*insert memorable Star Fox quote here* – There are just too many.
Nintendo's Star Fox series of video games has had it rough: Despite being recognized as one of the best video game franchises of all time, there are often huge gaps between the entries and if one releases about once every decade, they turn out to be weird test subjects for the console's control gimmick like Star Fox Command (2006) and Star Fox Zero (2016).
However, if the series' now nearly ten-year absence has left an unquenched thirst for more rail-shooting space adventures of likeable talking animal characters in your soul, we may just have some good news for you...
Opening The Hatches
Star Fox, developed by Nintendo and Argonaut Software, launched in 1993 for the SNES as a technical showcase, with it being one of the first console games to render real-time 3D polygons (something which was only possible due to the custom Super FX chip built into the cartridge). The game introduced Star Fox, a team of space-faring anthropomorphic animal mercenaries hired to defend the Lylat System from the mad scientist Andross.
The series is built around arcade-style shooting, usually from team leader Fox McCloud's Arwing ship. Gameplay mixes on-rails missions with occasional free-roaming segments, while allies like Falco, Slippy, and Peppy provide support and – infamously – chatter mid-battle. Stories often center on the team battling Andross or rival forces, with branching paths and multiple endings encouraging replayability and adding depth beyond the straightforward space combat.
While Star Fox 2 initially got cancelled and was only released as part of Nintendo's classic offerings in 2017, Star Fox 64 (1997) refined the formula with smoother gameplay, full voice acting, and the Rumble Pak, cementing it for many as the series' peak. Later titles like Star Fox Adventures (2002), Assault (2005), Command (2006) and Zero (2016) tried new genres and mechanics to mixed results and dwindling sales. Since then, the series has laid dormant, surviving mostly through cameos and fan nostalgia.
Sending Supplies
One of the products of said fan nostalgia can certainly be said to be Ex-Zodiac by British developer Ben Hickling, the sole member of studio MNKY. Wanting to replicate the feel of early 3D rail-shooters like Star Fox while pushing them with modern hardware, he started development on a "Star Fox style on-rails shooter prototype" in 2017, occasionally sharing updates via his YouTube channel, where they were warmly received by commentators:
"Absolutely in for something that recaptures the feel of the Star Fox games, especially since Nintendo seems very disinterested in doing more of them."
The project, made with the Godot engine, follow the first Star Fox not only in gameplay, but also stylistically, using low-poly visuals and vibrant colors to mimic the style of 16-bit and early 32-bit consoles. Unlike the SNES inspiration (which usually ran at around 15 FPS), however, Hickling aimed for smooth performance at high frame rates to make his custom code, art and design better suited to modern standards.
A 2020 crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter (a common theme practice for spiritual successors) quickly surpassed its £20.000 goal, paving the way for more polish, original music and multiple playable demos before he eventually partnered with Pixeljam to publish the title in Early Access on Steam and itch.io in July 2022. Since then, the game has been continously expanded on, taking player feedback into account. The most recent update, adding the 11th of 12 planned stages, was issued in April 2025.
Hitting The Target
Within said stages, Ex-Zodiac players can experience classic rail-shooting gameplay, with the camera locked to a forward-scrolling paths while movement is possible along the x and y coordinates. They make use of the space setting by being set on different planets, each containing distinct environmental obstacles. Aside from spaceship combat, there are also land missions, like those intended for Star Fox 2 and first realized in Star Fox 64.
The sci-fi-story centers around anthropomorphic monkey Kyuu, a lone pilot who has to fight to free the Sanzaru Star System, which has been overrun by an intergalactic terrorist organization known as Zodiac, with many missions representing strikes against its leaders. Dialogue snippets (using sound effects similar to SNES template) and short cutscenes provide additional context.
Like Star Fox, Ex-Zodiac includes multiple branching paths and secret passages, which – along with the game's ranking system – add a lot of replayability to the otherwise rather short adventure. All in all, the game manages to stand out on its own, but is more fun if you understand all the slight nods towards its inspirations hidden throughout.
Returning To Base
Ex-Zodiac has received a lot of praise by players and reviewers for its style, controls, atmosphere and premise of filling a niche that has generally been neglected by the gaming industry. However, said niche appeal has also meant that there aren't too many eyes on the title as of yet.
But this may still change as well, considering that the game is technically not even finished yet. It is only slowly, but surely reaching completion, with any other potential projects of MNKY likely still being far-off as well. However, in March 2025, developer Chuhai Labs – a studio founded by original Star Fox programmer Giles Goddard – announced that they were working on their own Star Fox spiritual successor called Wild Blue, which is seemingly set to take after later entries in the series.
Until one of these projects eventually proves popular demand for a new title, however, Nintendo is unlikely to produce an actual Star Fox game on their own, with the Switch-exclusive Star Fox crossover content in Ubisoft's Starlink: Battle for Atlas (2018) marking the final time we got to see Fox McCloud's team in action.