Reprise wrote:@Ziggy I don't know much about Star Fox 2, I must admit, so I could be wrong here, but I heard that the game was very nearly finished and the version that leaked was an unfinished alpha. There allegedly is a version of the game that is more or less complete that has never leaked. It'll be that version, no doubt.
Back when I was in the gaming media a decade ago I actually for the Advanced Media Network actually started out doing research/editorial pieces and Star Fox 2 was one thing I went after. I probably should dig up the old thing if I still have it as the site is long dead, but yes you're correct. The beta we got was like 95% or so there supposedly. I never could get a hold of Cuthbert as I guess we lacked the prestige.
What I could gather was it was nearly done, things that were in earlier builds (like MP) was dropped but researched earlier and that what we do see in the hack is basically what they intended but needed some AI/other fine tuning, test code (and FPS counter) removal, and other little late beta fixes as it wasn't a broken/crash happy build at that point.
That's why I've always kind of poo poo'd Nintendo and Cuthbert going on after being poked at time and again about it saying it's a busted earlier incomplete beta as it just didn't line up with what I could dig up. I'd like to think the truth falls somewhere in the middle, that maybe that multiplayer test alpha that leaked too did end up(or would have) in what should have been the final build.
An interesting note and it is a failure I guess of it not being entirely finished, is that the game scales in a screwy way based upon difficulty and it leaves out some AI behaviors and an entire more devilish aspect of the game. Playing it on normal is actually EASY and on there the bosses, wolf team, and the rest are fairly stupid. You also lose the virus. The space virus you need to attack with a vengeance, if you do not, it will go after Coneria's space platform that helps you, and it turns around and carpet bombs the planet. You then need to attack that platform immediately and kill the viruses off of it, and depending on the other two difficulties they're far more nasty. And as you play on the other modes the AI gets nastier, there are more planets to do, more battleships to drop, and the general mobs, missiles, and wolf team are more prolific and nasty.
Up your difficulty, see if you feel like it's unfinished...it's a challenge.
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