Star Fox Command - hands-on

We'll admit it - we were kinda haters on Star Fox Command when it premiered at E3 earlier this year. The touch-screen controls and turn-based, strategy map gameplay acted as two slaps in the face when all we wanted to do was watch a furry little fox blow stuff up.

Now that the game's been nestled in our hands for a week or so, the simplified mechanics and basic tactical elements are proving to be solid additions. To help spell out the touch-activated battle map and showcase the different types of missions you'll be taking on, we've crafted avideo that should clear up any confusion (and reveal some of the environments and characters you'll encounter).

You begin each mission on the Tactics map. The Great Fox deploys Fox McCloud (and any other piloting pals you've recruited along the way) to clear the map of enemy fighters, bases and other incoming threats. You'll literally draw a flight plan for each craft until its fuel limit is reached for that turn. Once you've laid out a path for all your fighters, the enemy moves ever closer to the Great Fox - if it's hit even once, you lose the mission. Luckily, the fish-monster-pilot-things will alter their course if they come across your drawn-in destination.

You can't fly oversome parts of the map (mountains extending all the way into space, maybe?), so tracing an exactcourse that not only intercepts enemies but also flies over power-ups is mind-achingly important. And you've only got so many turns before the mission ends in failure.