StarFox Assault

The Basics:
Platform: GameCube
Developer: Namco/Nintendo
Price: $49.99 (March 2005)
ESRB rating: T (Teen)

Summary: A first-person shooter without the blood and gore.

Note: StarFox Assault has a lot of violent and sometimes frenzied action, but it is blood and gore-free. The main characters are represented as caricatures of animals-making the violence more fanciful. Nonetheless, the main goal of the game is to kill as many enemies as quickly as possible. Finally, repetitive motion injury could be a real concern-much of the game involves pushing the "fire" button rapidly for extended periods of time. Parents could consider this a better alternative to Halo or Doom for their teen, but should avoid letting their youngest try it out.

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 12+
Playability: Good. Some of the vehicles can be difficult to pilot at times. Multiple controller configurations make it easier for players to adapt.
Graphics: Good. Not a lot of detailed textures, but the frame rate keeps up with the impressive amount of action on the screen.
Entertainment value: Medium. The game is replayable to a point. Three levels allow pros to have more of a challenge, and there are many unlockable secret items.
Educational value: Minimal. The game does put some value on the importance of having loyal friends.
Reading Level: 7+. Most of the text has accompanying voice-overs. Some of the words and phrases could be difficult for younger players to understand-"war of attrition."
KidScore Rating

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Yellow
Ages 13-17: Green
Violence Amount: Yellow
Fear: Green
Illegal/harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green

Review:
Quick reflexes and a muscular trigger finger are a player's best friend when it comes to beating StarFox Assault. Fighting in space and on foot, players assume the role of Fox McCloud-the dashing, long-running hero of the StarFox series of games. Fox, along with his band of other commandoes-for-hire, cleverly called the Star Fox team, is once again called to the defense of the once peaceful Lylat solar system. This time, the enemy is the aparoids-evil insect robots that threaten to destroy the galaxy.

StarFox Assault's gameplay falls between two different styles. In parts, players are able to freely fly or run around, taking on enemies wherever they find them. This part of the game is more like a standard first-person shooter type of game like Doom or Halo. However, in other parts the action is strictly guided, and the player must fly on the game's preset path, targeting and then blasting as fast as they can press the fire button. These portions of the game can become extremely intense, with wave after wave of enemies and obstacles coming at the player at a frenzied rate.

Several factors make the game more kid-friendly. While containing a lot of violent action and some impressive explosions, StarFox Assault is relatively free of blood and gore. If main characters are taken down, they simply retire from the battle instead of dying. And, while it is possible to kill enemies, there is little if any graphic depiction of their death-they more or less just fade away after being hit. It also helps that all of the characters are portrayed as animals. Fox is, naturally, a fox, and all of the other main characters, both good and bad, are caricatures of different animals. For younger players, this representation allows some additional distancing between the violence of the game and reality. Finally, the game contains some positive reinforcement of friendship and loyalty. During the game, the player will be called on multiple times to help other members of the team out-whether they are being chased down or trapped by an enemy, it is the player's duty to try and help them. If the player succeeds, they are rewarded with their friend's help during later parts of the mission and a higher score at the end of the level.

Despite these positive factors, there are some things parents should consider before letting younger players have a hand at the game. First, even as a tamed-down version of a first-person shooter, the game's main goal is still to kill as many enemies as possible in the shortest amount of time. In fact, repetitive motion injury is actually a serious concern, considering how intensely and frequently players need to press the "fire" button. Secondly, a multiplayer option, while having the advantage of encouraging interaction with other real-life playmates, might also lead to real-life confrontations since the premise of the game is essentially to kill one another. Finally, although there isn't any profanity, there is some relatively innocent trash-talking between the good and bad guys.

Bright colors, animal characters and a lack of graphic gore attempt to make StarFox Assault a kiddy-cocktail version of a rail/first-person shooter. For the most part, the game is successful in its role and provides an entertaining and action-packed adventure for the pre-teen/teenager crowd. However, parents will still want to be cautious before letting their youngest children play.