Great single player mode and a spectacular mulitplayer mode.
The greatest thing about Star Fox 64 is that based on how you play, each time the game will take you on different paths. There are close to twenty different missions, and there are two outcomes for each one. Based on how you play, the game will change up the missions you take in order to reach the final level of Venom, where Andross awaits you. It's the choices that make Star Fox 64 such a great game, and the skill required to make those choices. In one mission where you're piloting the landmaster after a train, you can either choose to take out the boss, or derail the train. Whatever path you choose, you'll end up at a different level.
Keeping your wingmen alive is key as well. Each one helps in different ways. Falco, the falcon, knows the way to secrets. Peppy, the hare, gives advice on what to do, and Slippy, the toad, gives out the stats for bosses. Keeping all three alive is part of the game, and it isn't a chore at all, if you can't keep any one of them alive, it's your own fault as you'll realize after playing a bit.
The gameplay is mostly on-rails, though for a few levels the game allows "all-range" mode to be activated, where you can fly to your heart's content within the confines of a level and fight in any way you so choose to. Regardless of that, the game is fun, it's top-notch, grade-A, shooting action that simply can't be replicated.
The graphics are stunning, whether it's flying through a destroyed city, going underwater in a submarine and finding new creatures to kill, flying through enemy bases and battered space stations controlled by Andross' army. The game is a joy to watch. The music and sound effects are mix between sci-fi and traditional heroics. Lasers sound like lasers should, and explosions like explosions, while the music is some of the best the N64 has had.
Final word: Star Fox 64 is one of the all-time greats on the Nintendo 64. Few games are as well made as this one, and if you missed out on it, then now is still a great time to play this game. Whether it's the old N64 version which finally utilized a rumble pak, or even the Virtual Console version on the Wii, Star Fox 64 is simply aces and deserves to be played by everyone, especially fans of blowing things up.