Star Fox Zero is one of Nintendo's big first-party titles for 2016, and as such there are plenty of expectations riding on it. From what we've seen so far, the game looks gorgeous and instantly brings back fond memories of Star Fox 64.
That being said, a more thorough analysis of the game in action is always welcome, and that is precisely what the experts over at Digital Foundry are known for. They've put together a frame rate test for Star Fox Zero and put the game through its paces to see just how well the game holds up under fire.
The answer? Pretty well. Digital Foundry reports that the game runs at 60 fps the majority of the time, which is fairly impressive given the Wii U's less-than-stellar hardware. It's also impressive when you take into account the Wii U game pad, which the console must also manage.
However, the game's frame rate isn't perfect. During large ship explosions or times when there is a lot happening on screen, the frame rate can drop significantly.
The video below shows segments of the game's second stage that cause the fps to drop below 40 for a few seconds, such as when a massive ship explodes in a ball of fire. Other times the game runs steady at 50 during moments of high action, with 60 being the norm for times when only a handful of enemies are on screen.
Overall the game still looks great despite a few frame rate issues. Not that most Nintendo fans will care about the specifics of the frame rate. The folks at Digital Foundry say they've enjoyed their time with the game so far, as it offers plenty of replayability and fun in the form of co-op play.
The game's opening stage looks gorgeous and will instantly be familiar to lovers of Star Fox 64, to which Star Fox Zero is a sequel. As long as the game is fun and manages to capture what fans love about the Star Fox franchise, most will probably give the title a pass for dropping 10 to 20 frames during large-scale encounters.
Star Fox Zero releases on Wii U April 21.
