As of February 21, the original “Star Fox” for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System turns 30 years old. For two console generations, from 16-bit to 64-bit, the series was among Nintendo’s golden children, being a showcase for the Super FX chip on the SNES, and “Star Fox 64” being an early title for the Nintendo 64.
The previously canceled “Star Fox 2,” which later released with the SNES Classic Mini, was an impressive showcase of the limits of the 16-bit console, only canceled due to being too late into the console’s lifespan to be financially viable.
With the turn of the GameCube era, the series would see a dip in quality. “Dinosaur Planet,” a Zelda-like game originally meant for the Nintendo 64, was pushed onto the GameCube. Feeling as if a new IP wouldn’t sell as well, Nintendo pushed the Star Fox IP onto the game, and thus, the infamous “Star Fox Adventures” was born. While not a bad game, it certainly was not a “Star Fox” game, despite what the title may suggest, featuring very little of the series’ signature on-rails shooting. Later into the GameCube’s lifespan came “Star Fox Assault,” a return to form as it kept a heavy focus on the piloting and shooting of the original two titles. Also featuring on-foot shooter gameplay, “Star Fox Assault” is considered an underrated gem by some fans.
Then came the Wii era, and surprisingly, “Star Fox” would be completely absent from the console, barring “Virtual Console” releases of the original two titles, and the trio of Fox, Falco and Wolf appearing in “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.” Rather, the next title was for the handheld Nintendo DS. “Star Fox Command,” while praised at the time, is quite disliked by a handful of fans today, due to its poor, fanfiction-like writing, and the limitations of the DS. Then came the final “Star Fox” title for the Wii U, “Star Fox Zero.” Rather than progressing the series, 2016’s “Star Fox Zero” chose to focus on a clunky, critically panned gimmick of aiming with the Wii U’s gamepad’s gyro controls, as well as being a retelling of “Star Fox 64’s” story.
Since then, no new “Star Fox” games have been released, the series having an absence on the Nintendo Switch. However, very recently, details on the canceled “Star Fox Armada” were revealed. In 2013, “Armada” was pitched to Retro Studios, the developers for the modern “Donkey Kong Country” titles and “Metroid Prime” series. The title hoped to return to the glory days of the original “Star Fox” and “Star Fox 64.” “Star Fox Armada” would have been an open world multiplayer title, with players splitting tasks between piloting and gunning. The game would have also featured online play, as well as content updates, though it is unknown if “Star Fox Armada” would’ve experienced the same poor sales as “Star Fox Zero” due to the Wii U’s commercial failure.
From being one of Nintendo’s greats, to experiencing turbulent growing pains, to being a neglected IP, “Star Fox” has had a long journey. Now more than ever would be a prime time for a new “Star Fox” title, or perhaps a reboot. As the years pile on, fans can only hope for when the next title will drop, or whether the series will join the graveyard alongside the likes of “F-Zero” and “Chibi-Robo.”
