying that what I prefer. You do you. More power to you. I ain't no gatekeeper). The primary complaint about Starfox Assault, as much as I love that game, is the on-foot and Landmaster controls. And let's not get started on Zero again.

All that to say, nobody is actively choosing to NOT buy this game because of the aesthetic. Flying in this game looks like a euphoric dreamscape to a Starfox fan. Everything else is toppings on an already delicious orange sorbet. And that's exactly why Nintendo did this. They CHOSE the controversy. And it goes without saying that Starfox games have a history with controversy.

Tl;dr - Nintendo intentionally chose a slightly off artistic style that would in no way hinder gameplay so that they could control a "controversy" which would keep people talking about the game without hindering sales. Which is a form of free, word of mouth marketing

Edit: This came off more cynical than I intended. Lots of great points in the comments. I certainly had a negative reaction to the reveal, and have since softened on it. Though I don't think I'll ever get over fox let's with human arms 😅