Episode 72: Star Fox 64

Retro Spectives

Once upon a time there was a genre known as the Rail Shooter. Before developers had mastered free traversal in 3D spaces, they instead popped players on a fixed rail and took them through a series of linear shootouts. Many consider Star Fox 64 to be one of the highpoints of the genre, seeming to set the stage for many more to come. As time went on they started to disappear entirely though, only occasionally rearing up with titles like Panzer Dragoon and Kid Icarus.

The question is, did the genre deserve to die? Can a rail shooter possibly be as fun as a fully 3D one, or is it just a relic to be appreciated with nostalgia? Star Fox 64 has an incredible legacy of meme history, but is it still fun to play today?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How does the structure of Star Fox 64 impact its pacing and storytelling? How do the short runs and branching pathways compare to a more traditional linear campaign where you experience all the content in one playthrough?
• How do the linear rail shooting sections of Start Fox compare to the more open ‘All Range Mode’ where you can actually turn left and right?
• What did we think about the boss design? How fun are they to fight mechanically, and how does the visual design factor into the experience of shooting them to pieces?

We answer these questions and many more on the 72nd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Star Fox 64 OST: Hajime Wakai, Koji Kondo

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What was your least favourite level of Star Fox 64, and why was it that stupid underwater level? Are there any other rail shooters we should play? Is Star Fox 64 the best Star Fox game? Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!