21:30 The body language... You can tell Wolf isn't truely mad at Bill because his ears never sweep back. When his dad scolds him earlier, you can see how they would react when he's scared or frustrated. *Chef's kiss*
Sadly, this is still technically fan fiction. On the bright side, there do exist some fan fictions out there that are as well-written as this, just without the luxury of having any art to go with them, much less animation or sound.
"James...please." A part of me feels that Andross did really want James to work with him without force or malice. For a moment he dropped the dictator side to ask a friend hoping that would sway him over.
I do appreciate that while Andross is still absolutely a maniacal dictator in this... there is a genuinely "human" side to his character and he's not twirling his moustache. He has an ultimately un-selfish goal that he's working toward. Yeah, it involves taking over the system, but it's WHY he wants to that's important here. He found something - something he truly believes is an imminent threat to all of Lylat. And he doesn't think they're ready for it.
@@BlaziethIf it's what I think it is (according to this show), he may have been right 10, 15 years ago, but who could predict they would've been ready 20 years later?
@@Brandonious15987 The Aparoids? Thatd be crazy. :O I do wonder what it was Andross was referring to when he said "you saw what was on the other side of the hole."
Matt did a great job voicing him. Really shows his character range. As an Italian American, I feel like he really got the cadence right. Just the right amount of silly and endearing.
That whole exchange between Coba and James, the parental taunting between Wolf and his dad, and how incredibly faceted Andross was in this episode. The balance of comedy and drama was perfect.
This is a master class in facial animation and acting, the subtleties are amazing. When Farah is watching Wolf fly off in the ship, when James takes a moment before leaving Peppy on the train, when Andross's expression changes after James rejects his offer, hell even the lingering shot on Pigma trying to figure out wtf these two were talking about in the car. The world doesn't contain enough chef kiss emojis~
Even little things like when she’s looking at Wolf in the car and then when Fox says her name, her eyes shift very very slightly but clearly they move to look at Fox when he calls her name. He didn’t have to do that at all, but it’s a sweet details that adds up to make things feel more alive
Seriously. The amount of subtleties found in animation are so infinite. And Matt figured out how to draw it and stage it better than many big budget animated films with entire teams animating.
Not to mention, in the in one close shot of Pigma in the car... you can see the guilt on Pigma's face as he's struggling with the decision he made to betray Fox. He isn't just a one-off asshole like he is in the games - Matt gives him some depth in the little screen time he has. LOVE this episode so much.
6:58 The way Wolf’s dad affectionately glances over at Fox while he’s playing video games conveys so much character. Gruff retired military divorcee genuinely cares about the next generation. Maybe some pining for Fox’s innocence that he, James, and now his own son have lost. I dunno man. Little moments like that make this work stand out so much.
omfg I totally got that scene wrong. He saying not knowing when the father is back and then looking at the kid-fox AND THEN THE WOMAN SAYING "A HORRIBLE LIFE RUINING DISASTER"... I... I thought it was implied that he did the no-no with Fox.....
i made a comment just like that. its almost like he pity's the poor lad for losing his mom and now he has a pop that drops him off for him to pupsit to do who knows what and here fox is playing games probably to cope and get away from the real world.
It explains how they ended up as mercs. Ticking off the wrong people in the military can see your career hit a dead end...even if Farahs father could pull strings to keep her in it.
@@warherojango936 Too right. Allowing someone who wasn't supposed to be on base takes a military starcraft that's probably worth over a million. Yeah...that's definitely going to kill whatever promising military careers, they got planned for the future.😮😅
Yeah I mean damn. What Wolf did...that right there is cold as shit man. That's a real dick move. He used Fara and left her in the worst way possible. I mean you can see it in her eyes, the utter heartbreak and betrayal. Not to mention he pretty much killed whatever promising military career she had planned for herself.
@@warherojango936 The fact that wolf didn't have a keycard and manipulated Farah and Bill led me to believe that he already got kicked out or discharged somehow. That's why he knew how to get a ship but didn't have access for it. My guess is he flew that one off to start his career as a mercenary.
Bro, I feel like the voice actor actually stayed awake for like a week in order to achieve that tired, weary, mentally-beaten-to-shit delivery. It’s fucking incredible.
I love how beltino, scientist and engineer, designer and manufacturer of the most advanced dogfighter plane in existance, creator of an engine capable of disrupting gravitational fields, gets to work by bus
"Only I have the brains to rule Lylat" *The whole audience cheers and applauses* It felt more like a fourth wall breaking because when he said his iconic line I was literally laughing and clapping lol The audience on that scene is us cheering at the reference
I love how "lived in" this world feels. Oftentimes in fan animations, the "atmosphere" is missed. The soap commercial, the interaction with Wolf's dad, Fara pulling Fox aside to ask about a video game (while Fox disinterestedly tries to describe it in five seconds to get back to playing the video game) - like, this is how people actually talk. Nothing is overstated. Characters aren't overhamming the big bad and aren't pretending the world is about to end in three days, despite the weight of the situation. Nothing is understated. Care is given to two coworkers having a spat over a gift when they will (likely) never have importance again. Hell, the espionage incident is just a thing that happens - maybe a precursor to the Wolfen. Every single character in this video feels like a person.
That look on Fara's face when she realized he was either: A - Not coming back. B - Doing something to get her into so much trouble that she gets kicked out of being a test pilot. C - Both.
After 7 long years, I have to say this was absolutely worth the wait. Episode 2 went beyond the stars. The visuals, storytelling, voice acting, the music - every aspect of it were top-notch. You and your team have done an amazing work and I gotta say, I'm gonna forever stay as your *biggest fan*
Rewatching for the hundredth time, a few things I love. -Every character that calls him Jim. In the games, James has always been this sort of legend. This legacy that Fox has to live up to. This thing that Fox is chasing after. Hearing people call him "Jim" humanizes him more than anything else he says or does. To Fox, and to the audience, James McCloud is someone we can never truly know. But to Peppy and Dess, he's just a guy. -Dess' eyes. We see them reflecting light in his last few lines. It's not something we see too often. Most of the time, characters' eyes are flatly colored. But in his final moments, we can still see the light in his eyes. -When James is talking to Bel, he never refers to himself. He always refers to both him and Peppy, and always speaks AFTER Peppy. Peppy: My cruise is charged James: Alright, Bel. We're ready. Dunno if it means anything. Maybe James is trying to distance himself from the mission. Maybe he's letting Peppy take the lead on confirming details just to make sure Peppy is actually committed to the mission. Just something I noticed. -Wolf's dad. He really seems like a good guy. The way he talks to Fox, he's clearly disappointed in James for dumping his kid on him so frequently. At first glance, he looks like a dull-eyed, drunken slob sitting on the couch who doesn't care about Wolf or could be abusive. But the only time he actually gets aggressive is when the subject of Wolf's mom comes up. He's probably going to be heartbroken when he realizes Wolf isn't coming back. -Farah's face journey when she realizes Wolf ditched her. The way it ends with her narrowing her eyes and her ears pointed up. Switching from "He's abandoning me" to "He USED me". -On that note, if the show follows the games, it's funny that all of Wolf's friends (Bill, Farah, Miyu, Fay) will end up being closer to Fox than him.
One thing I love or add to that is the liners used. "Only I have the brains to rule Lylat." Can be Andross taking advantage of the hype surrounding him and his followers, even if he probably hates stooping to that level. "Everyone knows I'm an asshole." He's talking to the audience. We KNOW how this ends. What'll happen to James, and despite being an asshole, Pigma's not gonna bother changing despite being uncomfortable with the whole setup. And if the "Hole" is a reference to an impending Aparoid invasion, we all know what happens to Pigma...
I thought the "brains to rule Lylat" line was just a fun call-back to Star Fox 64 the first time around but upon re-watch, I see that he's hinting at many of his loyal soldiers being brain transplants. Today was also the first time I noticed Wolf checking his pulse before confronting his friends at the base, and seeing Desslar cough up blood onto his hand when he says "planet".
Also, Peppy is generally detail oriented. He's the one that's the living encyclopedia of information and advice in the game. James, like Fox, defers to Peppy
I think Wolf ultimately knew that we wasn't going to have much of a life if he stuck around: Farah's father would never accept him as his daughter's boyfriend, he had washed out of the Academy (presumably because of his lost eye), and if he stayed on his current path he'd wind up just like his father.
20:46 "Gone forever, didn't even leave a note." Perfect foreshadowing for what Wolf is about to do. ^^ Other interesting details/foreshadowing: -Re-watching Wolf's scenes knowing that he's planning on running away, he's clearly savoring what he knows will be his final moments with Fara (or at least, the final moments where she'll have any good thoughts of him; if ever by any chance they cross paths in the future, the feelings will be bitter). -Wolf's dad remarks that his son's hair looks the same, which makes me suspect Wolf didn't spend the 20 for any "styling," and was gambling on his father loaning him more money for the road. -When the girls are talking about not handling anymore stress, Wolf comments on how he should work on his timing; he knows his stealing the plane will result in PLENTY of stress for them. -"I just wanted to show off one more time." Yeah... the last time. Also, I love how little Fox is saying how he has no intention of flying a ship... until he sees Wolf flying one. Obviously, that awoke something in Fox (and using language like that makes me recall how Matt stated his series was meant to acknowledge the very popular Fox/Wolf ship, lol). Heh heh, but this makes this one particular action of Wolf's even more impactful: not only did he run away, abandon Fara and become the criminal he is today, he unknowingly created his own biggest rival in that moment.
Lost his lover & made his rival all in the same instance - which is carried through both of their expressions alone in that moment. This reminds me of the parallels between both Lobo & Kitty's relationship with Puss in the new "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" film :3
Don't forget that Wolf balked at the idea of taking a child with him to Fara's airbase, and that the first thing he did before leaving Corneria forever was point his fighter directly at Fox and Fara. I have a distinct impression that he was initially planning on attacking the base after taking off to prevent anyone from pursuing him, but didn't actually want to harm young Fox or Fara in the process, leading him to try his luck just stealing the fighter.
To be honest, this is a historic moment for the Star Fox community. I am incredibly happy that it’s finally happening. Thank you so much for sticking with this project and we’re all excited to see what you’ll make next.
Thanks for not writing "an historic" like all the official outlets do. An is used to bridge vowel sounds and you pronounce the h in historic, so I never understood why people say "an historic".
@@kittah4 I think it just rolls off the tongue than saying “a historic”. I am an editor/journalist for my highschool newspaper and it happens a lot when I’m editing articles.
The fact that you managed to create a genuinely compelling & atmospheric thriller based on a 16-bit rail shooter featuring a stable of anthropomorphic animals not once but twice with a third part on the way is divine magic.
I'll say this... the one scene that sticks with me is James's conversation with Desslar. James finding out Dess hasn't seen Pigma, Dess's hesitancy at learning Pepper sent James, having to turn over the old test disks, his plea not to let it all go to waste, and if the implications were true, his last words... "This is... such an ugly planet..." I don't know Desslar's backstory, but just his tired composure along with the implications of what was done to him just hurts to see and hear. I knew from the previews that 2 would be the step into James's past, but this one conversation has a really somber, tragic tone to it all. Really hammers in how bad Andross and Venom really are for me.
I keep rewatching that scene over and over, just amazed at how much I feel for this character over the course of just two minutes. I wanna hug him, truly.
Yeah Gafford did a fantastic job of introducing some new characters to the SF universe. I got the impression that Dess was an undercover spy for General Pepper, and staying under the radar in Venom's totalitarian regime was probably a nightmare; imagine being in that position - being on a hellish planet, being unable to trust anyone because they could be a Venom agent and/or an assassin. Dess probably couldn't afford to sleep. What I find most intriguing is Vixy's findings on Titania. Andross mentions a portal, and implies that some form of beings exist on the other side. Could be a reference to the Aparoids from SF: Assault, or the temple gods from SF: Adventures.
@@sixstanger00 If you look closely, There's blood in Dess' nose and mouth after the "Your friend looks tired" comment. Dude hid a fatal injury from James and held out long enough to deliver the disks.
@@EricToTheScionti Could be either one, to be fair. We're not told cause of death. i figured hiding an actual wound would explain the exhaustion, and turn the "no sleep" claim into part of the lie.
Since April 25th 2016 when Episode 1 came out I've been on this journey of anticipation and excitement for Episode 2. Nearly 7 years of my life have passed and so much has happened to me since Episode 1. Survived a car crash, finished college, got a job, started creating a series of my own, have had to say goodbye and cut ties with a lot of friends, but have made even more new ones along the way. I was 20 years old when Episode 1 released, this August I'll be 27. Thank you Matthew Gafford for creating such a beautiful and inspiring work of art, all in the name of a video game franchise that is one of mine and a lot of people's favorites. Godspeed Fredryk Phox!
I don't know why or how I've missed the premier of this absolutely legendary episode, but if there's one thing I must comment on... It's the atmosphere. Every single moment, ever single frame goes unwasted, featuring defining characterization and details, it's simply beautiful. The charm of Fox's innocence, the way Wolf skirts around topics and subjects, even the way Pigma's brow never unfurls and stays stern as if to say that he's always been upset with himself but could never change how he behaves... or would if he had the chance. The comedy, the tension, and the sheer amount of information you can pick up just off of singular interactions. And most of all? Andross referring to that... "Hole." I watched the first episode several times just for the charm of reproducing that era of television, let alone the characterization. Now after watching this once? I already want to jump back in and drown in every rich line. Even the silent ones. An amazing team effort that's unified by a genius of a director, writer, and composer. Thank you for this.
This series is so different from anything else being made nowadays. It has a slow pace yet still creates such a tense, character driven drama. I am looking forward to episode three!
I can see where you are coming from but I think the pace is pretty fast actually. I just don't think there's a lot of "action" per say. However, there were a lot of big decisions made by multiple characters and we got to learn the reasoning for most of them. At this stage I think I would read the storyboard for episode three if it was available.
This is stunning. A lot of folks picked up on the "only I have the brains to rule Lylat," and that is incredible, but I laughed out loud at an entire commercial centered around "I can't believe I lost to this SCUM!" playing on the TV. Everything about this is incredible, I cannot express how much I love it.
32:00 “This is… such an ugly planet.” (Minor spoilers for those of you read comments before/during watching the video.) To me this line really stands out as being extremely sad. Dess doesn’t like Venom, doesn’t want to be there, but here he is. And while we don’t know exactly what happened to him, whatever it was seems to have been surefire enough for him to know he was about to die. He didn’t want the last thing he saw to be Venom’s landscape.
It's possible the disks Dess was handing over pertained to research to make Venom more habitable (definitely something Andross would want to get his hands on). If so, then his final words being about how ugly the planet is are even more poignant.
@@thaneofmossI disagree. Listen to the conversation between andross and James again. "We both know none of that matters if we don't continue our research. You saw what was on the other end of that hole" If you remember, an existential threat exists that peppy, andross, and James all seemed to know about in star fox assault. The apparoids. I think their research was in worm hole technology, the same tech would later be used to create the warp gates between planets seen in the series. I think during their research they opened a worm hole that showed them the coming aparoid threat and that's why "none of it will matter"
It's fucking depressing as hell. I love the atmosphere of the whole episode but that one part with poor Dess hit a little bit too hard in my opinion. Why'd his last moments have to be on a lonely train to nowhere in the middle of that godforsaken planet so far from home?
It bothered me why Eckblade's partner was really slow to react to Pigma shooting them down. I thought it was an oversight, but in 33:43 on the second watchthrough, I realized since he's deaf and Eckblade is blocking line of sight on Pigma, he basically almost had no time to react, leading to his death. I also like the fact that if you look closely, he's always focused on catching what people are saying as opposed to other characters whose gazes tend to drift around based on what they're saying. At 33:08, you can tell he's focusing on his partner's mouth to sus out what he's saying, which is a common tactic for anyone who's grown up hearing impared. At 33:20, you can see Eckblades pupil's perfectly tracking his hands while communicating in sign language. All of this in about 40 seconds of animation. So much attention to detail packed into one scene, this animation is freaking mind boggling.
@@Grumbledookvid This was a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. Andross wasn't the one who sent them after James but that traitor Captain Shears.
I assumed the same thing. And Andross believes the only way the Lylat System will be able to resist them is under his unified control. One of those deluded megalomaniac types that have their heart in the right place (kinda) but also use the greater good as a justification for their insatiable thirst for power.
I absolutely love the scene about the gimball between Peppy and Beltino and Beltino telling him exactly how to fix the guns and Peppy just going "my man"
@@VirtualKnight64 I was the one who asked. I was just memeing, didn't expect him to do it. Cemented Matt as a man of the people. I still regularly use it
The little smirk he made, building up to that line, really made it. I love how that moment builds up to the line, because we KNOW he is going to say it but it's done in such a way that it makes Andross almost seem in on the reference (as we are).
That part with wolf leaving and slowly watching her reaction shift was heart breaking. Even I was sitting there going "oh cool whats he going to do?" till realizing with her that he wasn't coming back
i can see the exchange already. Fox puts his paw on her back and says "I know what thats like." but Fara goes "You don't with this one kiddo, he's gone for good." she mumbles to herself afterwards "I can't believe he used me like that..." fox gives a look of confusion, fara notices this and gives a reassured look. "Your dad should be back shortly. I'll stay with you until he does, hows that sound?" Fox perks up and goes "can i stay up a little late so i can finish this level?"
The voice work and dialogue feels so effortlessly natural. Wolf flirting with his girl, awkward little fox, Falco gettin it from his dad or the scathing remarks between wolf and Bill. This kind of quality in writing and acting cannot be found just anywhere, but it is here.
Something else is the small details of Wolf's actions and attitude on a second watch, after you know what he's planning. Him suddenly getting sweet on his GF and saying "I'd like to think so" to her proclamation of love, then instantly trying to get them to leave, honking her to push her away after she talks of him being sweet. Him saying she'd get hooked up with a Dandy cadet as if it was inevitable. Wolf NOT having money on a supposed date lmao, the way he reacts when questioned on it.
I don’t care if it takes another seven years for episode three, I’ve been a fan for over eight years now, and will continue to wait and support each episode you create
He should be able to do the other episodes faster and not all of them needing to be 40+ minutes. I wouldn't mind 10 minute episodes coming out on an easier schedule
It's funny how a youtuber has so much care and passion for someone else's property that he is willing to dedicate years to create one of the most inspirational fan projects on TH-cam. Hats off to Matthew!
The whole scene with James meeting Dess and the lemurs completely blew me away. Just a really solid piece of atmospheric tension and subtle character building.
My favorite part is how Dess changes his face and tone of voice when he learns that Pigma is on the train. From utter confusion at the sight of James, slowly tofear at the thought of Pigma. He realized when he heard his name that it was a setup, and even tried to warn James. Makes his line of defeat that much more bitter, knowing that he attempted to do something "maybe a little better" by turning the research over to Pepper, only to know that it didn't matter. His realization that Venom, and the way it works, is too sinister for that to have worked out the way he hoped.
Am I the only one who was hoping for a more exciting conclusion to that scene than the two of them getting shot in the back by Pigma? Seemed pretty anticlimactic to me.
@@SpacepoetYT it’s funny since the way Dess stares out the window before James enters says it all. He knows he’s only minutes from death and he has to spend it on a non-stop train on an ugly planet. The moment James tells him Pigma’s on the train, you can see the hope fade from his eyes. Not only will he die, but now he knows James will likely go down with him. The line “At least it’ll get you off the hook” is a bit tongue in cheek as he’s making light of the hopeless situation they’re both in.
@@compulsoryevacuationdevice Eckblade and Clem got headshotted by Pigma. If you look closely at theres Forheads where looking to Pigma and the Time of the Shot, some Blood splats out, even on the Scenes where they both lays on the Floor, Blood is still tripping slowy
@@ZeldaSam1 The third game (chronologically), being StarFox Assault, is about the conflict against a mechanized insectoid race, the "aparoids". You are only told that the monsters made it to the lylat system about 20 years before the events of the game. Some old ideas for the series had James meeting them. In-game the aparoids travel through portals/vortexes reaching far parts of the universe. Think of a combination of the bugs of the series Starship Troopers and The Borg of Star Trek A New Generation.
@@edcr2959 that is correct and if you ever played the game, the Aparoid Queen tried to demoralise Fox into joining the hive mind by speaking in the voice of his father: James.
"Only I... have the brains to rule Lylat." He. Said. The. Line. Way ahead of schedule, and as masterfully as expected. Thank you! I was... just reacting to my favorite moment of this masterclass of animation. The years were worth the way - but of _course_ they were. ^_^
@@tailedgates9 mmhmm! Yeah, it's been a while for a _lot_ of people, myself included. XD A rewatch made me realize that the "only I" parts of his speech was leading up to it, but on the first watch, the line burst back into my mind as he said it. Neat effect, not gonna lie ^_^
I can't get over just how fantastically directed all the dialogue is. So many subtle touches like verbal ticks and brief pauses to get across that these characters are actually having a conversation with eachother in real-time, and not reading a script to one another. It all comes off wildly natural, despite coming out of the mouths of cartoon animal people.
Just stellar, unbelievable. Everything is so good. The atmosphere, the lighting, the writing, the pacing, the acting… it all comes together perfectly. It feels so different from Star Fox yet still feels firmly rooted in the source material. Absolutely incredible work.
When the gate drops at 19:36, I noticed the speed bump in the road and thought to myself "there's no way they'd bother to account for that and animate the motion of the car going over". Much to my surprise, not only was the "bump" animated, but it was done twice for both sets of wheels passing over it. The characters also moved in the correct motion, and a faint "thud" of both wheel sets passing over can be heard. Not only that, the first "thud" you hear is slightly louder in left side, then louder in the right when the back wheels pass over, based on the viewing angle of the camera... None of this was necessary to do, but the fact is was just shows how much care and attention to detail was put into this project. Great stuff, truly.
As an amateur writer , I am awed by this dialog and execution. A character's moment is never wasted, and they all have enough personality to occupy the right amount of screen time to further the plot without derailing it (no pun intended). I am glad to watch your passion project not just come to life, but come to life the right way.
The Venomian Customs scene was so funny! It’s like Riendo and Kajeckis were fully fleshed out characters and it played out like a goofy buddy-cop scene.
When I heard Dess say that "this is such an ugly planet" line as he was looking out the train window and not answering James right away, I actually felt dread from that. Good job.
It's not even funny that Dess was attacked and deadly wounded. And to know that something terrible happened concerning the people James knew and cared about, which made his mission all the more important to complete, and he had to say farewell to a friend who is on the same planet where he will die and dreads that James is going to have a hard time getting off this planet where Andross has plans to take revenge.
I really love how this feels like it was made in the 80s/90s. The sound design with the audio quality in the vocals. The attention paid to the animation feels like a gritty Disney's Robinhood. Movement feels almost like you used film and animated over it. Beautiful work.
Yeah, those late '70s, early '80s cartoons and Nintendo power comics. We're definitely the inspiration to this and it's amazing that one guy did all this with a shoestring budget. I remember the first episode he did those views surpassed Nintendo's Starfox cartoon.
I think my favourite bit are the subtle expressions on her face at 23:08-23:30 At first she admires Wolf for pulling a crazy stunt like that off, then she realizes what exactly he has done and begins to wonder if he really just left her like that, and finally her expression changes to annoyance at the pilot behind her as if she's saying "You''re not making this situation any better, you know?"
That was my favorite scene im the whole thing. It’s crazy how much emotion you can show through visuals, even just facial expressions. Love the little micro expressions too. It’s not just being happy or angry. But all the tiny transitions throughout.
Exactly so, although I thought Fara's face towards the end was meant to convey anger at Wolf. Like, it finally fully sunk in just what he had done (used her, manipulated her, tricked her, lied to her, abandoned her) and her shock and sorrow gave way to anger. After all, not only had he done all those previous things, he also got her into serious trouble for playing a part in a fighter plane getting stolen.
At the moment I'm genuinely confused at what he expected to do with that stolen ship. Like, he only had a little bit of pocket money, and trying to sell it on another planet to get enough money to buy a place for himself I would ASSUME would get the thing flagged and his ass arrested immediately.
@@ZeroZivan It's hard to say for sure what exactly his plan was, but considering Wolf ended up working for Andross... the poor kid was no doubt on a downward spiral.
The moments of silence between talking to each other is something so simple that just brings new life to what is going on. Most shows there's no space to keep the conversation flowing, but to have those pauses of them thinking or trying to come up with a good comeback makes the conversations feel so much more natural. Can't wait to see Episode 3 in 5 years.
A lot of things happened to me while this was being made. I went through college. I graduated. Worked multiple jobs. Gained friends. Lost friends. Played a lot of games. Completed a lot of games. Seeing this come out, it's almost unreal. But it's here. And I haven't even watched it yet.
I like how Pigma is actually given some real character here. He's portrayed as a greedy, treacherous jerk in the games, but here he actually seems like a pretty decent dude at heart - he acknowledges he's an asshole and doesn't fight Peppy on it, he's amicable to both him and James on the train, and somehow, I think he's being genuine when he calls Andross a lunatic. On top of it all, he looks pretty guilty and unsure about handing James over to Andross at 36:49. It's really cool seeing what was originally such a one-dimensional character have a bit more depth, and in only less than a few minutes of screen time. I hope we see more of him in future episodes.
Pigma Dengar feels like the key to all this. We know he’s the Judas of Star Fox, but why? Asking that question leads to so many interesting questions? Did James have it coming? Was it worth it?
I think he is still an asshole like his version of 64; is just that he hides it better with a more friendly and strangely sincere way of speaking here. He himself aknowledged this, saying that "he was born this way"
I also like to think that even if it isn't guilt or remorse, Pigma's worried that he's now roped up in something too big for him. Something he shouldn't be in. He's on a bigger hook now, and it all falls in line with his character without it being said.
The best thing about this series is that the character interactions seem so organic. Like hazbin hotel has an insane amount of views but it felt like so much more effort was put into this. I hope you get the notoriety you deserve AFIS
Actually insane how a fan has given the Starfox series so much depth, including proper backstory as to what happened to James and Peppy on Venom. I wish Nintendo would care about Starfox as much as you do.
Everyone's talking about the Andross monologue but nobody is talking the scene at 22:22 and then 22:58 You can see in Fox's face, the MOMENT he sees what he was born to do. It's so cool to see Fox's tragic backstory tied to the moment the Greatest Pilot in the Galaxy is born.
This isn’t just good _Star Fox_ writing; it’s good _writing,_ period. Even if I knew nothing about _Star Fox,_ this would hook me. Look at the characters: There's Andross: arrogant, at ease, in his prime. Right now, he’s all smiles. After ten years learning that conquering Lylat is easier said than done, he won’t be grinning anymore. There’s Wolf: talented, charming, and insecure-about his family, his eye, his record, and recently an uncomfortably talented fox staying with him. He’s made mistakes, but it isn’t too late to get back on track. We like him, but that sideways “I’m your biggest fan” shows a nasty side to his insecurity-for now mostly directed at Fox, partly out of not-quite-yet jealousy and partly because Fox is little enough to pick on-that’ll define Wolf more and more once he decides to leave the law, his friends, and his girl behind and fly off into the night. There’s Pigma, a few years further down the same road Wolf just started. He’s a scumbag and knows it, but maybe has enough of a conscience left to see Andross for what he is and regret betraying James to him. 10 years later, that will be gone. (“Peppy! Long time no see!”) There’s Fox, a gifted innocent awkward boy, least aware of anyone what’s going on… and just _one_ personal tragedy away from all the motivation he needs to become hero of the system. The star is James, for once not dead before the opening credits of a _Star Fox_ story. Loyal, brave, and a bit worse for wear, he’s in over his head but sticking things out best he can. The tension as he enters the belly of the beast to meet his inevitable fate beats the snot out of anything Hollywood’s done for years. Prequels are SO hard to do right. The brilliance _here_ is showing all the ingredients were there for everyone to go from what they _were_ to what they _are_ in Episode 1, if they got the right push. Pepper sending James to Venom is the catalyst that’ll make heroes out of some, villains out of others, and change Lylat forever. I was more excited for this than anything that’s come out in years. Animation, sound, voice acting, aesthetic, worldbuilding, writing-it’s firing on ALL cylinders, done with love and effort. This franchise can use it. I can’t thank you enough for sticking with it all these years. It was absolutely worth the wait.
100% agreed. I never played the Star Fox games, so these characters, this world, it's all new to me and has been made into something both plausible and engrossing.
I love how this show doesn't try to talk in common languages and phrases everyone would know, and introduce new stuff as well. The expressions for characters such as the guards at about 26:20 are using expressions and movements overall that I haven't seen in over a decade in anything animated or live action even. Next level impact
The part with the two guys interrogating Bill and using Rob to make him talk. I had just realized it's a take on that Star Fox 64 promotional video with the two guys from Sega and Sony holding a Nintendo employee captive and forcing him to talk by torturing a Mario plush doll. Brilliant!
And they are homages to the companies "mascots". Their names are Sagan Hachok (~ Sega Hedgehog) who appears to be a hedgehog, and Sonny Van Der Kut (~ Sony Bandicoot) who looks like he could be Crash.
@@dynamicsketch It's a cute touch because that's how he usually goes down in Star Fox 64 -- the player (Fox) shooting him on accident when aiming at enemies.
28:38 -- I *LOVE* that callback with Andross literally saying a line that he uses as such a corny pun in Star Fox 64, but as a foreshadowing ominous campaign slogan that we all know due to the games does *NOT* end well. "Only I have the brains to rule Lylat."
That moment of "WHAM" line caught me completely by surprise at how bone-chillingly effective it was. Insane. A master craft execution of "democratic tyrant rises to power" trope. This was clearly their Putin moment. Terrifying, yet in a seductive paradox makes you want to vote for him! I was rewinding that moment repeatedly it was so damn well delivered hot damn.
You nailed it as Pigma, Mr. Mack. Glad you could be a part of this! I became acquainted with your talent through Dragalia, but it's clear you've got the chops to go places!
I'm gonna need the context squad on that one. I didn't even know Jerma was in this! Edit: Holy shit, deeply repressed childhood memory. I found the scene, wow. That was a deep cut! I was wondering what that commercial was about wow.
I love the military jargon and culture in this episode! You made it work so well in the Starfox universe! Wolf sneaking on base after being discharged reminds me of something similar my dad would do when I was a kid. He worked on a Naval Air station and we met up with one of his ol' Air Force buddies so they could show me the inside of a hangar bay. The base also had a private beach where we'd go fishing. I ended up joining the military myself and I gotta say, what Fay and Miyu are doing is extremely relatable, holy crap! This series just feels so grounded man. Excellent work!
That ending conversation with Andross was one of the most piercing and well-crafted scenes I've ever seen in any piece of media. You can feel the weight of their thoughts without any elaboration or exposition. Masterful.
I like to think that whatever it was he was he saw on the other end of the Portal was the impending Aparoid invasion. And considering how one scout is enough to decimate a fleet, I think Andross' aim was to unify Lylat under his rule so they could be better prepared for what's coming.
However the fuck you managed to create something so well acted, so well written and so well animated is beyond me. The writing is so on point and the dialogue is incredibly natural and snappy, and in only 40 minutes you've somehow managed to create something that feels so fleshed out and fully realized. Absolutely incredible work man.
This is the best. I would never have thought almost thirty years ago when I played Starfox on the SNES that I would be sitting here in my early forties watching something like this. 😂
I teared up twice during this, man; once from sadness and sympathy when Wolf flew out on Fara and she clearly knew he lied to her and she won’t see him again, and once from angst during the train scenes. This was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait. My biggest possible compliments go out to you.
@JTMaster True, and it just adds to the injury of the heartbreak. Damn it, Wolf even hovers for a good 10 seconds, hesitating; obviously it was hard for him as well, but his selfishness outweighted his love for her.
At first, I didn't understand why Wolf left the way he did. But after rewatching this, I think it makes sense. Wolf has nothing else keeping him on Corneria. To Wolf, he no longer has a girlfriend in Fara. With Fara's father running for premier (and likely winning), Wolf believes her father will not allow them to be together. He says it himself "Look, I'm just not Cornerian Premier's... daughter's... boyfriend... material, Fara." Rather than wait for the consequences (being forced to break up with Fara) of telling her father about him, he decides to leave. Because to him, it's a "horrible, life-ruining disaster of an idea". Wolf also no longer can be a pilot if he stays on Corneria. We don't really hear about how, or why Wolf lost his eye. However, it's clearly the reason he was discharged from the Corneria Flight Academy. When Wolf asks what the "lovely ladies" in the hangar have that he doesn't, Bill responds with "depth perception". Depth perception is a necessary physical attribute when piloting any aircraft safely. Wolf was likely discharged because he no longer has the physical qualities required by the CFA to be a pilot. With Wolf being unable to fly per the CFA, Corneria no longer provides Wolf with a means to do what it is he loves, flying. Thus, he leaves. Lastly, I think Wolf no longer wants anything to do with his family. We hear very early that Wolf was living with his father to get away from that "crazy mother" of his. While Wolf's father doesn't seem like a bad guy, he acts as an authority over Wolf. His father says, "now you listen, and you list good : If you're gonna stay here to get away from that crazy mother of your, you're gonna have to follow the rules". Well by leaving Corneria, Wolf no longer has to follow the rules. This also in a way ties in with my second point about no longer being allowed to be a pilot. CFA likely has rules that don't allow people with a lack of depth perception to become pilots. By leaving Corneria, Wolf no longer has to follow the rules of his father or the CFA. So, Wolf leaves to become a pilot and his own rule maker. It's actually pretty relatable when you take a step back and look at the situation he is in. Wolf is one of my favorite Star Fox characters, and I love the new life this series has given him and the Star Fox series as a whole. To the creator - Keep doing what you're doing, people love your work.
Interestingly, it also puts us in the same shoes as the other characters around him who like him: His dad obviously cares for him, Fara, Bill; it's very easy to like this rendition of Wolf, but he leaves ALL of it. He shows them, and the viewer the depths of his capabilities of deception.
Monocular vision really isn't that big of a deal as a pilot versus other things. You can even get a pilot's license if your remaining eye passes an eye exam. It is not unreasonable however to believe there ane militaries that would think otherwise.
I didn't want it to end. So much life in this story. So much life dedicated to this story. You and the team should be proud, Fred. This is incredible art.
Putting your streams on TV and working along quickly became a tradition of mine. I remember joining during the Lombardi scene and every hour since then was a treat! Congratulations, Captain! Your work is admirable and addicting.
I can relate to Young Falco Because I’m known to raising my voice at certain things And my mom keeping her patience And my dad yelling and with cursing It’s not abuse but it does make me cry
I can't believe how much that last scene with Fara struck me. The shock of that scene, the worried yet confused look on her face as realization hits her, AND THERE'S STILL ANOTHER 27 MINUTES TO GO!!
![A Fox in Space - Episode One - "Don't Call Me Star Fox" [1080p] [MP4 DOWNLOAD LINK IN DESC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uieM18rZdHY/mqdefault.jpg)
![A Fox in Space - Episode One - "Don't Call Me Star Fox" [1080p] [MP4 DOWNLOAD LINK IN DESC]](/img/tr.png)
For those curious, the sign language at the 33:17 mark translates to:
"This is why I warned you to bring your gun today."
thank you!
I know what he said
I know what he said
oh.. i thought the guy doing sign language was just trying to mouth something and rubbed his own nips too
I thought so
So sick seeing this come to life. Excellent work fox.
Weirdly enough, “A Fox in Space” sounds like the title you’d probably use if you ever made a Star Fox parody.
Yoooo! It's awesome seeing you here Meat! Love your work too man. Hoping Fox here can get all the love and views he can.
Hello MeatCanyon!
❤️❤️❤️
Kool beanz
...Can I just say I enjoy that when Wolf gets distracted by realizing Fox is on level 9, he sounds genuinely impressed. The little moments.
My new favorite headcanon is Wolf's rivalry of Fox started because Fox could make it to Level 9 in "The Violence" and Wolf can't lol
the plot of this show exists just to stitch the little moments together and i love it X'D
Fara knows the music to the level, so she probably can reach level 9 too. It's just Wolf that can't. He's got so much to prove, poor guy.
"Uh- Is he on level 9"
"Yeah, that's the music"
"Hmmm"
Fara casually butting her head in under him is relationship goals
21:30 The body language...
You can tell Wolf isn't truely mad at Bill because his ears never sweep back. When his dad scolds him earlier, you can see how they would react when he's scared or frustrated.
*Chef's kiss*
This doesn't even feel like fanfiction, it's breathing life into the story.
I was watching this like a legit drama, but a brief second I was like "I forgot Hare is literally the do-a-barrel-roll guy"
Sadly, this is still technically fan fiction. On the bright side, there do exist some fan fictions out there that are as well-written as this, just without the luxury of having any art to go with them, much less animation or sound.
I've read fanfics that had just as much life in them. What've you been reading?
Nintendo dropped the ball, I'll take this over anything they have done with the IP
@@Edward256 Yeah, I was gonna say. Good writing is good writing
Wolf saying "I'm your biggest fan" is eerie foreshadwing knowing when he says it years later in Episode 1
Right??? Full on goosebumps man. I rewatched ep1 just to see the delivery again.
It's so fucking good!
Favorite moment of an episode dripping with quality
"James...please."
A part of me feels that Andross did really want James to work with him without force or malice. For a moment he dropped the dictator side to ask a friend hoping that would sway him over.
I do appreciate that while Andross is still absolutely a maniacal dictator in this... there is a genuinely "human" side to his character and he's not twirling his moustache. He has an ultimately un-selfish goal that he's working toward. Yeah, it involves taking over the system, but it's WHY he wants to that's important here. He found something - something he truly believes is an imminent threat to all of Lylat. And he doesn't think they're ready for it.
@@BlaziethIf it's what I think it is (according to this show), he may have been right 10, 15 years ago, but who could predict they would've been ready 20 years later?
@@AkaiAzul My guess is that he found those things from Star Fox Assult.
@@Brandonious15987 The Aparoids? Thatd be crazy. :O I do wonder what it was Andross was referring to when he said "you saw what was on the other side of the hole."
@tailedgates9 Thanks and yes the Aparoids. As far as I know they were the biggest threat to the Lylat system.
I fucking love the idea of Falco being a hotblooded Italian.
Well, his name and surname are strikingly Italian sounding.
Matt did a great job voicing him. Really shows his character range. As an Italian American, I feel like he really got the cadence right. Just the right amount of silly and endearing.
@@scorpionfiresome3834 Falco's surname is spelled with an "i," but there is an region in Italy called "Lombardy."
@@sixstanger00 Lombardia, yes.
@@sixstanger00 Lombardi Is litterally just a common italian surname.
That whole exchange between Coba and James, the parental taunting between Wolf and his dad, and how incredibly faceted Andross was in this episode. The balance of comedy and drama was perfect.
This is a master class in facial animation and acting, the subtleties are amazing. When Farah is watching Wolf fly off in the ship, when James takes a moment before leaving Peppy on the train, when Andross's expression changes after James rejects his offer, hell even the lingering shot on Pigma trying to figure out wtf these two were talking about in the car. The world doesn't contain enough chef kiss emojis~
Even little things like when she’s looking at Wolf in the car and then when Fox says her name, her eyes shift very very slightly but clearly they move to look at Fox when he calls her name. He didn’t have to do that at all, but it’s a sweet details that adds up to make things feel more alive
Seriously. The amount of subtleties found in animation are so infinite. And Matt figured out how to draw it and stage it better than many big budget animated films with entire teams animating.
Not to mention, in the in one close shot of Pigma in the car... you can see the guilt on Pigma's face as he's struggling with the decision he made to betray Fox. He isn't just a one-off asshole like he is in the games - Matt gives him some depth in the little screen time he has. LOVE this episode so much.
I like the look Wolf's dad gives Fox after talking about James not mentioning where he was off to. No character in this show is one-dimensional.
@@AJR-zg2py james, not fox, but yea
Crazy Nintendo made a whole franchise off your series!
can't wait for the "A Fox in Space" gamer chair
I don't like how they changed the name for the games. Now more people are calling him Star Fox.
Crazy to believe more people are probably more excited for this than any game Nintendo could release these days. I still have Star Fox Zero PTSD.
@@Mike_Hawk_Is_Huge999 Star Fox Zero wasn't *that* bad
the worst part about it was the awful Wii U controls
@@anachronity9002 And that it rehashed the story of Star Fox 64 instead of telling a new story continuing on from Assault or Command.
6:58 The way Wolf’s dad affectionately glances over at Fox while he’s playing video games conveys so much character. Gruff retired military divorcee genuinely cares about the next generation. Maybe some pining for Fox’s innocence that he, James, and now his own son have lost. I dunno man. Little moments like that make this work stand out so much.
omfg I totally got that scene wrong.
He saying not knowing when the father is back and then looking at the kid-fox AND THEN THE WOMAN SAYING "A HORRIBLE LIFE RUINING DISASTER"...
I... I thought it was implied that he did the no-no with Fox.....
@@Damiaen.
H u h ?
@@Damiaen. 🤨
i made a comment just like that. its almost like he pity's the poor lad for losing his mom and now he has a pop that drops him off for him to pupsit to do who knows what and here fox is playing games probably to cope and get away from the real world.
7:27
Fox: "Yes! I got to level 9!"
Wolf's Dad: "Well how about that."
Fox: "I've never been this far before."
i love the “everything’s going to get incredibly bad in any moment” atmosphere
under appreciated element to the show, especially this episode
We know that Jame's mission goes poorly but even so, the buildup to it is done really well.
Damn Wolf taking off and the quiet close up to Farah realizing he's leaving was heartbreaking I did not expect that
She had that look in her eyes, and I was just like, "Oh... this is not going to end well."
It explains how they ended up as mercs.
Ticking off the wrong people in the military can see your career hit a dead end...even if Farahs father could pull strings to keep her in it.
@@warherojango936 Too right. Allowing someone who wasn't supposed to be on base takes a military starcraft that's probably worth over a million. Yeah...that's definitely going to kill whatever promising military careers, they got planned for the future.😮😅
Yeah I mean damn. What Wolf did...that right there is cold as shit man. That's a real dick move. He used Fara and left her in the worst way possible. I mean you can see it in her eyes, the utter heartbreak and betrayal. Not to mention he pretty much killed whatever promising military career she had planned for herself.
@@warherojango936 The fact that wolf didn't have a keycard and manipulated Farah and Bill led me to believe that he already got kicked out or discharged somehow. That's why he knew how to get a ship but didn't have access for it.
My guess is he flew that one off to start his career as a mercenary.
The subtleties in Dess, his voice acting, the facial expressions... what an incredible character in such a short time.
Couldn't have said it better
Bro, I feel like the voice actor actually stayed awake for like a week in order to achieve that tired, weary, mentally-beaten-to-shit delivery. It’s fucking incredible.
The line delivery of, "This is such an ugly planet..." was excellent. And hits hard knowing that he seemed to know that he'd never leave it...
And it's all thanks to the power of the Tomar Emeralds.
@@YorkJonhson I really just wanted to hug the poor little guy. It’s so sad.
I love how beltino, scientist and engineer, designer and manufacturer of the most advanced dogfighter plane in existance, creator of an engine capable of disrupting gravitational fields, gets to work by bus
gotta keep that low profile
One word: Incognito
The six years of dedication are equally impressive as the animation. This feels like a adult swim movie from an alternate universe.
I too felt like I was in another universe.
Someone did make it look like it aired on Adult Swim.
th-cam.com/video/9siAJ5pQpgM/w-d-xo.html
Watching this actually made me feel like a kid again being up late at night when cartoon network ended and rolled into adult swim.
28:35 It's genuinely amazing how Andross saying the funny line and everyone clapping can come across so *sinister.*
@@EmeraldLavigne
With thunderous applause.
"Only I have the brains to rule Lylat"
*The whole audience cheers and applauses*
It felt more like a fourth wall breaking because when he said his iconic line I was literally laughing and clapping lol The audience on that scene is us cheering at the reference
"Only I have the brains to rule Lylat," Andross screamed in rage.
This was better than I ever could of expected, Wolf using Farrah was just absoutely heart wrenching man.......
For real! When he just left after playing everyone like that, and kept going. I felt the heartbreak as her smile fades to a frown.
I was trying to understand what happened during that scene but damn, that's heartbreaking
@@dracodancer3262 he dated her just to steal a ship.
Yeah wolf sucks, I feel bad for fara now.
@@LazyPirate8 I don’t think he did it just to steal it but he did use her at the end
I love how "lived in" this world feels.
Oftentimes in fan animations, the "atmosphere" is missed. The soap commercial, the interaction with Wolf's dad, Fara pulling Fox aside to ask about a video game (while Fox disinterestedly tries to describe it in five seconds to get back to playing the video game) - like, this is how people actually talk.
Nothing is overstated. Characters aren't overhamming the big bad and aren't pretending the world is about to end in three days, despite the weight of the situation.
Nothing is understated. Care is given to two coworkers having a spat over a gift when they will (likely) never have importance again. Hell, the espionage incident is just a thing that happens - maybe a precursor to the Wolfen.
Every single character in this video feels like a person.
Couldnt agree more, I love the pacing of this series and the moments of silence that are played out
The "nothing overstated, nothing understated" is a great observation. _Really_ hard for a story to hit that balance.
THAT'S FOX??? holy shit
@@imnotchilla9482Fox McCloud! Star Fox is the name of the team.
@@camwyn256 I'm talking about the kid, I didn't know that was Fox
love how you can take a cheesy ass line like “only i have the brains to rule lylat” and turn it into a genuinely stunning moment
right??? that blew my f**kin wig back
I'm still reeling over "I can't believe I lost to this scum!!!"
Glad I ain't the only one who realized that. He took it and made it menacing.
I'd -vote for- select someone so hard if that was their pitch
LOL genuinely stunning, it was okay man
That look on Fara's face when she realized he was either:
A - Not coming back.
B - Doing something to get her into so much trouble that she gets kicked out of being a test pilot.
C - Both.
"A horrible, life-ruining disaster of an idea."
So much was said without even saying a word. It was magical.
All I wanna do is peer into the minds of these characters to know, but the series forces you to guess and it's marvelous.
it was a metaphor for him dumping her
At this point knowing wolf my assumption was that he used her all this time to finally escape his previous life with a sweet ride.
After 7 long years, I have to say this was absolutely worth the wait. Episode 2 went beyond the stars. The visuals, storytelling, voice acting, the music - every aspect of it were top-notch. You and your team have done an amazing work and I gotta say, I'm gonna forever stay as your *biggest fan*
Rewatching for the hundredth time, a few things I love.
-Every character that calls him Jim. In the games, James has always been this sort of legend. This legacy that Fox has to live up to. This thing that Fox is chasing after. Hearing people call him "Jim" humanizes him more than anything else he says or does. To Fox, and to the audience, James McCloud is someone we can never truly know. But to Peppy and Dess, he's just a guy.
-Dess' eyes. We see them reflecting light in his last few lines. It's not something we see too often. Most of the time, characters' eyes are flatly colored. But in his final moments, we can still see the light in his eyes.
-When James is talking to Bel, he never refers to himself. He always refers to both him and Peppy, and always speaks AFTER Peppy.
Peppy: My cruise is charged
James: Alright, Bel. We're ready.
Dunno if it means anything. Maybe James is trying to distance himself from the mission. Maybe he's letting Peppy take the lead on confirming details just to make sure Peppy is actually committed to the mission. Just something I noticed.
-Wolf's dad. He really seems like a good guy. The way he talks to Fox, he's clearly disappointed in James for dumping his kid on him so frequently. At first glance, he looks like a dull-eyed, drunken slob sitting on the couch who doesn't care about Wolf or could be abusive. But the only time he actually gets aggressive is when the subject of Wolf's mom comes up. He's probably going to be heartbroken when he realizes Wolf isn't coming back.
-Farah's face journey when she realizes Wolf ditched her. The way it ends with her narrowing her eyes and her ears pointed up. Switching from "He's abandoning me" to "He USED me".
-On that note, if the show follows the games, it's funny that all of Wolf's friends (Bill, Farah, Miyu, Fay) will end up being closer to Fox than him.
One thing I love or add to that is the liners used.
"Only I have the brains to rule Lylat." Can be Andross taking advantage of the hype surrounding him and his followers, even if he probably hates stooping to that level.
"Everyone knows I'm an asshole." He's talking to the audience. We KNOW how this ends. What'll happen to James, and despite being an asshole, Pigma's not gonna bother changing despite being uncomfortable with the whole setup. And if the "Hole" is a reference to an impending Aparoid invasion, we all know what happens to Pigma...
seemed to me James was more into how his past is quickly coming back to bite him in the tail, its one of those bad feelings you get.
I thought the "brains to rule Lylat" line was just a fun call-back to Star Fox 64 the first time around but upon re-watch, I see that he's hinting at many of his loyal soldiers being brain transplants. Today was also the first time I noticed Wolf checking his pulse before confronting his friends at the base, and seeing Desslar cough up blood onto his hand when he says "planet".
Also, Peppy is generally detail oriented. He's the one that's the living encyclopedia of information and advice in the game. James, like Fox, defers to Peppy
I think Wolf ultimately knew that we wasn't going to have much of a life if he stuck around: Farah's father would never accept him as his daughter's boyfriend, he had washed out of the Academy (presumably because of his lost eye), and if he stayed on his current path he'd wind up just like his father.
20:46 "Gone forever, didn't even leave a note." Perfect foreshadowing for what Wolf is about to do. ^^
Other interesting details/foreshadowing:
-Re-watching Wolf's scenes knowing that he's planning on running away, he's clearly savoring what he knows will be his final moments with Fara (or at least, the final moments where she'll have any good thoughts of him; if ever by any chance they cross paths in the future, the feelings will be bitter).
-Wolf's dad remarks that his son's hair looks the same, which makes me suspect Wolf didn't spend the 20 for any "styling," and was gambling on his father loaning him more money for the road.
-When the girls are talking about not handling anymore stress, Wolf comments on how he should work on his timing; he knows his stealing the plane will result in PLENTY of stress for them.
-"I just wanted to show off one more time." Yeah... the last time.
Also, I love how little Fox is saying how he has no intention of flying a ship... until he sees Wolf flying one. Obviously, that awoke something in Fox (and using language like that makes me recall how Matt stated his series was meant to acknowledge the very popular Fox/Wolf ship, lol). Heh heh, but this makes this one particular action of Wolf's even more impactful: not only did he run away, abandon Fara and become the criminal he is today, he unknowingly created his own biggest rival in that moment.
Great job! I wish this comment was farther up haha
@@utisti4976 Oh thank you! Haha, yeah... well, if it keeps getting attention, it just might get higher. ;)
Lost his lover & made his rival all in the same instance - which is carried through both of their expressions alone in that moment.
This reminds me of the parallels between both Lobo & Kitty's relationship with Puss in the new "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" film :3
@@GalekC For anyone who doesn't know, Puss calls the Wolf "Lobo". I had to google that myself XD
Great movie
Don't forget that Wolf balked at the idea of taking a child with him to Fara's airbase, and that the first thing he did before leaving Corneria forever was point his fighter directly at Fox and Fara. I have a distinct impression that he was initially planning on attacking the base after taking off to prevent anyone from pursuing him, but didn't actually want to harm young Fox or Fara in the process, leading him to try his luck just stealing the fighter.
To be honest, this is a historic moment for the Star Fox community. I am incredibly happy that it’s finally happening. Thank you so much for sticking with this project and we’re all excited to see what you’ll make next.
Thanks for not writing "an historic" like all the official outlets do. An is used to bridge vowel sounds and you pronounce the h in historic, so I never understood why people say "an historic".
@@kittah4 I think it just rolls off the tongue than saying “a historic”. I am an editor/journalist for my highschool newspaper and it happens a lot when I’m editing articles.
I know nintendo would never do it but could you imagine if they made star fox a lot more gritty like this story and gameplay wise?
The fact that you managed to create a genuinely compelling & atmospheric thriller based on a 16-bit rail shooter featuring a stable of anthropomorphic animals not once but twice with a third part on the way is divine magic.
16 and 64 bit
@@normanred9212 and 128 bit
A 3rd game was announced?!
@@hiichur25 I think he means a third part in this animated series
@@TazCopycat Ohh right, my bad I didn't quite thoroughly read their comment the first time. 😅
I genuinely cackled when Falcos dad said “Shut up and eat your fuckin’ fazool”
You've given Star Fox something it sorely needed: a fleshed-out backstory of James McCloud. Well done.
Sad that nintendo won’t touch this. So damn sad.
23:05 "Gone forever, didn't even leave a note." Probably stung like hell when Bill and the girls figured that one out.
I'll say this... the one scene that sticks with me is James's conversation with Desslar. James finding out Dess hasn't seen Pigma, Dess's hesitancy at learning Pepper sent James, having to turn over the old test disks, his plea not to let it all go to waste, and if the implications were true, his last words... "This is... such an ugly planet..."
I don't know Desslar's backstory, but just his tired composure along with the implications of what was done to him just hurts to see and hear. I knew from the previews that 2 would be the step into James's past, but this one conversation has a really somber, tragic tone to it all. Really hammers in how bad Andross and Venom really are for me.
I keep rewatching that scene over and over, just amazed at how much I feel for this character over the course of just two minutes. I wanna hug him, truly.
Yeah Gafford did a fantastic job of introducing some new characters to the SF universe. I got the impression that Dess was an undercover spy for General Pepper, and staying under the radar in Venom's totalitarian regime was probably a nightmare; imagine being in that position - being on a hellish planet, being unable to trust anyone because they could be a Venom agent and/or an assassin. Dess probably couldn't afford to sleep.
What I find most intriguing is Vixy's findings on Titania. Andross mentions a portal, and implies that some form of beings exist on the other side. Could be a reference to the Aparoids from SF: Assault, or the temple gods from SF: Adventures.
@@sixstanger00 If you look closely, There's blood in Dess' nose and mouth after the "Your friend looks tired" comment. Dude hid a fatal injury from James and held out long enough to deliver the disks.
@@Blazieth I thought he was poisoned
@@EricToTheScionti Could be either one, to be fair. We're not told cause of death. i figured hiding an actual wound would explain the exhaustion, and turn the "no sleep" claim into part of the lie.
@20:30 Wolf checks his pulse to make sure he’s chill before lying his snout off
What really ? I didn't know that 😮
My expectations on Wolf's dad were high, and I can safely say that they got respected.
I love him.
He raised a hot mess of a kid and knows all the tells behind wolf's badass facade
That line about the barber and about Farah's eyeliner was so perfect.
@@TheChildofAuraReborn Omg so true. I burst out laughing like a maniac.
Since April 25th 2016 when Episode 1 came out I've been on this journey of anticipation and excitement for Episode 2. Nearly 7 years of my life have passed and so much has happened to me since Episode 1. Survived a car crash, finished college, got a job, started creating a series of my own, have had to say goodbye and cut ties with a lot of friends, but have made even more new ones along the way. I was 20 years old when Episode 1 released, this August I'll be 27.
Thank you Matthew Gafford for creating such a beautiful and inspiring work of art, all in the name of a video game franchise that is one of mine and a lot of people's favorites. Godspeed Fredryk Phox!
Dude survived a car crash just to watch this. Talk about commitment.
@@connorboar1559 he survived the team fight
I'm just slightly younger than you. Became a Master Electrician now.
Jesus so what
@@connorboar1559"We both know I'm walking away from this wreck."
I don't know why or how I've missed the premier of this absolutely legendary episode, but if there's one thing I must comment on... It's the atmosphere. Every single moment, ever single frame goes unwasted, featuring defining characterization and details, it's simply beautiful. The charm of Fox's innocence, the way Wolf skirts around topics and subjects, even the way Pigma's brow never unfurls and stays stern as if to say that he's always been upset with himself but could never change how he behaves... or would if he had the chance.
The comedy, the tension, and the sheer amount of information you can pick up just off of singular interactions. And most of all? Andross referring to that... "Hole."
I watched the first episode several times just for the charm of reproducing that era of television, let alone the characterization. Now after watching this once? I already want to jump back in and drown in every rich line. Even the silent ones. An amazing team effort that's unified by a genius of a director, writer, and composer. Thank you for this.
Same here been waiting for episode 2 since the first one but don't remember getting the notification for it
It's terrifying to know that the Hyena dude was just hiding in the dark with just his eyes showing at 33:55
oh my god, i didn’t even notice that!
thanks for the nightmares!
how many subtle details can the creator possibly fit into one episode holy crap
Mr. Rhys must have worked for a defunct pizza and children's entertainment joint before he became a high-ranking officer for Andross
@@BronzeAgePepper "Toreador March" intensifies
This series is so different from anything else being made nowadays. It has a slow pace yet still creates such a tense, character driven drama. I am looking forward to episode three!
Fr, its a breath of fresh air
@Wiegraf Abstract art is also good.
I can see where you are coming from but I think the pace is pretty fast actually. I just don't think there's a lot of "action" per say. However, there were a lot of big decisions made by multiple characters and we got to learn the reasoning for most of them.
At this stage I think I would read the storyboard for episode three if it was available.
This is stunning. A lot of folks picked up on the "only I have the brains to rule Lylat," and that is incredible, but I laughed out loud at an entire commercial centered around "I can't believe I lost to this SCUM!" playing on the TV.
Everything about this is incredible, I cannot express how much I love it.
I had to pause the video to laugh it out because he took such a ridiculous line and made it even more ridiculous by making it LITERAL scum. XD
That infomercial is made even better knowing that it was Jerma who delivered that performance.
@@Sly_Maverick_31 wait he did!? I somehow didn’t catch that in the credits
@@Sly_Maverick_31 ohhhhh Jeremy Elbertson hahaha
32:00 “This is… such an ugly planet.”
(Minor spoilers for those of you read comments before/during watching the video.) To me this line really stands out as being extremely sad. Dess doesn’t like Venom, doesn’t want to be there, but here he is. And while we don’t know exactly what happened to him, whatever it was seems to have been surefire enough for him to know he was about to die. He didn’t want the last thing he saw to be Venom’s landscape.
That's the hardest hitting line for me as well. Really well delivered in all the unspoken regret it carries.
Thanks so much for pointing this out! It's such a great bit of writing!
It's possible the disks Dess was handing over pertained to research to make Venom more habitable (definitely something Andross would want to get his hands on). If so, then his final words being about how ugly the planet is are even more poignant.
@@thaneofmossI disagree. Listen to the conversation between andross and James again. "We both know none of that matters if we don't continue our research. You saw what was on the other end of that hole"
If you remember, an existential threat exists that peppy, andross, and James all seemed to know about in star fox assault. The apparoids. I think their research was in worm hole technology, the same tech would later be used to create the warp gates between planets seen in the series. I think during their research they opened a worm hole that showed them the coming aparoid threat and that's why "none of it will matter"
It's fucking depressing as hell. I love the atmosphere of the whole episode but that one part with poor Dess hit a little bit too hard in my opinion. Why'd his last moments have to be on a lonely train to nowhere in the middle of that godforsaken planet so far from home?
6 years... It was worth the wait. EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND.
What a treat. 40 minutes felt like 20. Shame we don't live in a world where creators can just work on passion projects like this as much as they want.
It bothered me why Eckblade's partner was really slow to react to Pigma shooting them down. I thought it was an oversight, but in 33:43 on the second watchthrough, I realized since he's deaf and Eckblade is blocking line of sight on Pigma, he basically almost had no time to react, leading to his death. I also like the fact that if you look closely, he's always focused on catching what people are saying as opposed to other characters whose gazes tend to drift around based on what they're saying. At 33:08, you can tell he's focusing on his partner's mouth to sus out what he's saying, which is a common tactic for anyone who's grown up hearing impared. At 33:20, you can see Eckblades pupil's perfectly tracking his hands while communicating in sign language. All of this in about 40 seconds of animation. So much attention to detail packed into one scene, this animation is freaking mind boggling.
Holy crap that's just so much attention to detail I love it.
Damn. Nice catch!
Why did Pigma shoot them anyway? Isnt pigma with them?
@@Grumbledookvid This was a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. Andross wasn't the one who sent them after James but that traitor Captain Shears.
@@Grumbledookvid To give James a sense of security and get his guard down.
An absolute hail Mary long shot I know, but I love the idea that the "them" on the other side of the "hole" is the Aparoids.
That’s what I assumed it was
I'm expecting a Kirby crossover with metaphysical entities.
Dude I think you actually called it!!
I assumed the same thing. And Andross believes the only way the Lylat System will be able to resist them is under his unified control. One of those deluded megalomaniac types that have their heart in the right place (kinda) but also use the greater good as a justification for their insatiable thirst for power.
Yeah that's the first thing I thought of, My brain have basically merged the evens of this series with the main games.
8:48 I just love that little touch of Fara mouthing out, “Oh, my god” to herself.
Thanks, I always wondered what she was saying.
I absolutely love the scene about the gimball between Peppy and Beltino and Beltino telling him exactly how to fix the guns and Peppy just going "my man"
I wonder if this system is how the lock on shot works
@@OnyDeus It's a reference to how Star Fox Zero controls.
Matthew posted that scene in a separate video a while back. Someone asked for a downloadable sounds clip of Peppy saying that and he gave them a link.
@@VirtualKnight64 I was the one who asked.
I was just memeing, didn't expect him to do it. Cemented Matt as a man of the people.
I still regularly use it
I got chills from Andross' villain speech. What a brilliant way to use his famous "Only I have the brains to rule Lylat" line.
only EYE have the BRAINS to rule lylat!!
The little smirk he made, building up to that line, really made it. I love how that moment builds up to the line, because we KNOW he is going to say it but it's done in such a way that it makes Andross almost seem in on the reference (as we are).
23:12 my jaw dropped I did NOT expect this to happen and I feel so friggin bad for Ferah
The microexpressions and subtleties of this animation are breathtaking. I don't mind waiting years between episodes if the quality stays this good
micro-expressions? A CAF captain...gonna glare at someone to death?
30:58 was just... wow.
That part with wolf leaving and slowly watching her reaction shift was heart breaking. Even I was sitting there going "oh cool whats he going to do?" till realizing with her that he wasn't coming back
i can see the exchange already.
Fox puts his paw on her back and says "I know what thats like." but Fara goes "You don't with this one kiddo, he's gone for good." she mumbles to herself afterwards "I can't believe he used me like that..." fox gives a look of confusion, fara notices this and gives a reassured look. "Your dad should be back shortly. I'll stay with you until he does, hows that sound?" Fox perks up and goes "can i stay up a little late so i can finish this level?"
The voice work and dialogue feels so effortlessly natural. Wolf flirting with his girl, awkward little fox, Falco gettin it from his dad or the scathing remarks between wolf and Bill. This kind of quality in writing and acting cannot be found just anywhere, but it is here.
Something else is the small details of Wolf's actions and attitude on a second watch, after you know what he's planning.
Him suddenly getting sweet on his GF and saying "I'd like to think so" to her proclamation of love, then instantly trying to get them to leave, honking her to push her away after she talks of him being sweet. Him saying she'd get hooked up with a Dandy cadet as if it was inevitable.
Wolf NOT having money on a supposed date lmao, the way he reacts when questioned on it.
Jammy5558. You’re right. It’s always a good sign when rewatching something adds new layers.
I didn't even notice it until now but Dess spits blood on his hand when he says the "P" in planet right before dying; this shit is insanely detailed
I missed that too.
Holy shit, count me in on "didn't notice until you pointed it out"
32:00
I'm still not sure what killed him did somebody on the train poison him, or was he sick or something?
I don’t care if it takes another seven years for episode three, I’ve been a fan for over eight years now, and will continue to wait and support each episode you create
He should be able to do the other episodes faster and not all of them needing to be 40+ minutes. I wouldn't mind 10 minute episodes coming out on an easier schedule
@@normanred9212 Also he's using 3D models now, which is a lot faster to animate with
It's funny how a youtuber has so much care and passion for someone else's property that he is willing to dedicate years to create one of the most inspirational fan projects on TH-cam. Hats off to Matthew!
The whole scene with James meeting Dess and the lemurs completely blew me away. Just a really solid piece of atmospheric tension and subtle character building.
My favorite part is how Dess changes his face and tone of voice when he learns that Pigma is on the train. From utter confusion at the sight of James, slowly tofear at the thought of Pigma. He realized when he heard his name that it was a setup, and even tried to warn James. Makes his line of defeat that much more bitter, knowing that he attempted to do something "maybe a little better" by turning the research over to Pepper, only to know that it didn't matter. His realization that Venom, and the way it works, is too sinister for that to have worked out the way he hoped.
Am I the only one who was hoping for a more exciting conclusion to that scene than the two of them getting shot in the back by Pigma? Seemed pretty anticlimactic to me.
@@compulsoryevacuationdevice The scene between James and Andross more than makes up for it in my opinion.
@@SpacepoetYT it’s funny since the way Dess stares out the window before James enters says it all. He knows he’s only minutes from death and he has to spend it on a non-stop train on an ugly planet. The moment James tells him Pigma’s on the train, you can see the hope fade from his eyes. Not only will he die, but now he knows James will likely go down with him. The line “At least it’ll get you off the hook” is a bit tongue in cheek as he’s making light of the hopeless situation they’re both in.
@@compulsoryevacuationdevice Eckblade and Clem got headshotted by Pigma. If you look closely at theres Forheads where looking to Pigma and the Time of the Shot, some Blood splats out, even on the Scenes where they both lays on the Floor, Blood is still tripping slowy
That Lollipop bite was very persuasive. The mans entire fate rested in a lollipop crunch.
Well Pepper is a dog after all. Stronger bite forces and such.
Only General Pepper can make eating a lollipop look badass.
I remember watching episode 1 several years ago, now the second episode is finally coming out
"several years ago"
lol, lmao even
@@theytookmybeard551 it was released several years ago.
@@theytookmybeard551 the first episode is from 6 years ago
@VG_Grover it's literally 6 years old now.
@@KesslerCOIL yeah, so I don't get why that first guy was laughing.
Really glad to be a part of this project, I'm a fan of old school animation, and so this is such the treat!
36:33 "You saw what was on the other side of the hole...and they know we're here!"
That line gave me chills.
Aparoids. I believe there were references in the SF-O forums some 13-14 years ago (2009 or 2010)
@@ZeldaSam1 The third game (chronologically), being StarFox Assault, is about the conflict against a mechanized insectoid race, the "aparoids". You are only told that the monsters made it to the lylat system about 20 years before the events of the game. Some old ideas for the series had James meeting them. In-game the aparoids travel through portals/vortexes reaching far parts of the universe. Think of a combination of the bugs of the series Starship Troopers and The Borg of Star Trek A New Generation.
I knew what it meant instantly when he Said it, chills man
The black hole (snes)
@@edcr2959 that is correct and if you ever played the game, the Aparoid Queen tried to demoralise Fox into joining the hive mind by speaking in the voice of his father: James.
This series is criminally obscure
Your Fox and Wolf are genuinely the best versions of the characters, they're just so much fun on acreen!
"Only I... have the brains to rule Lylat."
He. Said. The. Line. Way ahead of schedule, and as masterfully as expected.
Thank you! I was... just reacting to my favorite moment of this masterclass of animation. The years were worth the way - but of _course_ they were. ^_^
It took me a couple of minutes before I realized that that was his infamous line in Starfox 64. Lol
EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE CALM DOWN!
@@tailedgates9 mmhmm! Yeah, it's been a while for a _lot_ of people, myself included. XD A rewatch made me realize that the "only I" parts of his speech was leading up to it, but on the first watch, the line burst back into my mind as he said it. Neat effect, not gonna lie ^_^
I can't get over just how fantastically directed all the dialogue is.
So many subtle touches like verbal ticks and brief pauses to get across that these characters are actually having a conversation with eachother in real-time, and not reading a script to one another. It all comes off wildly natural, despite coming out of the mouths of cartoon animal people.
Because they recorded a bit of it talking to eachother live it seems. There's videos of this happening on his channel
Just stellar, unbelievable. Everything is so good. The atmosphere, the lighting, the writing, the pacing, the acting… it all comes together perfectly. It feels so different from Star Fox yet still feels firmly rooted in the source material. Absolutely incredible work.
and to think you just posted a Star Fox video a couple of days ago!
Can you do a A Fox in Space dub spoof in the future?
Shit, dude! First MeatCanyon, now you are giving Matthew his much-deserved props. Love to see it!
When the gate drops at 19:36, I noticed the speed bump in the road and thought to myself "there's no way they'd bother to account for that and animate the motion of the car going over".
Much to my surprise, not only was the "bump" animated, but it was done twice for both sets of wheels passing over it. The characters also moved in the correct motion, and a faint "thud" of both wheel sets passing over can be heard. Not only that, the first "thud" you hear is slightly louder in left side, then louder in the right when the back wheels pass over, based on the viewing angle of the camera...
None of this was necessary to do, but the fact is was just shows how much care and attention to detail was put into this project. Great stuff, truly.
They 'bumped the lamp' and it was *amazing*
As an amateur writer , I am awed by this dialog and execution. A character's moment is never wasted, and they all have enough personality to occupy the right amount of screen time to further the plot without derailing it (no pun intended). I am glad to watch your passion project not just come to life, but come to life the right way.
The Venomian Customs scene was so funny! It’s like Riendo and Kajeckis were fully fleshed out characters and it played out like a goofy buddy-cop scene.
@@CaptCovfefe515 My day job is at the airport. That scene feels so real to me.
When I heard Dess say that "this is such an ugly planet" line as he was looking out the train window and not answering James right away, I actually felt dread from that.
Good job.
"This is such an ugly planet" is delivered like a punch to the gut. There's just something about it...
He was probably thinking "This planet is ugly, wish this wasn't where I'm spending my last moments"
It's not even funny that Dess was attacked and deadly wounded. And to know that something terrible happened concerning the people James knew and cared about, which made his mission all the more important to complete, and he had to say farewell to a friend who is on the same planet where he will die and dreads that James is going to have a hard time getting off this planet where Andross has plans to take revenge.
@@leon4000 pretty sure dess was used as bait
12:20 "my man" wonderful voice acting, augh cant get enough of this perfect line
Me when finding out you can turn off gyro on SF Zero
Okay, I'm so glad I'm not the only one obsessed with this particular line
I really love how this feels like it was made in the 80s/90s. The sound design with the audio quality in the vocals. The attention paid to the animation feels like a gritty Disney's Robinhood. Movement feels almost like you used film and animated over it. Beautiful work.
Yeah, those late '70s, early '80s cartoons and Nintendo power comics. We're definitely the inspiration to this and it's amazing that one guy did all this with a shoestring budget. I remember the first episode he did those views surpassed Nintendo's Starfox cartoon.
"I'll be picking it out of the wall behind you if you cut him"
Such a raw line.
Notice too how he starts to struggle with the strain of holding that slingshot band taut. It's also putting heavy pressure on the stump of his arm.
Fara going through all stages of grief in that scene, so subtly animated. Its just so preciously done
I forgot cuz I’m not smart, but is that after he left?
@@Ghost49590 Yeah, with Bill asking if he's coming back in the background
I felt so awful for Fara when Wolf took off. I was just as confused as her when he left.
@@Charely1925 I like to think a good twist on it is that Wolf just forgot how to land the fucking thing and kept going
@@alvarez332did he actually leave her behind it seemed liked they git along well for the most part
I think my favourite bit are the subtle expressions on her face at 23:08-23:30
At first she admires Wolf for pulling a crazy stunt like that off, then she realizes what exactly he has done and begins to wonder if he really just left her like that, and finally her expression changes to annoyance at the pilot behind her as if she's saying "You''re not making this situation any better, you know?"
That was my favorite scene im the whole thing. It’s crazy how much emotion you can show through visuals, even just facial expressions.
Love the little micro expressions too. It’s not just being happy or angry. But all the tiny transitions throughout.
@@abrahemsamander3967 For me is Wolf's dad looking and worried at Fox while he is playing his game
Exactly so, although I thought Fara's face towards the end was meant to convey anger at Wolf. Like, it finally fully sunk in just what he had done (used her, manipulated her, tricked her, lied to her, abandoned her) and her shock and sorrow gave way to anger. After all, not only had he done all those previous things, he also got her into serious trouble for playing a part in a fighter plane getting stolen.
At the moment I'm genuinely confused at what he expected to do with that stolen ship. Like, he only had a little bit of pocket money, and trying to sell it on another planet to get enough money to buy a place for himself I would ASSUME would get the thing flagged and his ass arrested immediately.
@@ZeroZivan It's hard to say for sure what exactly his plan was, but considering Wolf ended up working for Andross... the poor kid was no doubt on a downward spiral.
Your acting as Andross is mind-blowing. This feels more canon than the actual canon does.
The moments of silence between talking to each other is something so simple that just brings new life to what is going on. Most shows there's no space to keep the conversation flowing, but to have those pauses of them thinking or trying to come up with a good comeback makes the conversations feel so much more natural.
Can't wait to see Episode 3 in 5 years.
😂
It won’t take that long now bc he’s using blender instead of 2D animating everything.
I'm afraid it's been... nine years.
It's the same thing you see in Studio Ghibli films.
A lot of things happened to me while this was being made. I went through college. I graduated. Worked multiple jobs. Gained friends. Lost friends. Played a lot of games. Completed a lot of games.
Seeing this come out, it's almost unreal. But it's here. And I haven't even watched it yet.
There wasn’t any more friends anymore since year 2020.
Entire empires rose and fell since the last episode
Sadly animation is a massive time sink; 40 minutes of this quality? No wonder it took years.
Same
Holy shit, this hits different.
I like how Pigma is actually given some real character here. He's portrayed as a greedy, treacherous jerk in the games, but here he actually seems like a pretty decent dude at heart - he acknowledges he's an asshole and doesn't fight Peppy on it, he's amicable to both him and James on the train, and somehow, I think he's being genuine when he calls Andross a lunatic. On top of it all, he looks pretty guilty and unsure about handing James over to Andross at 36:49.
It's really cool seeing what was originally such a one-dimensional character have a bit more depth, and in only less than a few minutes of screen time. I hope we see more of him in future episodes.
Pigma Dengar feels like the key to all this. We know he’s the Judas of Star Fox, but why? Asking that question leads to so many interesting questions? Did James have it coming? Was it worth it?
@@KefkaJr Also, what exactly changed in the years following this that wiped out what little decency he had left that led to the Pigma we see in 64?
I think he is still an asshole like his version of 64; is just that he hides it better with a more friendly and strangely sincere way of speaking here. He himself aknowledged this, saying that "he was born this way"
I also like to think that even if it isn't guilt or remorse, Pigma's worried that he's now roped up in something too big for him. Something he shouldn't be in. He's on a bigger hook now, and it all falls in line with his character without it being said.
The best thing about this series is that the character interactions seem so organic. Like hazbin hotel has an insane amount of views but it felt like so much more effort was put into this. I hope you get the notoriety you deserve AFIS
Actually insane how a fan has given the Starfox series so much depth, including proper backstory as to what happened to James and Peppy on Venom. I wish Nintendo would care about Starfox as much as you do.
The possibilities are endless. There's no reason for them to constantly reboot the story.
You know Vulpes, I can’t put my finger on it, but for some reason I had a hunch you’d like this show.
@@NekoBoyOfficialNo ideas and lack of popularity in the home country.
They don't do cool stuff with their properties and they get mad when someone else does, cringe.
Everyone's talking about the Andross monologue but nobody is talking the scene at 22:22 and then 22:58
You can see in Fox's face, the MOMENT he sees what he was born to do. It's so cool to see Fox's tragic backstory tied to the moment the Greatest Pilot in the Galaxy is born.
This isn’t just good _Star Fox_ writing; it’s good _writing,_ period. Even if I knew nothing about _Star Fox,_ this would hook me. Look at the characters:
There's Andross: arrogant, at ease, in his prime. Right now, he’s all smiles. After ten years learning that conquering Lylat is easier said than done, he won’t be grinning anymore.
There’s Wolf: talented, charming, and insecure-about his family, his eye, his record, and recently an uncomfortably talented fox staying with him. He’s made mistakes, but it isn’t too late to get back on track. We like him, but that sideways “I’m your biggest fan” shows a nasty side to his insecurity-for now mostly directed at Fox, partly out of not-quite-yet jealousy and partly because Fox is little enough to pick on-that’ll define Wolf more and more once he decides to leave the law, his friends, and his girl behind and fly off into the night.
There’s Pigma, a few years further down the same road Wolf just started. He’s a scumbag and knows it, but maybe has enough of a conscience left to see Andross for what he is and regret betraying James to him. 10 years later, that will be gone. (“Peppy! Long time no see!”)
There’s Fox, a gifted innocent awkward boy, least aware of anyone what’s going on… and just _one_ personal tragedy away from all the motivation he needs to become hero of the system.
The star is James, for once not dead before the opening credits of a _Star Fox_ story. Loyal, brave, and a bit worse for wear, he’s in over his head but sticking things out best he can. The tension as he enters the belly of the beast to meet his inevitable fate beats the snot out of anything Hollywood’s done for years.
Prequels are SO hard to do right. The brilliance _here_ is showing all the ingredients were there for everyone to go from what they _were_ to what they _are_ in Episode 1, if they got the right push. Pepper sending James to Venom is the catalyst that’ll make heroes out of some, villains out of others, and change Lylat forever.
I was more excited for this than anything that’s come out in years. Animation, sound, voice acting, aesthetic, worldbuilding, writing-it’s firing on ALL cylinders, done with love and effort. This franchise can use it. I can’t thank you enough for sticking with it all these years. It was absolutely worth the wait.
Perfectly said.
100% agreed. I never played the Star Fox games, so these characters, this world, it's all new to me and has been made into something both plausible and engrossing.
I never played Star Fox and I was hanging onto every second!
I never played the games but I love this series
"I was more excited for this than anything that’s come out in years." ...YES
I love how this show doesn't try to talk in common languages and phrases everyone would know, and introduce new stuff as well. The expressions for characters such as the guards at about 26:20 are using expressions and movements overall that I haven't seen in over a decade in anything animated or live action even. Next level impact
The part with the two guys interrogating Bill and using Rob to make him talk. I had just realized it's a take on that Star Fox 64 promotional video with the two guys from Sega and Sony holding a Nintendo employee captive and forcing him to talk by torturing a Mario plush doll. Brilliant!
And they are homages to the companies "mascots". Their names are Sagan Hachok (~ Sega Hedgehog) who appears to be a hedgehog, and Sonny Van Der Kut (~ Sony Bandicoot) who looks like he could be Crash.
It even amalgamates that with the commercial with Crash Bandicoot causing trouble outside Nintendo HQ.
@@darthpi314 That and Peppy not liking the gyro controls are hilarious little additions.
@@dynamicsketch It's a cute touch because that's how he usually goes down in Star Fox 64 -- the player (Fox) shooting him on accident when aiming at enemies.
THE RUMBLE PAK
Peppy's delivery on that "...my man" just cracks me up
The way he leans to the side with "I don't think I want that" was really my favorite part in the whole thing. Classic fear of change moment
@@TKamp09 I think it's meant as a jab against Star Fox Zero's crappy gameplay with the Wii U tablet.
28:38 -- I *LOVE* that callback with Andross literally saying a line that he uses as such a corny pun in Star Fox 64, but as a foreshadowing ominous campaign slogan that we all know due to the games does *NOT* end well. "Only I have the brains to rule Lylat."
Just commented this!
Nobody else seemed to notice.
That moment of "WHAM" line caught me completely by surprise at how bone-chillingly effective it was. Insane. A master craft execution of "democratic tyrant rises to power" trope. This was clearly their Putin moment. Terrifying, yet in a seductive paradox makes you want to vote for him! I was rewinding that moment repeatedly it was so damn well delivered hot damn.
7 years well spent my man, this is amazing!
You might actually be the single most multitalented person I know. It's an honor to have even a small part in this masterpiece.
🐷
what part did you do?
@@wa27 Pigma Dengar
DEVEN YOU WERE PIGMA????? OH MY GOD????
You nailed it as Pigma, Mr. Mack. Glad you could be a part of this! I became acquainted with your talent through Dragalia, but it's clear you've got the chops to go places!
Hearing Jerma shout one of my favorite video game quotes was a cherry on top of this amazing treat of a video
I'm gonna need the context squad on that one. I didn't even know Jerma was in this!
Edit: Holy shit, deeply repressed childhood memory. I found the scene, wow. That was a deep cut! I was wondering what that commercial was about wow.
12:04 - 12:22 I love that shot at Star Fox Zero LOL! priceless. Worth the wait.
I love the military jargon and culture in this episode! You made it work so well in the Starfox universe! Wolf sneaking on base after being discharged reminds me of something similar my dad would do when I was a kid. He worked on a Naval Air station and we met up with one of his ol' Air Force buddies so they could show me the inside of a hangar bay. The base also had a private beach where we'd go fishing. I ended up joining the military myself and I gotta say, what Fay and Miyu are doing is extremely relatable, holy crap! This series just feels so grounded man. Excellent work!
This is some of the most technically impressive science fiction animation and writing I’ve ever seen
I WANT MORE! AAGGGGH! I hope Gafford can get help on this.
That ending conversation with Andross was one of the most piercing and well-crafted scenes I've ever seen in any piece of media. You can feel the weight of their thoughts without any elaboration or exposition.
Masterful.
Exactly how I felt. The pacing on this was so goddamn good!
That "Please" made my muscles relax. It was disarming. I've never seen anything that's done this before.
I do wonder what it is that they're talking about. I only ever played assault, and so the lingering shot on Pigma has me guessingthings...
I like to think that whatever it was he was he saw on the other end of the Portal was the impending Aparoid invasion. And considering how one scout is enough to decimate a fleet, I think Andross' aim was to unify Lylat under his rule so they could be better prepared for what's coming.
However the fuck you managed to create something so well acted, so well written and so well animated is beyond me. The writing is so on point and the dialogue is incredibly natural and snappy, and in only 40 minutes you've somehow managed to create something that feels so fleshed out and fully realized. Absolutely incredible work man.
The answer is some of these scenes have been worked on for almost a decade, with a writer that already knows what the hell he is doing.
Looks like it’s partly rotoscoped
This is the best. I would never have thought almost thirty years ago when I played Starfox on the SNES that I would be sitting here in my early forties watching something like this. 😂
I teared up twice during this, man; once from sadness and sympathy when Wolf flew out on Fara and she clearly knew he lied to her and she won’t see him again, and once from angst during the train scenes.
This was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait. My biggest possible compliments go out to you.
the eexploration of Wolf's character rocked me in a way that I never could have predicted!
Not only did he lie to her, but also, he might have just ended her career pulling that move.
@dizzydee7829 I know! And now I’ll never be able to not think of him as Wolfgang Seamus XD
@JTMaster True, and it just adds to the injury of the heartbreak. Damn it, Wolf even hovers for a good 10 seconds, hesitating; obviously it was hard for him as well, but his selfishness outweighted his love for her.
And that’s how Wolf became leader of Star Wolf.
At first, I didn't understand why Wolf left the way he did. But after rewatching this, I think it makes sense. Wolf has nothing else keeping him on Corneria.
To Wolf, he no longer has a girlfriend in Fara. With Fara's father running for premier (and likely winning), Wolf believes her father will not allow them to be together. He says it himself "Look, I'm just not Cornerian Premier's... daughter's... boyfriend... material, Fara." Rather than wait for the consequences (being forced to break up with Fara) of telling her father about him, he decides to leave. Because to him, it's a "horrible, life-ruining disaster of an idea".
Wolf also no longer can be a pilot if he stays on Corneria. We don't really hear about how, or why Wolf lost his eye. However, it's clearly the reason he was discharged from the Corneria Flight Academy. When Wolf asks what the "lovely ladies" in the hangar have that he doesn't, Bill responds with "depth perception". Depth perception is a necessary physical attribute when piloting any aircraft safely. Wolf was likely discharged because he no longer has the physical qualities required by the CFA to be a pilot. With Wolf being unable to fly per the CFA, Corneria no longer provides Wolf with a means to do what it is he loves, flying. Thus, he leaves.
Lastly, I think Wolf no longer wants anything to do with his family. We hear very early that Wolf was living with his father to get away from that "crazy mother" of his. While Wolf's father doesn't seem like a bad guy, he acts as an authority over Wolf. His father says, "now you listen, and you list good : If you're gonna stay here to get away from that crazy mother of your, you're gonna have to follow the rules". Well by leaving Corneria, Wolf no longer has to follow the rules. This also in a way ties in with my second point about no longer being allowed to be a pilot. CFA likely has rules that don't allow people with a lack of depth perception to become pilots. By leaving Corneria, Wolf no longer has to follow the rules of his father or the CFA. So, Wolf leaves to become a pilot and his own rule maker.
It's actually pretty relatable when you take a step back and look at the situation he is in. Wolf is one of my favorite Star Fox characters, and I love the new life this series has given him and the Star Fox series as a whole.
To the creator - Keep doing what you're doing, people love your work.
Interestingly, it also puts us in the same shoes as the other characters around him who like him: His dad obviously cares for him, Fara, Bill; it's very easy to like this rendition of Wolf, but he leaves ALL of it. He shows them, and the viewer the depths of his capabilities of deception.
I think Wolf lost his eye after being captured and tortured by Venomians, but I'm not sure if this is still canon.
Monocular vision really isn't that big of a deal as a pilot versus other things. You can even get a pilot's license if your remaining eye passes an eye exam. It is not unreasonable however to believe there ane militaries that would think otherwise.
Surprisingly good analysis for a TH-cam comment.
Oh damn you got noticed!
"Gone forever, didn't even leave a note" is a nice touch, especially given his identical departure later that scene.
As a diehard Starfox 64 fan, this is the most amazing tribute and evolution of the IP. I’m so excited for episode 3! Keep on making amazing art.
I didn't want it to end. So much life in this story. So much life dedicated to this story. You and the team should be proud, Fred. This is incredible art.
*Takes drag of cigarette*
I haven’t gone by that name in a long time.
Man, I didn't want it to end either.
Putting your streams on TV and working along quickly became a tradition of mine. I remember joining during the Lombardi scene and every hour since then was a treat!
Congratulations, Captain! Your work is admirable and addicting.
Been following this project for years, so happy to see the second episode
Pretty sure I was 16 when I saw the first episode
Same :3
16:00 Young Falco is an absolute gem.
I can relate to Young Falco
Because I’m known to raising my voice at certain things
And my mom keeping her patience
And my dad yelling and with cursing
It’s not abuse but it does make me cry
I can't believe how much that last scene with Fara struck me. The shock of that scene, the worried yet confused look on her face as realization hits her, AND THERE'S STILL ANOTHER 27 MINUTES TO GO!!
They did a great job giving her character some depth