Star Fox Zero

This adventure is a good game that could've been great, if it weren't for confusing controls that force you to look at two different screens to maneuver your craft. Players have to use the Wii U GamePad for a first-person cockpit view and the television for a third-person, more cinematic view of the action (there's also a button to push the cockpit view on your TV, which complicates matters further). Mind you, controlling your main spaceship feels pretty good, whether you're on "rails" in most missions or freely maneuvering the ship during (mostly) boss battles. Even while squeezing into tight spaces and avoiding obstacles, aiming and firing between two screens can take a while to get used to. Plus, it can be tricky to use some of the alternative vehicles, such as the quadcopter drone for observing your surroundings and possible targets. You'll get the hang of your Arwing after a while, but wrestling with the controls still takes away from the overall immersion factor. The more you play, the more you'll master the dance -- and the more you'll get into the frenetic gameplay.

Visually speaking, the game is quite impressive, especially for a Wii U title, with colorful characters, large environments (including outer space), and good lighting work on the special effects. Music and voice-over talent aren't the best, with clichéd comments from your wingmates, but aren't a concern compared to the often confusing controls and camera angles. Fans of Nintendo games starving for Wii U content might consider picking up this game -- especially for those with a nostalgic leaning toward the Star Fox series -- but everyone else might as well steer clear of this promising but often frustrating space shooter.