Breezy as Star Fox’s lore likes to be, Guard makes note of how profitable war is for the Lylat system. Time spent with Guard means time spent defending Corneria Precious Metals Ltd. from thieving (but adorable) robots. War means everyone is out for a cut.

Unlike Zero, Guard offers a clever synergy of the touch screen/TV. Game Pad taps select a laser-firing camera and the TV shows a POV from said camera, creating a rather manic test of dexterity as lanes become filled with invading ‘bots.

Better, the Game Pad use is sensible integration of the concept, as if you’re pecking away at a specialized keyboard in front of a monitor. A job simulator for the 33rd century, this is, patterned after the tower defense genre of today. Cute, but plain, empty, and aimlessly simple.

3/5