Indie studios move into the Star Fox gap
The Verge reports that smaller developers are building Star Fox-like games as Nintendo’s space shooter series waits for a new original entry.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Indie developers are filling space left by Nintendo’s Star Fox series, with several studios building rail-shooter projects that draw on the franchise’s style. The push matters because, according to The Verge, Star Fox has a new Switch 2 remake but has not had a fully new installment since Star Fox Zero on the Wii U.
The Verge reported that two upcoming games are part of that wave: Rogue Eclipse from Huskrafts and Wild Blue Skies from Chuhai Labs. Chuhai Labs was founded by Giles Goddard, a former Star Fox programmer, according to The Verge.
The trend follows other recent indie releases that The Verge described as carrying echoes of Star Fox, including Ex-Zodiac and Whisker Squadron: Survivor. Those games, along with the newer projects, point to continuing interest in a style of arcade space combat that Nintendo has revisited only unevenly in recent years.
A long wait for a new entry
Nintendo’s Star Fox series remains tied to memories of Star Fox 64, the 1997 Nintendo 64 game also released as Lylat Wars in some markets. The Verge framed the current moment around that nostalgia, noting that players can still stream Star Fox 64 through Nintendo Switch Online.
The company has revived the franchise through a Switch 2 remake, according to The Verge. But the last all-new Star Fox game cited in the report was Star Fox Zero, which launched on Wii U.
Goddard told The Verge that he does not see the series’ absence only as neglect. “It’s just that times have moved on,” he said, adding that each Star Fox release was strong for its era.
Goddard also told The Verge that the lasting appeal of those games may be tied to scarcity. “I think people are starved of originality more than any particular style or genre of game,” he said.
Indies face publisher caution
The Verge reported that indie developers working in this corner of the games market must also deal with risk-averse publishers. That makes the effort to revive Star Fox-like games a commercial challenge as well as a creative one.
Still, the list of projects suggests that smaller studios see an opening. Rogue Eclipse, Wild Blue Skies, Ex-Zodiac and Whisker Squadron: Survivor all sit in the space around fast, stylized aerial combat that Nintendo helped popularize.
For players waiting for Nintendo to make a new Star Fox, the next wave may come from outside the company. As The Verge reported, indie studios are now the ones trying to keep that style of game in motion.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.