I grew with SF64. No matter how many times I played it, how many times I flew the same planets over and over and over, since I was small (And even still now), I totally praise how SF64 allows you to build your own travel route. I might be fully wrong, and several games came with that concept way before SF64, but I firmly believe SF64 was one of the first games that imposed minimal choice/performance differences to affect your gameplay long-term (Short-Term at least in here). You know, like on Mass-Effect series where you choose to be either good or bad? That kind of thing... Sadly, I couldn't get Adventures (No $$$), but thank god, I would feel it would be such a radical change of playstyle I loved on 64. Then I got assault. Even Assault is more closely-related on 64 than Adventures, yet I still felt it... odd. Maps were bigger, yes. They were prettier and stuff. But the variety is what I praise so much on the 64. When I figured out Assault was purely linear, it killed it for me.There were several other factors ('Cruise' mode on the arwing so fixed for GB technology. No maps that were mixed Cruise+All-Range Mode like on SF64, no warp zones, etc) that made me feel Assault being somewhat odd. At least the Multiplayer was richer and more versatile than the 64 one. Then I missed Command (No DS). Then I heard 64 3DS. No 3DS. But it was virtually the same game as on the 64, so no big loss.
Nintendo is really concerned the StarFox saga has not been so profitable as the 64 version, and are considering (or already considered. I hope not...) to abandon the SF saga and focus on another ones. I truly, truly, truly, truly, truly hope Nintendo (Or Rare???) manages to get another StarFox working. I am perfectly sure if they made it as versatile as the 64 one (With a variety of worlds/path to choose and such), I'm pretty sure it will go well. Oh well, I guess it's just about to cross fingers, and hope for the best at this point... PD: Assault Landmaster is kinda ugly to me. Prefer the 64 one aesthetically.