The Star Fox Video | An Earnestly Long Analysis
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ค. 2024
- After having spent several months thinking about one of Nintendo's most curious franchises we are finally here to bring you this excessively long video about the Star Fox universe. In this piece of utter chaos we spew forth our thoughts and ideas about the narrative, presentation and characters of the entire series. So hop into that trusty Arwing and come with us on this absolutely ridiculous adventure of an analysis.
Guest voices:
@TBSkyen
@pimscrypt
00:00 Opening
04:08 Chapter 1: The Core Values of Star Fox
26:21 Chapter 2: Breaking the Rules
44:56 Chapter 2½: Hicoh kohudk udt taskukeh ev Dinosaur Planet
1:02:43 Chapter 3: Apaptosis, huh?
1:26:59 Chapter 4: Trouble in Space Paradise
2:00:55 Chapter 5: Oh no, there are more Star Fox games!
2:23:40 Kiki Ending and Patreon
PATREON: / transparens
TWITTER: / transparencyboo
THE INTERVIEW: shmuplations.com/starfoxadven...
#StarFox #Nintendo #Krystal
BONUS MEME
This video took a lot out of us, and we did not even manage to talk about everything we wanted to. We are basically Star Fox'ed out for a long time, so hopefully Nintendo doesn't announce a new one on a Nintendo Direct or something soon. I don't think we would be ready to deal with that now. The point of this video was basically that Miyu and Fay are really cool and they should have come back to Star Fox a long time ago. Like, why scrap such good designs when they're already made and ready to go. By the way the supposed leak about a Star Fox racing game by Retro Studios that was floating around several years ago was rad as heck. Would've loved to see an F-Zero-esque Star Fox racer so much, and it would be hilarious if they actually continued that thread after Command. Like who would've seen that coming? I would laugh and love it. Also, there should honestly be more Star Fox Adventures games, because I think the adventure game formula that games like The Legend of Zelda use just makes a lot of sense for this series. Exploring planets and all that jazz. Make a Star Fox platformer, kind of like Super Mario too, why not. Just make a Star Fox game for every genre, that would be great. Just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Star Fox Dark Souls. Fox Souls. Star Fox turn based RPG. Star Fox Panel de Pon. Star Fox Lore game. Just keep em coming Nintendo. If you've read this far write a comment about how you would love to see a Star Fox Minecraft game, and if someone else has written that too then reply to them as well and tell them what a great idea it is. Star Fox in Fortnite. - เกม
Hello there, if you really enjoyed this video and want to see more from us in the future then please consider supporting us on Patreon. By doing so you also get access to our lovely behind the scenes audio companions and more. www.patreon.com/transparens
3:35 jumpscare!
Holy shit. This is the first I am learning that Krystal isn't playable in Star Fox Adventures aside from the intro. Having followed Dinosaur Planet N64 with great anticipation, I assumed it was half and half. I remember playing a demo in GameStop which I think is the opening with Krystal. That's terrible.
Yeah, no, she got completely side lined in the worst possible way. We were robbed of Dinosaur Planet Krystal really.
This really puts it into perspective just how much the SF fandom is held up by fanfiction. At the end of the day the characters are more important than the actual game.
Like all Nintendo games, the characters are simple and sweet. The small pieces of dialogue and text descriptions work great because imagination can be the real horsepower without taking away from the game. Everything works in harmony.
Like in the end you could basically put the characters in whatever scenario you want, and I think it would work in some ways. The series itself has kind of done that too, haha.
I mean, I like the characters a bunch, but the main reason I like the series is because the Airwing gameplay is a total banger.
@@sumguy63 Miyamoto confirmed that Starwars and Thunderbirds were the biggest inspiration for Starfox.
I remember when I was younger (never having acquired the skills to actually get that far into the game before I lost it) I thought that Krystal being Krystalized was just some first act problem for the player that would be solved by the end of like the first quarter of gameplay, and then you and her would go on an awesome adventure together around the planet working on a different, bigger plot issue...
Now, hearing how the game really and fully plays out, I like young me's idea much better than the real plot.
Young you were really onto something.
Ikr !! Ughhh
It's almost like having both characters be playable was part of the original concept of the game!
You just described my thoughts on this.....i had a lot of imagination on this story since i was a kid, when a finished it it was good but then again, I expected way more, and the games after were the same, except for command, it was just too rushed
I am just going to assume that this entire 2½ hour video is about why General Pepper is the best and coolest most important character in the franchise
EDIT: Also, boy HOWDY yes, a lot of people are possessive towards Krystal. She was cast as perfect waifu sex kitten for a LOT of StarFox fans and they do not like it when someone treats her as complex character who might have a conflict with men treating her as an object. I saw flame-wars over her character play out back in my forum moderating days.
Oh yeah, us finding that stuff was just wild. It felt like it was never ending. I felt quite uncomfortable. People are of course a bit possessive of Fox too, but I think that is for other reasons - like them projecting on him. They are him in the games, and seeing Krystal be mean to him after he did NOTHING WRONG (he did but you know) is basically like her rejecting them personally. That's just the feeling I get. Like Fox being emasculated and having to own up to his mistakes is a big no no.
Didn't think you'd be a Star Fox fan
Emasculated as a no-no. But you gotta give him credit for owning up to his mistakes. Yes, what he did was wrong, but owning up to his mistakes, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as he’s being honest. Even though she was mean to him.
the amount of scrutiny Krystal is put under is absolutely exhausting and infuriating. I just want her to be as respected as a valid StarFox character as the rest of the cast. I want to see more of what we see of her in Assault combined with Dinosaur Planet and for her character to really be what she could be. Not be shitcanned because people got butthurt at her presence. I'm like the most vehement defender of her character though so... that's on me.
@@Z95HeadHunter You and me both, but tell that to Nintendo. Tell that to Imamura also. They’re so sexist it’s no wonder they haven’t the balls to fix their mistakes.
Really sad Nintendo decided to discontinued the storyline Adventures and Assault created to just remake 64 again.
100%
I’m guessing two reasons either they were afraid of detracting the 64 fans or they couldn’t think what to continue the story for assault
@@seasonembrace3624 I guess Nintendo works in mysterious ways too. It had been many years after Command so who knows what they were really thinking at this point. It seemed like Miyamoto just wanted to make something new but familiar to fans though, so it's probably just as simple as that.
Where did you hear that Nintendo decided to discontinue the storyline of Adventures and Assault? And like I said, Zero is a reimagining of 64, something we never needed or asked.
@@Wildboyz6913 It's probably fair to assume that they won't revisit that timeline again anytime soon. There isn't really any reason to assume that they will go back to it.
Oh my God, did you actually bonk your Arwing in the same spot in Corneria between 64 and Zero? That's hella dedication for a joke most people probably missed
Us pointing at the screen screaming "SAME GAME!"
For a more serious comment: I remember that when I was a kid and I played Adventures I was extremely certain they were setting up for a Paper Mario type gameplay split. Not necessarily that Krystal's side would be "like Peach", but that there would be Star Fox Main Character Gameplay, followed by a post-"chapter" segment of Krystal in the temple, doing more puzzle style things, and combat, but not allowed into the broader world.
And then that didn't happen and instead she was shelved for the whole game... and I couldn't stop thinking of how they could have better made the differing "roles" of the characters more of a thing, and like... had her be a character for longer.
It's honestly really refreshing to hear some positive thoughts on Command! Like, I think the story is goofy as all heck, but the way fans act like it was the worst thing to happen to video games as a medium is just ridiculous. It tried something new, it game some much needed personality to characters who straight up didn't have any before, and introduced several new characters who frankly don't get enough love. The game might not be to everybody's taste, but the relentless negativity surrounding it is exhausting.
The stories in that game are so cool exactly because of how they sway between serious and goofy like it does. For the most part it's just drama though, very personal space opera stuff where people clash with each other emotionally. And I for one felt that was so refreshing and fun to see. Especially with how it lets you play as all these characters. To me it's pretty brilliant. Not to mention that it's pretty challenging too.
I know basically nothing about this series but the whole time you were talking about Adventures I was like "wait. Isn't this the one with the purple fox? With the staff? I guess not." And then the twist hit me like a truck.
I am glad our little gag went over well, haha
I’ve seen how hard you two worked on this and it truly has paid off.
We really hope it did, haha. It was a lot of work and turmoil. A few breakdowns later and here we are on the other side at least ♥️
@@Transparencyboo Love the video! Estelle Ellis, the voice actress of Krystal from Adventures said Command is not canon. Fox isn’t a whiny crybaby, he’s just lost everything, it’s ok for him to cry, everyone does. And I saw Arwings and Wolfen’s fighting the Anglars underwater. Physically, that’s impossible. Try flying a fighter jet underwater. If Dylan Cuthbert agrees that the bad endings, where Star Wolf wins or Krystal ditches Fox for Panther are just bad dreams Fox is having or the real reason Krystal joined Star Wolf is because she’s working for Peppy as an undercover spy and that their is a clone of Krystal who is exposed when she is an Andross apologist. If Cuthbert confirms it, I’ll die happy!
@@Wildboyz6913 Like we said in the video it doesn't really matter if Command is canon, it has absolutely no bearing on the franchise whatsoever. Especially not now when all of it was rebooted and nothing actually came of it. We decided to not mention that the creators has said it's not canon because it's not even relevant, and honestly we don't care, haha. As we stated "it's besides the point". And I don't think Estelle Ellis has any say in the matter anyway, haha.
About flying Arwings underwater. Is it impossible? Doesn't seem like it in this game. They're clearly doing it, so I'd imagine they've upgraded their silly little spaceships to do it. Not to mention - who cares? It makes for some interesting looking battlefields and it's not like it matters in the grand scheme of things. There are plenty of things in these games that are physically impossible after all, lol.
And you don't need Dylan to confirm anything. If you don't care for that ending you don't have to acknowledge it. Like we said - it's your choice and your path.
@@Transparencyboo And like I said, even an upgraded Arwing or wolfen wouldn’t last underwater. I tried flying my Arwing in 64 to go underwater, but I crashed and died. They would need a sub to defeat the Anglars, but since the blue Marine is destroyed, they’ll have to use something else. Cuthbert said and I quote “Each play through is an alternate reality, play through multiple times until you get the reality /you/ want. In this sense none of them are canon and they are just a few possible realities based on your subjective experience and choices.” In his own words, the storylines and the endings are non-canon. If you’re got convinced, why don’t you ask him? Besides, Estelle Ellis seems to agree that it’s not canon, why don’t you check that out on Twitter and ask her that even if you don’t think it’s relevant? I never said the game was canon.
@@Wildboyz6913 I don't think you even read or engaged with my response, so I'll leave it there. Bye bye.
Even tho I really feel bad because I use these videos mostly like podcasts while working, I still want to express how much this is appreciated right before a long night.
This is going to be great!
Don't worry, you're free to watch or listen to our videos any way you want.
Wow! I’m so glad that the only canon games are Star Fox 2, Dinosaur Planet 64, Star Fox Assault, and Star Fox Command
Haha, the real canon.
im a furry and star fox has always been my fav franchise since i was a kid because im a fox furry , so happy to find an actually great longer video essay on my fav games !!!
You're welcome, glad you liked it
I remember playing the rom of Star Fox 2 and thinking what a big missed opportunity the new characters of that game were.
They're so cool. Excellent designs. I am glad that they finally gave it an official release, but gosh, these gals deserved more.
Kiki in a fursuit is going to awaken something in some viewers, and I wish those viewers all the best on their journey
Bless them!
As a die hard Star Fox fan, thank you for creating such a high quality analysis of the series! I remember loving Command growing up and was so bummed to find out no one shared my love of all the wacky (and some very justifiable) endings. Keep up the amazing work!
Hey, thanks friend! ♥️ We're glad to share the love!
I feel like StarFox isn't really dead, more cryogenically frozen, almost krystalized into a specific state to be ogled at, yet people seem to want more than nostalgic eye candy. . . except when they do.
I am sure we'll see Star Fox soon enough. Might be some time before that, but I am certain someone will have an idea at Nintendo at some point.
justice for krystallllll
Heck yeah!
Ok so this might be the best video about the Star Fox franchise period. You made me feel like that 2 year obsession I had with the series was worth it because you see the same potential I do and how Nintendo is doing nothing with it. If I had any say with the series, I'd take everything and adapt it into an anime. And recently, Imamura said something about making another episode to that animated tie-in to Zero so here's to hoping.
With Miyamoto going in the route of making movies, maybe he'll give it a try over there too. Who knows. Might be a cool way to go.
This is the best video on Star Fox that ever was, and ever will be. I am simultaneously so proud of y'all and jealous that you've made (in my humble opinion) the definitive video on such a major franchise. It is _The_ Star Fox video, and it certainly deserves that title!
It was a long and troublesome road to get here, but I am glad to see such a nice response. Thank you!
So happy i found this video! It took a couple sessions but i finally finished. Its so rare to see an analysis of the franchise that focuses in on the parts of it I care the most about. You also made me see Command in a new light which i thought was impossible not gonna lie.
We do our best 🧡 glad you found and liked it!
I never got into these games and this was an absolutely fascinating journey through their history. Let's hope this is not it's end.
Here's hoping. I am sure this isn't the last we'll see of Star Fox and the gang!
What I've learned from this video:
- Miyu and Fey was stolen from us
- Star Fox command is the best Star Fox game and should be renamed to "Krystal's dealing with everyone's drama"
- Star Fox should just be renamed to "Space furries: Dudes Rock"
Yup. I think you summed that up well.
This is correct.
One cool thing about adventure's Krystal at least is that the VA is known to interact with Star Fox fans and help with star fox fan projects so thats a plus at least in my eyes
Exceptionally bummed I'm only just now finding this video, because it's absolutely fantastic.
Better late than never, right? :)
This was an amazing two and a half hours well spent. Y'all have put in such effort into this through analysis of one of my favorite series.
What really got me was your breakdown of the gameplay narrative for the first level of Star Fox Assualt. How the gameplay ITSELF sets up the shift from the formula of "Lylat War conflict and Barrel Roll hijinks" to "Oh shit, its the Apaptosis"; honestly had patch back in five minutes previous to get that drop again. Good stuff all around and thank you for this.
Glad you liked it! It was a barrel of laughs, as Wolf would say.
Really excellent work. You did a great job establishing a thematic through-line across what I think most would call a very disparate array of games, despite them being in the same franchise! I didn't know much about Command beyond "it's the one with the wacky endings" and you've made me regret never trying it.
I think one of the things that annoys me most about Krystal's role in Adventures is how utterly unnecessary it was for her to even *be* a damsel in distress, as you talked about, and how much better the game would be if they'd just retooled it a bit.
Here's my thinking: You've got two main characters, and two big MacGuffin Quests. One set of MacGuffins represents the physical - Earth, Water, Wind, Fire. A reflection of Fox's practical, direct, no-nonsense approach to things. His job - put the pieces of the planet back together. He has a tenuous bond with some of the inhabitants of the planet, but he's there mostly out of pragmatism and self-interest, to Do The Thing and get out of there.
The second set of MacGuffins represents the spiritual - Determination, wisdom, bravery, patience, etc. A reflection of Krystal's more empathic and caring nature. Her job - bring about peace on the planet. Maybe Andross is manipulating all the inhabitants against each other and her quest involves mending those ties and undoing the non-physical damage done by Andross.
Have them each seek out their own MacGuffins, on their own quests, have the storylines intertwine a bit, and meet up at the end, since both MacGuffin sets are required to fix the overall problems of the planet (war, and planet explosions). Then you get free theming about balance between the physical and spiritual, too.
I'm guessing at least some of this is present in the Dinosaur Planet prototype, too, which I haven't played yet. Bah. What a waste!
Yeah, there is literally a lot of ways they could do it. I'd imagine a lot of the animations could be used interchangeably between both of them too to save on development time. But who knows, maybe this was just the only way they could make it on time. You really should try Dinosaur Planet though, it's a bit of a bother to get some parts to work and it crashes a whole hecking lot, but I think it's worth at least looking at.
I love the Star Fox series so much! So much so that I have absorbed and memorized an unhealthy amount of useless knowledge about it. I don't even know why I love it so much, but I do. I guess it’s a hyperfixation of mine.
I'm very frustrated that Nintendo refuses to explore the potential of this series. At least we have fan creations to fill in the gaps.
There isn't a lot of quality Star Fox content out there, so this video is a treasure for sure. I also found it extremely refreshing because it's rare to hear a woman's perspective on the series. So yeah, as a huge Star Fox enthusiast, this video was an absolute delight!
Thank you very much for putting so much effort into this. I enjoyed every second of this video. Your effort is greatly appreciated! ❤️❤️❤️
Glad you also like Star Fox so much, it's a really rad franchise. The colorful animal characters are just a delight, and I think it's easy for people to just fall in love with it. We're happy to bring some different perspectives on the series, it's always fun and exciting to do, and it seems like people are enjoying it and like you say find it refreshing. Thanks for enjoying the video so thoroughly anyway, it really means a lot after all that time that went into making it
You really opened my eyes. I consider myself a hardcore fan of the series and I despised Command for years. Little kid me got so sad seeing those endings, it was really jarring. But now as an adult I can appreciate the real situations that happen to these characters and can enjoy the full beauty of a game like Command. Stellar work you two!
Thank you! We're glad that we could help and that you enjoyed our little video! 🧡
No idea how this ended up in my reccomended tab, but thank goodness it did, this was excellent.
For a series I've only ever played through emulation, SF holds a place in my heart. I watched one vid about 64's development in like 2016 and it accidentally sent me down a rabbit hole of lore and fan works that seriously helped me discover more about who I am as a person, and for that I'll be eternally grateful... although absolutely none of that was intentional and driven off of a surprisingly strong fanfiction scene. This video honestly sums up a lot of feelings I have for the series on a non-gameplay front.
Regardless, excellent work.
man i got to the lylat wars section about how the game, by softly remaking the first, set a standard for what an archetypal star fox game should be and was like 'hm this seems. familiar.' and then i got to the star fox command section where the handheld game started lightly prodding its series' expected conventions only to be met with fan backlash and. hmmmmm.
A common occurance, let's just say.
The "this is the best game ever made" signature phrase hit even more after a 1:29:15 long build-up.
We absolutely LOVE saying that phrase.
Found this video and channel by pure accident and after spending 2 hours watching probably the best and most detailed star fox review made i couldn't resist and subscribed, can't wait to see more of your work in the site!
you make a lot of comparisons to the sonic the hedgehog franchise and fandom in this video, and i gotta say, there's a very similar comfort and relief in watching a video this invested in the fun and compelling parts of the star fox universe as there is in watching videos that have interesting, critically kind things to say about sonic. i knew that at no point in watching this analysis would you volley surface-level and brainless criticism at the star fox series the way a lot of other voices in games criticism have, obviously cause that's not your style but also because you just made it so clear in the topics you chose to highlight.
it's always more enjoyable and mind-opening to engage with discussions like this, and easier to come away from them feeling new appreciation for things, when the starting point isn't "let's deny the artistic and narrative merits of this because it's funny to do so"
Oh yeah, a lot of these games have just been torn a new bumhole time and again. It's just not very fun to us. Even when we get critical I think it is because of a sincere love of the games. Sonic just kind of fit well into the whole idea of this video. About those bad criticisms by the way, we once heard someone complain that there was a day and night cycle in Star Fox Adventures for no reason, and that just baffled me.
Apoptosis, huh?
That's right!
You two make my absolute fav content on this site and this video just shows the amount of love and care that you put on each subject and video- thank you so much for doing this💖
Aw, thank you! We do our best, hehe :)
Brilliantly thorough, fun, and informative video! I recently started exploring the Star Fox series again out of curiosity and I was amazed to come across this. You did an amazing job exploring the franchise's history (both the games' developmental histories and the series' canon) to contextualize the otherwise somewhat odd trajectory its had. The comedic timing was on point as well and I actually let out audible chuckles quite a few times which rarely happens when I watch stuff! (pointing out the pizza boxes in the background during Fox and Krystal's romantic scene killed me!) This video helped me gain a much deeper appreciation for the series and understand what makes it so unique from most other Nintendo games beyond my previous surface-level view. This is a perfect love letter to a series that so desperately needs more love and a proper revival that celebrates trying new things! I enjoyed every minute of it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
New transparency video just dropped! I love your stuff:) can't wait to finish the video
Yeah, good times!
50:00 I'm legit sad that this version of the game didn't make it on the N64. As a comparison, Rare's previous game Perfect Dark finally got major voice acting and music compressed and imported as MP3s on to the N64 cart. In order to listen to the tracks and voices though, you would of needed the extra RAM (expansion card) for the N64 to be able to uncompress and play the tracks. One of the major things missing in Perfect Dark though was any form of lip syncing (or even mouth movements) as that is room they didn't have.
To see what they accomplished in Dino Planet to finally get the N64 running above it's weight-class is a major technical marvel.
Fun fact, other than voicing Krystal in Dinosaur Planet Evelyn Novakovic also did the voice for Joana Dark in Perfect Dark!
@@Transparencyboo nnnnooooooooooooo!!!!
What an incredible retrospective and critique. I really felt the love of the series shine through, and holding it to account for its flaws or missteps like this really shows how much you value the time you've spent with it. It was comfy to have on while I work, and now I miss playing these even more!
This one made me a subscriber.
Hey, welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. It took a lot of love and effort to make it so we're happy that it shines through
I’m almost completely unfamiliar with Star-Fox apart from hearing about the last few releases, but this was amazing, the effort was worth it, one of my favourites on the channel.
Also I realised how I’d barely heard anything about Assault and the DS one over the years, I kept hearing how half the games were essentially remakes/reimaginings of the first story, I didn’t realise there were these story-heavy ones in the middle, I really want to try that DS one now (but not first).
This is the most excited I’ve ever been to try some Starfox games, so thanks!
Also I love the thumbnail, those are really cute drawings. Also the little sketches of the characters throughout the video were great little visual gags, very much enjoyed.
Glad to be creating new Star Fox fans, haha. Kiki put a lot of effort into the drawings for this one, just went all out on it
This was an incredible video, so many intelligent and unique perspectives that I don't see from anyone else! I hope this video gets spread around to the larger Star Fox community so that we can look outside ourselves to see the bigger picture of what this franchise needs.
I wouldn't say that all complaints about Command's story are couched in misogyny or possessiveness of Krystal, as much of the ire is directed more toward Fox being a giant idiot for kicking Krystal off the team on incredibly sexist pretenses. I also feel that many don't like the downer endings for Krystal because they want the best for her, so it pains them to see her in emotional turmoil on Star Wolf's team, or to see her become a cold and ruthless bounty hunter. Underneath all the anger and outrage, lots of fans simply felt hurt that Fox becomes so callous and selfish, and that Krystal suffers so heavily under the multiple fates of the story. Of course we should not discount the more unpleasant fans that blame Krystal for everything or take Fox's biased view of the relationship! I think it's just worth remembering that everyone has their own complex and messy reasons for liking or disliking the story.
I'm beyond happy that the franchise received such an insightful analysis, especially toward the experimentation of gameplay and story plus the much-needed highlight of the "boy's club" problem. The humor, art, and fursuit really brought it all together for me. Looking forward to the next giga-length video!
Oh yeah, totally, it's obviously not all of the people who dislike it. Like we said it's 'partly' a thing that is going on in that hate. I think it's fair to dislike the game, and people who do shouldn't take whatever extremes we showed to heart if it doesn't reflect them. We did look at a lot of discourse around the game and Krystal, and it was sadly very prevalent, but that doesn't mean it's relating to everyone. We just hope that whoever see this video can see that too.
Thanks for enjoying the video and the kind words by the way. We've been quite overwhelmed with the nice response so far, it has far exceeded our expectations really :) thank you
You already know what I think of this video but I'm just gonna add that I think the editing is once again top-notch. absolutely bonkers good. Such incredible eye for detail in what footage to show at what point.
Love you, birb! Thanks for helping!
100%
Thanks for the impeccable video essay vibes today. It helped me reset and relax during a stressful time - and I learned a lot of cool things about the series!
We're happy to provide 🧡
Phew, I did it, I watched every single video on this channel and loved every second of it. This is easily one of the best channels on TH-cam. The writing and research packed into every video is impeccable. Your ability to critique and re-examine popularly maligned games and media without falling into the same cynicism the plague other channel is enviable. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go apologize to my copy of Star Fox Command. Keep up the great work!
I'm so glad I found your channel. Too many game analysis video essays are either surface level rehashes of the plot or lore dumps that don't actually analyze anything, but your videos are always deep and interesting, even when I don't necessarily agree with your conclusion *cough* balan wasn't fun to play *cough*
As someone who started the series with assault and then went back to play adventure, it was frustrating to see those plot lines totally dropped in favor of nostalgia towards something I missed out on, but I never thought about how much of a boy's club it truly made the games. This stuff could maaaaaybe get a pass in the 90s, but when even other nintendo franchises have moved past token girl, its frustrating to see
Such a good video! Sometimes it's nice to have an extra long video to really dive into.
Thank you so much for this! This was very fun! And I learned a lot about Star Fox that I did not really know. Assault and Command look like fun romps!
Towards the end of the vid when thinking about what a possible future Star Fox game might look like, I started imagining how a Star Fox/Mass Effect mashup could be like. Star Fox being given a grand operatic space opera treatment.
Mass Fox, lol. Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Kiki vibing in the corner is the best part of this video
Just chilling. 😎
This was delightful, all kinds of impressions I had absorbed about this series and Crystal and Command evaporated in moments. I was most excited about your Command section and it was everything I could have hoped for. And now I have even more reason to like Wolf than before.
Glad you enjoyed it so much! And Wolf is a good boy, we like him!
Dawww, Kiki is so adorable. And this is a really in-depth video! You've earned a subscriber.
This video was a great! Thanks for all the effort.
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Krystal could have been like Rivet from Ratchet im Clank, but they made her into a damsel in distress and we don’t learn much about her other than her planet was destroyed. How was it destroyed? How did she survive? Was it really Andross who was responsible?
I like Krystal, but I think the fan game Star Fox Event Horizon is doing her more Justice than the series, which is sad.
Wow was not expecting a whole 2 and a half hour video. Will definitely sit down and enjoy this once I have the time
It will be waiting for you when the time is ready!
You’re one of the most in-depth and funniest channels out there, thank you so much for what you do! Also you and your wife are adorable!
Thank you, that's very nice of you to say! We'll do our best to make more~
A fabulous video and labor of love, I adored every minute of it!
Thank you! Glad you liked it! 🧡
I periodically come back to this video to rewatch it due to how amazing it is, thank you both! ♥
That's really cool! Thank you for enjoying it so much!
@@Transparencyboo you both make great work, keep it up!!! Also, here's to an awesome 2024 to you btw! Happy New Year! =D
@@belph6c thank you! Happy new year to you too! 🧡
Wow im glad i found this channel, this video was really cool to watch as another long time fan of the series. I completely agree with the part where you mentioned that this series can obviously work with both lighthearted stories like the first few games had and more serious stories like the later, especially with how much worldbuilding and awesome characters we've been introduced to. Ive also yet to play Assault and Command but this video has helped me turn the negative stigma away and finally try to experience them myself.
Assault is rough around the edges, but it has a certain charm to it that a lot of people seem to be drawn to. Especially those who grew up with it. I think it's also worth to mention that Star Fox Command is HARD, like challenging as heck. They really put a lot of effort into making a game in the series that didn't pull any punches. It takes a while to get used to, but once you do it's super satisfying and rewarding.
@@Transparencyboo Oh wow ill keep that in mind lol. Ive seen very few clips of assault and tbh it looks fun so i think ill be alright on that front but thanks for the heads up on command🙏
@@starbutter2730 No problem at all, hope you enjoy them! :)
@@starbutter2730 I recommend Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-sparked!, and Bot Vice there like Star Fox Assault in 2d.
@@orangeslash1667 ooooo ty, orange
Before watching, just want to say I've never been more nervously excited for a youtube video before, can't wait to see what y'all have to say on this topic!
It'll be wild, we promise.
@@Transparencyboo Just finished it, absolutely excellent video!! Loved your thoughts on command, it's probably my favorite out of the series! (BTW they should make a starfox minecraft game I think that'd be pretty cool)
@@applescats We love hearing people say they enjoyed Command, because I have to tell you: while making this it didn't feel like anyone did. It was wild going through videos, forums, comment sections etc and just see the most vile hatered for it. So thank you, it warms our hearts.
Also, yeah, Minecraft Star Fox is obvious.
I really wish you had more viewers. You make amazing video essays
Slapping star fox command onto my r4 card as we speak. Really enjoyed the video, thank you for making it!
Hope you like it. I think it's super rad anyway, especially for quick handheld romps. It's just really designed with the format and sleep mode in mind. I'd also say pay attention to the environments from time to time, because they are many and some of them are outright stunning for the DS. There is one where the sun is reflecting on the water and it's just simply gorgeous.
Critical Fox theory.
lol, yes.
i've honestly never had much familiarity with the star fox franchise beyond appearances in smash bros, but wow i adored this video!! it's easy to see the amount of passion that went into it, and it's honestly infectious and makes me want to see where the series goes next. thank you so much for making this!!
...now to see if i can get my hands on a copy of command....
Glad you liked it! Star Fox Command is luckily REALLY cheap, we're talking dirt cheap.
Having been in a Star Fox obsession lately, I had recently picked up Command (and both SNES entries) again about a day before finding this video. And it sums up so many of my feelings on the games, and especially about Krystal.
When I first played Command, I played enough to get all the endings and recalled liking it a lot more than most of the other opinions I heard about it, so I wanted to see how my feelings on the game have changed. I haven't gotten very far in it yet this time around, but am quite glad to go into it with the perspective you've provided. And your optimism on the series' future is much appreciated, when there's so much of the opposite going around.
Command is going to be an interesting ride for me though. Unfortunately, when I first played it, I was at a time in my life when I was really struggling to accept my own lack of romantic attraction, and that led to some bitter resentment toward the ubiquitous use of romance and relationships as a story-telling device in various media. So the greater focus on relationships in the game was something I recall disliking about it. Thankfully, those feelings disappeared with time, and I'll be glad to have a newer lens on the game without that bitterness.
Anyway, I like foxes. And spaceships. Yay!
ohhh I was waiting so much for this video!!!!!!!
Love Miyu!
This was a blast to watch!! but I feel like I was robbed several times after learning about Miyu and Fay and seeing that crazy good animation on Dinosaur Planet Krystal. Dang!! I only saw screenshots of the game, the animation was out of this world for the N64... a weird emotion of appreciation for the knowledge but the pain of seeing these lost to time.
Toward the end I've gotten a hopeful feeling that either they'll figure it out or someone else will make a notably inspired space game with space furry girls. I was mildly interested in Star Fox in general all this time, and I played a bit of Assault myself with a friend, but it is wild seeing the breadth of game styles and stuff. I didn't even know about the VN-looking one, that's wild.
Totally worth the wait and thank you for the hard work captioning this feature-length film of a video! Loved the fursuit too, stylin' look!!
P.S. every time you placed something on the table I remembered this silly infomercial bit where they added a shake and sound effect to a giant cupcake th-cam.com/video/O5qbCJtWTDo/w-d-xo.html
edit: forgot to say I also loved the art I have a lot of things to say
It's truly odd how the concept of cool girl characters getting shafted by cancelled development happened twice with this franchise. Very disheartening.
Thanks about the fursuit and the art too, they're really cool!
I'm so glad for your defense of Command! That game was trully great!
And as you said, I think the "boys club" mentality of StarFox may be one of the biggest detriments of the franchise and it hasn't helped it evolve into a more interesting series. That and the unhealthy fixation with the original pair of games.
Keep up the amazing work!
Glad to see more people who like it, because gosh did it feel like we were the only ones for a while.
Great video! Was introduced to your channel when this video got shared in the Starfox subreddit. Gamecube was my first Nintendo console, so I have very fond memories of playing through both adventures and assault repeatedly to sustain my love for the franchise. But when I learned about Dinosaur Planet and how it devolved into what we actually got, it certainly shocked me that what was originally planned would have been a much better game (despite the fact that I may not have gotten into the franchise since I never owned a N64) along with Krystal playing a much more prominent role. In fact, I really liked Krystal in the games despite the injustice that was done to her character in adventures. And although I had 2-3 playthroughs of Command, I have to admit I agreed with the majority's opinion on how the story progressed. Your video has given me a new perspective on both its story as well as how the characters behaved (although my opinions/criticisms remain unchanged). Putting that aside, I'm eagerly awaiting when the next game is announced, and I want Krystal to make a reappearance in some way along with Miyu and Fay (they were such cool characters!) Very cool fursuit as well btw ;)
We were a bit reluctant to post the video on the subreddit ourselves, because we kind of just imagined that it would possibly be taken the wrong way or that we might just be a bit too wild, haha. Of course it would end up there eventually, so it's nice to see that people seem to like it over there too despite not agreeing on everything.
Finally a video that doesn't constantly dump on Command. Like I get it has it's issues, especially in regards to the story(not a big fan of it either though I love individual ideas, characters and moments here and there), but I've been playing it a lot more lately and I think people(myself included) were way too harsh on it
I've decided: I want a Star Fox game with all the bombast and sincerity of an Ace Combat game. Throw in a Keiki Kobayashi-style soundtrack for mega bonus points.
Sounds like a job for the Project Wingman team.
Only time will tell what the future holds
Wolf: Can you hear me, Fox?
Come on! *Flamenco and Latin Choir kicks in*
@@Transparencyboo Ace Combat is on Switch.
I also recommend Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-sparked!, and Bot Vice there like Star Fox Assault in 2d.
Absolutely love this, y'all did an amazing job and this video was really eye opening as my view on the series was very limited having only played Command. I absolutely love Command, and it was genuinely surprising to hear just how much people seem to hate it honestly (my personal favorite ending being Fox and Falco going on to become boyfriends and race in Not F-Zero)
Yes! We appreciate you! Gosh, it's always so refreshing hearing people say they enjoy Command, and there needs to be more of us. Also, the G-Zero ending is amazing. I kind of love how it starts in tragedy but flips around into something so positive for them.
That was both a wild and delightful -ride- flight. The wait was worthwhile!
Thank you!
Kiki's furrsuit is very cool.
I like how silly starfox command is, it’s basically them re adding once minor, or kinda small characters like Krystal and team star wolf and giving them a lot of lore. And for the starfox team, they gave all of them (except Falco) kids
They were really having fun with it and going in all kinds of directions. We did think about how funny and well-fitting it would be to have Tricky come back as a sudden team member on one of the routes. Just imagine a level based on Sauria and having Tricky appear in a silly space ship. I would love that, hilarious stuff. One can dream.
@@Transparencyboo yeah Nintendo isn’t really all that fun and experimental with their franchises anymore, the ideas are very enjoyable to come up with still
I haven't finished the video yet - such a robust project deserves to be digested thoroughly - but I felt like chipping in that Star Fox owes a lot of its identity to its stellar sountracks, and it's always the thing I remember best after the adventures, and what makes me want to try other games in the series.
Star Fox 2 started in my imagination as a blip on the radar, quickly forgotten except for its appearance in Nintendo Power. Later, the ROMs leaked, and while other people clamored about missing out on a "missing link" Star Fox game, I was more disappointed that the world had been robbed of such catchy, unique beats! I probably listened to tracks like Titania and Macbeth on loop for weeks at the gym after this discovery.
The Star Wolf track from Star Fox 2 is one of the raddest in the entire series. It's a shame they never re-used it.
another amazing video! i only want to add that my favourite StarFox work of the past decade has been the fan animation A Fox in Space, its on TH-cam and delivers in its own tangential way on the potential of the StarFox universe. perhaps more interesting then is the sphere of unofficial fan works being created in all quarters, from game mods to animations, as well as in depth analyses such as this video, that show far more reverence and love for an IP beyond what the corporate owner of the IP has been able to achieve in decades. Sonic being the other standout example (although even then with recent successes owing a significant part to long standing members of the fan community). it makes me wonder what amazing works we could behold if the copyright strangleholds encumbering these franchises were loosened and more "fan" projects were officially endorsed...
We have watched A Fox in Space before actually, although we should probably give it a rewatch, because it has been some time. I think it shows a lot of potential for the fans to keep the series alive too.
My hype cannot be understated. Lets goooooooo!
Hope you enjoy it!
Oh, I remember some of these games! Real walk down memory lane. Awesome!
They're a fun time!
Watched the entire thing, and this was such a good video!
As a long-time starfox fan I found myself agreeing with basically everything in the video.
Probably the most disappointing thing about Zero for me was the lack of scope, as I actually quite liked the control scheme. It felt a bit frustrating to have what was basically 10 year gap in new releases to just be "lol heres starfox 64's story again" especially after we already HAVE a modern telling of the story in the 3DS remake.
This also makes me want to replay Adventures, Assault and Command as I probably havent played those since I was a kid.
Glad you enjoyed the video and that we could hopefully inspire you to replay some of the games :)
What a wonderful video, i watched the whole of it and it made me appreciate more the franchise. Even when i still have to play Star Fox 2 on the Snes Mini and Command. But i'll keep it short:
It seems that Nintendo doesn't know what to do with the franchise anymore, any entry they took seems like a test to show a peripheral and their fans would really appreciate if they decide to keep it as a single genre. I remember playing Star Wars: Rogue Squadron on the N64 and it made me think Nintendo can learn a lot from it and follow that path to build a story. They don't have to innovate, they just need to keep it fun.
And, the only ones who are keeping expanding the franchise it's the fandom itself: artist, illustrators, fanfic writers and the community. Seriously, i'm pretty hyped for the second episode of "A fox in space" and 80's style show made by one single person and it has given a whole personality to every single character.
And i said it again: what a great video. you earned a sub.
holy shit, I knew about Dinosaur Planet and all, but I had no idea that Miyamoto was really gunning for Krystal to be a sexy furry pinup girl. I guess Miyamoto is Weird About Women.
It's all very weird and I'm still not sure if that part of the interview was like a joke or something.
@@Transparencyboo eugh, it's hard to say honestly. miyamoto has been explicitly Weird About Women in interviews at least a couple other times, the most notable i can think of being an interview about Super Mario 3D World where he was recorded saying (potentially paraphrased due to translation) "catwomen have a sexy side" and "i wanted to see what a feline peach would look like", which feels. Gross in the wider context of how miyamoto has been about women
@@CrappyBlue Yeah, it's just a bit weird. Like, it's Super Mario mate.
I think Star Fox Command is one of my favorites, because of the multiple stories and endings.
You have no idea how refreshing this is to hear.
@@Transparencyboo I discovered the game relatively recently, via Tom Fawkes' LP.
@@timhutchinson8485 We hadn't played through it until recently for this video, and we just basically fell in love with it. Especially after having played all the others right before.
Time to set aside my evening to watch this :)
Star Fox and chill.
the little touch at 1:04:17 with jurassic park under starfox adventures LMAO
We had to do it, haha.
A very lovely and enjoyable video, with a lot of interesting and well-made points- and a lot of displays of people being weird childish babies about female characters. It really makes me regret that I was never able to get into Assault's gameplay, and that playing Command isn't really a viable thing I could do without a working DS or 3DS anymore, because their stories seem to be pretty interesting.
Also, man- I played Adventures back in the day, I know that it was originally some N64 game that had a lot more focus on Krystal- but I never knew all that much ABOUT that original Krystal or the original Dinosaur Planet. Her cute design and peppy attitude, though, and how much potential the character had... You really made me feel for and mourn the loss of a decades old character that I didn't even know existed until today.
IF you happen to have a WiiU you can still get Command over there, and it plays pretty well if you put both screens on the gamepad. But yeah, I'd recommend a DSi of course. Assault is perfectly playable on Dolphin, if you have the power to run it of course. Just some tips that might be helpful. And yeah, I really get not being able to get into Assault. It's a really weird game to be honest that I think could use some more polish overall. At the very least it's neat to think about even if you don't necessarily enjoy it.
At least you can see some of that stuff in Krystal in Adventures as well. The way she is portrayed as a polar opposite to Fox is quite telling of what kind of person she is. I think the best scene she got is the one where she kneels down in front of the Earthwalker and comforts him, like that says a lot about a character doesn't it. Too bad much didn't come of it though.
The "background" actions of Kiki are fantastic.
Also... Minecraft: Star Fox Adventures
Thanks, Kiki appreciates it. Hopefully she returns soon beyond the fursuit, haha.
Great video! Really interesting analysis, makes me want to try Command again... And Adventures again... And Assault again...
You got the weekend all planned out already!
What a phenomenal video. Got me thinking, I’d love to see Star Fox in Minecraft
Amazing idea!
You’ve successfully convinced me to buy star fox command for all that sweet space furry drama
Yeah, can never go wrong with some fur drama!
Analysis, huh?
Apaptosis, huh?
I've only played the first two games in the series (and always thought that the characters were pretty cool). After watching this I am definitely interested in playing more of them and seeing more of how the series' story and characters develop and its systems change firsthand. ...Though maybe just up to Starfox Command 😎
Thanks for making a great retrospective!
And thank you for enjoying it! :)
Absolutely fantastic video! Need to get some more games, I'm catching the Star Fox fixation bug after that
One of us!
Will Krystal ever be able to enjoy her sandwich?
We may never know.
This is a really fun watch and view on a series I never could get into. Shooting based games have never appealed to me but I do think I'll want to try them out eventually. Can't wait to re-watch this video in... Oh I don't know, maybe tomorrow, depends on my mood.
If you have never played Adventures, that MIGHT be a game in the series for you then. It doesn't really bother with the shooting and is mostly just a very light Zelda game. And best of all if you have a Gamecube it's super cheap, and it runs amazing on Dolphin, if you have a PC that can handle it. Also, thank you for rewatching, that's amazing
shoutouts to Kiki reaching her new furry forme!
Ascension.
interesting... a 2 hour video about star fox...
amazing
It got a bit out of hand...
Whew, finally finished watching this! Now I have all the knowledge about Star Fox... I'm obsessed with how reasoned and insightful the analysis on this channel is. The only one I've played is 64 3D which I didn't make it that far into (although the multiplayer was pretty fun back in the day as one of the few new download play games), but now I really want to try Command. I feel like there are so many games that could be so much more interesting with that kind of story approach.
One thing I was wondering was what your thoughts might be on Kid Icarus: Uprising - I could probably talk for two hours myself on that game, and I think it's interesting given it started out as a Star Fox game and seems to offer many of the improvements that Star Fox has ditched in recent years, but got them applied to a different abandoned series instead (which was then... abandoned again, and had its strengths drowned out by criticism about an esoteric control scheme... it's depressing imagining what a Kid Icarus 4 could do with, say, multiple playable characters or nonlinear storytelling). Also I 100% want to play a Star Fox Minecraft now. Goddammit.
Thank you for powering through this beast of a video, and also for the kind words about our channel! Very appreciated! As for Kid Icarus Uprising we haven't actually played it, although it has always interested us. It just hasn't happened basically, and now it's just hard to get the time to casually play it. Hopefully we'll find a copy for a nice price eventually, I am sure we'd enjoy it.
Shout Out if Krystal was your Furry Awakening
Calling out everyone!
@@Transparencyboo no one is safe
@@SocraTetris I recommend Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-sparked!, and Bot Vice there like Star Fox Assault in 2d.
i've never played a star fox before, but this was an interesting video!! the whole way they treat krystal really threw me for a spin
Glad you enjoyed it! :)