Fox McCloud
Encyclopedia
is an anthropomorphic
video game character
and the main protagonist
of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto
and designed by Takaya Imamura
. As his name implies, he is a red fox
and the main player character
of the series.
In each game the player controls Fox, either on the ground or in his Arwing. He is the leader of the Star Fox team, and is joined by his wingmates on various missions.
In the English release of Star Fox 64, he was voiced by Mike West. In both the Japanese release of Star Fox 64 and Super Smash Bros., Fox's voices were done by Shinobu Satōchi (speaking in English with a Japanese accent for the English version). For English dialogue of Super Smash Bros. Melee and Star Fox Adventures, Fox's voice was done by Rare's Steve Malpass
. In Star Fox: Assault
, his voice was done by Jim Walker in the English release and by Kenji Nojima
in the Japanese release. Nojima reprised his role for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, as did Walker for the English version. In Star Fox 64 3D
, he is voiced by Takashi Ōhara
in Japanese.
In 1992, Argonaut Software
and Nintendo collaborated to produce a 3D space shooter
for the Super Nintendo
, provisionally titled 'SnesGlider'. The development team, led by Shigeru Miyamoto
, redesigned what had been a tech demo
into a rail shooter, with Nintendo designing the game and Argonaut handling the technical aspects. However, without a story, it lacked incentives to play beyond flying and shooting. Miyamoto sketched out a fictional universe, but could not decide on a natural hero to convey a sense of an epic space battle. Names under consideration included Star Wolf, Star Sheep, Star Fox, Star Sparrow and Star Hawk. Miyamoto finally settled on having a fox as the main character after visiting Fushimi Inari-taisha
in Kyoto
, the head shrine of Inari
, a Japanese kami
associated with foxes. Inari is portrayed as being able to fly, and its shrines, particularly the one in Kyoto, are surrounded by red arches (torii), giving Miyamoto the idea of a fox that could fly through arches. Fox's face was modeled after Inari's, and always wears a red "scarf" around his neck, like the statue, with the exception of his design from Star Fox: Assault. This however could be contested on the grounds that Fox's face was not based upon Inari's until Star Fox 64
, as Fox had a very realistic look in the original Star Fox
. Fox's personality is loosely based on Miyamoto's, with the name 'Fox McCloud' being suggested by Dylan Cuthbert, one of the Argonaut team.
and its sequel, Melee
, Fox appears as he did in Star Fox 64. In Star Fox Adventures, he has a white vest instead of a jacket, his headgear is replaced with a device on his wrist, and wears a knee pad on his left leg. He also wears a large backpack for carrying items, such as Krystal's Staff and the CloudRunner Flute. In Star Fox: Assault, his appearance changes drastically. He wears a green and red jumpsuit, a white vest, pads on his knees and shoulders, and his boots are red and black instead of gray. As in Adventures, his communication device is on his wrist. In Star Fox Command, Fox has gone back to his Star Fox 64 attire, but without his sleeves rolled up. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, Fox has a similar appearance of his Star Fox 64 and Command designs. Although Nintendo has not officially cited Fox's height in a game manual, Nintendo Power
released a card featuring Fox, which stated his height, during Star Fox 64, to be 5'8", his weight to be 155 lbs, and his age to be 18. Fox would be 26 in Adventures (as Adventures takes place just 8 years after the events of Star Fox 64), 27 in Assault (the game manual stated 1 year had passed since the conclusion of Adventures), and 29 to 30 in Command.
In the 1993 Nintendo Power
Star Fox comic, Fox had a romantic relationship with Fara Phoenix. While slightly ambiguous, it is obvious that they held mutual affections for each other throughout the comics. Still, the comics are considered non-canon
, since Star Fox 64 replaced the original SNES Star Fox title. In the official games canon, Fox became infatuated with Krystal when he first saw her trapped on top of Krazoa Palace in Star Fox Adventures. He is romantically involved with Krystal after the events of Star Fox Adventures
, confirming that they loved each other when speaking with Lucy about his relationship with Krystal. During Command Krystal soon leaves after Fox asked her to leave because he feared for her safety. Star Fox Command
has several different endings in which they either get back together or split apart completely. In one of these endings, the pair settles down and has a son named Marcus McCloud 10 years later. Marcus takes on his father's legacy by becoming the future leader of the Star Fox team.
Fox is known for being professional, cocky, and shy, expressing each trait in different circumstances. His professional side is shown when he is in serious situations especially in his Arwing, this is most notable side to Fox shown in all Star Fox games. Fox's cocky side was more notable than his professional side in Star Fox Adventures
, where he acted more like a teenager than compared to an adult, showing low enthusiasm when taking on difficult situations and showing a habit of grasping the back of his neck with his hand when he was put on the spot. Fox's shy side is only expressed when he is around Krystal, who flirts with him frequently. His reactions are shown as him blushing, temperature rising, and constant stuttering. This is a clear sign of Fox's feelings towards Krystal. He also has shown signs of being a little self-centered and money-hungry. In Star Fox Adventures he was constantly grumbling about not being paid enough for what he was being asked to do and made references to only caring about any of this for the inevitable pay-off. He frequently rolled his eyes or sighed when he found out that he was being asked to do even more work or when a conversation with a character simply went on too long. Nonetheless, this was more bravado than anything else, as he ended up saving the day quite willingly.
game, Fox's father, James McCloud, was sent into the blackhole after an experimental bomb testing "went wrong". The bomb was designed by Andross, then a scientist of the planet Corneria, and it was secretly supposed to detonate when James reached critical velocity. Andross was exiled into space for his mad crimes, where he eventually built a sizable army on the planet Venom, bent on revenge and the conquest of the galaxy. Fox was a member of the Cornerian flight academy, like his dad, and he protested against the poor decision of Andross's exile; however, the Cornerian government didn't want to be bothered further, and quickly silenced Fox and anyone else who dissented. This led Fox to leave Corneria to lead a life as a mercenary, together with his friends and teammates Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare. Years later, General pepper of Corneria summoned Fox and his Team back to combat Andross's forces. To do so, he gave Team Star Fox the Arwing Fighters. The game leads over 3 routes, through differing locations and difficulty levels, all leading to Fox's confrontation with Andross on the planet Venom. Starfox 64 later altered this storyline completely, making it inapplicable to the modern Star Fox storyline.
. Fox McCloud's friendship with Bill Grey is depicted during the game, and he fights Wolf O'Donnell of the rival Star Wolf team. The Black Hole of the SNES game is absent, instead, James McCloud is supposed to have died at the hands of Andross himself. Once Star Fox reaches Venom, they fight through its defensive lines or Star Wolf to Andross's base, depending on which route the player takes. Despite the protests of his team, Fox faces Andross alone. If the player has chosen the hard route, Fox's father James appears to lead his son to safety when Andross's base explodes, disappearing when Fox escapes. Whether this was living James, a ghost or a figment of Fox's imagination is yet to be seen. Fox then leaves victorious as Andross's base explodes behind him. Back on Corneria, General Pepper offers to integrate them into the Cornerian army. Fox declines, saying that they prefer doing things their own way.
An action figure of Fox McCloud armed with a missile launcher was produced to accompany the game, but never got beyond the prototype stage.
, a Nintendo GameCube game set eight years after Star Fox 64, Fox McCloud is hired to stop Dinosaur Planet breaking apart. Fox rescues Prince Tricky, a young dinosaur of the EarthWalker tribe, from the Sharpclaw tribe. The villain of the game, General Scales, plans to conquer the planet piece by piece. The two find four Spell Stones, magical objects that hold the planet together, returning them to their rightful positions, and free Krystal, an imprisoned vixen, in which Fox and Krystal fall in love with a result in Krystal joining the team at the end of the game. Fox then defeats a resurrected Andross, who was the real villain behind the troubles on Dinosaur Planet. McCloud then returns to the Great Fox, and General Pepper pays him for saving the planet. Falco Lombardi, who had been absent for the majority of the game, is reunited with the team.
Star Fox Adventures was originally intended for release on the Nintendo 64 as Dinosaur Planet, an action adventure starring Krystal and a fox character named Sabre. Created by developers Rare, the game was essentially complete, and was ready for release in the fourth quarter of 2000. The game was shown off at the E3 video game trade show in May that year, but cancelled shortly afterwards.
Nintendo had noticed the similarity between Fox McCloud and Sabre, and decided to convert the game into Star Fox Adventures. In an interview with IGN at the 2000 E3, Shigeru Miyamoto commented on the similarity between the two characters, jokingly suggesting he should call the development team about it.
, this time under attack by a new foe known as the Anglars, who originated from Venom's acidic oceans. It is up to Fox McCloud to save the galaxy once more by slowly liberating invaded territory and arriving at Venom to defeat the Anglar Emperor. This time, he begins the battle with only ROB 64 at his side, as the team has been disbanded for various reasons. Along the way, other characters will join Fox and the team becomes whole again.
As Command has nine different outcomes, it is uncertain which is the true path Fox and crew take, or wherever Command is even canon to the series or not; but the developers have suggested that any sequel might ignore the endings and pick up the story from the middle. However, others say ending 1 will be the true ending, where Fox and Krystal make up, get back together and Krystal rejoins Star Fox, which soon after they head to Aquas where they meet Slippy's fiancee Amanda where they make her part of the Star Fox team . There is even uncertainaty of the game being canon at all to the series. Fox's Vehicle is called the Arwing II, it boasts a Decent amount of health and boost, and can either receive plasma blasters or twin lasers depending on the storyline.
In this game, Takaya Imamura gave Fox a cartoonish appearance, compared to the more realistic look of Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox: Assault. According to Imamura, realistic fur was unpopular with players.
, although his fast movements make him very difficult to control. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, he is light and quick (third in speed only to Captain Falcon
and Sonic the Hedgehog
) but has weak attacks. His attacks include a blaster
,a dash attack, a hexagonal reflector, and the Landmaster Tank. Falco Lombardi
and Wolf O'Donnell, also from the Star Fox series, have similar attack sets.
, where a portrait of him can be found in track-side billboards. Additionally, in one of the tracks, an Arwing will occasionally fly overhead. In F-Zero X
and GX
, a character named James McCloud is a playable racer, bearing the name of Fox's father. He has a similar appearance to Fox, with his hair looking like ears, and wears sunglasses as well. As if an inside joke, one of the multiple endings in Star Fox Command, Fox and Falco join a G-Zero space racing team; a reference to the F-Zero series.
, Fox McCloud has gained a cult following. Nintendo Power
listed Fox as their 18th favorite hero, stating that while some of his games weren't the best, he has a long list of accomplishments. Early in the Nintendo 64
's lifespan, Fox McCloud ranked fifth in IGN
's top five best Nintendo 64 character list. IGN
praised Fox's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee
, saying that he featured some of the best texture work and modeling in the game. In their preview of Star Fox: Assault
, IGN editors Juan Castro and Matt Casamassina
described Fox's voice as juvenile yet tough. Fox ranked eighth on GameDaily
's Top 10 Smash Bros. characters list. In an IGN poll for voting from a list of ten Nintendo characters for favorite Nintendo character of all time, Fox came in fourth, behind Link, Mario
, and Samus
respectively.
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
video game character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
and designed by Takaya Imamura
Takaya Imamura
is a Japanese artwork designer for Nintendo. He designed the characters from the F-Zero and Star Fox series of video games. He is credited for creating many of the characters, universe, and overall concept of those franchises. He is the original designer of Captain Falcon and Fox McCloud in Super...
. As his name implies, he is a red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
and the main player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
of the series.
In each game the player controls Fox, either on the ground or in his Arwing. He is the leader of the Star Fox team, and is joined by his wingmates on various missions.
In the English release of Star Fox 64, he was voiced by Mike West. In both the Japanese release of Star Fox 64 and Super Smash Bros., Fox's voices were done by Shinobu Satōchi (speaking in English with a Japanese accent for the English version). For English dialogue of Super Smash Bros. Melee and Star Fox Adventures, Fox's voice was done by Rare's Steve Malpass
Steve Malpass
Steve Malpass is a former designer and voice actor who has worked for Rare Ltd from 1997 to 2009. He also worked for HAL Laboratory....
. In Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault is a third-person shooter video game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth released title in the Star Fox series. It was released on February 14, 2005 in North America, on February 24, 2005 in Japan, on April 29, 2005 in Europe,...
, his voice was done by Jim Walker in the English release and by Kenji Nojima
Kenji Nojima
is a Japanese seiyū who was born in Tokyo. He is employed by Japanese voice talent agency Aoni Production. He is the son of veteran seiyū Akio Nojima and is the younger brother of seiyū Hirofumi Nojima...
in the Japanese release. Nojima reprised his role for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, as did Walker for the English version. In Star Fox 64 3D
Star Fox 64 3D
is a video game for the Nintendo 3DS and is a remake of Star Fox 64. It was co-developed between Nintendo EAD and Q-Games, and was published by Nintendo...
, he is voiced by Takashi Ōhara
Takashi Ohara
is a male Japanese voice actor who works for Ken Production. He has an older sister, Sayaka Ōhara, who is also a voice actor.-Anime cast in:*Happiness! as Yuuma Kohinata*Higurashi no Naku Koro ni as Delinquent 2...
in Japanese.
Concept and creation
Argonaut Games
Argonaut Games plc was a British video game developer. Founded as Argonaut Software by teenager Jez San in 1982 the company name is a play on his name and the movie title Jason and the Argonauts. It had its head offices in Edgware, London....
and Nintendo collaborated to produce a 3D space shooter
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
for the Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, provisionally titled 'SnesGlider'. The development team, led by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, redesigned what had been a tech demo
Tech demo
A tech demo is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a product, put together with the primary purpose of showcasing the idea, performance, method or the features of the product...
into a rail shooter, with Nintendo designing the game and Argonaut handling the technical aspects. However, without a story, it lacked incentives to play beyond flying and shooting. Miyamoto sketched out a fictional universe, but could not decide on a natural hero to convey a sense of an epic space battle. Names under consideration included Star Wolf, Star Sheep, Star Fox, Star Sparrow and Star Hawk. Miyamoto finally settled on having a fox as the main character after visiting Fushimi Inari-taisha
Fushimi Inari-taisha
is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines....
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, the head shrine of Inari
Inari (mythology)
is the Japanese kami of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry and worldly success and one of the principal kami of Shinto. Represented as male, female, or androgynous, Inari is sometimes seen as a collective of three or five individual kami...
, a Japanese kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
associated with foxes. Inari is portrayed as being able to fly, and its shrines, particularly the one in Kyoto, are surrounded by red arches (torii), giving Miyamoto the idea of a fox that could fly through arches. Fox's face was modeled after Inari's, and always wears a red "scarf" around his neck, like the statue, with the exception of his design from Star Fox: Assault. This however could be contested on the grounds that Fox's face was not based upon Inari's until Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64
, known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is a reboot of the original Star Fox, and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64....
, as Fox had a very realistic look in the original Star Fox
Star Fox (video game)
, released as Starwing in Europe and Australia due to a game of the same name and subsequent trademark issues in those regions, is the first game in the Star Fox series of video games. It was released in the spring of 1993 for the SFC/SNES...
. Fox's personality is loosely based on Miyamoto's, with the name 'Fox McCloud' being suggested by Dylan Cuthbert, one of the Argonaut team.
Characteristics
In the original Star Fox, Fox wears an orange suit with a flight jacket and metallic boots, along with a communication device on his head. In Star Fox 64, he wears a green suit and his jacket sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. Also in Star Fox 64, if the game is played at a certain difficulty, Fox wears a pair of sunglasses. In Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 26, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999. Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super...
and its sequel, Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, Fox appears as he did in Star Fox 64. In Star Fox Adventures, he has a white vest instead of a jacket, his headgear is replaced with a device on his wrist, and wears a knee pad on his left leg. He also wears a large backpack for carrying items, such as Krystal's Staff and the CloudRunner Flute. In Star Fox: Assault, his appearance changes drastically. He wears a green and red jumpsuit, a white vest, pads on his knees and shoulders, and his boots are red and black instead of gray. As in Adventures, his communication device is on his wrist. In Star Fox Command, Fox has gone back to his Star Fox 64 attire, but without his sleeves rolled up. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, Fox has a similar appearance of his Star Fox 64 and Command designs. Although Nintendo has not officially cited Fox's height in a game manual, Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
released a card featuring Fox, which stated his height, during Star Fox 64, to be 5'8", his weight to be 155 lbs, and his age to be 18. Fox would be 26 in Adventures (as Adventures takes place just 8 years after the events of Star Fox 64), 27 in Assault (the game manual stated 1 year had passed since the conclusion of Adventures), and 29 to 30 in Command.
In the 1993 Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
Star Fox comic, Fox had a romantic relationship with Fara Phoenix. While slightly ambiguous, it is obvious that they held mutual affections for each other throughout the comics. Still, the comics are considered non-canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, since Star Fox 64 replaced the original SNES Star Fox title. In the official games canon, Fox became infatuated with Krystal when he first saw her trapped on top of Krazoa Palace in Star Fox Adventures. He is romantically involved with Krystal after the events of Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
, confirming that they loved each other when speaking with Lucy about his relationship with Krystal. During Command Krystal soon leaves after Fox asked her to leave because he feared for her safety. Star Fox Command
Star Fox Command
is the fifth game in Nintendo's Star Fox series which was published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006 and 2007. Released in Japan on August 3, 2006 and in North America on August 28, 2006, it was first announced at the E3 2005 conference, under the name Star Fox DS...
has several different endings in which they either get back together or split apart completely. In one of these endings, the pair settles down and has a son named Marcus McCloud 10 years later. Marcus takes on his father's legacy by becoming the future leader of the Star Fox team.
Fox is known for being professional, cocky, and shy, expressing each trait in different circumstances. His professional side is shown when he is in serious situations especially in his Arwing, this is most notable side to Fox shown in all Star Fox games. Fox's cocky side was more notable than his professional side in Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
, where he acted more like a teenager than compared to an adult, showing low enthusiasm when taking on difficult situations and showing a habit of grasping the back of his neck with his hand when he was put on the spot. Fox's shy side is only expressed when he is around Krystal, who flirts with him frequently. His reactions are shown as him blushing, temperature rising, and constant stuttering. This is a clear sign of Fox's feelings towards Krystal. He also has shown signs of being a little self-centered and money-hungry. In Star Fox Adventures he was constantly grumbling about not being paid enough for what he was being asked to do and made references to only caring about any of this for the inevitable pay-off. He frequently rolled his eyes or sighed when he found out that he was being asked to do even more work or when a conversation with a character simply went on too long. Nonetheless, this was more bravado than anything else, as he ended up saving the day quite willingly.
Star Fox
In the original SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
game, Fox's father, James McCloud, was sent into the blackhole after an experimental bomb testing "went wrong". The bomb was designed by Andross, then a scientist of the planet Corneria, and it was secretly supposed to detonate when James reached critical velocity. Andross was exiled into space for his mad crimes, where he eventually built a sizable army on the planet Venom, bent on revenge and the conquest of the galaxy. Fox was a member of the Cornerian flight academy, like his dad, and he protested against the poor decision of Andross's exile; however, the Cornerian government didn't want to be bothered further, and quickly silenced Fox and anyone else who dissented. This led Fox to leave Corneria to lead a life as a mercenary, together with his friends and teammates Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare. Years later, General pepper of Corneria summoned Fox and his Team back to combat Andross's forces. To do so, he gave Team Star Fox the Arwing Fighters. The game leads over 3 routes, through differing locations and difficulty levels, all leading to Fox's confrontation with Andross on the planet Venom. Starfox 64 later altered this storyline completely, making it inapplicable to the modern Star Fox storyline.
Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 is a remake of Star Fox on the SNES, and adds new characters and ideas taken from the cancelled Star Fox 2Star Fox 2
was an unreleased video game for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was to be the second of the Star Fox series and the direct sequel to Star Fox. Both Argonaut Games and Nintendo developed the game, with Nintendo planning to publish it. The Japanese version was completely...
. Fox McCloud's friendship with Bill Grey is depicted during the game, and he fights Wolf O'Donnell of the rival Star Wolf team. The Black Hole of the SNES game is absent, instead, James McCloud is supposed to have died at the hands of Andross himself. Once Star Fox reaches Venom, they fight through its defensive lines or Star Wolf to Andross's base, depending on which route the player takes. Despite the protests of his team, Fox faces Andross alone. If the player has chosen the hard route, Fox's father James appears to lead his son to safety when Andross's base explodes, disappearing when Fox escapes. Whether this was living James, a ghost or a figment of Fox's imagination is yet to be seen. Fox then leaves victorious as Andross's base explodes behind him. Back on Corneria, General Pepper offers to integrate them into the Cornerian army. Fox declines, saying that they prefer doing things their own way.
An action figure of Fox McCloud armed with a missile launcher was produced to accompany the game, but never got beyond the prototype stage.
Star Fox Adventures
In Star Fox AdventuresStar Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
, a Nintendo GameCube game set eight years after Star Fox 64, Fox McCloud is hired to stop Dinosaur Planet breaking apart. Fox rescues Prince Tricky, a young dinosaur of the EarthWalker tribe, from the Sharpclaw tribe. The villain of the game, General Scales, plans to conquer the planet piece by piece. The two find four Spell Stones, magical objects that hold the planet together, returning them to their rightful positions, and free Krystal, an imprisoned vixen, in which Fox and Krystal fall in love with a result in Krystal joining the team at the end of the game. Fox then defeats a resurrected Andross, who was the real villain behind the troubles on Dinosaur Planet. McCloud then returns to the Great Fox, and General Pepper pays him for saving the planet. Falco Lombardi, who had been absent for the majority of the game, is reunited with the team.
Star Fox Adventures was originally intended for release on the Nintendo 64 as Dinosaur Planet, an action adventure starring Krystal and a fox character named Sabre. Created by developers Rare, the game was essentially complete, and was ready for release in the fourth quarter of 2000. The game was shown off at the E3 video game trade show in May that year, but cancelled shortly afterwards.
Nintendo had noticed the similarity between Fox McCloud and Sabre, and decided to convert the game into Star Fox Adventures. In an interview with IGN at the 2000 E3, Shigeru Miyamoto commented on the similarity between the two characters, jokingly suggesting he should call the development team about it.
Star Fox: Assault
A year after the events of Star Fox Adventures, Fox and his team are hired to defeat Andrew Oikonny, the nephew of the late Andross and former Star Wolf member, who has started a rebellion against Corneria with the remnants of Andross's forces. Team Star Fox manages to corner Oikonny on the planet Fortuna, when Oikonny is suddenly shot down by a creature known as an Aparoid; strange, bug-like organisms with the ability to assimilate things, living and nonliving. On planet Katina, the team runs into Pigma Dengar, who sent out an S.O.S. signal to lure them. Pigma steals the core memory of a defeated Aparoid, which the team needs in order to locate the homeworld of the race and destroy the Aparoid Queen; the Aparoid leader. Star Fox then encounters and gets into a brief skirmish with the Star Wolf team while searching for Pigma. After defeating Pigma, the stolen core memory is obtained. After freeing Dinosaur Planet, now called Sauria, from the Aparoids, Fox then learns that Corneria has been heavily assaulted by the enemy. But, to the amazment of the Star Fox team and players alike, the very enemies Fox never thought would help the opposite team. Star Wolf comes straight from the depths and destroy the Aparoid army. Fox finally reaches aparoid world, where the Queen is destroyed along with the home planet itself, once again with help from Star Wolf.Star Fox Command
Once again, the Lylat System falls under peril in Star Fox CommandStar Fox Command
is the fifth game in Nintendo's Star Fox series which was published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006 and 2007. Released in Japan on August 3, 2006 and in North America on August 28, 2006, it was first announced at the E3 2005 conference, under the name Star Fox DS...
, this time under attack by a new foe known as the Anglars, who originated from Venom's acidic oceans. It is up to Fox McCloud to save the galaxy once more by slowly liberating invaded territory and arriving at Venom to defeat the Anglar Emperor. This time, he begins the battle with only ROB 64 at his side, as the team has been disbanded for various reasons. Along the way, other characters will join Fox and the team becomes whole again.
As Command has nine different outcomes, it is uncertain which is the true path Fox and crew take, or wherever Command is even canon to the series or not; but the developers have suggested that any sequel might ignore the endings and pick up the story from the middle. However, others say ending 1 will be the true ending, where Fox and Krystal make up, get back together and Krystal rejoins Star Fox, which soon after they head to Aquas where they meet Slippy's fiancee Amanda where they make her part of the Star Fox team . There is even uncertainaty of the game being canon at all to the series. Fox's Vehicle is called the Arwing II, it boasts a Decent amount of health and boost, and can either receive plasma blasters or twin lasers depending on the storyline.
In this game, Takaya Imamura gave Fox a cartoonish appearance, compared to the more realistic look of Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox: Assault. According to Imamura, realistic fur was unpopular with players.
Super Smash Bros. series
Fox McCloud has appeared in all three Super Smash Bros. games as a default playable character. He is considered to be the character with the most potential in Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, although his fast movements make him very difficult to control. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, he is light and quick (third in speed only to Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon
Douglas Jay Falcon, better known by his alias, , is a playable character in the racing video game series F-Zero. He first appeared in F-Zero, and has been called the poster boy of the F-Zero franchise. Nintendo first envisioned Captain Falcon as a flagship character to represent the release of a...
and Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
) but has weak attacks. His attacks include a blaster
Raygun
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns...
,a dash attack, a hexagonal reflector, and the Landmaster Tank. Falco Lombardi
Falco Lombardi
Falco Lombardi, known as in Japan, is an anthropomorphic falcon or pheasant character from the Star Fox series of video games. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. Falco acts as the wingman and friend of title character Fox McCloud for the majority of the...
and Wolf O'Donnell, also from the Star Fox series, have similar attack sets.
Other appearances
Fox has small cameos in other games, notably Stunt Race FXStunt Race FX
Stunt Race FX, known in Japan as , is a cartoon-style, 3D-racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Argonaut Software and published by Nintendo for the Super NES. It was the second game to use the 3D-centric Super FX chip.-Gameplay:Stunt Race FX appears to be like a zany...
, where a portrait of him can be found in track-side billboards. Additionally, in one of the tracks, an Arwing will occasionally fly overhead. In F-Zero X
F-Zero X
, is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed by Nintendo's EAD division, it was released in Japan, Europe and North America, in 1998. In 2000, an expansion of the game was exclusively released in Japan providing numerous extra features not in the original game. F-Zero...
and GX
F-Zero GX
is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo GameCube console. Developed by Sega's Amusement Vision department and supervised and published by Nintendo, it was released in Japan, Europe and North America . F-Zero AX, the arcade counterpart of GX, uses hardware conceived from a business...
, a character named James McCloud is a playable racer, bearing the name of Fox's father. He has a similar appearance to Fox, with his hair looking like ears, and wears sunglasses as well. As if an inside joke, one of the multiple endings in Star Fox Command, Fox and Falco join a G-Zero space racing team; a reference to the F-Zero series.
Reception
Since the release of the original Star FoxStar Fox (video game)
, released as Starwing in Europe and Australia due to a game of the same name and subsequent trademark issues in those regions, is the first game in the Star Fox series of video games. It was released in the spring of 1993 for the SFC/SNES...
, Fox McCloud has gained a cult following. Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
listed Fox as their 18th favorite hero, stating that while some of his games weren't the best, he has a long list of accomplishments. Early in the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
's lifespan, Fox McCloud ranked fifth in IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's top five best Nintendo 64 character list. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised Fox's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, saying that he featured some of the best texture work and modeling in the game. In their preview of Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault is a third-person shooter video game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth released title in the Star Fox series. It was released on February 14, 2005 in North America, on February 24, 2005 in Japan, on April 29, 2005 in Europe,...
, IGN editors Juan Castro and Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina is a video game journalist who worked for IGN until April 23, 2010. In his time at the site, he was the author of many reviews and previews of Nintendo games. He resides in Los Angeles, California, is married and has two daughters, Zoe and Fiona Jade, and a son named Rocco Archer...
described Fox's voice as juvenile yet tough. Fox ranked eighth on GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
's Top 10 Smash Bros. characters list. In an IGN poll for voting from a list of ten Nintendo characters for favorite Nintendo character of all time, Fox came in fourth, behind Link, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, and Samus
Samus Aran
is the protagonist of the Metroid video game series. Introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid, Samus is a female ex-army soldier bounty hunter usually fitted with a powered armor suit with weapons that include beams and missiles...
respectively.