General |
Spyborg is an unfinished robot guardian that was left to aimlessly adrift around the destroyed space base at Sector X, in the aftermath of an incident where it apparently malfunctioned beyond control and went on a rampage in search of its creator.
Biography[]
Spyborg was assembled in the weapons labs on Macbeth during the Lylat Wars by the Venom Army. Cornerian spies also reported that it was a secret weapon and that Andross was developing a star base in Sector X, but remote sensors only detected a huge field of space debris. It was unclear if Andross's base construction project had been destroyed by some kind of accident, or if was is part of his plan. Spyborg was apparently meant to be a weapon to be used against Corneria. However, a malfunction in its programming made it uncontrollable, and it destroyed the base it was housed in.
The Star Fox Team were sent to Sector X on a reconnaissance order by General Pepper to inquire about the reports of Andross's forces working on a secret weapon, which Falco expressed excitement in seeing for himself. After passing the Warp Gate outside the remains of the base in Sector X on the routes between Macbeth and Titania, the Star Fox team encountered the wandering Spyborg and were forced to retaliate after the seemingly unfinished robot attacked the Arwings while it was consistently inquiring about its master's whereabouts, striking out at anything in front of him. Falco assumed it to be crazy, but the Spyborg was nevertheless intent on being completed, which was minimal after it was eventually destroyed and it's destruction added to the Star Fox service invoice.
Portrayal[]
Spyborg's dialogue in Star Fox 64 was performed by Lyssa Browne who ironically voiced Slippy too. Browne reprised her role for the 3DS release.
Gallery[]
Continuity[]
- Spyborg is one of the few "talking" bosses where the pilot (the Venomian artificial intelligence) can be seen. If one looks closely at the area where Spyborg's head used to be during the second phase of the battle, one can notice a small panel that is primarily blue with a red circle in the center, not unlike Spyborg's communication channel portrait.
- Spyborg's transmission channel icon is also the only boss transmission channel that does not reappear in "Star Fox Zero", since it did not appear in the game.
- Spyborg is the only boss in "Star Fox 64 3D" to not have a descriptive subtitle when it appears.
Behind the scenes[]
- Spyborg's hostile A.I. programming and red eye were inspired by HAL 9000, the main antagonistic A.I. from 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is confirmed by Spyborg's audio labels in the rejected developer's dub. Even the Japanese name, HVC-09, reflects this homage.
- Based on cut lines from the developer's dub, Slippy thought Spyborg's control chip malfunctioned, explaining why he recklessly tried to fix him himself (and was swatted to Titania for it). Spyborg also seems to target Star Fox and the Venomians alike because he mistakes them for bugs.
- Upon being beaten the first time, Spyborg, upon revival, then wags his index finger and shakes his head, similar to the T-1000 in the climax of Terminator 2: Judgment Day when Sarah Connor ran out of ammo before she could deliver the coup de grâce on him.
- Spyborg's nature and origin seems to be similar to the M-5 Multitronic Unit from the Star Trek episode, "The Ultimate Computer". Similarly, its desire to find it's "creator" is similar to the V'Ger entity from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which also wished to find its creator.
- Spyborg was originally intended to share the role as the Sector X boss alongside Vulcain (the latter of which was meant to be the secret weapon alluded to throughout the mission), with the bosses varying depending on the route the player took beforehand. He was presumably meant to be fought if the player took the warp route due to Spyborg's limbs being encountered there.
Names in Other Languages[]
Language | Name |
---|---|
Japanese | HVC-09 (Based off the Robotic Operating Buddy's Name) |
References[]
- NINTENDO POWER: Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Redmond, WA, Nintendo of America. 1997.
- .com
- https://tcrf.net/Development:Star_Fox_64/Audio#Rejected_Developer_Dub