4/5 ★ – jkrgamer's review of Star Fox: Assault.

There was a time in my life where the Starfox franchise mattered more to me than the Legend of Zelda. A short period of time, but significant nonetheless. Starfox Assault was my favorite entry in the series as a kid. It seriously felt like a next gen title compared to 64, and even today I will say that the opening mission still leaves a very, very good impression. Lots of visual spectacle, at a smooth 60 frames per second. Unfortunately, this is followed by a series of missions that leave a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths. Having just followed Adventures (another divisive entry but still good), this title tries to blend arwing action with on foot missions. And while I personally don't think they are as bad as people make them out to be, after replaying the game they're objectively not the best experience. The last few in particular are especially frustrating, but at their best, I really enjoyed clearing out an enemy fort, and then hopping in a landmaster or arwing to take out enemies in the skies. That being said, I was shocked to find that there are straight up only two on-rails levels in the game, and they're only the first and last one! If they had just had more, I think people would be willing to put up with the on foot missions and even enjoy them for trying something different. The game still boasts fun multiplayer mode though, one I wish could be played on modern platforms. I still really appreciate what this game tries to do for the series, by ambitiously trying to progress the formula. Without the lens of nostalgia, I will fully admit that 64 is still perfect and the peak of the series, but Assault isn't worth dismissing! At the very least, its greatest contribution to the series is its gorgeous fully orchestrated soundtrack -- long before Zelda ever considered having one!