How to play Star Fox online
- Fly your ship: arrow keys (all directions)
- Fire the laser cannon: Space bar
- Second player: T/F/G/H to fly, A to fire
- Start a new game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Choose a game mode: F11 (the console’s Select switch)
Gameplay
The manual sets the game in the year 4024. A friendly robot freighter carrying trimetalisium energy crystals has crashed on the planetoid Beta-7, and an enemy star cruiser is on its way to take the cargo. Your job is to pick up as many crystals as you can and destroy every enemy drone you meet.
The crystals lie low in Beta-7’s orange atmosphere. When you drop down to collect them, your landing gear comes out automatically and you can no longer move left or right. That is when the drones switch tactics: they hover above you and drop bombs. You can destroy a drone by shooting it or by ramming it, though ramming is worth far less. The drones get faster as your score rises, and new ones arrive every 2,000 points. You start with four ships, and the game ends when all of them are lost.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Ram a drone | 10 |
| Shoot a drone | 100 |
| Recover a crystal | 200 |
Game modes
The Select switch offers a practice mode for one player with no scoring, plus a first and a second level, each for one or two players. On the second level, ramming a drone costs you a ship. In two-player games the players take turns, starting with the left joystick. The difficulty switches are not used.
Tips
- Clear the sky before you dive. Once you are low enough to collect crystals you cannot dodge sideways, so shoot nearby drones first.
- Ram only in an emergency. It scores just 10 points, and on the second level it costs a ship.
- Start with practice mode. It lets you learn how the landing gear locks your movement without losing points.
History
Star Fox was one of Mythicon’s 1983 cartridges, alongside Fire Fly and Sorcerer, and it did not win many fans. It is often listed among the weakest games on the system; one Digital Press review complained that the playfield and difficulty never change. Today it is mostly of interest to collectors and to anyone curious about the first video game called Star Fox.
