1993 Multi-pathed Console Rail Shooters - Night Striker vs. Star Fox

[zetastrike]

I'm not saying you guys like Starfox because it's popular and I get that you like it for what it is, but I still feel that it has some glaring issues. I just think that the masses (not you) ignore them because it's a SNES game, similar to how people gush on Contra III and Castlevania IV despite them not being as good as made out to be. As a game, I think Virtua Racing works better. It doesn't suffer from the flaws that Starfox has, in my mind.

[Solkia]

I'm not afraid to say I like Starfox because it's popular.

Although I legitimately love the game too.

[NostalgicMachine]

If Starfox was on Genesis or Sega CD, but still the same game, I'd still like it. I'm with jerry on this one. Starfox is genuinely fun and is very good all around. Some people on Sega-16 need to stop riding the Nintendo hate bandwagon so much. Some Nintendo games are overrated, but nowhere near all of them. You guys all share the same irrational hate that SNES fanboys have against the Genesis. Both camps are two sides of the same coin, no matter how much better they think they are.

I know this post wasn't directed towards myself, as I'm about as 50/50 a fanboi for both the SNES and Genesis as you'll ever find (if my avatar wasn't already an indication of that), but this line right here doesn't make any sense:

If Starfox was on Genesis or Sega CD, but still the same game, I'd still like it.

My argument is that Starfox wouldn't be the same game on the Genesis. Your statement is based on the assumption that both systems have identical hardware specs, and that it's only the brands that people are vehemently supporting. There would be obvious discrepancies between versions of these games on their opposing systems. They wouldn't be the same games, because the hardware doesn't support the exact same user experience. Just look at any/all versions of Street Fighter II on the Genesis or SNES; arguments and debates rage all day over the exact same game presented on different consoles.

However, if brand loyalty is what you guys are discussing, then that makes total sense. However, I was arguing more in terms of the same games on their opposing consoles, inheriting all spec/hardware limitation(s). It's interesting to speculate how that might have changed the mass perception of said titles all together.

[Zebbe]

Haven't played either, but Star Fox seems more fun and deeper to me.

[Hidden_Darkness]

when I said I preferred night striker over star fox, it had nothing to do with night striker being on a sega system since I like both snes and genesis equally. I just had more fun playing night striker, star fox is not a bad game by any means.

[Drakon]

I've never even heard of night striker...guess I need to take a look.

[Saturn Fan]

Star Fox is awesome, and it plays fine. I played it for the first time ever this year and I had no problem with the graphics, gameplay or frame rate. It's still an engaging game, and I'm pretty sure the only reason it gets trashed around these parts is because it's an SNES game.

Agreed somewhat. Even though i have fonder memories of Sega's console & add-on, i won't be biased and let that blot out objectivity. I don't have as much faith in other members around here to do the same though....

Nightstriker is a neat game but Star Fox just DESTROYS it in every way.

[Guntz]

My argument is that Starfox wouldn't be the same game on the Genesis.

Yeah, I guess I messed that part up. Obviously Starfox would be different on Genesis. But, if the core game was the same, regardless of aesthetics, I'd probably still like it. If Starfox Genesis had physics closer to Virtua Racing (i.e non-existent), then I'd definitely not like it.

[NostalgicMachine]

Yeah, I guess I messed that part up. Obviously Starfox would be different on Genesis. But, if the core game was the same, regardless of aesthetics, I'd probably still like it. If Starfox Genesis had physics closer to Virtua Racing (i.e non-existent), then I'd definitely not like it.

No worries man! And I agree about VR's physics.

[NeoZeedeater]

Agreed somewhat. Even though i have fonder memories of Sega's console & add-on, i won't be biased and let that blot out objectivity. I don't have as much faith in other members around here to do the same though....

Nightstriker is a neat game but Star Fox just DESTROYS it in every way.

In every way? That doesn't sound very objective. Night Striker has an option for analog control that Barone mentioned.

Honestly, they excel in different ways. Star Fox impressed me more back in the day because it was different from the sprite scalers and had a lot of neat details like shooting parts of things and having them collapse. Night Striker was a direct continuation of the old Space Harrier style and didn't stand out as much. Today, however, I would rather play Night Striker for a quick shooting fix so that's why I voted for it. It's not as clunky. Stylistically I prefer Night Striker. I never liked Star Fox's characters but Night Striker's Blade Runner-ish vibe still looks really cool. Such a great use of colour. Pixels don't bother me.

[Moirai]

Yeah, I guess I messed that part up. Obviously Starfox would be different on Genesis. But, if the core game was the same, regardless of aesthetics, I'd probably still like it. If Starfox Genesis had physics closer to Virtua Racing (i.e non-existent), then I'd definitely not like it.

Hmmm... that gets me thinking.... what if there was a Panzer Dragoon game on the Genesis using the SVP? with flat-shaded polygons, of course. that would be the perfect competitor to Star Fox.

[StarMist]

I'm with Barone.
And those here stating Starfox "has some issues" ought to play Night Striker on Sega CD--it ought to be subtitled "Special Leper Edition" the way it shambles along with frames falling off at every step.

Night Striker should be played on Playstation or Saturn.

[A Black Falcon]

Hmm... I voted for Star Fox, but mabye I shouldn't have... really, I do like Night Striker for Sega CD; it's a good game. It's not as ambitious as Star Fox, and I like Star Fox's design, concept, and a lot of the gameplay, and compared to some other Sega CD rail shooters Night Striker's graphics aren't quite as good (compare it to SoulStar, Batman Returns, or The Adventures of Batman & Robin), but still, it is a good game; really, this is somewhat close.

In addition to Night Striker being good, I don't love the SNES Star Fox as much as some do. That framerate is ujst so, so bad, and the lack of a targeting cursor most of the time (anytime you're in the regular third person camera) is some bad design. However, it is a much more ambitious game than Night Striker, and I like the effort, design, and basic gameplay... but between the awful framerate, the lack of a cursor, and how much more primitive it is than that all-time classic Star Fox 64, I've never been able to stick with Star Fox for long at all, and haven't ever gotten past midway through the game. In comparison, I have beaten SCD Night Striker.

So overall, maybe Star Fox is better objectively, but if I had to choose one to put in and play, I'd rather play Night Striker, I think.

I'm with Barone.
And those here stating Starfox "has some issues" ought to play Night Striker on Sega CD--it ought to be subtitled "Special Leper Edition" the way it shambles along with frames falling off at every step.

Night Striker should be played on Playstation or Saturn.

Sure SCD Night Striker is blocky, but it's perfectly playable and is a fun game. It also runs at a higher framerate for sure than Star Fox's single-to-mid-teens pace...

I'm not saying you guys like Starfox because it's popular and I get that you like it for what it is, but I still feel that it has some glaring issues. I just think that the masses (not you) ignore them because it's a SNES game, similar to how people gush on Contra III and Castlevania IV despite them not being as good as made out to be. As a game, I think Virtua Racing works better. It doesn't suffer from the flaws that Starfox has, in my mind.

Castlevania IV is the best game ever in its franchise, though... but yeah, Contra III, and probably Star Fox, are somewhat overrated. (It's Star Fox 64 that is the all-time classic and among the best games ever in its genre, not the SNES game, for sure.)

[QuickSciFi]

I don't think I've ever heard of Night Striker.

[A Black Falcon]

I don't think I've ever heard of Night Striker.

It wasn't released in the US on any home console. The SCD, PS1, and Saturn ports (of the arcade original, which I think may have gotten a US release) are all Japan-only. It's bizarre, because the SCD version for instance has absolutely no Japanese in the game at all; yes, the story's told in English text; but that's how it is. It's like Taito's other Sega CD game, The Ninja Warriors... also 100% English except for some Japanese subtitles, also a Japan-only release.