The Star Fox Series Is Now Completely Silent
A number of intriguing games, including the impending Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, were showcased in the most recent Nintendo Direct. Mario & Luigi: Brothership, a new game in the Mario & Luigi series, will be released for the Switch in November. Even though the Switch is getting close to the end of its existence, Nintendo's June 2024 Direct showed off a fantastic lineup.
But in the middle of all the hoopla, a few big franchises were noticeably missing from the Direct. Certain Nintendo series have remained unreleased for the whole of the Switch's existence, even though not every franchise needs to produce a new game every single month. One such series is Star Fox, a cherished asset that hasn't released a new game on the Wii U system in a long time. Star Fox was formerly thought to be a Nintendo IP tentpole, however it hasn't appeared in any subsequent Nintendo Directs.
Perhaps Star Fox Was Placed on Ice by Star Fox Zero
When it was first published in 1993 for the Super Nintendo, the original Star Fox was a commercial and critical hit. With its polygonal 3D visuals, it was the second Nintendo console game to accomplish this. A reworking of the original game on the Nintendo 64, Star Fox 64, saw even greater success four years later. Lists of the "greatest of all time" still regularly include both games. But the series has been on a gradual but noticeable slide since hitting its apex on the N64.
Star Fox was never released on the Wii or Switch consoles, and the Switch's dearth of Star Fox games is primarily due to Star Fox Zero's failure on the Wii U. Star Fox Zero was an unimpressive and irritating addition to the once-celebrated franchise, released on a console with a notoriously low user base. The ridiculous controls of the game, which forced players to split their focus between the Wii U gamepad and the television, greatly influenced how poorly it was received.
Ever with Star Fox Zero, the series has been on hold.
It is impossible to overestimate Star Fox Zero's influence on the future of the franchise. Nestled between the wildly successful Wii and Switch eras, Nintendo would undoubtedly prefer to forget about the Wii U period. The Wii U's failure can be attributed to a variety of factors, but a common theory is that it was not effectively marketed to consumers. Its success was further hindered by the confusion around whether the Wii U was a new console or merely a Wii update. When Star Fox Zero was published on this floundering system, it was kind of the Wii U's death knell.
Fox McCloud has continued to be active on the Switch even though there hasn't been a new installment since 2016. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he can be played with Falco Lombardi and Wolf O'Donnell as a combatant. Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can also play Star Fox 64, Star Fox 2, and the previously unreleased Star Fox. The primary cause of the franchise's inactivity is the public's unfavorable reception of Star Fox Zero, but a victorious comeback is unavoidable. We'll just have to wait and hope for Star Fox to make another appearance in a Nintendo Direct while keeping in mind to "do a barrel roll!"
The majority of reviews for the game were negative.
Notwithstanding its heritage, Star Fox Zero was mostly met with unfavorable reviews. Players found the game's intricate control system, which makes use of the TV screen and the Wii U gamepad, to be a significant challenge. The controls were aggravating and confusing to many, which took away from the entire experience. Both fans and critics believed that despite the game's lofty ambitions, the innovations ultimately fell short of providing an enjoyable gameplay experience.
The game did not perform well in terms of sales. The fact that Star Fox Zero's sales fell short of projections added credence to the idea that the brand was stalling. It was evident that the series needed a reboot, and the fact that there isn't a new Star Fox game for the Switch implies that Nintendo is giving the property serious thought.
