5 Fun Multiplayer Experiences on the N64

Star Fox 64 – Corneria VS.

Admittedly, Star Fox 64‘s multiplayer mode feels like an afterthought, with a stingy helping of arenas defined by openness — which the 3DS remake improved upon with more detailed, cover-heavy maps, but with a different feel in exchange. With Sector Z in particular, the separation between clear air space and floating debris is drastic, giving the impression of a vacuous battleground. And Katrina can only be played in Time Trial Mode, where you see how many enemies you can shoot down before time runs out. Dogfights can be hit and miss as a result — frankly, it completely depends on the people you play with. But paired with the right opponents, the Corneria arena can provide its share of fun.

Outflying your buddies is a matter of managing speed boosts with aerial tactics, while also taking Bombs and Laser Upgrade spawn points into account, which often turn battles into mini-races when they appear. There’s a fair amount of obstacles on this map, between the four towers fixed with General Pepper posters, three sequential archways, and multiple pyramids. While not perfect with its short supply of buildings, the environment presents enough deflection possibilities so you’re not a sitting target like you are in Sector Z. Plus, it holds out new rules of engagements that skilled pilots can reap after concerted effort in the campaign. Sadly, this doesn’t take the form of new maps (how Fortuna, the first Star Wolf encounter, wasn’t a multiplayer option is beyond me), but Corneria is still fun to go back to once in a while.

Next: Diddy Kong