Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct gave everyone a closer look at some of the big games coming to Wii U and 3DS in 2016, including the much anticipated Star Fox Zero. Most importantly, the game is confirmed to be coming to Wii U on April 22nd.
The direct gave us a better look at the story progression and gameplay of Star Fox Zero, which is similar to Star Fox 64. There are teleporters that appear in the game which lead to new levels and alternative paths in the game. Much like Star Fox 64, there are alternative paths that can be taken, which can lead to entirely new levels and bosses throughout the game. The main goal of the game is to reach Venom and defeat Andross, but there is much more to discover beyond the normal path. Star Fox Zero looks like a game that’s meant to be replayed many times, giving players a different experience through each playthrough.
Also announced was a two-player mode in which one player pilots the Arwing on the TV while a second player aims and shoots on the Wii U gamepad. According to Destructoid, it looks like motion-controls can’t be fully disabled in Star Fox Zero, although players can customize some of the games controls. Those with the Super Smash Bros. Fox Amiibo will be able to scan it into the game to get the original Arwing from the Super Nintendo Star Fox. Seeing the simple polygonal Arwing in an HD game is quite a treat.
Perhaps most surprising was the announcement of Star Fox Guard, a completely stand alone game starring everyone’s favorite mechanic, Slippy Toad. In Star Fox Guard, players will set up twelve security camera’s to defend your base from enemy robots. The player will be able to see the base from twelve different angles on their TV screen while setting up the cameras on the Wii U gamepad. Players will also be able to set up custom patterns for the enemy robots and share their levels online for others to play. It’s reminiscent of the Captain Toad minigames in Super Mario 3D World.
Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard will come packaged as a set for both retail and digital release, or can be bought separately on Nintendo’s eShop. Thanks to the hard work of Nintendo and Platinum Games, I’m sure Star Fox Zero will bring the action and excitement we all loved from Star Fox 64.