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The Star Fox video game series is a franchise of rail shooters and other action-adventure games published and produced by Nintendo. The games have been developed by a variety of developers, but all of the games have had input from Nintendo. All Star Fox video games have been developed exclusively for Nintendo video game consoles and handhelds dating from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to the current generation of video game consoles. The series debuted in Japan on February 21, 1993 with Star Fox,[lower-alpha 1] which was later released in North America and Europe, being renamed in Europe to Starwing.[1] The series revolves around the Star Fox team, a group of mercenaries hired to protect the Lylat system. The leader of the group, Fox McCloud, is the protagonist of the series, and the only playable character in most of the games. Currently, the series contains five games. One reason the Star Fox series has remained popular is because of the shoot 'em up aerial sequences found in many of the games, which are recognized as the series' high points.[2][3] Dylan Cuthbert, one of the original creators of the series, noted that it was the combination of the on-rails aerial action and the in-game universe that made the games successful.[4]

Video games[]

Main series[]

Title Details

Original release date(s):
Release years by system:
1993 – Super Nintendo Entertainment System[1]
Notes:
  • Known in Europe as Starwing.[1]
  • Star Fox was developed by Nintendo EAD and programmed by Argonaut Games, who created the Super FX chip to enable the 3D graphics seen in the game.[6][7]
  • A limited edition version entitled Star Fox: Super Weekend was created for competition events hosted by Nintendo Power in North America and Europe. The cartridge held modified versions of two stages and included a bonus stage. Around two thousand cartridges were estimated to be made.[8]



Original release date(s):[9]
  • JP: April 27, 1997
  • NA: July 1, 1997
  • PAL: October 20, 1997
Release years by system:
1997 – Nintendo 64[9]
2003 – iQue Player[10]
2007 – Wii Virtual Console[11]
2017 – Wii U Virtual Console[12]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[15]
  • NA: September 22, 2002
  • JP: September 27, 2002
  • PAL: November 22, 2002
Release years by system:
2002 – GameCube[15]
Notes:
  • The last game developed by second-party Nintendo developer Rare before its acquisition by Microsoft.[16]
  • Star Fox Adventures differed from the other games of the Star Fox series by being an action-adventure game in the vein of The Legend of Zelda series instead of an on-rail shooter.[17]



Original release date(s):[18]
  • NA: February 14, 2005
  • JP: February 24, 2005
  • EU: April 29, 2005
Release years by system:
2005 – GameCube[18]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[20]
  • JP: August 3, 2006
  • NA: August 28, 2006
  • AU: September 21, 2006
  • EU: January 26, 2007
Release years by system:
2006 – Nintendo DS[20]
2015 – Wii U Virtual Console
Notes:
  • Developed by Q-Games.[21]
  • Fused strategic aspects into the series's traditional aerial combat.[3]



Original release date(s):[22]
  • JP: July 14, 2011
  • EU: September 9, 2011
  • NA: September 11, 2011
Release years by system:
2011 – Nintendo 3DS[22]
Notes:



Original release date(s):
  • JP: April 21, 2016
  • NA: April 22, 2016
  • EU: April 22, 2016
Release years by system:
2016 – Wii U
Notes:
  • Developed by PlatinumGames.
  • This game is the first original title in the series to be released in ten years.



Original release date(s):
  • NA/EU: September 29, 2017
  • AU: September 30, 2017
  • JP: October 5, 2017
Release years by system:
Cancelled – Super Nintendo Entertainment System
2017 – Super NES Classic Edition
Notes:


Cancelled titles[]

Title Details

Original release date(s):
Cancelled
Release years by system:
Cancelled – Virtual Boy
Notes:



Original release date(s):
Cancelled
Release years by system:
Cancelled – Nintendo 64
Notes:
  • The game itself evolved into Star Fox Adventures.



Original release date(s):
Cancelled
Release years by system:
Cancelled – Arcade
Notes:
  • Originally planned as a companion game with Star Fox: Assault; but it was abandoned and never released.[26]


Spin-offs[]

Title Details

Original release date(s):[27]
  • NA: June 1, 1993
Release years by system:
1993 – Nelsonic game watch[27]
Notes:
  • Released in Europe as Starwing.
  • Re-released in at least 2 different styles of physical layout.[28]
  • Features a quartz accurate digital clock, a resettable alarm, and a headphone jack (with included headphones).[28]



Original release date(s):[27]
  • JP: April 21, 2016
  • NA: April 22, 2016
  • EU: April 22, 2016
Release years by system:
2016 – Wii U[27]
Notes:
  • Developed by PlatinumGames.
  • Instead of being a game about aerial combat, Star Fox Guard is a tower defense game.
  • Comes packaged for free with Star Fox Zero.


Notes[]

  1. Japanese: スターフォックス Hepburn: Sutā Fokkusu?

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Star Fox for SNES". GameSpot. Retrieved June 22, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  2. Navarro, Alex (April 4, 2007). "Star Fox 64 Review for Wii". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  3. 3.0 3.1 Kasavin, Greg (August 25, 2006). "Star Fox Command Review for DS". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  4. Burman, Rob (February 7, 2007). "Taking Command of Star Fox". IGN UK. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  5. "Star Fox". IGN. Retrieved June 22, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  6. Fahs, Travis (October 31, 2008). "The Starglider Saga". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  7. "Gamespot Company Page For Argonaut Games". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  8. "Star Fox: Super Weekend (Official Competition Cartridge)". IGN. Retrieved June 22, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Star Fox 64 for Nintendo 64". GameSpot. Retrieved June 23, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  10. "iQue Ltd". iQue. Retrieved June 30, 2011.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Star Fox 64 for Wii". GameSpot. Retrieved June 23, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  12. "Star Fox 64 Joins The Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console". Siliconera. Retrieved February 9, 2017.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  13. Perry, Doug (May 16, 1997). "Star Fox 64 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  14. Buchanan, Levi (April 3, 2008). "Happy Birthday, Rumble Pak". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  15. 15.0 15.1 "Star Fox Adventures for GameCube". GameSpot. Retrieved June 23, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  16. Parker, Sam (September 13, 2002). "No more Nintendo-exclusive games from Rare". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  17. Casamassina, Matt (September 23, 2002). "Star Fox Adventures Review". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  18. 18.0 18.1 "Star Fox: Assault for GameCube". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  19. Castro, Juan (February 2, 2005). "Star Fox Assault Review". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  20. 20.0 20.1 "Star Fox Command for DS". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  21. Harris, Craig (August 25, 2006). "Star Fox Command Review". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  22. 22.0 22.1 "Star Fox 64 3D for 3DS". GameSpot. Retrieved June 30, 2011.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  23. "Star Fox 2". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  24. IGN Editorial Team (April 11, 2006). "Top 10 Tuesday: Modern Vaporware". IGN. Retrieved June 23, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  25. Seiger, Theresa (June 26, 2017). "Nintendo: Super NES Classic Edition with 21 games will hit stores in September". WHIO-TV via Cox Media Group. http://www.whio.com/entertainment/games/nintendo-super-nes-classic-edition-with-games-will-hit-stores-september/uQ8sac7UgrJw2Y0FS3vc3K/. Retrieved June 27, 2017. 
  26. 26.0 26.1 IGN Staff (May 8, 2002). "Namco Brings GCN Support". IGN. Retrieved February 18, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 "Star Fox (wristwatch)". IGN.com. Retrieved 2010-03-18.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  28. 28.0 28.1 "Handheld Museum- Nelsonic Star Fox". Handheld Museum. Retrieved 2010-03-18.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>

External links[]

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