The top score was 1028 and it always felt just out of reach. Today, on a whim, I decided to play some Star Fox 64, without even making an attempt for the high score. I just wanted to relive some glory days. By the time I finished up Sector Z, where I only got 49 hits, it didn't seem like I was going to make it. Until I looked at my score of 623 and realized that I could get over 200 hits on the next level, and I was guaranteed another 200 on the one after that. All I had to do was fight my way through Area 6 and score over 200 points. It was quite the harrowing tale.
Two of three members of my squad were in good shape, except for Slippy. Oh, Slippy, you will always be a disappointment to me. The level started off, and I began to shoot at everything on screen with extreme prejudice. Even if it didn't move I shot at it. The points started to quickly rack up. "HIT +2", "HIT +3". More and more enemies filled the screen and my lasers were shooting down all that they could find. "Great Fox will cover you" called ROB 64 over the comms. Frantically I mashed down on the A button to take out the targets before my allies could. I had to score these points. I had to get that high score. I had never played more aggressively than this night. I deftly maneuvered my ship through the onslaught of enemy fire, making my way towards the end of the level. Just before reaching the boss, Slippy was shot down. She was nowhere in sight, and there was nothing that I could do about it. I thought nothing of it, until I reached the end. The only thing that makes me, or anyone, appreciate Slippy is his ability to analyze the health of the boss at the end of each level. Not having any idea of how much damage I was doing to the end boss made me fight even harder. The boss at the end of Area 6 is the most difficult, and my least favorite, though this boss had no idea what he was in for. My heart was racing, and my nerves were tense. As the adrenaline surged through me, I reacted faster than I have. Shot quicker than I ever have. I had slain the boss without taking a hit. It was awesome. What came next was the final level: Venom.
Because I had gone through the hard route, I would get the true ending, along with the true last level where I would face down a modified Star Wolf. Even though I hadn't fought Star Wolf in this particular campaign, they still acted as though they were taking revenge for my defeating them earlier. The standard format for a Star Wolf fight, is that each member of Star Wolf will chase down each of my team respectively. Only, I was down a member: Slippy. That means that I would have two ships on my tail, as opposed to just one. I would have to take care of the other ships that were dogging my wigmen as well as the two ships that were on me. The start of the battle had me chasing down Pigma, who chases down Peppy by default. After landing a few hits, the AI had Pigma do a somersault to avoid my incoming fire. However, this did not go according to plan as he crashed into one of the many pillars that dot the level. I lucked out, and had a moment of hysterical laughter. One down. Next, I had to take down Leon, who chases Falco by default. On my way to circling around to get to Falco, there was a great deal of enemy lasers coming from my 6 O'clock. I pulled a successful somersault, unlike Pigma, and my assailants scattered under me. I scored a few solid hits on them before I lost sight of them. I found Falco and his mark, and started lighting him up like the Fourth of July. Leon managed to escape my blasts with a somersault of his own. The somersault seems to be a pretty reliable move. Enemy ships seemed to be everywhere, even though they were down to just three. I shot at anything that I could paint my reticle over. I managed to score some decent hits on the ships that would pass me by. The remaining enemies would chime in with taunts that went over my head because I was so focused on dog fighting that I didn't have time for any of their guff. The only thing that mattered was to see their health that was dwindling further and further to the left. I had one in my sights, and I refused to let him go. I hunted him down, and viciously attacked him. Star Wolf cried out in agony as his ship exploded into oblivion. Two down. I went back to Leon because I knew where I could find him. Sure enough, he was right on the tail of Falco. I lined up my shot and let loose on the A button. Three down. Finally there was Andrew. As he was the last ship to take out, his movements were erratic, and he managed to lose me a couple of times. Moving like a fly that got lost inside of a house, he was hard to hit and just as annoying. In my effort to find him, I lost track of where my ship was and ended up running into a couple of the pillars that claimed Pigma. Andrew Eventually made the mistake of getting in front of me, and his days of flying came to an end. That's all of them. Now, it was on to the final boss.
Before reaching Andross, the game has you going through a small labyrinth with a few forks in the path. This forced me to choose either left or right. I've played Star Fox 64 many times, but I still don't know where to find the best pick ups to take on Andross. This made things difficult, as my health was low. Low enough to get a slow warning sound from my Arwing. When I finally reached Andross, I exhaled and began the fight. First I fired at the left hand and then the right. I was rather careless with my movements, as he landed a few good hits. When he clapped his hands together to draw me in to his mouth, I let him get away with that, too. This fight was not going well. I managed to defeat his first form with only a sliver of health left. I wasn't going to win this one.
Andross' final form is a brain, and he makes a pun about it. It's super lame and super annoying. His two eye stalks chase after you, and they are relentless. Not only do they shoot lasers, but are also tethered to the brain via lightning. Running into that lighting will do a number on your ship. This was going to be a tough fight. It didn't last long, because I was so low on health, but because I hadn't died this entire run, I had a few lives in stock. The second attempt had me at full health but with only a single laser. I ended up choosing the wrong path, and got no bonuses for my ship. Single laser it is. Taking only a few hits from Andross' punches, I got back to his final form. This time around I tried a somersault to lose the eyeballs, and it worked. I got behind them and handily took care of them. All that was left was the big ol' brain. For a brain, he moves pretty quick. The key to beating this boss is to get behind him and shoot the cerebellum. However, this brain is faster than you, and will pull you in when you get too close. When he does pull you in, Andross drains your health and usually takes off a wing, hindering your maneuverability. He ended up taking off both of my wings and I ended up dying because I was too slow, and couldn't make those turns that I needed to. The third try, I was determined to beat him. I missed the powerups again, and was facing down Andross with only a single laser. Well, beggars can't be choosers. I nimbly flew past his defense of giant hands, and blew up his face to reveal that Andross is in fact, a brain. I exhaled another time, and got straight to work on the eyes that flew about the area. Taking care of them, I did my best to get in good range of the brain. I peppered it with a few shots, but fewer connected with the hit spot. Without Slippy, I had no idea how much I ended up doing. I managed to set up for another attack run, this time it didn't go so well I was caught. I lost one of my wings and a good deal of health.
Relying on my last wing, I was flying in big circles to get some distance. I managed to get a clear shot, and let loose. Just before I was pulled in to get trapped by the giant brain, I had killed it. I did it. I won. All that was left was to escape with the ghost of my father. I was so ready to be done with this nightmare that I boosted the heck out of my one winged plane. I got so giddy, that I ended up crashing into the walls and died. Oh dear. Luckily, the game started me off after defeating the big brain, and I had both my wings were back, as well as a full bar of health. This got me even more excited and I boosted the heck out of my two winged plane. Again, I crashed into the walls and died. My next life, I decided that I would take it slow. I wasn't going to lose him, so I boosted only when I thought it necessary. The ghost of my father led me out, and I really had beaten Star Fox 64. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it!" I shouted as I rose from the couch. I met with the end of the tunnel and triggered the ending cutscene. I sank back into the couch with exhausted ecstasy. I laughed hysterically as the credits rolled. I was so elated to beat Star Fox 64 with a new high score. I had been chasing down that number for so long. To finally get that number, and blow past it, was an extraordinary feeling.
Feeling limp, and basking in the afterglow of achieving something that is as lame as it is awesome, I wore my smile with pride. I may not always give credit to points in games, but damn, did it feel good to get that score.
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