Star Fox Zero releases on the Wii U in just a few short weeks, and in prep for the launch, Nintendo has put out a new trailer that will no doubt evoke nostalgia in fans of Star Fox 64, especially considering Nintendo managed to get all of the original voice actors from the N64 classic back in the booth to record for Zero. Just hearing General Pepper saying “We need your help, Star Fox” was enough to take me back to 1997.
The trailer highlights a number of key features in Star Fox Zero, including the ability to seamlessly transform the Arwing to access different areas of the level. Like in Star Fox 64, these branching paths lead to new levels, new dialogue, different bosses, and allow players to carve their own path through the Lylat System.
In addition to being able to transform the Arwing into a Walker form, the video also showcases the Landmaster’s ability to transform into an airship that can fly for as long as the boost meter lasts.
While it’s obvious that making the game look and feel like an updated Star Fox 64 seems to have been a high priority for Nintendo and Platinum Games, there are still a number of neat features that are only possible with the Wii-U gamepad. A simultaneous cockpit view on the gamepad allows players to aim with more precision to hit specific weakpoints on bosses, and a special Gyrowing has the ability to deploy a small robot that can be navigated using the gamepad screen in order to deactivate certain objects in the environment.
Finally, the trailer also shows off a bit of Star Fox Guard, a game that originated as a tech demo for the Wii-U to show off some neat uses of the gamepad. Guard is essentially a Tower Defense game where players must keep track of enemies via a number of security cameras that are shown on the TV, while the touch screen is used to switch to those cameras so the player can manually blast them with turrets.
Those who buy the limited first edition of Star Fox Zero will get Star Fox Guard for free, otherwise the game will be available as a digital download on the e-Shop.
The Star Fox team make their triumphant return when Star Fox Zero hits the Wii-U on April 22.
