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Commanding the Dual Screens
The fifth Star Fox game came out only a year after the fourth game, and it was not on a home console, but a handheld. Star Fox Command was released in the summer of 2006 for the Nintendo DS and the development was handled by Q-Games, a studio helmed by none other than Dylan Cuthbert from Argonaut Software, who helped concept the original SNES Star Fox.
Command brought back many features originally planned for the cancelled Star Fox 2, so it was unlike any Star Fox title before. Air battles took the forefront in this game, and there was nary a Landmaster or foot soldier to be found. Branching pathways came back in a big way in Command, and even the entire story could be changed based on your path.
Each level took the form of a strategic battlefield, where you and the enemy forces took turns moving units until they came into contact. From there, you flew your ship around in an all-range area to take out your foes. Many characters were controllable, and each one had a ship with different strengths and weaknesses. The game was controlled extensively on the DS touch screen, as flying was done with the stylus and shooting on the shoulder buttons. Online multiplayer also made its first and only appearance in a Star Fox game with Command, but you won’t find too many people playing it these days.
Story took a surprising forefront in Command, and many characters returned with fleshed out roles and interactions. The antagonistic Anglar forces from Venom seek to conquer the Lylat System, and a washed up Fox McCloud has to reunite his team, who have gone their separate ways. Depending on choices you make, the story can have up to nine different endings, which leaves the official Star Fox story up the air. Command is still chronologically the newest Star Fox, so there’s no way to tell what will end up becoming canon.
Talk about a trip down memory lane. Great article, Kyle.
Maybe I should give Command a shot.