Retro shooter fans are celebrating the hotly anticipated Star Fox 64 PC fan port, and the original character designer is among those thrilled with the result.
"I don't think Nintendo would tolerate this," ex-Nintendo developer Takaya Imamura responded to the news on Twitter, "but I'm personally very happy about it." The classic sequel, also known in the PAL region as Lylat Wars, launched back in 1997 as a series reboot of 1993 original. Star Fox 64 had only been playable on Nintendo 64 hardware until the creative minds at Harbour Masters released its PC port just yesterday, dubbing their modernized take Starship.
Being the team that brought us a stunning fan-made Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time PC port two years ago, it makes sense that plenty of fans join Imamura in his excitement. "Finally, the best rail shooter ever made gets even better," writes Reddit user Crimsonclaw111 in the port's PC gaming subreddit, with Harbour Master's version promising 60fps, full mod capability, and a widescreen display to enjoy all that gunslinging glory.
- Star Fox designer says the game's iconic mascot is based on the "essence" of Shigeru Miyamoto: "I think if you look closely you can see the similarities"
- After 3 years, these Legend of Zelda fans have finally finished decompiling the code of Majora's Mask to help modders and speedrunners - but there's "still tons of work to be done"
All that being said, Nintendo isn't best known for its copyright leniency. Here's hoping that Harbour Masters' feat stays below its radar as fans flock to download one of the best shooters ever, now on modern technology.
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