10 Nintendo Series Star Fox Appeared In Before The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Nintendo surprised fans by announcing that Fox McCloud, the hero of Star Fox, will be in the new Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It’s a big deal for a character who hasn’t been seen much lately, but dedicated fans might recall that Star Fox has popped up in other Nintendo games before.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, clearly loves the Star Fox series. This might be why subtle references to the Lylat system have shown up in Nintendo games for years. Here are 10 Nintendo series that included appearances by characters from Star Fox before the first movie was released, listed in order of when the games came out.

Oh, and I hope you like Arwings.

10. Fast Tracks and Fox Facts

Stunt Race FX (1994)

One of the first, and most hidden, appearances of Star Fox is in the SNES racing game, Stunt Race FX. The game was created by Argonaut Software, the same team that developed the original Star Fox and the Super FX chip – the technology that brought the groundbreaking 3D graphics to life in both titles.

Fans can see Fox McCloud featured with Mario and Kirby on billboards around the tracks, and his Arwing ships fly above during the Sky Ramp course. Even more impressively, on the Night Cruise track, hitting Star Fox signs causes an Arwing to appear and deliver a helpful power-up.

9. Arwing Appearances, Guest-Star Golfers, and Café Cameos

Super Mario Series (1996-2003)

Super Mario RPG, a classic game for the Super Nintendo, frequently references other Nintendo titles. For example, you can find the Arwing from Star Fox in a shop on Barrel Volcano. This trend continued in the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Mario Golf, where characters from outside the Mario universe appeared on the Tournament mode leaderboard – including several names from the Star Fox series.

“Fox”
“McCloud”
“Peppy”
“Falco L.”
“Pigma”

Interestingly, leftover code from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga shows that a complete appearance by Fox McCloud was originally planned but ultimately removed from the game. The scene would have involved Fox stopping by the Starbeans Café during a mission, receiving messages from Slippy Toad and Peppy Hare. Before leaving, he would have given Mario and Luigi the Gold Ring, an item that boosts experience points earned in battles won without taking damage.

8. McCloud, James McCloud

F-Zero Series (1998-2003)

Since Takaya Imamura designed the characters for both Star Fox and F-Zero, it’s not surprising the games often share elements. For instance, F-Zero X on the Nintendo 64 featured two racers clearly inspired by characters from Star Fox.

James McCloud is designed to look like a human version of Fox’s father, and his vehicle, the Little Wyvern, is similar to the Arwing. Leon, another racer, bears a resemblance to Fox’s rival, Wolf O’Donnell, and his name is probably a nod to one of Wolf’s crew members, Leon Powalski. In the sequel, F-Zero GX, James’s appearance is updated to look even more like his Star Fox counterpart, even including a hairstyle that mimics a fox’s head. The game also establishes that James leads a team called the “Galaxy Dogs,” which is a playful take on the name “Star Fox.”

7. Unmasking a Secret to Everybody

The Legend of Zelda Series (1998-2000)

Similar to Superstar Saga, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time includes a hidden reference to Star Fox. A small Arwing spaceship can be unlocked either by using a cheat device like a GameShark, or through a complex technique called arbitrary code execution (ACE), which involves entering a specific series of precise controller commands to alter the game’s code. According to a 2011 interview with Iwata, the Arwing was originally included as a temporary animation tool to help developers create the dragon boss Volvagia. When activated, the Arwing flies around and fires lasers at Link.

Majora’s Mask, the game that follows Ocarina of Time, includes a clever nod to another Nintendo series. If you look at the five collectible masks displayed in the pause menu, you’ll notice they’re arranged to resemble the faces of four members – and one former member – of the Star Fox team.

Keaton Mask — Fox McCloud
Bremen Mask — Falco Lombardi
Bunny Hood — Peppy Hare
Don Gero’s Mask — Slippy Toad
Mask of Scents — Pigma Dengar

6. Nintendo Used Easter Egg! It’s Super Effective!

Pokémon Stadium 2 (2000)

While it might seem strange, there’s a connection between Star Fox and Pokémon! If you used a Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak with Pokémon Gold, Silver, or Crystal, Pokémon Stadium 2 unlocked a feature called My Room. This allowed players to create a 3D version of their in-game room from the Pokémon cartridge and customize it with different decorations.

This feature works with Nintendo consoles, and if you choose a Nintendo 64, the TV will display a series of screenshots from various games, like Star Fox 64. While it takes a bit of effort and requires an original N64 console, it’s special because it’s the only instance of Star Fox and Pokémon appearing together outside of the Super Smash Bros. games.

5. Crafty Crossing Crossovers

Animal Crossing (2001-2012)

Since the very first Animal Crossing game in Japan, the Arwing furniture piece has appeared in every main game in the series – except for New Horizons. It’s a cool addition to any home, and when you interact with it, it plays a shortened version of the famous Corneria theme from Star Fox. The villager Pudge, a lazy bear cub, seems to be a Star Fox enthusiast, as his house has featured the Arwing in several games.

With Animal Crossing already featuring characters from games like The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon, it’s surprising that the animal crew from Star Fox haven’t become villagers yet. Nintendo, please add them to the game!

4. Crazy Like a Fox

WarioWare: Smooth Moves (2007)

Some of my absolute favorite microgames in WarioWare come from 9-Volt and 18-Volt – they always make these challenges that feel like little nods to old-school Nintendo games. And get this: in WarioWare: Smooth Moves on the Wii, the original Star Fox isn’t just a microgame theme, but it’s actually the boss stage for those two! It’s a really cool throwback.

Unlike most WarioWare microgames that are quick and simple, this one is much more involved. Players use the Wii Remote to pilot an Arwing, dodging obstacles and shooting enemies, with the option to play for a high score. The game features three levels inspired by Corneria, Sector X, and Titania, and each culminates in a boss battle against a huge, living version of R.O.B., Nintendo’s classic robot accessory.

3. Some Say StreetPass is Old Hat, But Not Mii

StreetPass Mii Plaza (2011)

3DS owners loved the StreetPass feature, and the StreetPass Mii Plaza app was its biggest hit. It allowed your system to automatically connect with other 3DS owners nearby, letting you meet their Mii characters, play simple games, and collect fun accessories. A lot of these accessories were outfits based on popular Nintendo characters – and you can probably guess what happened next!

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The collection included hats themed after characters like Fox, Arwing, Falco, and Wolf. Additionally, Puzzle Swap features a Star Fox 64 3D puzzle. Completing this puzzle unlocks a 3D scene depicting Fox piloting his Arwing.

2. From Lylat Wars to Sub Wars

Steel Diver: Sub Wars (2014)

The 3DS had a lot of hidden gems, including Nintendo’s brief Steel Diver series. The first game came out in 2011, and a sequel, Sub Wars, was released exclusively on the eShop in 2014. Interestingly, both games were directed by Takaya Imamura, who also worked on Star Fox – perhaps that’s why Peppy Hare, a character from Star Fox, appears in a cameo!

In a 2014 interview with Nintendo Life, Imamura explained that the game initially featured a less-than-trustworthy guide character. They decided to switch to Peppy Hare, a more familiar and likable face, though he has no connection to the Star Fox series. Later, they added the Blue Marine submarine from Star Fox 64 as a free download.

1. A Foxy Lady

Bayonetta 2 (2014)

Man, the first Bayonetta game was amazing and everyone loved it, but a sequel almost didn’t happen! Thankfully, Nintendo stepped in and published Bayonetta 2 back in 2014. Because it came out on the Wii U, Bayonetta and her buddy Jeanne even got to wear some cool outfits based on Nintendo characters – it was a fun little bonus!

The Star Mercenary costume outfits Bayonetta and Jeanne with fox ears and tails, and gives Bayonetta a color scheme inspired by McCloud. Their guns transform into miniature Arwings that fire energy beams and play iconic sounds from the Star Fox games. In specific levels, full-sized Arwings will even replace the usual fighter jets. It’s a wonderfully over-the-top and incredibly well-executed appearance by the Star Fox crew.

2026-03-31 18:42