Star Fox (universe)

Star Fox (universe)
Developer(s)	Nintendo Argonaut Software Rare Ltd. Namco Q-Games PlatinumGames
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto
Genre(s)	Rail shooter Third-Person Shooter
Console/platform of origin	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
First installment	Star Fox (1993)
Latest installment	Star Fox 2 (2017)
Article on Lylat Wiki	Star Fox (universe)

The Star Fox universe (スターフォックス, Star Fox) refers to the Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's series of primarily on-rails space shooter video games. While all have been published by Nintendo, most entries were developed by a different company: Argonaut Games (originally Argonaut Software), Nintendo themselves, Rare, Namco, Q-Games, and PlatinumGames. The series takes place in a fictional star system starring anthropomorphic animals, focusing on missions undertaken by the mercenary team Star Fox, led by the main character Fox McCloud, to pilot Arwing spacecraft into battle against interplanetary threats. Fox, his wingmate Falco Lombardi, and his rival mercenary Wolf O'Donnell have all been featured as playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Franchise description

During the early years of the NES and SNES, Nintendo worked closely with Argonaut Software, who had previously developed the 3D wireframe vector graphics-based space shooter Starglider for old computers such as Commodore 64. With them, Nintendo developed a prototype for a similar style of game on the NES (aptly titled NESGlider), but even after it was ported to SNES, it was found that the SNES hardware's capabilities for anything presented in three dimensions was severely lacking. Argonaut agreed to develop a custom chip that the SNES could use to make it better at 3D, and the final product, the Super FX Chip, was more powerful than the SNES' standard processor by leaps and bounds. Nintendo designed their 3D rail-shooter game, Star Fox (which was renamed Starwing for the PAL release due to trademarking issues), based on this chip that was built into the game cartridge itself, and in doing so released the first 3D graphics accelerator in a consumer product. Meanwhile, Nintendo opted to avoid creating a game with all of the conventional trappings of a futuristic science fiction space shooter, and therefore gave Star Fox a cast of anthropomorphic animal characters, born out of Shigeru Miyamoto’s passion for drawing caricaturized humanoid animals in his school days.

The 1993 release of Star Fox for the SNES was very significant in the gaming press and the eyes of the public, and the game won many accolades both for its ambitious three-dimensional presentation and its shooting gameplay. Star Fox is often credited with pioneering the use of 3D video game graphics on home consoles, and Nintendo took advantage of the opportunity to establish the IP as a series and franchise; however, despite a SNES sequel named Star Fox 2 effectively finishing development, Nintendo decided to cancel it, and a programmer explained it was because of the impending release of the Nintendo 64 and the presumed price increase of the upgraded Super FX 2 Chip (though the console would end up releasing much later than originally intended). Shigeru Miyamoto had wanted the next Star Fox game to make full use of the enormous advantages offered by the newest hardware, and so he produced Star Fox 64, which is for many intents and purposes a series reboot and a remake combining the story and gameplay elements of both Star Fox and Star Fox 2. Star Fox 64 (which was renamed Lylat Wars in PAL regions due to the aforementioned trademark issue) was released in 1997 to very enthusiastic critical acclaim and successful sales, becoming the single best-selling game in the entire franchise, and was regarded as an instant classic for the N64 for its refined rail-shooting gameplay, cinematic character-driven narrative complete with full voice acting, and branching paths that incentivized multiple playthroughs to uncover secret stages.

Despite the undisputed critical and commercial success of Star Fox 64 and its appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series since that series' inception, the Star Fox series underwent a five-year hiatus before being brought back to public attention via unorthodox circumstances; British developer Rare had originally intended to release an action-adventure title for the Nintendo 64 called Dinosaur Planet, featuring three-dimensional Zelda-style gameplay and a cast of anthropomorphic animal characters, including the newly created character Krystal. However, Shigeru Miyamoto looked over the product and noted its cast's similarities to Star Fox, and Nintendo subsequently requested that Rare transform the game into a Star Fox title. The final product was manifested on the GameCube as Star Fox Adventures and was released in late September 2002. While generally well-received and going on to become a "Player's Choice" title, Star Fox Adventures drew considerable criticism for being a particularly large departure for the series both in terms of core gameplay and setting. Rare, meanwhile, was subsequently acquired as a first-party developer for Microsoft; Star Fox Adventures was their final title for a Nintendo home console.

The Star Fox series saw two more installments that progressively returned to the space-shooting roots established by Star Fox 64. Star Fox: Assault was developed by Namco and released for the GameCube in late 2005, and features on-rails shooting segments as well as additional on-foot gameplay segments with third-person-shooter elements. Then, Star Fox Command was developed in conjunction with Q-Games and released for the Nintendo DS in mid-2006, and alternates between an all-range shooting mode and a real-time strategy mode. The series would enter an extended hiatus with no new titles being released or announced for another 10 years except for the release of Star Fox 64 3D, a remake of Star Fox 64, in 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS.

At E3 2014, during the Nintendo Digital Event, a new Star Fox game was teased to be in development for the Nintendo Wii U. The teaser showed Miyamoto testing an early build of a Star Fox-esque simulation and incorporating the Wii U GamePad's gyro controls. At the same time, two smaller projects were announced that would eventually interplay with this new Star Fox title: Project Guard and Project Giant Robot. One year later at E3 2015, Star Fox Zero, a reboot of the franchise using Star Fox 64 as a framework, was announced for the Wii U and co-developed by Nintendo and PlatinumGames. Star Fox Zero officially introduces a Walker mode for the Arwing, a mechanic originally designed for the canceled Star Fox 2, as well as a new hovercraft called the Gyrowing that deploys a tethered robot named Direct-i to collect items and complete various objectives. The voice cast from the Nintendo 3DS remake reprise their roles with newly-recorded dialogue, and the story was marginally retouched so that certain characters show slightly more depth.

The title heavily incorporates the Wii U’s GamePad for movement, aiming, and shooting, which drew criticism from outlets for making the controls clunky and unintuitive to learn. This, compounded with the fact that many key plot points and setpieces were lifted from Star Fox 64, even discouraged some critics from finishing the game and assigning a final score. As a result, Star Fox Zero went on to become the single worst-selling entry in the franchise, not helped by the fact that it was released towards the end of the ill-fated Wii U's lifespan. The resulting uncertainty for the fate of the Star Fox series lingered long after the game's release, with only guest appearances in Ubisoft's Starlink: Battle for Atlas for Nintendo Switch serving as anything completely new for the Star Fox IP. In the meantime, Project Guard was eventually rebranded in March 2016 as Star Fox Guard. This was a tower-defense game that followed Slippy and his uncle Grippy Toad as they defended a small mining facility from pestering robots. The game is structured as a camera-based tower defense game and even includes the ability to design one's own levels using the Wii U GamePad and share them. The game was released alongside Star Fox Zero, with Project Giant Robot being quietly canceled.

During the development of Star Fox Command, Q-Games programmer Dylan Cuthbert experienced a finished version of Star Fox 2 to use as inspiration. However, the prospect of an official release for the cancelled title was not probable, according to him. To the surprise of many, Star Fox 2 would see its first ever official release in September 2017 as one of the 21 games included on the SNES Classic microconsole, alongside the first ever reissuing of the original Star Fox due to both titles incorporating the Super FX Chip. The original Star Fox received its second-ever official rerelease in September 2019 as one of the first 20 games included in the SNES games service for subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online, with the second-ever official release of Star Fox 2 to follow in December of the same year.

The setting of the Star Fox series is a planetary system named the Lylat system, and Corneria is the Earth-like planet that supports sapient life in this system. All sapient life, however, is composed of anthropomorphic animals belonging to a wide variety of species, but nonetheless Cornerian civilization is technologically advanced enough to allow for interplanetary travel and starship dogfights not unlike Star Wars. A group of mercenaries named Star Fox, operating small assault spacecraft called Arwings and based on a mothership named the Great Fox, are regularly hired by Corneria's defense forces to conduct military operations against enemy forces that threaten Corneria and the Lylat system as a whole. The leader is Fox McCloud, a red fox who inherits his position from his late father, team founder James McCloud, and his initial wingmates are the pheasant Falco Lombardi, the hare Peppy Hare, and the frog Slippy Toad.

In Star Fox 64, a mad ape scientist, Andross, previously exiled from Corneria, launches an attack across the Lylat system, and Fox takes up the job to destroy Andross and his operations at the planet Venom and settle a personal score, while dealing with a rival mercenary team hired by Andross, Star Wolf, led by Wolf O'Donnell. Eight years later in Star Fox Adventures, Star Fox is assigned to conduct an on-foot investigation of a crumbling planet simply called Dinosaur Planet, and after the end of Fox's effort to stop the planet's self-destruction, the princess of another destroyed planet, the blue fox Krystal, joins the Star Fox team. The following year, amidst Star Fox's continued battles against vengeful remnants from Andross' army, Lylat is suddenly threatened by a race of mechanical insectoids called the Aparoids, and Star Fox must make an unlikely alliance with Star Wolf in order to save the day. Lastly, two to three years later in Star Fox Command, most of team Star Fox has disbanded, but Fox is given heavy incentive to bring team members back into the fold when one last threat, a fish-like race called the Anglar, emerges out of Venom's acidic oceans to strike at Corneria. This game's story allows multiple branching paths, and a total of nine different endings are possible; the question of which one, if any, is the "canon" ending is left to player speculation. In Starlink: Battle for Atlas, the Star Fox crew find themselves in hot pursuit of Wolf in the Atlas star system, who is attempting to search for additional firepower to begin his own takeover of Corneria. Both sides end up making allies in Atlas, with Wolf aided by outlaws Cash, Zonna, and Koval and Star Fox aided by the human crew from the Starlink Initiative in search of their kidnapped captain. After taking out a few of his lackeys, the Star Fox team finally find Wolf's hideout in Atlas and thwart his plans for conquest, but more help unexpectedly arrives in the form of fellow Star Wolf members Leon, Pigma, and Andrew. After one last hard-fought battle, the whole Star Wolf crew is defeated and sent tumbling back to Lylat through a transdimensional portal.

In Super Smash Bros.

The Star Fox franchise is represented as one of several "standard universes" found in Super Smash Bros., which consists of one character and one stage. Fox McCloud was also among the first characters created for the pitch of Super Smash Bros. as a crossover party-fighting game, alongside Mario, Donkey Kong, and Samus Aran.

Fighter

• 
  Fox (Starter): The son of Star Fox team founder James McCloud, who was seemingly killed when his supposed teammate Pigma Dengar betrayed him to Andross' custody, Fox McCloud leads the Star Fox mercenary team in his father's name. He starts out an amateur Arwing pilot but gets more confident and cockier over the years. His main arch-enemy at first is the villainous ape scientist Andross, but his chief rival pilot throughout the series is Wolf O'Donnell, and his romantic interest is the blue fox Krystal. Among his acts of interstellar heroism are destroying Andross more than once, rescuing Sauria the Dinosaur Planet, destroying the Aparoid Queen, and defeating the Anglars. His design is based off his appearance from Star Fox 64. As a fighter in SSB, Fox uses a blaster, has one of the overall best speed in the game and is middleweight. Thanks to his speed, strong neutral and combo ability, Fox ranks 4th on the current SSB tier list.

Stage

Super Smash Bros. features one Star Fox-themed stage:

• 
  Sector Z (Starter): The second-largest stage in the game takes place along the length of the Star Fox central command ship, the Great Fox, which is residing in an area of the galaxy called Sector Z, so named for the Z-shaped nebula in the background. The KO boundaries on either side of the stage are rather close to the stage's edges, so a smash attack will probably make for a KO.

Music

• 11: Sector Z Stage: A remix of trademark Star Fox music, heard on Sector Z.
• 21: Fox Wins: The victory theme of Fox is an orchestration of the standard "Mission Complete" theme heard in general Star Fox games.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee features much more content than the original game, and the amount of properties from the Star Fox franchise is increased proportionally - though oddly enough, there are no battling items that represent the Star Fox series.

Fighters

• 
  Fox (Starter): Returning from SSB, but redesigned to sport drastically increased agility, dropping speed, and a lighter build, Fox McCloud becomes one of the swiftest and most effective characters in the game. His appearance is still based off Star Fox 64. His blaster is redesigned to do rapid non-knockback damage and he gains a Fox Illusion tackle as his new side special move. He is currently ranked as the best character in the game and is often used by the world's best players of Melee.
• 
  Falco (Unlockable): A new character that functions as a direct clone of Fox. Falco Lombardi is the smart-mouthed, but experienced and trustworthy companion member of the Star Fox team, and is the most adept Arwing pilot of Fox's wingmates. His past is a mystery to the team, and after Star Fox 64 he left the team for personal reasons, mainly for being tired and bored. However, after Star Fox Adventures, he has since returned to his post to rediscover the thrill of flying with the team. It is hinted that Falco was formerly a member of a gang. Like Fox, Falco's design is based off his appearance from Star Fox 64. As a Melee fighter, Falco is a modified version of Fox whose statistics more closely resemble the SSB version of Fox, and his slower blaster features knockback. He is a top-tier ranked fighter as well for his blend of speed and power.

Stages

Super Smash Bros. Melee features two Star Fox-themed stages:

• 
  Lylat System: Corneria (Starter): The spiritual successor to the original Sector Z stage; this is generally the same stage in layout and concept, but with some notable differences: The Great Fox is scaled down in size, the ship's blasters at its lower left end can be jumped on as a platform, the Arwings fly around and attack differently, and the background is now the 3D environment of the planet Corneria that the Great Fox flies through as the stage progresses.
• 
  Lylat System: Venom (Starter): This stage is now the Great Fox rotated ninety degrees, so that its front end faces the camera, and the ship's four wings are the platforms where the battling takes place on. The Great Fox travels across the reaches of the acidic planet Venom as the stage progresses. The layout of the stage is rather small and almost cramped, making for unusual battles.

Music

• Corneria: An orchestrated medley two songs from the original Star Fox with the Venom level and the main theme. It is heard on Lylat System: Corneria. It is Song 13 in the Sound Test.
• Venom: An orchestration of main theme heard in Star Fox 64. This is heard on Lylat System: Venom. It is Song 14 in the Sound Test.
• Fox's Victory: The victory theme of Fox and Falco is an orchestration of the standard "Mission Complete" theme heard in general Star Fox games. It is Song 44 in the Sound Test.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The series has seen a notable boost in representation in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, now with the focus titles being Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command. Fox and Falco return as playable characters along with the debut of newcomer Wolf. The series also has features two stages, one Assist Trophy, a new item, many more music tracks, and many collectable trophies and stickers.

Fighters

• 
  Fox (Starter): The veteran space mercenary makes a return appearance in Brawl, sporting a mix of his designs from Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command. Fox keeps his incredible speed, and his Blaster and Reflector attacks stay intact with cosmetic upgrades. Fox's Final Smash is the Landmaster, which is a vehicle that fills up a huge portion of the stage as he drives around blasting his opponents. Similar to the games, the tank can both hover and roll. Finally, Jim Walker now voices him in the English release.
• 
  Falco (Unlockable): Fox's wingmate and comrade returns in Brawl, with an updated design based on both Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command. His moveset is similar, albeit modified from Melee in order to declone him from Fox; for instance, his normal attacks now make more use of his wings than his legs. Falco's Final Smash is also the Landmaster, having identical functionality to Fox's but with different dialogue. Finally, Dex Manley now voices him in the English release.
• 
  Wolf (Unlockable): Fox's longtime archrival and leader of the Star Wolf mercenary team makes his playable debut in Brawl. He has a unique feral style as opposed to the other characters, and his normal attacks are visually distinct (he uses claws and occasionally his legs). His special moves are inspired by Fox and Falco's, but are heavily modified to make him more distinct. His Final Smash is also the Landmaster, but unlike Fox and Falco's it deals more damage and knockback at the expense of a shorter duration. Finally, Jay Ward debuts as his voice actor in the English release.

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), the Star Fox characters, joined by Captain Falcon, occupy the sixth column. All these characters are known to fly spaceships (hence having a choice of fighting only up to two of these in Classic Mode).

Stages

• 
  Melee Stages: Corneria (Starter): One of the stages that returns from the previous game, its only real change is the lack of knockback on the lasers shot from the Arwings. Otherwise, it's unaltered. Like in the previous game, Fox and Falco can perform a secret taunt to call their comrades (who are in their Star Fox 64 renditions).
• 
  Lylat Cruise (Starter): This stage takes place on an original space ship called the Pleiades that travels through various locales in the Lylat system, including an asteroid field, an epic space battle, and even the atmosphere of planet Corneria. Fox, Falco and Wolf have a secret taunt on this stage, calling their allies as they comment on the battle.

Item

• Smart Bomb: An extremely powerful explosive throwing weapon.

Assist Trophy

• Andross: Andross flies towards the background in his SNES form and spits polygonal panels out of his mouth. Any character that is pelted by the panels will take damage.

Music

Original Tracks

• Space Armada: An arrangement of the Space Armada theme from the first Star Fox game. Is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Corneria: A remix of the Corneria background music from the original Star Fox on SNES. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Main Theme (Star Fox): An orchestrated version of the main theme of the original Star Fox. The remix is taken directly from the Star Fox credit's soundtrack. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage. This song is also played during Fox's Classic Mode credits.
• Main Theme (Star Fox 64): A techno styled remix of the main theme of Star Fox 64. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage. This song is also played during Falco's Classic Mode credits.
• Area 6: The background music of the level known as Area 6 from Star Fox 64. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Area 6 Ver. 2: A techno styled remix of the Area 6 theme. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Star Wolf: The music that plays when facing the renegade Star Wolf team in the Star Fox series. This remix is taken directly from the Star Fox 64 soundtrack. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage. This song is also played during Wolf's Classic Mode credits.

Returning Tracks

• Corneria (Melee): Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Corneria stage. It is a remixed version of the music heard on the stage "Venom" in the original Star Fox.
• Venom (Melee): Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Corneria stage. This is a redone version of the Star Fox 64 main theme.

Source Tracks

• Space Battleground: Taken directly from Star Fox: Assault, this was the music played during the first half of the first mission, as well as for the first part of the eighth mission. It is the theme of the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Star Wolf (Star Fox Assault): Taken directly from Star Fox: Assault, this is a slower, orchestral remix of the traditional Star Wolf theme used when battling Star Wolf and when riding on the wing of Wolf's Wolfen. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Break Through the Ice: Taken directly from Star Fox: Assault, this was the background music of the fourth mission, on the planet Fichina. It is played on the Lylat Cruise stage.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Star Fox Series: An orchestrated remix of the "Mission Accomplished" theme from Star Fox 64.

Masterpiece

• Star Fox 64

In Super Smash Bros. 4

The Star Fox series largely remained dormant between the releases of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4. The sole exception was the release of Star Fox 64 3D, a remake of Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo 3DS system. Some of its assets were used in Smash 4. Corneria - a stage from Super Smash Bros. Melee based on Star Fox 64 - appears exclusively in the 3DS version. Partnering with Namco Bandai - the developers of Star Fox: Assault - for the development of Smash 4 enabled more content from Assault to appear in the Wii U version. In correlation with Star Fox's inactivity, the playable character Wolf O'Donnell does not return from Brawl.

Fighters

• 
  Fox (Starter): the leader of the mercenary team Star Fox. He was officially revealed to return on June 11, 2013 during E3 2013 along with the first trailer for Smash 4. He retains his composited design from Brawl that combines elements from his appearances in Star Fox 64, Star Fox: Assault, and Star Fox: Command. His fur is more finely detailed and his teeth are more prominent. His Blaster has a new, original design. Fox is overall a stronger fighter than he was in Brawl. His swiftness and fast attacks satisfy a "hit-and-run" archetype. Performing an aerial Fox Illusion no longer leaves him helpless and Fire Fox carries him a much greater distance than it did in Brawl. Mike West, who first voiced the character in Star Fox 64, reprises the role for Smash 4.
• 
  Falco (Unlockable): the cocky ace pilot of the Star Fox team. Like Fox, he retains his composited design from Brawl that combines elements from his appearances in Star Fox 64, Assault, and Command. He remains a semi-clone of Fox. In addition to having unique animations for attacks, Falco has greater aerial mobility than Fox but moves more slowly on the ground, attributes that have been further exaggerated in Smash 4. Many of the attributes that made him a strong fighter in Brawl were weakened in Smash 4 and he is ranked very low in competitive tier lists. Many of his attacks have increased lag, and no longer enable strong follow-ups. He is an unlockable character in both versions of the game. Mark Lund, who first voiced the character in Star Fox 64 3D, reprises the role for Smash 4.

Stages

for Nintendo 3DS

• 
  Corneria (Starter): staged on the Great Fox as it flies over a city under siege from Star Fox and Star Fox 64. Arwings and Wolfens occasionally fly by, serving as temporary platforms. The Great Fox occasionally fires beams of energy from the turrets on its bow. Being struck usually results in an instant KO. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 4 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Fox and Falco, the latter of which is unlocked on this stage. Fox and Falco have special smash taunts on this stage that will trigger one of several conversations between the four members of the Star Fox team: Fox, Falco, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare. Its Ω form is a floating platform like Final Destination.

for Wii U

• 
  Lylat Cruise (Starter): staged aboard the Cornerian cruiser Pleiades as it flies through the Lylat System. It randomly traverses through Corneria; Meteo; a skirmish between the Cornerian Defense Core and Ape Army; and a dogfight between Star Wolf and Star Fox in the depths of space. Pleiades transitions between these locations by going into warp speed. The change in scenery is purely cosmetic and does not affect the fight. These scenarios derive from events in Star Fox 64 and Star Fox: Assault. Fox and Falco have special smash taunts on this stage that will trigger one of several conversations between members of Star Fox and Star Wolf, specifically: Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Krystal, Wolf O'Donnell, Leon Powalski, and Panther Caroso. Though not present at launch, the most significant change to Lylat Cruise from Brawl is that fighters no longer get stuck underneath Pleiades's wings when they try to recover. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 4 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Fox and Falco. It is large enough to support 8-Player Smash. Its Ω form takes place on a modified Pleiades trailing behind the Great Fox in deep space.
• 
  Orbital Gate Assault (Starter): staged in the middle of an intergalactic conflict between the Cornerian Army and the Aparoid menace from Star Fox: Assault. It is a dynamic, transitional stage that begins on the Great Fox before it moves to the background and forces fighters onto an Aparoid missile. The missile is destroyed by three Arwings, forcing the fight onto the ships themselves. The Arwings fly through the Beltino Orbital Gate before dropping the fighters back onto a second missile. The missile strikes the gate before being destroyed by Arwings, forcing the fighters back onto them again as they are returned to the Great Fox. As these transitions occur, miniature missiles, explosions, and barrel rolls damage the fighters. If no one chose Fox or Falco, having every player hold the shield button when selecting Orbital Gate Assault on the stage select screen will cause conversations to occur between Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 4 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Fox and Falco, the latter of which is unlocked on this stage. Only its Ω form can support 8-Player Smash, which is a floating platform like Final Destination. Corneria and the Beltino Orbital Gate appear in the background of the Ω form, seemingly at peace. According to Masahiro Sakurai, Orbital Gate Assault took an entire year to create.

Items

• Smart Bomb: an explosive, red projectile from Star Fox 64. It is a powerful bomb with a very large blast radius, but the reaction rate is slower than most other bombs in Smash.

Assist Trophy

• Andross: a rogue scientist from the Star Fox series as he appears in the original SNES game. He appears as a giant, polygonal head that moves from the foreground to the background and expels projectile tiles from his mouth. He cannot be attacked by opponents and he does not attack the summoner. The description for the Pic of the Day revealing his return was written from the perspective of his nephew Andrew from Star Fox 64.

Smash Tour items

• Great Fox (Blue): the mothership of the Star Fox team. The user teleports to an unvisited checkpoint.
• Wolfen (Red): the standard fighter of team Star Wolf. The user inflicts 100% damage to a targeted opponent.

Mii Costume

Outfit

• Fox Outfit (DLC): this outfit is based on Fox McCloud as he appears in Star Fox 64 3D. It was released with a corresponding hat in Fox's likeness as downloadable content on September 30, 2015. The Mii wears a green flight suit with a white jacket and carries a Blaster derived from an original design made for Smash 4.

Headgear

• Fox Cap (DLC)

Music

Original Tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.

• Theme from Area 6 / Missile Slipstream: an arrangement of "Area 6" from Star Fox 64 and "Missile Slipstream" from Star Fox: Command. It plays on Smash Run and Orbital Gate Assault. It is featured on Disc 2 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
• Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z: an arrangement of "Star Wolf's Theme" and "Fichina & Sector Z" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Corneria and Orbital Gate Assault. It is featured on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.

• Corneria: a medley of pieces from the original Star Fox, including "BGM (VENOM-BASE for Level 2)", "Course Map Select BGM (Main Theme)", and "BGM (SPACE ARMADA)". It plays on Corneria and Orbital Gate Assault. It is featured on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
• Venom: an orchestration of "Prelude" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Lylat Cruise.
• Main Theme (Star Fox): an arrangement of "Course Map Select BGM (Main Theme)" from Star Fox. It plays on Lylat Cruise.
• Corneria (Brawl): an arrangement of "BGM (CORNERIA)" from Star Fox. It plays on Lylat Cruise.
• Space Armada: an arrangement of "BGM (SPACE ARMADA)" from Star Fox. It plays on Lylat Cruise.
• Main Theme (Star Fox 64): an arrangement of "Prelude" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Orbital Gate Assault.
• Area 6: an orchestration of "Area 6" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Orbital Gate Assault.
• Area 6 Ver. 2: a techno-influenced remix of "Area 6" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Lylat Cruise.
• Star Wolf: an arrangement of "Star Wolf's Theme" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Lylat Cruise.

Source Tracks

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from Star Fox games with no alterations.

• Star Wolf (Star Fox: Assault): though sourced from Star Fox: Assault, the piece itself is a remix of "Star Wolf's Theme" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Orbital Gate Assault.
• Space Battleground: from Star Fox: Assault. It plays on Orbital Gate Assault.
• Break: Through the Ice: though sourced from Star Fox: Assault, the piece itself is a remix of "Fichina & Sector Z" from Star Fox 64. It plays on Orbital Gate Assault.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Star Fox Series: a flourished rendition of the first few bars of "Title Theme" from Star Fox 64. This jingle plays at the successful completion of a mission in the source material. It is sourced directly from Brawl.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Star Fox series is still strongly represented in Ultimate, but the representation is now skewed towards the most recent installment, Star Fox Zero. Fox, Falco, and the previously absent Wolf all return as playable characters, using their designs and voices from this title. Many other elements from Star Fox Zero, such as music, stage aesthetics, and Spirits make their way into Ultimate. In addition, content from previous Star Fox titles, such as a new Assist Trophy and several Spirits, is featured.

Fighters

• 07.
  
  Fox (Starter): The fearless leader of the Star Fox team returns as a starting fighter with an updated design. He maintains his signature speed and "hit-and-run" fighting style, although the former has been nerfed in a few regards such as with Fox Illusion, and his Final Smash now calls in the rest of the Star Fox team for an all-out Arwing assault.

• 20.
  
  Falco (Unlockable): The hotheaded wingmate of the Star Fox team returns as an unlockable fighter with an updated design. He maintains his remarkable jumping height and aerial prowess, and some of his animations such as his jab and up smash have been altered. His Final Smash also calls in the rest of Star Fox for an Arwing strike, albeit with a bit more unruliness and flair compared to Fox's version.

• 44.
  
  Wolf (Unlockable): After an absence from Smash 4, the leader of the ragtag mercenary team Star Wolf finally returns as an unlockable fighter. His head is based on Star Fox Zero, but his attire is unique to Ultimate. Many of his attacks and animations have been refined from his more feral portrayal in Brawl and his claw attacks now sport bright purple claw trails. His Final Smash now calls in the rest of Star Wolf for an all-out Wolfen assault.

Stages

All Star Fox stages except Sector Z and Orbital Gate Assault return from previous Smash games.

• 
  
  Corneria (Starter): The stage returns, now updated to match the appearance of the more recent Star Fox Zero. All of the Star Fox Smash Taunts return and now use the character portraits from Star Fox 64 3D.

• 
  
  Venom (Starter): After a 17-year absence, the lost stage from Melee returns with a significant graphical upgrade, maintaining its appearance from Star Fox 64. All of the Star Fox Smash Taunts return and now use the character portraits from Star Fox 64 3D.

• 
  
  Lylat Cruise (Starter): Returning from Brawl and Smash 4, the stage returns with a significant visual upgrade. All of the Star Fox Smash Taunts also return, including those previously cut along with Wolf.

Item

• Smart Bomb: an explosive, red projectile from Star Fox 64. The player who threw the Smart Bomb will no longer be damaged by the explosion.

Assist Trophies

Bold italics denote an Assist Trophy new to the Smash Bros. series.

• Andross: He returns with the same design and attacks from the original SNES Star Fox.
• Krystal: Krystal uses her magic staff from Star Fox Adventures to attack opponents with swings and ice blasts.

Mii Costume

Outfit

• Fox Outfit

Headgear

• Fox Cap

Music

There are no new Star Fox remixes in Ultimate.

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes returning from previous Smash games.

• Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (64): A remix of the main theme from Star Fox 64. Returns from Smash 64, renamed from Sector Z.
• Star Fox Medley: A remix of Venom's theme, the map screen theme, and the Space Armada from Star Fox. Returns from Melee, renamed from Corneria. Heard in Fox's character trailer.
• Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Melee): A remix of the main theme from Star Fox 64. Returns from Melee, renamed from Venom.
• Main Theme - Star Fox: A remix of the credits theme from the original Star Fox. Returns from Brawl.
• Corneria - Star Fox: A remix of the theme of Corneria from Star Fox. Returns from Brawl.
• Space Armada: A remix of the Space Armada theme from Star Fox. Returning unchanged from Brawl.
• Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Brawl): A techno remix of the main theme from Star Fox 64. Returns from Brawl. Heard in Falco's character trailer.
• Star Wolf (Brawl): A remix of theme when battling Star Wolf from Star Fox 64. Returns from Brawl.
• Area 6 - Star Fox 64: A remix of the Area 6 theme from Star Fox 64. Returns from Brawl.
• Area 6 Ver. 2 - Star Fox 64: A techno remix of the Area 6 theme from Star Fox 64. Returns from Brawl.
• Theme from Area 6 / Missile Slipstream: A remix of the Area 6 theme from Star Fox 64 and the missile interception theme from Star Fox Command. Returns from SSB4.
• Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U): A remix of Star Wolf's theme and the Sector Z/Fichina theme from Star Fox 64. Returns from SSB4. Heard in Wolf's character trailer.

Source Tracks

Tracks ripped directly from the Star Fox games.

• Star Wolf: The theme when battling Star Wolf or riding on the wing of Wolf's Wolfen, taken from Star Fox Assault.
• Space Battleground: The theme which plays during the Fortuna and Orbital Gate levels, taken from Star Fox Assault.
• Break: Through the Ice: The theme that plays on the Fichina level, taken from Star Fox Assault.
• Corneria - Star Fox Zero: The theme of the first mission, on Corneria, taken from Star Fox Zero.
• Sector Ω: The theme that plays in Sector Ω, the third-to-last level, taken from Star Fox Zero.
• Return to Corneria - Star Fox Zero: The theme of the second mission on Corneria, the game's second-to-last level, taken from Star Fox Zero.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Star Fox Series: A remix of the theme when clearing a level, which itself is based of the main theme from Star Fox 64. Remains unchanged from Brawl and Smash 4.

Games with elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series

The Star Fox universe has games represented throughout the Super Smash Bros. series with a total of 7 games. The latest game represented in this universe is Star Fox Zero, released on April 21, 2016.

Star Fox / Starwing

• Playable characters:
  • Fox McCloud, who made his debut in this game and is the main character of the series, is a playable character in all five Super Smash Bros. games.
  • Falco Lombardi, who also made his debut in this game, is an unlockable character in Melee, Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate.
  • Fox's blue costume in Smash 64 to Brawl is based on Slippy Toad's jumpsuit.
  • Fox's orange costume in Smash 64 to Brawl is based on Falco's jumpsuit.
  • Fox uses an Arwing in his entrance animation.
    • Falco uses one as well.
  • Fox's green costume in Smash 64, and Melee based on concept art from this game.
  • Fox is the inspiration for a Headgear for Mii Fighters as well as an outfit for Mii Gunners.
  • Falco's blue costume in Melee, Brawl and Ultimate is based on Slippy Toad's jumpsuit.
  • Falco's red costume in Melee onward is based on Peppy Hare's jumpsuit.
  • Fox's red costume in Brawl onward is based on Peppy Hare's jumpsuit.
• Stages:
  • The planets Corneria and Venom first appeared in this game.
• Stage elements:
  • Arwings which appear in Sector Z, Corneria, Venom, Lylat Cruise, and Orbital Gate Assault have appeared in every Star Fox game since the beginning.
  • In addition to Fox and Falco, Slippy Toad and Peppy Hare appear in the Star Fox Smash Taunts on Corneria, Venom, Lylat Cruise, and Orbital Gate Assault.
• Assist Trophies:
  • Andross, the antagonist of Star Fox as the final boss, can be used in Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate as an assist trophy. He aids the user by shooting large tiles at foes that cause slightly severe damage. His SNES image of a ominous floating head is used. In Star Fox 64, the remake of Star Fox, he was remodeled as an ominous floating chimpanzee.
• Items:
  • The Smart Bomb as appeared as an item in every Smash game since Brawl.
• Trophies:
  • Andross appears as a trophy.
  • Slippy, Peppy, and an Arwing appear as trophies in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4.
  • General Pepper appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash for 3DS.
• Stickers:
  • Fox appears as multiple stickers, on of which uses his artwork for this game.
  • Falco, Slippy, Peppy, General Pepper, and an Arwing appear as stickers.
• Spirits:
  • Andross, Slippy, Peppy, Gerneral Pepper, and an Arwing all appear as spirits.
• Music:
  • "Main Theme - Star Fox": A remix of the credits theme from this game.
  • "Corneria - Star Fox": A remix of the Corneria theme from this game.
  • "Space Armada": A remix of the Space Armada theme from this game.
  • "Star Fox Medley": A medley of tracks from this game, including the Venom theme, the map theme, and the Space Armada theme.

Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars

• Playable characters:
  • Wolf O'Donnell, a playable character in Brawl, made his canon debut to the Star Fox series in this game. Wolf also appeared in the opening sequence of Melee.
  • Fox's Japanese voice actor in this game, Shinobu Satouchi, reprises his role in Super Smash Bros. and Melee.
  • All Star Fox characters in Smash 64 and Melee are based on their appearances in this game.
  • Falco's Japanese voice actor, Hisao Egawa, voices Falco in Melee and the Japanese versions of Brawl and Smash 4.
  • Fox's design and Blaster move come from his abilities in Star Fox 64's multiplayer when he is not in his Arwing.
    • The same applies to Falco, who is unlocked in the game.
  • Wolf uses a Wolfen in his entrance animation.
  • The Landmaster, which debuted in this game, appears as Fox and Falco's Final Smash in Brawl and Smash 4, and Wolf's Final Smash in Brawl.
  • Fox's Star Fox 64 English voice actor, Mike West voices Fox in 4.
  • One of Falco's custom variations of his Blaster in Smash 4 involves it shooting charged Arwing laser shots, which were introduced in this game.
  • Fox's purple costume in Smash 4 and Ultimate resembles Wolf.
  • Falco's orange costume in Smash 4 and Ultimate is based on his appearance from this game.
    • Fox's orange costume in Ultimate is similarly based on his design from this game.
  • In Ultimate, Falco says "Time for a little payback", when using his Final Smash, a quote that's taken from this game.
  • In Ultimate, Wolf says "You're good, but I'm better", when doing a victory pose, a quote that's taken from this game.
  • In Ultimate, Wolf says "Playtime's over, Star Fox!", when doing a victory pose if Fox is present during a match, a quote that's taken from this game.
• Stages:
  • Sector Z is based off of the fifth level of the Hard path from this game.
  • Corneria and Venom are based on their appearances from this game.
• Stage elements:
  • The Great Fox, which is used as the main stage platform for Sector Z, Corneria, Venom, and the beginning of Orbital Gate Assault debuted in this game.
  • The Wolfens, Star Wolf's signature space fighter appear on Sector Z, Corneria, Venom, and Lylat Cruise, debuted in this game.
  • Wolf and Leon Powalski appear in the Lylat Cruise Smash Taunt.
  • ROB 64 appears in the Orbital Gate Assault Smash Taunt.
• Trophies:
  • Andross's appearance from this game appears as a trophy.
  • Landmaster Tank appears as a trophy.
  • Wolfen and Great Fox appear as trophies in Melee, Brawl, and Smash for 3DS.
  • Leon Powalski and ROB 64 appear as trophies in Brawl and Smash 4.
  • Wolf, Pigma Dengar, and Andrew Oikonny appear as trophies.
  • James McCloud and Andross (True Form) appear as trophies.
• Stickers:
  • ROB 64, Leon Powalski, Andrew Oikonny, a Wolfen, and Wolf appear as stickers.
  • An Arwing, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Fox, and a Wolfen appear as stickers using their artwork for this game.
• Spirits:
  • James McCloud, Leon Powalski, Andrew Oikonny, Andross (True Form), ROB 64, the Great Fox, the Landmaster, Pigma Dengar and a Wolfen appear as spirits.
• Music:
  • "Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (64)": A remix of the main theme from this game.
  • "Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Melee)": Another remix of the main theme from this game.
  • "Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Brawl)": A techno remix of the main theme from this game.
  • "Star Wolf (Brawl)": A remix of Star Wolf's theme from this game.
  • "Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)": A remix of Star Wolf's theme and the Sector Z/Fichina theme from this game.
  • "Area 6 - Star Fox 64": A remix of the Area 6 theme from this game.
  • "Area 6 Ver. 2 - Star Fox 64": A techno remix of the Area 6 theme from this game.
  • "Theme from Area 6 / Missile Slipstream": A remix that includes the Area 6 theme from this game.
  • "Star Wolf (Assault)": A direct port of the Star Fox: Assault version of the Star Wolf theme composition, which itself first appeared in this game.
  • "Break: Through the Ice": A direct port of the Star Fox: Assault arrangement of the theme for Fichina and Sector Z, which in Star Fox: Assault plays on Fichina.
• Misc:
  • This game appears as a masterpiece in Brawl.

Star Fox Adventures

• Assist Trophies:
  • Krystal, an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, debuts and uses her design from this game.
• Stage elements:
  • Fox, Slippy, Peppy and Falco are all voiced by their voice actors from this game for the Star Fox Smash Taunts on the Corneria and Venom stages.
  • Krystal appears in the Lylat Cruise Smash Taunt.
• Trophies:
  • Krystal appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash 4.
  • Tricky appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • Fox with an EarthWalker and Krystal appear as stickers.
  • Falco and ROB 64 appear as stickers using their artwork from this game.
• Spirits:
  • Krystal and Tricky appear as spirits.

Star Fox: Assault

• Playable characters:
  • Fox and Falco's Landmaster's laser blasts are colored blue, which is the same color of Landmaster blasts in Assault when they've been upgraded by a laser power-up. Wolf's Landmaster's blasts are red, which is their color when they are charged in Assault.
  • Fox's custom special moves in Smash 4 involves charging his Blaster shots in the same way Blaster shots can be charged in Assault.
  • Falco's red costume resembles his appearance from this game in Brawl, Smash 4, Ultimate.
  • Fox's red costume in Brawl onward resembles both Falco's appearance in this game and his Player 1 costume from this game's Versus Mode in Brawl onward.
  • Wolf's blue and green costumes in Brawl, and Ultimate resemble his Player 2 and 4 costumes from this game's Versus Mode respectively.
  • Fox's yellow costume in Smash 4, and Ultimate resembles his Player 3 costume from this game's Versus Mode.
  • Fox's green costume in Ultimate resembles his Player 4 costume from this game's Versus Mode.
  • Wolf's Red and Pink costumes in Ultimate are based on Andrew Oikonny and Pigma Dengar's appearances in this game respectively.
• Stages:
  • Lylat Cruise is based on many events from this game.
  • Orbital Gate Assault appeared in this game.
• Stage elements:
  • Panther Caroso appears as part of the Lylat Cruise Smash Taunt.
• Assist Trophies:
  • Krystal, an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, uses voice clips sourced from this game.
• Trophies:
  • Panther Caroso appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash 4.
  • Fox (Assault), Falco (Assault), and Great Fox (Assault) appear as trophies in Brawl and Smash for Wii U.
  • Arwing (Assault), Orbital Gate, Wolfen (Assault), Aparoid, and Aparoid Queen appear as trophies.
• Stickers:
  • Panther Caroso appears as a sticker.
  • Pigma Dengar, Leon Powalski, a Wolfen, Falco, Krystal, Wolf, Peppy Hare, General Pepper, Fox, Slippy Toad, and Andrew Oikonny appear as stickers using their artwork for this game.
• Spirits:
  • Panther Caroso and an Aparoid appear as spirits.
  • Leon Powalski, Andrew Oikonny, ROB 64, Pigma Dengar, and General Pepper appear as spirits using their artwork for this game.
  • Wolf's Fighter spirit uses his artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "Star Wolf": The theme of Star Wolf, sourced from this game.
  • "Space Battleground": The theme played during the Fortuna and Orbital Gate levels, sourced from this game.
  • "Break: Through the Ice": The theme played on Fichina, sourced from this game.

Star Fox Command

• Playable characters:
  • All Star Fox get their Brawl and Smash 4 appearances from this game (with a few details incorporated from Star Fox: Assault).
  • Falco's orange costume in Brawl is based on Katt Monroe's appearance in this game.
• Trophies:
  • Falco (Command) appears as a trophy.
• Stickers:
  • The Bullfrog and Dash appear as stickers.
  • Fox, Wolf, Falco, Krystal, Leon, and Panther appear as stickers using their artwork for this game.
• Spirits:
  • Dash Bowman appears as a spirit.
• Music:
  • "Theme from Area 6 / Missile Slipstream": A remix that includes the missile interception theme from this game.

Star Fox 64 3D

• Playable characters:
  • Falco's English voice actor from this game, Mark Lund, provides his voice for Falco in Smash 4.
• Spirits:
  • Andross's appearance from this game appears as a spirit.
  • The Great Fox appears as a spirit using its artwork from this game.

Star Fox Zero

• Playable characters:
  • All Star Fox characters get their Ultimate designs and voices from this game.
  • Wolf's brown costume in Ultimate is based on his color scheme from this game.
• Stages:
  • Corneria receives updated graphics based off of this game when returning in Ultimate.
• Spirits:
  • Slippy, an Arwing, the Landmaster, a Wolfen, and Peppy appear as spirits using their artwork for this game.
  • The Walker and Gyrowing appear as spirits.
  • Fox and Falco's Fighter spirits use their artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "Corneria - Star Fox Zero": The theme played in Corneria's first mission, sourced from this game.
  • "Sector Ω": The theme played on Sector Ω, sourced from this game.
  • "Return to Corneria - Star Fox Zero": The theme played in Corneria's second mission, sourced from this game.

Trivia

• Star Fox is the only multi-character universe where every character representing it is able to wall jump.
• Star Fox, alongside EarthBound and Kid Icarus, are the only multi-character universes where every character representing it has access to both a projectile and a reflection move.
  • In this case, all of the Star Fox characters use a Reflector, and projectiles fired from their Blaster.
• The Star Fox characters in Brawl are the first in the series to use special victory quotes depending on what other characters are present in the match.
• Star Fox is one of the two universes to feature only one starter character throughout the entire series, the other being Yoshi.
• As of Ultimate, Star Fox and The Legend of Zelda are the only universes to have antagonists which do not have separate victory themes.
• Star Fox, Fire Emblem, Metal Gear, and Kingdom Hearts are the only universes to not feature dubs other than English, in addition to Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest who do not have English dubs, in the Super Smash Bros. series. In this case, Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero introduced French, Spanish, German, and Italian dubs.

External links

• Lylat Wiki