Star Fox Zero (First Print Edition)

Description

Star Fox Zero returns the familiar team of Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad against the forces of Andross, re‑imagining the narrative of Star Fox 64 (Lylat Wars) while introducing new mission structures. The game balances continuity and reinvention of the franchise, positioning itself as both a retelling and a technical demonstration of the Wii U’s GamePad integration. The game employs a hybrid control system that combines television display with cockpit view on the GamePad. Players pilot the Arwing through space battles and planetary assaults, switching into alternate forms such as the Walker, Landmaster, and Gyrowing to adapt to mission requirements. The dual‑screen perspective allows for independent aiming and piloting, situating Star Fox Zero as an experiment in immersive control. Its branching mission paths echo earlier entries, while its transformations expand the series’ mechanical repertoire.

Star Fox Guard is a spin‑off originally conceived as “Project Guard” during Shigeru Miyamoto’s experimental phase, it was rebranded into the Star Fox universe to give it a familiar identity. The game’s premise is deceptively simple: players defend Grippy Toad’s mining facilities from waves of invading robots. Instead of piloting Arwings, you control a network of twelve security cameras placed around each base. The gameplay unfolds on two screens: the TV shows the full grid of camera feeds, while the Wii U GamePad lets you switch between them and directly control their turrets. Success depends on quick observation, rapid switching, and prioritising threats, creating a frantic tower‑defence‑like rhythm.

The set of Star Fox games introduced the franchise to a new audience while bringing refined and new experiences. Star Fox Zero brought new visual fidelity and orchestral score to the existing formula but its dual‑screen control system was quite divisive. Star Fox Guard was entirely original, and was a nice, albeit simple, supporting title. Overall the two titles experimented with the Wii U’s GamePad screen with dual screen gameplay that found praise and criticism.