Originally, Rare intended for this to be released on the N64 under the title "Dinosaur Planet". But Shigeru Miyamoto persuaded Rare to combine the game with Star Fox, taking it in an interesting new direction. And so, one of GameCube's best platforming games was born. The Zelda-styled adventure game was so distinct from the prequels, some fans don't consider it a true Star Fox entry, but I disagree. Sure, it may not have nearly as much space combat, but it was still a great game.
It didn't bother me as a kid, but looking back at it years later, the game is chock full of Zelda elements and while I wouldn't call it a rip-off, it did make it feel a bit unoriginal. Fox controls a lot like Link and besides fighting enemies, the gameplay relies on puzzle solving, hitting switches, clearing obstacles with explosive barrels, or pushing crates. You can improve your health, magic meter, and amount of money you can carry. You even have a companion to help you out: Prince Tricky. With his voice, he could be annoying, but not as much as Navi. Plus, he can dig for items and breathe fire at enemies. You have to constantly feed him though. To top it all off, flying in Fox's airwing was limited to travelling from world to world and flying through gold rings to access them.
Fox's controls and movements are smooth and easy to get used to, but combat is a little underwhelming for me. Your staff is your only weapon, and besides melee, its features are limited to launching fire or ice projectiles, a shockwave, and propelling yourself upward. Combat is a repetitive routine that involves mostly button mashing to smack Sharpclaws and other foes around with your staff. The bosses were better though, and the fight against Andross was a fun combination of the battles against him in the prequels.
Rare legend, David Wise, once more outdid himself with the game's soundtrack. All the music was atmospheric and beautiful, like Thorntail Hollow with its tranquil drumbeats and chanting and the soft, mysterious flute and wind chimes inside the Krazoa Palace. The sound effects were cool too, especially those from the staff as you launch projectiles or boost yourself into the air.
All the levels were big and fun to explore. They had great and exciting layouts and were textured and detailed with plants, boulders, and other features. The weather effects like raindrops, snow, and lightning flashes made them even more dynamic. The characters showed a good range of strong facial expressions and emotions, and their models were well designed with cool textures like Fox's fur or the scaly hides of the dinosaurs.
The voice acting was a mixed bag, and the cheesy, unimpressive dialogue didn't help. Steve Malpassc sounded bored while delivering his lines in a gravelly voice. Again, Tricky was whiny and annoying at times, and the shopkeeper's voice made me want to cut my own ears off! There were a few good performances though; the Warp Stone was great with his Scottish accent and deep, bombastic voice and Krystal had a charming British accent in the game's finale.
In the end, I consider this a pretty good game, and it was definitely worth playing. But sadly, this was Rare's last title before being bought out by Microsoft and it I feel the Star Fox franchise began to decline after this.
