It’s been a while since Nintendo did anything of note with Star Fox. The last new entry was 2016’s Star Fox Zero (along with asymmetric tower defence curio Star Fox Guard), with Star Fox Command for DS coming a decade earlier in 2006. Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi appeared in Smash Bros., but there’s been a distinct lack of anything ‘new’ from the rail shooter series this generation. Ubisoft's Starlink has some great crossover content on Switch, and the previously unreleased Star Fox 2, which debuted on the Super NES Mini and is now also playable via a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, is the closest thing we've had to a new Star Fox for some time.
That looks like it’s going to change soon with Ex-Zodiac, though. Sort of.
Now available on Steam in Early Access after beginning life on Kickstarter, Ex-Zodiac is a rail shooter heavily inspired by the likes of Star Fox and Space Harrier, with a Switch release tentatively planned for 2023. There are currently six levels and bonus stages available in the Early Access version, with around 15 planned for the full release.
In Ex-Zodiac, heroine Kyuu must travel planet to planet to defeat intergalactic organisation Zodiac, and she’ll have to dive between buildings, skim the surface of ocean planets and engage in fast-paced highway pursuits to defeat each member. There are multiple routes through the galaxy, a 16-bit style soundtrack, and bosses with plenty of lip standing in Kyuu’s way.
Ahead of the Early Access release, we got the chance to play through each of the six levels, and for anyone hoping this will fill the Slippy-shaped hole in their heart, we can safely say Ex-Zodiac fits the bill. Whilst there are some kinks to iron out, this is a rail shooter that feels plucked right out of the '90s, but with more modern controls and options.
for anyone hoping this will fill the Slippy-shaped hole in their heart, we can safely say Ex-Zodiac fits the bill
If you’re a Star Fox veteran, Ex-Zodiac will feel like you’ve dropped seamlessly into an Arwing cockpit: there's lasers, lock-on fire, bombs, boosts, brakes, and — yes — barrel rolls. Once you’ve mapped your controls, the smoothness with which you can glide through obstacles and past enemy fire, all while collecting upgrades and ammo refills, makes the whole game an intense dance, even if you’re only moving forward.
None of the six levels in the Early Access version of the game are particularly difficult, but the distinctive level design offers up some fun manoeuvrability. You might need to turn sideways to get between buildings, dodge between coral reefs, or fly through the centre of a hollowed-out asteroid. All familiar fare to anyone who's ever checked their G-Diffuser systems.
Air-based levels are joined by ground-based counterparts with Kyuu riding a hoverbike-style vehicle. You’re also given a score and letter grade, which incentivises replays where you learn each level like a high-octane dance routine, with each step towards perfection feeling sweeter than the last. There are no branching paths between the levels in this Early Access version, but we can see this grading system ramping up the replay value upon full release.
What immediately stands out about Ex-Zodiac is its aesthetic, which combines striking vaporwave-like visuals with crisp low-poly shapes extremely reminiscent of the Super NES’ Super FX chip-powered visuals from games such as Stunt Race FX. In fact, glancing quickly at the screenshots throughout this article, you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were from the Star Fox series' 1993 debut.
Ex-Zodiac is mostly a solo project, with designer Ben Hickling doing almost everything aside from the soundtrack himself. This includes programming, design, graphics, and most of the sound effects
Every level presents a drastically different environment from the last; the galaxy contains ocean planets, a grand metropolis, the sand dunes of a forgotten civilisation, and space rubble ripe for exploring. Nostalgia aside, the simple polygonal aesthetic helps the entire game feel cohesive despite the drastically different planets it presents; there's a real galaxy to explore here, not just a string of linear levels.
There’s also a striking attention to detail, which is something that elevates Ex-Zodiac out of its '90s roots, as skyscrapers populate the far-reaching backgrounds, and water kicks up behind Kyuu’s ship when she hovers over the water. There’s an innate satisfaction to seeing each world feel alive around you. It may look like how you remember Star Fox, but there's a lot more going on here.
Whilst Ex-Zodiac is incredibly promising, it isn’t immune to Early Access woes that can hopefully be ironed with a full release. Significant frame rate drops plague parts of levels that get particularly busy, and I needed to mess with the controls enough for what felt right to take an annoying amount of time, but these were just minor grievances.
That said, there are some areas where Ex-Zodiac falls short right now. There’s no voice acting, and whilst a rail shooter like this doesn’t exactly need it, there’s a distinct lack of charm coming from characters and bosses that only communicate through text. The real kicker here though is how characters will talk in the middle of levels, and it's almost impossible to read conversations without getting hit, which makes engaging with the writing often detrimental to play itself.
It’s worth noting that Ex-Zodiac is mostly a solo project, with designer Ben Hickling doing almost everything aside from the soundtrack himself. This includes the programming, design, graphics, and most of the sound effects. With that in mind, the playable state that Ex-Zodiac is in right now is nothing short of spectacular, with next year’s full release — and that hopeful Nintendo Switch port — making the rail shooter revival an essential pick-up for any fans of the genre.
For those of you waiting for the Nintendo Switch release, a Switch port has been on the cards since the Kickstarter and Hickling told us that everyone involved will do "everything in our power to make it happen," so keep an eye for announcements. There’s clearly a lot of love, care and attention that's gone into Ex-Zodiac, and the project hammers home the idea that hardworking developers can bring us titles inspired by franchises collecting dust.
If Nintendo won’t make it, someone else will.
Ex-Zodiac is available now via Early Access on Steam.
Comments 38
"Feature: 'Ex-Zodiac' Is The Star Fox Throwback You Wish Nintendo Would Make"
Don't tell me what I think.
Game looks fun though. But if Nintendo makes another Star Fox game I don't want it to look like it's 30+ years old. =P
Really looking forward to this one if they iron out all the kinks.
I hope we get a Switch port; I would definitely play this.
Do a barrel roll!
It's not running at 10 fps, literally unplayable
Saw DJ Slope's video about this game a few days ago; looks really fun and hoping they're able to make a Switch port happen.
This looks amazing!
@Chocobo_Shepherd Yeah, "The Star Fox Throwback WE Wish Nintendo Would Make" would be a better headline.
I liked the Star Fox like flying bits in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, maybe Hal Labs should make a new Star Fox 😉
This game looks intriguing though
I wish Nintendo would make another game like Starfox Assault
I want a new Star Fox Command but with a multiplayer that let’s you pick the other pilot ships from Command.
@Roam85 Yea, I would too.
Have shin'en make a f-zero game PLEASE
fast racing neo on wii u is SO GOOD
@Clyde_Radcliffe I had the same thought when playing through the flying sections of Kirby. Great fun!
Have been looking forward to Ex-Zodiac for some time now as I am a big fan of the original Star Fox (or Star Wing as it was known here in the UK). Hope it works out well
Why would I hope Nintendo made this when the game already exists and it seems like the devs did a good job?
If you want to play a good space shooter play chorus on Xbox with game pass it’s really cool and fun to play .
Oh man, hope this comes to Switch, been following the development for a while
Oh my god I need this NOW. Why can’t Nintendo just make something like this. Generally, the Star Fox fan base isn’t some innovation-demanding hungry beast. Rather, we’re demanding of more of what makes the series great. Perfect example is the footage above. It’s a throwback title to the SNES entry but without the utterly crippling framerate.
If Nintendo would’ve just made something like this, they’d have a nice pile to be sitting on now.
@munstahunta Chorus (Chorvs?) is SOOOOO good I’ve never felt more badass than when I get “that ship” and just tear through and maneuver around enemies. Nice to see someone else who appreciates that game. Totally under the radar sleeper hit if you ask me.
More Star Fox, more rail shooters in general please. Regards to The Classic Snes Star Fox still runs plays amazing. Would love a new Starblade, Silpheed with today's tech!! Unfortunately very unlikely to ever happen. Its all open world, loot box, roguelite crap mostly. Oh back on topic this new game looks fantastic 👌
Games like this are why I love video games (well... that's my opinion until I actually play it)
Looks fantastic, this game is what Star Fox 3 should had been like if it was released for the Super NES CD.
@ChromaticDracula Tbh the very first Star Fox was suppose to be just a tech demo game for Super NES to showcase what the Super FX chip could do on the hardware. Star Fox 64 was what Nintendo actually want the series to look and plays like.
@Serpenterror I can see that... Funny because StarFox 64 is my favorite in the series. StarFox Zero had incredible bones too but it was overwhelming with the gamepad controls. I won't even start that conversation here but just saying, I cannot wait for this game's eventual release on Switch. I need more of this type of on-rails gameplay in my life!
Hints of Galaxy Force in there too, nice
I do love Star Fox, so maybe I'll check it out... provided I can pull myself away from Genshin Impact.
But if you ask me, should Nintendo make another Star Fox game, they should make it a sequel to Assault and ignore the canonicity of Command.
I always hated how they did Command's story, particularly what they did with Krystal, my favorite character from the series (and favorite video game character of all time, narrowly beating out Samus Aran).
Zero was okay for what it was (minus the wonky controls), but I didn't like that it was basically a reboot. And there was no Krystal, not even a cameo teasing a sequel or something. Heck, there wasn't even a VS. Mode to add replay value.
I played a few levels of Guard and stopped playing, I got bored with it. And since it's a spinoff, and not connected to the main story, I couldn't care less about the story.
But I want to see a sequel to Assault that ignores the canonicity of Command, the Cornerian military gifts them a new Great Fox that looks like the original one destroyed by the Aparoids (as thanks for saving the Lylat System time and time again), and most importantly, Fox and Krystal stay together, with their relationship deepening, maybe even into marriage.
I've been following this game for a long time and the demo was rad as heck. I'm look forward to playing it eventually
"£20,000 kickstarter goal"
Imagine all the retro/budget Star Fox and F-Zeros that Nintendo could make.
This looks like someone tried to make a Starfox fan game, but changed just enough so they wouldn’t get hit with a takedown notice from Nintendo.
Overall it looks mediocre, but the driving stage looks like fun.
I bet Nintendo would sign on to add star fox chars or something cuz seems right on
A new Star Fox Assault, Star Fox Command, Star Fox 64, Star Fox Adventures, and/or Star Fox Zero Remaster type of Star Fox would be great. Heck even a new Star Fox space racing game or anime short... anything Nintendo please.
In lieu that though, this looks like an awesome modern nostalgic homage to an era long past! Definitely wish-listing and anticipating this at the right price!
... Wun can only hope.
I wish they'd do a follow up to Assault. That game had it's issues, but I think a Star Fox game that mixes vehicle and on foot sections like that could be a real winner if they tried again. Zero was passable, but I think it's about time they finally let SF64 die and try something else.
looks like its running on hardware somewhere between the DS and 3DS... this 3D "look" is awful!!!
I wouldn't mind chunky polygon graphics... If it had clean lines and good shading. Think Horizon Chase Turbo. But the low resolution and shading so it literally looks like a PS1 game is disgusting. That is one generation I NEVER want to go back to.
I’ve never been a Star Fox fan, but this looks sick.
Well now, this is a refreshing sub genre... A "Star Fox-alike". The assets are one to one shamelessly copied, but I'm feeling it.
@TheFox there was an option to enable anti-aliasing in the demo.
@N00BiSH OK, I looked up a review, and he was playing it with the anti-aliasing and it looked so much better. He also showed part of the game that looked suspiciously like Space Harrier, which I love.
MORE retro crap? I didn't spend hundreds of dollars on a game console for games that I could play on the cheapest smartphone. Which is like $30 if you go prepaid!
I wish at least Nintendo would create a filter in their e-shop so instead of looking through thousands of retro garbage -and wasting what little free time I have- for any AAA (or whatever people are calling them these days) games that I might actually want.
@Serpenterror your talking my kind of language friend:)
@Clyde_Radcliffe hal seems to have plenty of time and manpower they could do any type of game or revival and it would surely slap
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