Here it is, one of many interviews we've been waiting for! Ben Cullum, voice actor behind Falco Lombardi in Starfox Adventures and Super Smash Bros. Melee was kind enough to participate in an interview with us! Falco has always been a fan favorite of the series, having a strong fan following that rivals even that of Fox McCloud himself. We, along with some of the folks over at Nintendoland.com came up with questions we the fans had to have answers to. And so we begin!





Q:How did you get into voice acting? Is it something you enjoy?

I got into voice acting (although I think that's actually quite a generous title you've given me..) because I was working as a composer and vocal engineer for Rare at the time. I've always liked doing voices so I just slotted in.

Q:Are you a gamer yourself?

I used to be a big gamer in my younger years. Now apart from the odd iPad game and nostalgia sessions with my old N64 and GameCube I discipline myself into not playing the new big games because I know how much time I would spend on them!!

Q:Did you know what Starfox was before Dinosaur Planet (the original title and concept of Starfox Adventures for readers) was converted to a Starfox title?

I'm not sure it was called anything else before 'Dinosaur Planet'. But can't be sure..it's 8 years since I worked on that game!

Q:Do you feel Falco should of had more involvement in Starfox Adventures or do you like him coming to Fox's aid and saving the day in the last moments of peril?

I seem to remember the balance being right. Falco was one of those classic heroes that didn't need too much air time to seem cool

Q:What's it like knowing you were one of many voice actors to portray Falco?

An honour to be in the line-up!

Q:How do you feel about the Starfox series as a whole?

I think it was nice & varied compared to many other game series. The N64 had the space shooter and Starfox Adventures was of course an action adventure. I think it kept the concept fresh.

Q:What is your favorite StarFox moment?

Can't think of one in particular. Again it's a while ago since I worked on it. I did like the General Scales cut scenes a lot and especially the scene at the finale of the game when all the characters reunite. It reminds me of a film with a slightly camp but happy ending!

Q:It has to be asked. Who is your favorite Starfox character?

General Pepper always made me laugh. And the voice was awesome as well. John Silke voiced him, General Scales and many others. I think also he did the Warpstone character? He was cool too. A gentle and friendly giant.

Q:Was there any unused dialogue for Falco that did not make the final cut?
Probably. There was much unused dialogue in general as story and game design evolved over the years.

Q:If you had a chance to voice any other character in the Star Fox series, which one would you voice, if any?

I did a few others actually - I can't remember who exactly but I'm sure it would be easy for your readers to find out.

Q:When you get together with your friend Steve Malpass (VA for Fox in Starfox Adventures) do you two ever talk in your Starfox voices to each other?

To be honest.....yes! It's amusing to say the least. Also, when I see John Silke he often says to me 'General Pepper here!!'

Q:Do Starfox fans ever find and say anything to you? If so, what was the craziest or most memorable thing said to you?

Sadly it's never happened. Nice to know there are fans though

Q:If the opportunity ever arose, would you be willing to voice Falco again?

Yes - would be an honour.

Q:Falco is a favorite amongst Starfox fans, and you are now forever part of his character, and the Starfox series as a whole. Is there anything you would like to say to the fans?

A thousand thanks for taking such an interest. It's people like yourself who remind me how much something I helped to make was worth to them. I spent the best part of 4 years recording all the voice actors in the studio, doing Falco's voice and some cut-scene music so it's really lovely to know it's still loved.


 Awesome! Special thanks to Ben Cullum for taking time out of his busy schedule to do this with us! Ben will forever be part of the Starfox series that is so near and dear to many of us. For those of you who don't know, Ben happens to be a singer and song writer to, so his voice talents go far beyond the realm of video games. Curious? Look up some of his music. Hopefully we're not the only ones who picture a small window with Falco singing the lyrics when we hear his music. You can find him on Twitter where you can follow all his updates and thank him for his tremendous effort in helping to make Starfox what it is today.

 Check this out! Collectible figurines of the Arwing, Land Master, and Blue Marine are coming soon (estimated to be this May). If you've ever dreamed of having affordable Starfox vehicles in physical form (without spending a limb on eBay) this is the way to go, costs estimated to be around just $4.00!





Source

 Happy Holidays to everyone! It's been awhile yet again since we've updated, but trust me, this one is worth it! Yes, I am STILL working on a new layout. I want it to be as near-perfect as possible. In other news, for the holidays I have finally received my very own Nintendo 3DS and a copy of Starfox 64 3DS, so now I can finally begin creating an in depth section of the game!



 And now, to top of our update, we have secured an interview with Ben Cullum, voice actor for Falco in Starfox Adventures! We are also in the works of securing an interview with Estelle Ellis, voice actress for Krystal in Adventures as well! How exciting is that!? If you have any questions you would like to have submitted post them in the comments below, e-mail them to me (by hitting 'Contact' on the site) or mention us on Twitter! We may not take all questions, but we will take as many as we can, that are of good quality!

Till next time!

 Alright, it's been AWHILE since I've updated. To be honest, since the release of StarFox 64 3D there just hasn't been anything worth reporting besides the whole Do a Barrel Roll/Z or R Twice" thing Google has implemented (Which you can see we did indeed report on via Twitter). The forum is still down, but that's due in part to something I have planned that may or may not happen in July of 2012 that would gain visitors and potential new members.

 Also, there's been recent thought put forth for StarFox Elite of a site redesign. It worked back when I first coded it, however I'm finding it a tad bleak and a chore to deal with if I want to add new content to the sections. With more recent learnings of PHP I believe I can make the site more functional. And lets just say, I've been scouting for quite awhile and see some potential interviews on the horizon. So don't worry, SFE isn't dead. It's far from it. Keep up-to-date with us on Twitter! Also, we have a Facebook page!

 It's around midnight here as I write this up, but today marks the official release of StarFox 64 3D here in NA and in EU. For those of you with Nintendo 3DS's, go out and get this game! Now. That's an order.



 As for the rest of you, keep tuned to the site. As the day goes on I will be constantly updating this post with new finds and detailed explanations of the new features. Also, I will be creating and posting up the StarFox 64 3D game page to the site at long last. If you wish to submit anything to the site concerning the game that you want covered or would like displayed, feel free to e-mail me. This is an exciting day!

• Opening sequence virtually the same as original, minus graphical update. Great Fox seems to have minor design changes.


• Menu screens very different. Training Mode is very similar to the original, appearance differing vastly. Boomer/Ring Tails/Trainer has a voice now.


• Some dialogue has been changed from the original, for the better. Original VA's are back.


• Corneria the same. Slight change in scenery, particularly with Corneria City's building designs.


• Meteo the same, however astounding graphical update.


• Fichina has the same basic layout, however unlike the original, the ground seems to be ocean. Star Wolf look better than ever.


• Solar is the same, but with awesome new lighting and background.


• Macbeth looks very different from the original, however layout is still the same.


• Sector Z is virtually the same as the original, minus graphical updates.


• Area 6 is pretty much the same as the original.


• Venom is the same, minus graphical updates. Looks more venomous and dry however.


• Sector Y is pretty much the same. Re-designs look much nicer.


• Aquas is much lighter in this version than the original, but basically the same.


• Warp Zones 1 & 2 are very trippy. A lot like the original but graphically... bizarre.


• Zoness has added rain, otherwise not much of a difference.


• Katina has the same goal. Area wise, the base actually looks like a thriving base.


• Titania looks the same for the most part. Some enemies look slightly redesigned.


• Bolse is slightly redesigned, otherwise the same.


• Sector X is basically the same, with some minor changes in design of enemies and structures.


• Gyroscopic controls are optional and can be used with circle pad. Don't like motion, play without.


• Multiplayer has been completely revamped. No online, however you can still play with friends and bots. All new levels apart from the original.


• New score mode allows the player to select a level to play at to earn high scores, so no more playing through the entire game to get to a particular area. Medals are back.


• All soundtracks are remixes of the original games soundtracks.


• Every boss and character from the original is present in this game.


• Every scene and camera angle is reminiscent of the original, minus minor dialogue changes at times.


• Sound effects are similar, if not redone versions of the original sounds.


• Normal and hard modes remain.

 That's it for updates, our playing through of the game is over. What fun! Starfox 64 3D is a fantastic game equaling, perhaps even surpassing the original. Since the updates are over I shall be working to get the page up for this game.