NINTENDO'S innovations are one of the reasons the Japanese company is still one of the leaders in the games industry.

More than 30 years after the release of its first console, the Nintendo Entertain System, the developer and publisher is still coming up with influential designs.

Nintendo's latest console, the Wii U, featuring a games pad with a touch screen, motion controls, speakers and a microphone is testament to that.

But there is a fine line between innovation and gimmick when it comes to actually implementing these features in games.

Nintendo has a good track record of introducing user-friendly new features to players in excellent games like Super Mario 3D World.

But that is sadly not the case with the space shooter, Star Fox Zero.

Developed by acclaimed studio Platinum, the experience faithfully recreates the look and feel of the odd but loveable series about anthropomorphic animals in spaceships.

But the game makes you constantly swap what you are looking at from the TV screen – to navigate – to the game pad – to aim.

You can see the potential there for a great, new control method utilising the Wii U's unique controller but your experience on the two screen does not quite sync up.

The controls just about hold up when you are in Star Fox's classic spaceship, the Arwing, but it feels almost possible to use the new walker mode with any kind of precision.

It is a shame because it is still just as fun to boost, do a barrel roll and blast your way around the galaxy.

Star Fox series has always been at the heart of Nintendo's innovations too and you get the sense that this was failed experiment that tried to carry on that tradition.

Super Nintendo's Starwing was one of the first to use the Super FX chip to simulate 3D graphics and Nintendo 64's Lylat Wars – which Star Fox Zero takes a lot of inspiration from – was the first to utilise Nintendo's 'Rumble Pak'.

Platinum has also made an effort to keep things fresh with the walker mode and drone-like helicopter, the Gyrowing.

But the whole experience is undermined by terrible controls that put using every function of the Wii U ahead of intuitive gameplay.

RATING: 5/10

DAVID MORGAN