'Star Fox: Guard' - a New Way to Tower Defense

If you played Nintendo games in the 1990s, you know who Fox McCloud is. He's the ringleader in a pretty well known game called 'Star Fox', a shoot-em-up game where you fly around in a pretty cool spaceship and save the galaxy from the evil Andross. A new 'Star Fox' game is set to drop later this month, titled 'Star Fox Zero', and everyone is pretty amped up about it. But along with Zero, there's another 'Star Fox' title that you need to look into, especially if you dig tower defense games.

'Star Fox: Guard' is also being released on April 21, 2016, WITH 'Star Fox Zero'. It's different than its namesake, in that it's a tower defense style game set in the 'Star Fox' universe. Your Mii is tasked to work for Grippy Toad, who just so happens to be the uncle of Slippy Toad, a member of the Star Fox team. Grippy runs a mining operation in Corneria that mines for precious metals that are used on robots and spaceships. Unfortunately, it keeps getting attacked by robots, and that's where you come in.

Luckily, Slippy has helped his uncle by installing cameras around the mining facility. These cameras also happen to shoot lasers, which is pretty handy. Unlike other tower defense games, these cameras are already set up for you, so you don't have to decide where to place them, or raise currency in order to buy and upgrade them. However, you can move them if you so desire, and as you level up you gain access to higher powered camera systems.

There are twelve cameras total to control. You can watch via a security monitor arrangement on your TV, and control the cameras and shoot the invading robots with the Wii U Gamepad. Slightly reminiscent of 'Five Nights at Freddie's' controls, it's a very simple system, so it's pretty easy to get complacent. (Whatever you do, don't do that, you will lose your base.)

There are two types of robots that are invading the mining facility - combat and disruption bots. The combat bots (who look eerily similar to R.O.B., by the way) make their way into the facility and attempt to destroy the center (which takes one hit). The disruption bots do everything in their programming to take out your cameras, blow smoke screens, or otherwise disrupt you from destroying the combat bots. There are several entrances for these robots to invade, so you find that you're constantly switching cameras to shoot at different robots. You win the level by destroying all the combat bots, not the disruption bots, but it helps if you just shoot everything you can.

(Speaking of, it helps if you have pretty good aim as well, since it takes more time if you're missing one robot while three others roll into another entrance.)

As you finish the levels, a cute little frog robot named RE:Bot comes and collects any precious metals that are left behind after you decimate the robots. Those metals accrue to increase your player level, which gives you access to different camera types and other unlockables. Each stage has three levels, as well as unlockable levels, to complete. After completing all of the stages on one planet, you'll have to fight a big baddie. Destroy him before he takes out all of your cameras, and you can move on to the next planet.

There are over a hundred playable levels total, and there's plenty of replayability, so you won't be done with this game in an hour or two.

If you're tired of just playing the storyline, there's also an online mode where you face off against other players across the globe. You can either defend the base, or put together robot squads. Winning or losing gives or takes away points on your player scorecard, which you can access in your profile (it looks like a work badge).

Overall, this game is extremely fun to play, and somewhat addicting. The fun quirkiness of the 'Star Fox' universe shines as Slippy and Grippy interact with you. Children will love the bright colors and easy controls, while adults will love the strategy and the nostalgia. If you were wondering if you should pick up 'Star Fox Zero' or not, it will definitely be worth it with this little game on the side.