War is hell, and no one's going to argue that it's cute or fun. But what if your combat unit was led by Fox McCloud, a darling little creature of the woods all decked out in armored gear? And what if he were joined by a nervous, possibly underage amphibian (Slippy Toad), a hotshot bird of a fighter pilot (Falco Lombardi), and a sexy feline with no last name (Krystal)? Even armed to the teeth (or gills, or beak, or whatever) with a blaster, a machine gun, or a wicked plasma cannon, the heroes of Star Fox: Assault can't help but look like they're having a cuddly good time.
The story picks up where the game's predecessors, Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Adventures, left off, with our scrappy band of animals called in to help an innocent planet ward off invaders. The plot is massively unimportant, though: The joy of Star Fox: Assault is in blasting targets, and the wacky banter between the anthropomorphized friends just offers a distraction between battles. Three modes of play–on foot, in a tank, or in a plane–provide ample opportunity for blasting, too. Fox only needs to follow simple instructions (often from the Admiral Ackbar-like dog General Pepper) to identify his targets and neutralize them. If lots of stuff–including, but not limited to, batches of Borg-like commies called aparoids–gets blown up along the way, so be it.
The most exciting combat sequences feature Fox in his Arwing, a laser-equipped space vehicle that not only shoots, but also does wide loops and quick rolls to avoid enemy fire. Far less fun are the sequences in the Landmaster, a bulky tank that sometimes has trouble navigating strange terrain. Wherever and with whatever Fox fights, it's never too big a challenge: The single-player mode can be easily completed in a few sessions. To increase the replay value, though, Star Fox: Assault features a multiplayer game (but who'll want to be the whiny toad?) and "mission mode," which lets you replay previous levels to find all their hidden treasures.
Beyond the gameplay: The silly cutscenes can be skipped, but the sweeping shots of the terrain prior to most levels are impressive.
Worth playing for: When Fox McCloud first jumps onto the wing of another aircraft, armed with a limitless-fire plasma cannon and faced with seemingly limitless enemies, it's exhilarating.
Frustration sets in when: Fox's map, the key to finding all the targets on time, can be infuriating to use, especially when goals are above or below your current level.
Final judgment: Star Fox: Assault's trigger-happy joyride, especially the air combat, makes for tons of fun, but it doesn't last long enough.