It’s difficult to have any kind of expectation for Star Fox Guard.
Here’s a game that started as a tech demo and is being repurposed as a $10 eShop game
or a pack-in with the physical version of Star Fox Zero.
It’s not even in the same genre.
While Star Fox is typically about space-shooter action, Guard is essentially Nintendo’s
take on the tower defense genre.
Before I started playing it, I thought it would be instantly forgettable.
And yet, while it won’t turn heads, Star Fox Guard is still a fun distraction.
Guard casts you as a new employee of Slippy Toad’s uncle, Grippy, who runs a mining
company on Corneria which helps the war effort against Andross.
However, mysterious robots have begun attacking his mining sites, and it’s up to you to
use the security cams to blast them all away before they disrupt the operations.
And really, that’s the plot.
It’s barebones, but it’s more than enough to give context for why you’re protecting
Grippy’s outposts across five planets.
As I said, Guard is a Tower Defense game in which groups of enemies try to make their
way to a defensive point.
It’s up to you to stop them from getting there.
Where this is different is the fact that you can’t see the entire map.
Instead, you must utilize twelve different cameras in order to spot the approaching robots
and destroy them.
Each camera has a limited range of vision though they can be spun in any direction.
Each map has a predetermined set-up of cameras that you can change if you’d like, but I
found that they usually covered most of the potential blindspots quite well.
Once you feel your set-up is ready, the mission begins and the robots start coming.
The robots can be classified in two ways.
There are the Chaos class units which inhibit the cameras in various ways and Attack class
units which will end the mission immediately if even one reaches the core.
Each camera is equipped with a laser to destroy the bots, and they can be moved at any time
using the GamePad.
The GamePad also displays where enemy units are once they enter the base which can help
when the robots enter your blind spots.
It all comes together in a surprisingly addictive way.
The missions naturally start out simple with the most basic robots, but even after just
a few missions, you can see the progression as new enemy types are constantly introduced.
Some of the Chaos classes will drop smoke bombs to cover your vision, abduct them using
UFOs, or even put up a false feed on your camera.
And though the Attack classes are sometimes basic by just adding more health or making
them faster, later ones get tricky thanks to cloaking or by climbing over walls where
your cameras usually aren’t pointed.
It all keeps the game feeling like a short burst of fun.
After completing a mission, you’re awarded points based on how you did.
These points go toward your level which unlocks new cameras and extra missions.
At first only one special camera may be used at a time, but the higher levels grant up
to three eventually.
The special cameras include multi-targeting missiles, a freeze gun to weaken enemy defenses
or shatter airborne robots, or one that can briefly slow down time while shooting.
Each one is useful depending on the situation, and it becomes a question of which ones will
work best depending on the limited information you’re given before a mission.
Then there are the extra missions, which are my favorite part of the game.
While the normal missions offer some variety based on the assortment of robots, extra missions
switch up how the game is played.
Some only provide a limited amount of ammunition while others limit you to two cameras that
are constantly being carried around the map.
I found fun with every type of extra mission and always looked forward to the next.
There are 100 missions in total, but most of Guard’s replayability comes in the form
of the Squad and Rival systems.
Once you reach a map, you can use it to make your own Squad Challenge.
It’s a very simple system where you choose which robots to send in when in order to defeat
other players in the Rival System.
When playing against someone on a map or in the World Rival mode, you defend against other
players’ Squads.
Succeed and you earn experience to increase your level, fail and the other player does.
Which means you want your Squad to be as difficult as possible so you can easily earn extra experience.
It creates a very challenging mode, but the limitations in place help prevent it from
being impossible.
While I had fun with it, I’m not sure how much my interest would hold after I reached
the maximum level.
That’s not to say Guard is a short game though.
The main story will only take around 3-5 hours to complete but earning the Extra Missions
and the World Rival mode can easily extend that to around 10 to 15 hours depending on
how well you play.
And Guard is not an easy game once you reach the later planets.
While the main missions never gave me too much trouble, the extra missions can provide
some real challenge.
But because the sessions were so quick, it made me want to jump in and try again right
away.
It really does have that addictive quality while you play.
But Guard does have some issues.
Using the GamePad, it’s possible to flick your finger in a direction in order to quick-turn
a camera.
It’s also possible to move the camera to a new position completely which is required
in some of the Extra Missions.
However because of the flick option, you must stay on the camera’s icon for a longer moment
in order to actually move it.
In the rush of things, I would often accidentally flick the camera rather than move it.
Now this could play into the game and how you have to maintain composure while defending
the base, but it still caused me frustration.
The soundtrack is also a bit weak.
None of the songs stood out to me and many times they were overshadowed by the sounds
of the robots, laser fire, and the GamePad warning me about approaching enemies.
Slippy and Grippy are voiced fine as well with neither coming across as outright annoying.
It all comes across as a fine package but nothing outstanding.
And the same thing can be said about the graphics.
They’re simple, but each robot does have some personality to them and can easily be
differentiated.
The various planets don’t affect that much outside a few small hazards as most of your
attention is focused on the base.
But the biggest achievement is that the television screen never felt cluttered.
I could easily see what was happening on each camera and quickly switch to it to defend
myself if need be.
I went into Star Fox Guard with no expectations.
I felt it would be a simple pack-in game to help raise the value of Star Fox Zero or allow
the digital version to be cheaper.
Yet I honestly did have simple fun with it despite not being a fan of Tower Defense games.
I liked Star Fox Guard.
If you go into it with an open mind, you’ll certainly have a good time.
It uses the GamePad well and kept me addicted during its playtime.
But I have no reason to go back to it now.
It’s simply a short burst of entertainment and well-suited for it.
Thanks for watching and of course stay tuned to GameXplain for more on Star Fox, including
Andre’s Star Fox Zero review, and other things gaming.