Star Fox 2

Star Fox 2
Developer	Nintendo EAD Argonaut Software
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Super NES (Classic Edition)
Release Date	US/PAL September 29, 2017 JP October 5, 2017
Rating	ESRB: E

Star Fox 2 is an outer spaceshooter game that was originally developed for the Super NES as a sequel to the original Star Fox. The game was completed and set for release in August 1995, but that original release was ultimately canceled. Some factors in this decision seemed to include fears of it being compared negatively to more advanced 3-D games and the impending release of the Nintendo 64, which would ultimately have its own Star Fox entry in the form of Star Fox 64. Years later, ROMs of different protoypes of the game surfaced on the internet, and Star Fox 2 finally received an official release in 2017, when it was among the games included in the Super NES Classic Edition.

Story

Set after Star Fox, Andross has recovered from his defeat in the first game and launched a new attack on the Lylat System with a new fleet of battleships. General Pepper called upon Team Star Fox to stop them. Star Fox, now with two new pilots, embarks on a new adventure, battling the minions of Andross and a rival group called Star Wolf.

Gameplay

This game features a shift in gameplay from other Star Fox games with the addition of a real-time strategy element. Players can move two ships along a map of the Lylat System to intercept fighters and interplanetary ballistic missiles bound for Corneria. Once a player's ship makes contact with any enemy forces, the ensuing battle shifts into an action perspective similar to the battles fought in the original Star Fox. Some of the areas are played in an on-rails style like the first game, but most of the battles are all-range ones in which the ship can move around a 3-D environment instead of flying along a fixed path. In some areas, the ship can shift into a mech and move around on land.

The goal is to keep Corneria from reaching 100% damage from Andross's attacks, with his forces steadily advancing across the map even while the player is battling other enemies. General Pepper can aid in the fight with a Satellite Defense Platform that can also shoot down enemies, although that also must be defended from harm fore that to be possible. After all enemy forces on the map have been cleared, the player can advance to Andross's base for the final battle.

This game features six playable characters, out of which the player can choose a main fighter and a wingman. The wingman acts as an additional life for the player. In addition to the original four members of Star Fox (Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare and Slippy Toad), this game introduces two new Star Fox members, a dog named Fay and a tomboyish lynx named Miyu. The characters each have different stats. The game can be played on multiple difficulty levels, and Mysterious Medals are hidden throughout the game's areas. Collecting all of the medals unlocks a Secret Base that contains a number of power-ups which the player can utilize. Players amass points based on their performance in the game, which are ranked upon either completion of the game or a Game Over.

Legacy

Though it was not officially released, elements of Star Fox 2 were incorporated into later Star Fox games. Star Fox 64 would use all-range mode and introduced a reworked version of Star Wolf, while Star Fox Command would later utilize strategy elements based on the set-up of Star Fox 2.

Ports/Remakes

• As mentioned above, its first official release was with the Super NES Classic in 2017, over twenty years after its original planned release. It had to be unlocked by completing the first level of the original Star Fox.
• In December 2019, it was added to the library of Super NES games that were made available to play on the Nintendo Switch for anyone subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online service. This version included two player and online options.