Star Fox is a series of 3D sci-fi shooter games from Nintendo.
History[]
The original Star Fox was an on-rails shooter Super Nintendo game developed by Nintendo EAD and released in 1993. The game was revolutionary for its time, with true 3D graphics. The game sold a couple of million copies over its life and introduced the series's universe and characters.
Work began on a sequel soon afterwards, resulting in the release of Star Fox 2 in June 1995. Compared to the original, this game incorporated more strategic elements. Players needed to defend the home planet Corneria against enemy fighters and missiles, which moved in real-time. Along with a major overhaul in design, Star Fox 2 also introduced splitscreen multiplayer, in which two players could duel in a small environment. Though well received, Star Fox 2 was less popular than the original.
In 1997, Star Fox 64 was released for the Nintendo 64. Once again developed by Nintendo EAD, this was essentially a reimagining of the original game, and a return to the original's more linear style. It is considered the start of the series canon. Star Fox 64 brought many changes to the series, including far superior graphics, constant voiced dialogue, multiplayer, and "Rumble Pack" compatibility.
A new Star Fox game would not be announced for over half a decade. However, at E3 2004, a new game in the series called Star Fox: Dark Phoenix was announced to be in development by Capcom. Although it was not confirmed at the time, the game was a retooled version of Dead Phoenix, an earlier announced game meant as a GameCube exclusive.
Star Fox: Dark Phoenix was released to generally positive reviews on February 14, 2005. The game was praised for its classic shooter gameplay and fantastic presentation, but was also criticized for its limited multiplayer and a lack of innovation since 1997's 64. The game's massive enemies were a high point of the game, showcasing the power of the GameCube even relatively late into its life.
A scene from the upcoming remake.
A remake of Star Fox 64 for the Game Boy 3DS was released in September 2013. The game is a full remake, with entirely new graphics and online multiplayer. It was moderately well received.
In 2015, Star Fox Zero was announced for the Stream. The game, which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2016, will feature transforming vehicles.
Anime[]
Reception[]
Despite only having three games, the Star Fox series has been a major success for Nintendo. The five games' combined sales total over 13 million copies sold, with 6 million of those sales belonging to the original 64 alone. Furthermore, all of the main entry Star Fox games are considered to be some of the best space shooters ever released for any platform.
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