Star Fox Zero’s announcement at E3 last year was met with the revered awe of many a Nintendo fan. As the first entry in Nintendo’s esteemed on-rails shooter series since 2006 Starfox Command, fan gasps turned to reverie as they learned that Nintendo would be co-developing the game with Bayonetta series creator PlatinumGames, which is renowned for its expertise in the 3D brawler genre. With Zero’s April 22nd release date looming on the horizon, its fans are eager for any new sliver of information that might leak out about the game.
The latest detail to slip through the cracks is Star Fox Zero’s interaction with the Super Smash Bros. Falco Amiibo. As Nintendo had previously sent out review copies of the game, some players were able to experiment with the potential effects various Amiibos would have on the game. One such lucky participant, AbdallahSmash026, posted a video that demonstrated what happened when the Falco Amiibo links up with Star Fox Zero: it unlocks the Black Arwing for play. According to AbdallahSmash026, the Black Arwing causes players to take three times the normal amount of damage from enemy attacks.
I say ‘demonstrated’ because AbdallahSmash026’s video has recently been made private. For what reasons, we cannot say for sure, though it’s likely that this particular Amiibo interaction is intended to be classified information. His video also showcased an hour of Star Fox Zero’s gameplay, which also likely steps on many of Nintendo’s toes. And throws a Lego brick under them as well. Suffice to say, AbdallahSmash026 probably made a smart move in making his video private.
3-30-16 Update: We reached out to AbdallahSmash026 through YouTube, and he stated that the video was switched to private due to an embargo.
An image of the Black Arwing does exist, however.
For those wondering what happens when players link a Fox McCloud Amiibo with Star Fox Zero, they’ll be pleased to know that doing so unlocks Retro Arwings from the original SNES Star Fox.
Do you have the brains to rule Lylat?
Star Fox Zero is set to release on April 21st for Wii U in Japan, April 23rd in Australia, and April 22nd in the rest of the world. A standalone tower defense game, Star Fox Guard, will be bundled with Zero.