Star Fox 64 Retrospective: A Timeless Masterpiece

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks to @CaioJill9803 for pointing out that it was in fact Hajime Wakai composed most of Star Fox 64's music, while Koji Kondo contributed only a few tracks. This was just negligence on my part, and I will make sure not to repeat this mistake in the future. Hajime Wakai also composed the music for Skyward Sword, which is one of my favorite soundtracks ever. So I want to give a huge shoutout and apology to him, he deserves credit for his excellent work!

[@tazzythederg6429]

what amazing retrospective and review, thank you for such an amazing look into someone else's experience who also grew up with the game! you sir have earned my subscription

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks so much!@@tazzythederg6429

[@jhkuno88]

Nah, its unforgivable......ive already called the FBI and they will hitting your door soon...your coming down, criminal!

[@rezterralico4369]

I was in the other room making lemonade syrup when I heard you refer to slippy as a female. Pretty sure slippy was male in this game but with a higher pitched voice. I got all the medals to get the third unlock in multiplayer mode.

[@ivanavi123]

@@rezterralico4369 He is male for sure, you probably heard me referring to Lyssa Brown, the voice actress who plays him. But I wouldn't be surprised to learn I had made that mistake lol

[@charmedpluto6851]

The folding wings are likely a reference to the F-14 Tomcat, which was the aircraft with folding wings featured in Top Gun. In reality, folding wings are used more for taking off at sea where you have a much MUCH shorter runway provided by an aircraft carrier and need to generate a lot more lift to get into the air. I've always found that design choice on the Arwing interesting as in reality, by the time this game would've come out, the skies would have bee dominated by the F-15 Eagle and Russian Mig-20s(?) both of which were completely fix winged. Then the Navy (who were the branch employing the F-14) would have switched over to the FA-18 Super Hornet retiring the F-14 entirely. But the concept of a space fighter with folding wings is such a cool design concept I can overlook how perhaps impractical it would be.

[@hiramjew1523]

It's true when the F-14 wings are extended outwards the plane achieves lift more quickly allowing take off on shorter runways but it also allows the plane to fly more slowly and loiter over specific areas more easily. Which is probably why some boss fights Fox would yell "All-range mode" with the wings extended and you have more control over the Arwing at slower speeds!

[@vp_wrld]

This game is responsible for me falling in love with video games. Absolute classic game

[@ivanavi123]

Couldn't agree more

[@CGoody564]

When I was in middle or high school, I was talking to my dad about something, and he mentioned that sometimes when I went out or something when I was younger, he'd go downstairs and play a little StarFox 64 secretly. My dad never plays video games. He had an Atari in the attic he hadn't touched in decades and that's it. I was legitimately shocked (and impressed; he apparently couldn't get past the lava level, but I was flabbergasted that he managed to get that far) when he told me. StarFox 64 even turned my dad into a Gamer for a bit. There's something special there.

[@apocolypse11]

Instead of falling in love with a human.

[@Thor-Orion]

So the game that did that for me is Panzer Dragoon when I was 5 or 6 on Sega Saturn. I also love this Starfox, they’re both mostly rail shooters, although there’s some free range sections in Star Fox. I highly suggest people who like Star Fox give the Panzer Dragoon games a shot, especially the first two, the original has my favorite OST of all time.

[@clayc8115]

It pissed me off... i beat it on hard mode in just a few hours when i was a literal child...

[@TheJadeFist]

The train on Macbeth is carrying ore to the factory. It's a bit subtle of show don't tell type of story telling. A train in this setting wouldn't really make sense for supplies and such, when you got a solar system to supply and distribute, and you got space ships and stuff. But if they're mining on Macbeth and need to transport large amounts of rare materials to be processed that would make alot more sense.

[@nellynavarretevalle]

I adore the details described with the gameplay, the story having alternate paths based on action or inaction, even down to responses to certain actions (if you kill the enemy before Slippy asks for help beginning of Corneria, he follows up with a "Take that!"). Theres so much more to this game, and i love how well put this video is! Thank you for your time ❤

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you so much! You're so right, I could have gone on for hours about all the wonderful little details

[@richiewesson4051]

Slippy: "Whoa! Help me!" Also Slippy when you do all the work: "Hah! Take that!"

[@creature8396]

such a good video, i was expecting this to have 1k views at least! im a newer star fox fan and this is such a good introduction to the series. also, youre correct about the james mccloud scene. "youve become so strong, fox." continues to get me over and over

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed

[@Roddan96]

This is my favorite game of all time. I am also now of the opinion that Fox is just Leon S Kennedy from RE2.

[@underlightmusic]

Best part of this game is when you get the good end, escaping Venom with James, and he says that line that makes you realize how much Peppy respected him. Really lets you imagine the depth of the responsibility Peppy feels for Fox personally as well as the legacy of the team overall. Such a small detail that evokes so much.

[@sayuriartsy5108]

I still think that Star Fox 64 is peak video game story telling. It does so much with so little. And because of how little it gives you to work with, you will fill in the gaps based on your own individual player experience. There is simply not enough hard answers in the game to refute your own head-canons and that makes the viewer interpretation way more meaningful than any hard answers.

[@ivanavi123]

I completely agree, it's a very unique style of storytelling

[@sayuriartsy5108]

@@ivanavi123 What I remember when I played the game was that I was under the impression that the red scores and medals were an indication that Fox was feeling good about the results in so far that it was him thinking that he was able to do that particular mission at least as good as his Father would have handled it. A lot of characters speak to Fox about his Father throughout the game, but friend or foe, Fox consistently pretends that he is not hearing it, as he never replies to any of it. His silence spoke volumes to me, because it made me think that it really does get to him, as he does not see himself as the hero the Lylat System deserved, but only the one that they will have to make due with, and despite how much of a front he gives, he thinks of himself as a loser, almost as if he never got the chance to hear his father tell him that he was proud of him. I was under the impression that when Fox says "I'll go it alone from here." He said that with the full intention that he would die in that tunnel. He had become confident enough in his ability that he would be able to kill Andross, but did not believe he was strong enough to live. How could he, think he could ever accomplish that, after all, James didn't. My experience with the tunnel escape sequence where James appears was that I was under the impression that, the James we see is not a ghost, or a secretly totally still alive James, but rather that it is all in Fox's head, because the James we see and hear is simply a direct visual and audio manifestation of Fox's INSTINCTS, instincts which were given to him by his Father. When the music cuts out and we hear the line "You've become so strong, Fox", is the moment that Fox accepts that he was wrong about himself and truly understands and believes that his Father would have been proud to know that Fox was better than him, and has always believed that Fox would be one day. And nothing that the sequels, or reboots, or supplementary material might suggest otherwise can take away that experience or interpretation away from me.

[@CoNteMpTone]

@@sayuriartsy5108Holy shit, deep bro. I played through this game countless times, got all medals on master mode so many times, i can almost do it blindfolded and can probably quote every line of voice in the entire game in order. But as much as i have immersed myself in this world, your comment added another layer to it. Thank you very much.

[@sayuriartsy5108]

@@CoNteMpTone There are only 2 kinds of people on this earth. Those who can recite every line of Star Fox 64, and those who have never touched an Arwing.

[@franki1990]

@@sayuriartsy5108 This made me cry. I accept this as canon in my head... and heart.

[@dabluflcn]

When I was wee I would turn off the game sound, play the training to get to the infinite all range mode, and crank my first music CDs I would be given for Christmas or whatever. I could play that mode for hours.

[@CoNteMpTone]

I also played it for hours and really wondered if anything is gonna come of it if you reach X amount of hits. But it never did ;(

[@Hambs23]

The 3DS remaster is pretty good as well! Very nice review/retrospective. There's really not a lot else to add, you basically covered everything. In a way I kinda understand why Nintendo has a hard time doing sequels to this franchise. The journey from getting introduced to the Star Fox crew to the eventual Andross defeat is a perfectly closed package that gives it a strong stand-alone vibe to it. And the game mechanics, like movement controls and upgrades, are as simple as they need, as if adding anything else would break their balance. Although, there are things that Star Fox 2 and Command do that I believe could work in a proper sequel. Like being able to use other characters, each with their own unique vehicles and attributes. More routes and endings depending on how you complete missions (which the other games already did, but Command went haywire with it). Transforming vehicles. More types of missions. And I'm not too sure on the whole tactical strategy parts, but maybe it could be better if well implemented? I don't know. I want to play a new Star Fox game. I've played most of them, and still find 64 to be the most fun and replayable. It's hard to top it.

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks for the kind words! I definitely agree, 64 is a hard act to follow.

[@Docta50]

You forgot to mention how amazing the rumble pack was with this game. Before controllers had built in rumble, the fact that this game came with it for free was revolutionary. Nintendo was always raising the bar

[@Gwennein]

i grew up watching my mom play this game all the time as she got every medal on every stage and difficulty and then had to do it again and again as i tried using a gameshark and wrecked the save data. i miss being able to watch her play games since her arthritis got so bad

[@CoNteMpTone]

Holy shit. So cool! Say hello to your mom from the youtube comments. If she got all the medals, she had some serious skills. This shit wasnt easy even for experienced gamers!

[@rezterralico4369]

The only game that my pops played on a console was Qix for the NES and then in like 1993 Nintendo at least in Canada sold solar striker and Qix two titles released in 1990 (Qix was published by NIntendo at least or maybe even developed by then with mario cutscenes inbetween milestone stage progression). Both games came in this longer weird cardboard pack that had a angular depression that had both game cartriges of Qix and Solar Striker with the plastic gameboy protectors back before Pokemon red and blue in 1998 did away with those plastic dust cases. Also the instruction booklets for each game were included. I beat solar striker in the summer of 2000 and mega man 1 on the gameboy at the cottage (no E tanks in that game and screen crunch was rampant). I just heard yesturday that my one friend who is not a gamer has a chartrige for the N64 with a copy of Yoshi. Very interested to test it out since I bought a used LCD TV that has component/composist inputs so I could play some gameboy games on it. I never got around to learning Japanese to try out the first two shiren the wandered rogue like titles. Still can't believe that sequel on the gameboy color in a prestine package. They take care of used copies so well in Japan. Also I remember getting an ebay order sent on the cheap shipping in only 1 week back in like 2015 or 2016. I think I also got a copy of Metal gear ghost babel in Japanese as park of a 3 or 4 pack and that largest gameboy color ROM title that train simulator published by Tatio. That game is a marvel at the simulated first person train view. Look it up shinin GO or something. Looks crazy.

[@joebowl8315]

Hope you can share more memories with her b4 she leaves for good

[@franki1990]

What does it feel to have such a legend for a mom? Why do I ask... I know from experience. Well, cheers for having legends as moms.

[@Alte.Kameraden]

I always loved the cultural references in Starfox 64. For example the fleet battle outside Cornaria? Forgot spelling, is a parody of Mobile Suit Gundam, with the green mechs being zakus and even a fast one that is painted red that isn't even a named enemy. Then you have the Katina battle which is the film Independence Day. xD

[@lmackenzie89]

And of course the post-Andross tunnel escape is Return of the Jedi

[@Alte.Kameraden]

@@lmackenzie89 ironically Gundam did it before Return of the Jedi by a few years in the final episode of the original 1979 series. Main character escapes in a core fighter as the asteroid base was exploding around him.

[@underlightmusic]

@@Alte.Kameraden isn't there also a scene in The Empire Strikes Back with the Star Destroyer fleet blasting their way through an asteroid belt? The scene with Great Fox at the beginning of the Meteo stage looks similar.

[@dogecl]

I was looking for a comment about the movie/TV references, so here it is. If you are not from the 90s, some will be too obscure initially. For us, it was apparent.

[@Alte.Kameraden]

@@underlightmusic Ya Sector Z being the Deathstar from Return of the Jedi, Area 6 I swear is the Battle of A Baoa Qu from the original Mobile Suit Gubdam. Area 6 even has Musai (Gundam) style ships called Zarem Cruisers. Shooting them in the bridge knocks them out, could be a reference to Return of the Jedi, though it was common in Gundam anime and well in general, it's why warships often have combat bridges in IRL.

[@GenevieveCloyes]

I grew up watching my brothers play this game, it’s an amazing game.

[@z6847]

Oh man, a recent video on SF64, this is my time to shine! you asked what our favorite levels were and BOY do I have a favorite A level you gave a S+ ranking to (much to my delight) but severely understated in its design, Macbeth. I think that Macbeth is hands down the best level in Star Fox 64. Even before entering the level the story really hams up how important this mission is, cutting off the primary supplier of Andross’s resources and weaponry via an all out assault on the Forever Train. The intro really helps set the scene as well. The Landmaster, a sizable vehicle considering the size of the smart bombs in comparison, is dwarfed by the massive, imposing locomotive ahead. The barren landscape leaving the only two things that stand out, the train and the Landmaster to really drive home the size difference. Then, the soundtrack kicks you back into focus with the militant trumpets and snare drums giving that “Military base” feel. And yes, I know the track IS recycled for Titania and it does sound great there but I feel it shines in Macbeth. And I’ve only just begun, I haven’t even gotten to what made Macbeth my absolute favorite level in the game; the Forever Train Engineer, or “Benjamin” as some in the community refer to him. Benjamin, in my opinion, is the apex of the VA’s work, each of his lines are dripping in personality and character. A gruff and sassy train conductor with a need for speed and a level of confidence we should all strive for in our lives. I could probably recite each and every one of his lines perfectly due to how diverse and animated they are. When I first arrive home and my two chihuahuas run to greet me I find myself always beginning with “Here come the little hyenas now.” The line delivery is superb in all regards. Benjamin’s character is also a very well defined one, just from the single level he’s featured in so much can be gathered from his lines, his actions, and his tone. He’s cocky, dropping rocks to block our path with an enthusiastic “Here ya go!” Or beckoning us tauntingly saying “What’s wrong? Come a little closer.” As the iron bars close in. He also harbors a need for speed to keep in front of the advancing Landmaster, detaching compartments and putting pedal to metal with lines like “Dang! Detach the rear vehicle!” Or “Step on the gas!” He also seems prideful of his work, when he deploys the “Mechbeth” (a clever play on words and comically, the official name of the boss) he states how “I didn’t expect to have to use this.” Followed by an intimidating “You’re very lucky” before he begins the assault. But the best instance of Benjamin’s line delivery is in the famous fuel bunker ending, the track switching, the metal grinding, and a very well executed “NO! HIT THE BRAKES!!!” With a great job on capturing the emotion of it all, followed by the wonderful “I CANT STOP ITTTTT!” to finish the flawless character design of Benjamin. To me, there is no level that can even hold a candle to the masterful design and execution of Macbeth and the wonderful dialogue of Benjamin, truly a highlight of Star Fox 64’s brilliance in design.

[@ivanavi123]

It's a standout level for sure, and the engineer is one of my favorite villains in the game

[@z6847]

@@ivanavi123 Agreed

[@CoNteMpTone]

I agree. The cool thing is that the Boss is there from the beginning and you play the level kinda together with him. Similarily, on Titania, the search for slippy is ever present throughout the level. But its not quite on the level of macbeth. Honestly i never thought about ranking the levels because, unlike other videogames, everything in starfox feels like it belongs together as one.

[@0ctopusComp1etely]

It's hard to describe just HOW rewarding and flat-out cool the explosions of the factory are, complete with the little delay after Benjamin's panicked cries, the silence as the train disappears into the factory, that momentary pause, and then... those monumental, horizon-spanning explosions go off. Macbeth ends its level STRONG when you go the factory route. I've always loved that finish.

[@z6847]

@@0ctopusComp1etely Most certainly, it scratches my love of the “Hollywood explosion” and makes a great end to the level in one. Not to mention the free +50 hits

[@Tripp393]

What makes this game so damn good is the incredible cinematics. I need to write an article about it one day. One of my favorite aspects is how we get this subtle feeling that Andross was experimented on since he's an ape, and him running the whole galaxy and turning super genius is like a fight/flight reflex to make sure it never happens again.

[@DeividMatej]

As a child I was always scared of going to Aquas, the fact that the rest of the team was absent for the whole mission and the darkness of the ocean took the isolation feeling to another level. Thanks for the video.

[@MLPGamer44]

I swear I never even got to play Aquas, I might have stumbled upon it once out of luck and didn’t finish the level, but this video was my first time seeing the level. Never knew the game was so deep

[@rezterralico4369]

My thumb hated Aquas. I temember always have to pause halfway through that mission. I remember my pops getting use some money to use in the summertime (ment for getting stuff on travels but I was being a cheapskate that year and just saved it towards getting a copy of this game when they had it for 50 Canadian for just the game cartrige as on for their million copy seller titles. I think I got it in 1999.

[@Itomon]

This!!! The uneasiness Aquas gives is actually proof of superb game desing and as much as I understand most people "don't want" to play there, it actually elevates the level design... Aquas is underrated

[@jareddembrun783]

I thought the idea on Aquas was that everyone manned the submarine together.

[@mos3]

My favorite N64 game by far. I can’t remember how many times I’ve finished it!! Fun fact in case you didn’t know. The bill at the end is the amount of enemies times 64

[@walkman182]

the algorithm brought me here so here's hoping you get the views you deserve for this video. GOOD LUCK!

[@ivanavi123]

Much appreciated!

[@stuffingtonjfluffypantsiii]

as a kid me and some friends reenacted the plot of Star Fox on our bikes.

[@sidvicious332]

You were lucky to have such fun and cool friends

[@MusicalBulbear]

I played it randomly in 2018 after finding an ad for this online n64 emulation website. I had only ever played ocarina of time, Mario kart, and super Mario 64, so this new n64 game I had never heard of instantly captivated me. I played this game endlessly for years, I’ve been playing the game somewhat regularly since then, and I still find new secrets and things to this day.

[@ivanavi123]

That's amazing! I love hearing from people who got into this game later on, it's a testament to Star Fox's lasting quality

[@TheJadeFist]

I loved Sector Z as a kid, but it sucks now trying to go back and collect all the medals, because there isn't enough enemies and you have to drag the timer out. It is by the far the hardest medal to get.

[@EldarWorkshop]

Tip: on sector Z level on the edges of the map you have some boxes, if you destroy them it gives a hit+2 bonus. If I remember right there are 4 boxes. It helps a lot to get the medal

[@NakaliTama]

Star Fox 64 was my first game ever. It was given to me by my dad…. Every time I get to the end where you fly with Fox’s dad. I am inevitably brought to melancholic tears. Always. Such a powerful end

[@benchaney773]

I am Ben Chaney and this is my favorite video on KZbin

[@zachdavid99]

I am Zachary Thomas and as much as I hate to agree with this goober, I agree

[@genevieve8235]

😂

[@ivanavi123]

you all are too kind

[@z6847]

@@zachdavid99Eyy another Zachary! Zachary Hunt here, a grand video indeed, fitting for a game as masterful as Star Fox 64

[@reggiebuttsmash2321]

Thanks Ben

[@OrbitalFoxzorz]

I must've beaten this game a hundred plus times. Every morning before school in early elementary I would beat this game, it took me awhile to find all of the alternate paths. Even longer to unlock the expert mode and acquire the medals to fully complete it. I think it's time to revisit this again. Such a classic! Great video!

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks!

[@michaelrfalkowski2446]

Every time I stayed home sick from school growing up, I would play through this game at least once.

[@madmanga64]

These game has the best presentation I’ve ever seen

[@ivanavi123]

It truly does

[@darvindillon8525]

I remember playing through it again after beating it a few times and was stoked when I heard General Pepper say "This is one steep bill. But it's worth it."

[@zachdavid99]

Love this game, brings back so many good memories!

[@ivanavi123]

It's a classic!

[@dkliminsky]

I was 14 when this came out, this game was exciting then and holds up now. Guessing you're a little younger than me, but I really love hearing your take and story of this game. As a gamer since NES, I really appreciate recognition of the great games over time. Like fine wine.

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks! I was born the same year Star Fox 64 came out, so a bit younger lol

[@AtheAetheling]

Fantastic video. Subbed! More Star Fox content please! I think all my favourite worlds are the ones you liked least, haha.

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you so much! That's the wonderful thing about it, they all have something to love lol

[@HesGotaGun505]

I always enjoyed how Katt has her own theme music that plays whenever she’s present. I like how she takes part in someone else’s military operation just for fun.

[@mevb]

In the Japanese version, when Fox says "Nothing... nothing's wrong." he actually says it while crying, feeling emotional that the ghost of James were there.

[@RafaelTerozi]

I have a fun story with StarFox. In a Brazil, during summer afternoons, we have a lot of thunderstorms. In the 90 the power lines were not that good, so the advice was to keep every electronic off the plugs. But I was in an amazing run to hit a new high score. After the first thunder my mom told me to turn it off, but I was starting venom. I keep playing. Everything was perfect except when the second Thurder hits, turning off the power in the neighborhood. When the power comes back my beloved N64 was gone forever. I have never finished the level to register the high score. The video game went to repair, and it was fine after 2 weeks. Hahaha

[@ivanavi123]

Heartbreaking 💔

[@ShytPump]

A little tip from a 90s starfox player.. This is if you're trying to get medals on any level other than the first or second. Two stages prior to your goal, shoot down all your teammates. Whenever they fly ahead of you just hammer into them. Make sure they all quit. The next stage will be solo because they have to sit out for repairs. But then when your goal stage comes next you are guaranteed to have them all in your party and at full health. If you don't do this, then there's always a chance they could get shot down the level prior to your goal and then have to "sit that one out" and not be present for you to earn your medal.

[@Galamoth06]

@@ShytPump Do they all need to be present to earn the stage medal? It's been so long I don't remember...

[@robertgosney5657]

Well you only need the medal from each planet once and there is only 15 planets a playthrough of the game is only about 45 minutes and it isn't that difficult to just keep the team alive and healthy expect mabye against star wolf in there upgraded planes but to get the medal on that stage you need to take them down quick if you are lucky you can get real good licks on them as they are entering the stage even taking 1 out and leaving a second almost shot down as there intro ends and that is on the last stage the only stage I never got a medal on was area 6 and that was because of the 300 point required for that stage though I got 299 multiple times I never quite could get 300. But keeping the team alive was rarely an issue

[@RonnyCoalman]

I was just chilling in my room and suddenly i thought; "Lets look up a Starfox64 retrospective." And you uploaded this 13 days ago.. Nice. I love this game so much, i unfortunately didnt understand the game well enough and i didnt really know english, i never got to play the Ocean planet and that Toxic waste planet. :( I would have enjoyed it a lot as a kid, even if i might have hated it i'm sad i didnt get to play it. I liked Titania a lot more than Mcbeth too, though i loved that explosion at the end. I mostly agree with your list though. You can also turn the language of the game to Lylat and the characters will speak gibberish, it's really funny. unoffically changed my name to Falco too because he was the cool guy and i was a kid, it just stuck with me my whole life.

[@tonyfknb3896]

This was my favorite game growing up.And I just learned that there is a underwater map.And also learn about different ways the levels can end. and a bunch of other stuff that I never knew. Probably, because I always played the same route every single time as a kid. Im totally mind blown!

[@ivanavi123]

Discovering all of the secrets this game had to offer are some of my best video game memories

[@Bub8ske]

Awesome video man! Recently got myself back into hyper-fixating on Star Fox, and stumbled across this. Keep up the great work man!

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks so much, that's really kind of you to say!

[@Bub8ske]

You're welcome! Hope to see you keep growing your channel more in the future man!

[@francisdillinger5051]

This was my first 3d video game and I spent all my time that night just paying training mode and being amazed. It seemed so big back then. This game would make a good roguelike template.

[@gothakane]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. This was my favorite N64 game I always keep coming back to.

[@sladoid]

The most underrated masterpiece

[@MrKevin486]

Star Fox 64 is one of the best games hands down. It's replayability is almost unmatched. I've prolly played it over 300+ times through and its still as fun today as it was when I first played it as a kid. When it came with the "rumble pack" so cool. It's up there as one of N64's best with OoT and Goldeneye. It does not get the recognition it deserves. The end where James McCloud shows up to guide Fox out of Andross' fortress is and was one of the coolest moments. Also, you are 100% right, the Arwing is one of the coolest single manned Spacecrafts ever.

[@wombatkins]

The game that gave us the Rumble Pak. I love the gamefeel. The enemy destruction effects and sounds are so satisfying

[@omazingpaige]

LOVED IT

[@ivanavi123]

THANK YOU

[@ColorblindVic]

When I was a kid back in 1998, I didn't have a N64, so I had to go to this place where they rent them by the hour. My favorite game was Star Fox, but I always was second because everyday at 6 pm an older guy went there, played once through the upper planets, and then leave with the highest score. I never matched his score no matter what I tried, and even watched him play whenever I could to learn his style. But second place was always my best. Good times tho.

[@stegolewis]

I had a PlayStation and not a 64, but this is one of my favorite games of all time. There was something special about this era of gaming. Thanks for covering this.

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you for the kind words ❤️

[@GregoryDang]

I love discovering all the secrets in this game especially on Corneria where if you fly in between the building gaps, you can spawn more enemies to increase your points

[@jerrym1218]

There was nothing like playing through the entire Star Fox 64 game on the original Nintendo 64 hardware, it was truly an amazing memorable experience as a teenager. I Miss Fox Mccloud, Peppy Hare, Falco Lombardi, and Slippy Toad.

[@brantisonfire]

I remember Christmas 1997 I got a 64 and this game along with it. I played it so much, but never got very good at it and never beat it. As we all say, I wish I would have held on to my 64 and all the games and accessories I collected. Hindsight is 20/20.

[@71Chevelle1989]

N64 is the most memorable console I've had for the past 35 years of being alive. Mario, Star Fox, and 007 being my favorites

[@mevb]

In Sector X, if Slippy is not present and you approach Spyborg, he'll appear, so the part where you have to defeat the boss quickly is unavoiable.

[@BulbaTube]

Great job on this video. Also one of my all time favs. One little mention here, you said Great Fox doesn't have much of a roll but there is a level where great fox backs Fox up and helps also multiple levels where it sends supplies :)

[@SilverXy7]

This was my first 64 game, it is such a good game.

[@ivanavi123]

One of the best

[@TheJadeFist]

It took me years to realize Solar wasn't really a star. It's actually just a planet, a hot planet. I guess it kinda makes sense because if it were really a star, there's no way in hell you could even fly that close even if you could take the radiation and the heat the gravity would be a hell of a thing. I looked past the logic of it for the sake of gameplay and figured it was their sun and just went with it. Command calls it a planet several times and there are bases and even some land too if I remember correctly. Maybe it's just gets the name Solar becasue it's the first planet in the system or something IDK.

[@ivanavi123]

The official guide for Star Fox 64 does call it a star, though I wouldn't be surprised if there were some translation shenanigans going on lol

[@TheJadeFist]

@@ivanavi123 Maybe we should just call it a star and say that Command was clearly on drugs.

[@albertoblanco1256]

I have beat this game more times than i can count. Every route. S tier every level. Got the tanks in MP. Got the on foot MP. Went through 5 plus rumble packs.

[@thegamecorner2275]

I subscribed for the two Star Trek clips in the first ten seconds and stayed for the amazing retrospective.

[@ivanavi123]

I think you might enjoy my next video... thank you so much for the comment and subscription!

[@LegendStormcrow]

Katina is under rated. It made you feel at first overwhelmed, but you really felt like part of a large team of elite forces.

[@jacobpowell1882]

You failed to mention that is sector X there’s a cameo of the boss early on. You can see each of its arms coming to attack you through the junkyard.

[@summersetbanjo7440]

Glad to see a fellow starfox fan. I too grew up in Arkansas and SF64 was the first video game I played at the age of 4.

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks for being here! I was right there with you

[@MrCatlegs]

There was love put into this video! ❤🫡

[@ignazioacerenza9881]

People talk about the gameplay a lot but the cinematography is so inventive for a game at that time. The sweeping shots, the lens flares, the clear visual language straight out of Star Wars. The use of clouds, reflections in the water. The only other games that make me gasp like that are OoT and Majora's Mask. Less than what? 10 years ago? 3D was an impossibility and here these guys were making realtime movies. The ending cutscene will forever be my favourite.

[@IceSpoon]

Star Fox was, in many ways, the demo for Ocarina of Time. Miyamoto, Kondo and Nintendo tried many exercises that you can feel in OoT and beyond. Sure, Link doesn't have a gun, but how the environment reacts to you, how a 3D story is unfold, was practiced in both Mario 64 and Star Fox...and ended up helping in create the game that has the (very well deserved) title of "best game of all time". I mean...there's an Arwing model on the OoT code they used for practicing Link's Z Targeting system. That's not an easter egg. They truly went above and beyond with Star Fox, and abover and beyonder with Ocarina.

[@michaelwells529]

More like less than 30 years ago. Star Fox 64 is 27 years old

[@ignazioacerenza9881]

@@michaelwells529 I meant from SF's release date. Basically saying that 3d games weren't even around for ten years when this rolled out. Sorry for bad writing.

[@michaelwells529]

@@ignazioacerenza9881 No its my bad, sorry for misunderstanding.

[@michaelmilano2684]

I played this a ton when I was a kid. This was the game that actually came with my N64 so I never played Super Mario 64 until many MANY years later. Anyway, I loved this game and was so excited to see this video. But let me tell you...I was blown away by how much of it I have absolutely no memory of. I hope my 64 still works lol...need to play this again immediately

[@michaelmilano2684]

Also, I absolutely thought Slippy was female this whole time lol

[@dmman33]

Cool channel with great taste! SF64 is indeed a masterpiece

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks, very kind!

[@dude185704]

This is a very well made video; great job!! Subscribed

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks, very kind of you!

[@mauriciolozano130]

Such an amazing game. The nostalgia hits hard on this one.

[@tjhyatt]

I was obsessed with this game back in the day. I used to send in my highscores to some geocities(?) fan site using an ancient digital camera i had - good times

[@moneymanjoe9639]

I remember when I found out organically about the transports that take to the special stage but only when you hit them correctly all in order on the different planets. I need to dust off my 64 and give it another run.

[@DavidMDevich]

I played this game so many times through as a kid that I knew every line of dialogue and their exact timings by heart. 10/10, one of the best games of my childhood.

[@ivanavi123]

Well said!

[@stuffingtonjfluffypantsiii]

My favorite game for the N64 and in my top 5 of favorite games period. I loved the levels Star Wolf and crew showed up and you did some dogfighting.

[@2BRO2B_jc]

Love the S+ teir. So glad to hear that this game gave you trouble at first because it was tough for me as a kid. I havent even been to some of those levels. I can play it on switch now with a 64 controller, but i wonder if it has the same precision as the original?

[@adoesfly9115]

I have been listening to the song "tie Fighter" by Cyberoptics for a while now. There is a clip in the song that uses "No, hit the breaks. I can't stop it!" I never knew where that clip came from I always assumed some media of Starwars, hence the song title, but nope, it's been Star Fox this whole time. Wow amazing. 28:15

[@ivanavi123]

I will have to check that out!

[@EldarWorkshop]

Watching this video brought so many memories. Star Fox was my favorite game. I played so much that I used to have some personal objectives, like on Katina I tried to get the medal and not hitting Bill's squadrons. If you manage that and destroy the mothership, Bill's dialog changes on the end of the level

[@QuantaSolace]

My dad played this more than I did when I was a kid. He still loves this game to this day.

[@ZenataUSA]

I beat this as a kid several times and I forgot how much depth there was to it. Also nice to see a fellow Arkansan out here on gaming yt 👊

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks! 🙏

[@NoMoreSuperHero]

Great video, but damn you had me backseat gaming hard dude!! Use your break, charge shot, and bombs more!!!

[@kaiganardea9275]

Macbeth is my favorite level in any game. I have virtually the same accent as the train conductor so it stuck with me as a kid. I still repeat the lines such as "you're very lucky" to my kids all the time

[@a2d]

My seven year old is obsessed with this game. He's probably played through so many times he could beat it with his eyes closed. Even though he's got Mariokart and TOTK, Smash Bros, etc... he keeps coming back to StarFox 64.

[@LeoBarton]

One of my best friends and I were absolutely obsessed with this game when we were in middle school. We each had a copy and after school would each put it in and play through it two or three times. I remember that I was able to get a medal on every level except Sector Z, and he was able to medal every level except Titania, so one day we just swapped cartridges, and boom! We sat down and even designed ideas for Starfox 64 2, including level designs and a new vehicle plus more weapon options. Ah, to be a kid with spare time again~ My favorite level has always been Zoness, in no small part because of the absolutely epic background music. I still search youtube for covers and remasters of it semi-regularly.

[@TheMelonFarmers123]

One of the things I really like about starfox64 is that it still looks like how I remember it. Going back to a lot of n64/ps1 and early ps2/gc games can be depressing in the visual or gameplay department, but starfox64 still slaps.

[@MandalorianRaider]

Excellent video. Star Fox was a big part of my childhood and one of the few N64 games that I regularly go back and play. It holds up amazingly well, and you did a great job of capturing why. Well done!

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks so much, that's very kind!

[@Akaihimes-subordinate]

One of my all-time favorites myself. This game is the reason my favorite animal is a fox. XD Personally, I felt the final fight with Wolf on Venom to be much more iconic. It shows how fiercely determined Wolf and his team are to take out their rivals with Wolf's team having cybernectics and scars from their previous tussle. This is their second and last chance to stop Fox and gain favor from Andross. Obtaining better ships that can deal more damage and can reflect shots from the Arwing and the sheer disbelief in all of them when Fox is victorious again is memorable! Think I'm gonna go play this game again now!

[@belph6c]

Been playing SF64 since I was 5, I'm 27 now and I still cannot put it down. It too gave me the love I have for scifi and space stories. Great to find someone else with a similar story, loved the video man! You did an amazing job! ♥

[@ivanavi123]

That's awesome, thank you!

[@theartofpiano6405]

Great video! Starfox 64 was my favorite game I had ever played for for over 20 years, until I played dark souls in 2017. Starfox is still in my top three of all time! I think it has aged the best of any game from the Nintendo 64 era, as well.

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks, I appreciate that! I agree, it holds up really well.

[@TheGoddamnBacon]

I remember first playing the demo/VS version of this game at Best Buy, being absolutely amazed by it as an aviation/space nerd. I then ended up buying a copy of it the last day of my sophomore year of high school, and played the crap out of it. Thanks for taking me back down that memory lane.

[@OmegaFox09]

“Daddy screamed reeeeeal good before he died!” Sector Z: you can fly into the Great Fox and repair??

[@rezenpm]

Thank you for making a great tribute to such a timeless classic. This game has it all: thrills, adventure, drama, humor, tragedy, morality, and spirituality. It is an allegory for conquering fear, loss, and selfishness (and kicking ass while doing it). The moment when Fox's father appears to lead his son out of the exploding base is up there with Han Solo returning to help Luke Skywalker take out the death star in Star Wars. An iconic moment in storytelling history. While I agree this game could not possibly be topped by subsequent sequels, it would certainly be cool to see this game get a remaster with polished graphics and environmental details.

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you for the kind words! I completely agree, a remaster would go hard

[@Kiloku2]

This game taught me English (which is my 2nd language). The mix of simple but clear dialogue + high quality voice acting + every line being accompanied by subtitles (not that common at the time, hell, even full voice acting at all was uncommon) helped me really pick the language up. I caught myself "dubbing over" every single line from the game as I watched the video

[@LITTLE1994]

It is definitely Star Fox's best, if not counting Star Fox 2.

[@Cooluniquedog]

did you know if you spin the joystick on the title screen the 64 will start moving following the joystick and the crew will look at it wherever it goes

[@NickTF89]

A wonderful summary of everything that makes this game a classic. Looking forward to seeing what you do next.

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks, that's very kind of you!

[@anthonyfellows390]

I remember having this game the year it came out christmas morning. Lylat Wars as it was known her in blighty, it blew my mind as it was the first game i'd ever played that was fully voice acted. I still return to it when i get the opportunity and it probably is in my top ten games of all time. Thank you for this video you have a new subscriber :)

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks! It's been awesome to hear from all the people who have good memories of this game like me

[@Alexwhatisit]

This game was such a major part of my childhood. When I learned the difference between Mission Complete vs Accomplished. I was off to the races seeing if I could do every system. Got the true ending and I would automatically do it every time after. Think its time to replay this gem.

[@CaioJill9803]

5:09 actually ☝🤓 all the levels/training BGMs were composed by Hajime Wakai leaving all the rest such like intros, Bill/Kat themes, victory/failure fanfares to Koji Kondo

[@ivanavi123]

Thanks for the clarification. Definitely should have included that in the video!

[@balloonedraccoon2503]

I was just doing the independence day one. A friendly flew in front of me just as I hit the last 3 shots to take the core out, shot him down then my last 2 shots took the core out 🙃

[@ivanavi123]

Clearly his own fault 😬

[@danceoutnow]

Very excellent analysis and video! Especially the level reviews. My personal favorite levels are Meteo, Area 6, Zoness, and Macbeth. Unless I am going for all medals, I never go through Sector Z, Solar, Fortuna, and Titania.

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you! Those are some good ones

[@NukSchnuk]

Thank you for this video.

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you for being here!

[@_baller]

Yes it is, and it’s one of the few games I beat on my own (no help), and no cheats

[@megaprime67]

Awesome review

[@gloworms]

Great video

[@ThePetaaaaaa]

Very nice video, I couldnt believe you dont have much following yet, I guess that takes time. Keep up that quality!

[@ivanavi123]

Thank you!