For a quarter of a century, skilled pilots have been climbing into the cockpit of their Arwings to fend off the Lylat System from certain disaster. The Venomian army, the Aparoid horde, the Anglar empire… All have been thwarted by the efforts of Fox McCloud and his ragtag group of misfits. Star Fox turns 25 years old today, a fact that is almost hard to believe. It feels like just yesterday we were banging into our wingmen as we tried desperately to follow the strict flying regimen in the training mode. “Stay in formation!!” Peppy warns. “I’m trying!” you bellow in response, your tiny hands fumbling with the SNES controller.
With that in mind, let us celebrate the moments in this wonderful franchise that dazzled us with its sense of style and frantic galactic combat. Be sure to watch your six – Slippy’s probably going to call for help at least eleven times during the course of this article.
Corneria (Star Fox)
With its eerily realistic anthropomorphic puppets on the cover, Star Fox had a different feel to it from other Nintendo IPs. You didn’t quite know what to expect, and you most likely weren’t quite ready for the badassery that was soon to follow. The Arwings launch from the base on Corneria, kick their thrusters into high gear, and prepare to blast some polygonal baddies. Oh yes. It’s go time, ladies and gentlemen.
It was a surreal sensation, finally taking the plane for a spin the first time. It felt intuitive and logical, and you got to grips with it before too long, albeit probably after crashing into a few buildings and accidentally sending a smart bomb into the dirt. Using the term ‘smart’ in the broadest possible sense, of course.
The music here deserves special mention, as it is possibly the best the franchise has ever had. That guitar, that synth, that progression. You feel like the coolest vulpine pilot the galaxy had ever seen! Just… stop wasting those bombs, okay?
