This week in video game history: ‘Star Fox’ turns 25

Fox McCloud flanked by Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare on the “Star Fox” start screen © Nintendo via AFP

Its main character and arch-threading flight path inspired by a visit to a Japanese shrine, space adventure “Star Fox” arrived at a time when Nintendo was keen to show how its Super NES console could produce cutting-edge 3D graphics.

Spacesuited and booted Fox McCloud led a team of colorful animal characters determined to save their home planet, Corneria, from aggressive apelike interloper Andross.

Accompanied by Falco, Peppy, and Slippy Toad, and under the command of General Pepper, the player — as Fox — pilots an advanced Arwing aircraft through six missions (seven when taking the expert route) in order to defeat Andross and attain high score glory.

A technical marvel, the “Star Fox” cartridge leaned on the inclusion of a special Super FX chip to push past the SNES’s processing limits.

Even so, “Star Fox” on the SNES chugged along at times, a far cry from today’s standards but, for those prepared to seek it out, the vintage shoot-em-up adventure charms can still shine through.

Following a 1993 introduction, “Star Fox” was then re-released as “Star Fox 64” on the Nintendo 64 five years later, a version which itself was given a new lease of life in portable form for the Nintendo 3DS (and its subsequent derivatives).

Most recently, it became part of the SNES Mini, Nintendo’s 2017 micro-console which didn’t take cartridges but instead packed 21 built-in games.

Not only was “Star Fox” one of them, but so was its lost sequel, “Star Fox 2,” treated to a rapturous reception thanks to its innovations and creativity.

“Star Fox” was originally released on February 21, 1993 in Japan, with North American and European debuts later that same year. MKH

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