Update [Sat 5th Nov, 2022 20:00 GMT]: A new teaser trailer has been uploaded - revealing a release date of November 11th:
Original article [Fri 12th Aug, 2022 11:15 BST]: There has been no solid news of a Star Fox game on the Switch and Nintendo fans are growing restless. None more so is this case than modder KandoWontu who is getting close to completing work on 'Star Fox Exploration Showcase', a mod for the 16-bit SNES classic which not only strives to adapt the original game, but to build entirely new structures into it including new levels, ships, weapons and (yes, you guessed it) a fully-functional multiplayer mode.
Just what did it take to get into this iconic game code in the first place, and when will we be able to get our paws on it? Jack Yarwood over at our new sister site, Time Extension, got the chance to sit down with KandoWontu to find out all this and more.
The modder's original plan was to simply add in Star Fox 2's distinctive all-range mode as well as some fun new camera mechanics from fellow modder, Starxxon (simple, right?) However, it seems that KandoWontu's hunger was far greater, as he states in the interview:
After that, I thought why not make the ships changeable? And the weapons? And before you know it I was adding new features and hidden codes.
These new features are, in our view, the most exciting part of the mod and there's a whole lotta' them that are being added. 'At this point,' KandoWontu says, 'I’ve added a full second map with the original intact and still playable, the new map has 3 new courses, a secret level, new backgrounds/enemies/bosses/music, and much more!'
It has gotten to the point now where 'much more' feels somewhat like an understatement. The list of newly-added features includes a full pre-game mod menu, two-player mode, new ships and weapons, a New Game+ feature, and a whole bunch more (see the original article for the full list).
Playability appears to be at the forefront of KandoWontu's mind, however, and he has therefore added a fully-functional toggle menu into the game, letting you leap in and change out modifications as you please. As you can see from the pics above, the array of options looks seriously impressive.
The modification has not been without its challenges — especially that pesky multiplayer mode — yet KandoWontu has got by with a little help from his friends. Talking to Jack, he listed a full team of other modders (including includes SegaRetro92, phonymike, livvy94, MrL314, Euclidium, Sunlitspace542, chuckborrisnorris and Random Stuff) that have been integral to the various aspects of the project, from textures to music composition. It makes sense that when it comes to Star Fox, winning is a team effort.
KandoWontu had previously stated that the Star Fox Exploration Showcase would be made available at the end of August, but as the project has exponentially grown, this date has had to be pushed back to late October. You will be able to grab the newly-enhanced code here when it goes live (although bear in mind that you'll need a legitimate copy of the original ROM to play it).
For a closer analysis of what this mod means for the SNES system, check out Time Extension's full interview where Jack and KandoWontu explore the modder's entry into the Star Fox franchise and much more.
What do you make of this huge mod? Start your engines and jet on down to the comments to let us know! And don't forget you can feed your appetite for retro gaming goodness — Nintendo and non-Nintendo alike — by checking out Time Extension in all its fresh glory, we guarantee that you won't regret it!
Further reading:
[source timeextension.com]
Comments 40
It looks fun and is a neat idea but the game still seems to run very slow in that vid.
It never ceases to amaze what some talented people are capable of in this hobby. No idea why someone would expend such effort on this, but thank goodness they have.
Oh god, that five player mode looks so confusing with way too many player characters on screen which one is mine?
But fair play to this guy, all the extras do look amazing.
@AG_Awesome yes, I was hoping for a smooth framerate too!
Have to give it a Look, i like Starfox 2 a lot more than the first one, as i have more Fun with the Dog Battles.
Given all this love for Star Fox 2, I have this to say:
Play Star Fox Command.
I skimmed through the video looking specifically for frame rate improvements and didn’t see any so it’s a no go for me. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the work that has already been done but the frame rate on these 2 SNES games gives me a headache and is just not enjoyable for me. I always just got for N64 version which is 🤌 to me.
Who am I kidding— I’ll check this out but probably won’t get any further progress-wise than I have with the barebones OG game.
This looks like what Sonic 3 Complete is to Sonic 3 and Knuckles— that’s great!
Please release Star Fox Zero on Switch finally! It’s not like it will take hard work to bring it over.
@Bunkerneath
fr. if they wanted to do multiplayer mode, should make it 1st person so you know you're controlling your arwing
The audio has always been too-notch in this game. Love it all these years later. The music, the effects…. All memorable.
Not interested in the multiplayer at all, but the new content could be good. If anyone is interested in playing a real Star Fox homage right now, look up Ex-Zodiac on Steam. It's also coming to Switch down the line, but it plays very similarly to OG Star Fox and Space Harrier (separately). It's in Early Access right now, but I still recommend it.
@AG_Awesome This is the original framerate. I also wish it was smoother.
Meh, I wouldn't really be interested in content done by people that have nothing to do with the official project. There are too many games to bother with extra content of dubious quality in older games.
@Znake lol wut? Star Fox Zero is built from the ground up as a dual screen game. There’s no way to port it to the Switch without rebuilding and rebalancing it into a totally different game. Maybe that would be possible, but it certainly wouldn’t be simple, and that’s a lot of effort to commit to a game that was poorly received the first time around.
You guys might think I’m strange, but I’ve never had any complaints about Star Fox’s framerate. Same with 20fps N64 games. They all just look correct to me, like I can’t even perceive that the frame rate is lower than normal.
How is this game ok, but other games have been, taken down, by Nintendo?
@Switch_Pro Ha. I heard Mario and DOOM are okay games.
@outsider83 because this is a mod/romhack. Not a fangame.
Nintendo seems to be ok with romhacks and mods as they’ve allowed basically all the zelda and mario ones and almost all the pokemon ones throughout the years.
Metroid seems to be the big one nintendo issues take downs for.
I still don’t understand the way this site promotes non official merch, games based on copywritten IPs, and illegal mods.
@OFFICIALMichi At this point I believe media are doing Nintendo’s legwork. Sooner the news leaks, faster the C&D hits.
I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the original Star Fox when I played it for the first time a few years back and, while I absolutely consider 64 to be the far superior game, I'd definitely be down to play a mod that expands upon the original.
Wait damnit, I didn't talk about modding/piracy. Uh...umm....cease & desist am I right? Haha....ha....
Love Starfox on Snes, don't have a problem with frame rate. It's just a classic, stunning level design and replayability:)
@Wilforce Yep. A news article about mods here is basically submitting a report to Nintendo on what to shut down.
@OFFICIALMichi I feel like people talk so positively about PC game mods but yet when it comes to console mods, it's bad.
Is it just because the bootleg (sorry "reproduction") sellers have given it a bad name? They've turned it into making people think console game modders do it for illegal profit (most don't, and the few that do get shunned from the community pretty quickly)? (whereas trying to illegally sell a PC mod is probably futile at this point)
@SteamEngenius Exactly what I was thinking as soon as I saw the headline. It's not coming now that something's been posted.
I wonder if this can be added to SNES mini at all 🤔
The linked tweet showing the video of Mario and Luigi has a reply saying production values are amazing. How can the values be amazing when these people (person?) are butchering commercial assets and throwing them into a universe they don't belong in? The Star Wolf teaser re-uses SF64's lines and Star Wolf seems to just park themselves in front of Fox as if 4v1 is balanced or natural. Just seems highly unprofessional, uncreative and unpolished.
I'll just wait for Ex-Zodiac (a real Star Fox inspired game on Steam with its own assets) to release more content, thanks.
The multiplayer would be better as a split-screen game. Generally, I don't check these mods as I prefer official stuff. Hopefully it excites Nintendo to do something.
PS: "It has reached the point", not "It has gotten to the point". No more ugly American English, please.
@KingMike oh its coming out alright, <24 hours until submission!
@HalBailman When working with source code and programming assembly level code for the SNES, doing such things is not a simple task. Sadly split screen is still beyond me.
I did the best I could with everything, and I hope it is enjoyable! All players can have different crosshairs as well!
@Kilroy ok? This is all done by an amateur, and for free. Of course its unpolished. Its a showcase of what could be done with the game, and was never meant to be taken seriously. If you want to enjoy Starfox a little differently and have some new challenges, as most romhack players do for their games, enjoy it. If not, nobody's forcing your hand.
@Wilforce This has been in production for over 2 years, some of the original developers know about it. Nobody has asked us to stop. Release is being submitted in <24 hours so don't worry about a thing
@Kidfunkadelic83 Sadly the SNES Mini does not like this romhack
@SteamEngenius Don't worry about a thing, you'll see a release
@Roam85 This is starfox 1
@SteamEngenius Nintendo historically only goes after third party fangames that use their IP without permission. What romhackers provide is a patch that simply modifies the existing IP. Obtaining the original ROM is the part that Nintendo is focused on. Getting mentioned here is not a death sentence; it is an amazing service of publicity that they are providing amateur hobbyist romhackers.
@Kandowontu I wasn't talking about your illustrious work; more that Nintendo should get motivated.
@HalBailman imagine they started modding retro games like that? Oh man I would be so happy
@Kandowontu I've only played a handful of romhacks over the years, partially due to knowing that many of them are more geared towards (in the game's universe) unrealistic scenarios. What I'm looking for doesn't appear to be what you've made and that's fine, but to say it's amateur work and for free (I would hope it's for free, fan content piggybacking off of commercial IPs shouldn't be paid) is what I'd assume any fan made content is. Wanting content that actually looks like what the devs would make (see standout example AM2R or even a randomizer) instead of what-if scenarios like Mario and Luigi as enemies is okay and wanting that what-if scenario is fine too.
Saying it's about what could be done with the game now makes sense calling it an "Exploration" showcase. Anyway, good luck with it! Just voicing my opinion like everyone else is free to do.
@Kilroy I appreciate that, and thank you for the response! <3
@Kandowontu I'd have thought so too, until Nintendo shut down Pokemon Prism in 2016.
Perhaps they were jealous that a ROM hack was looking more hype than their new official game (Sun and Moon). But, you know, IP holder. Never their own fault.
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