This article is about the overall historical continuity of the Star Fox series, for other uses of the term see here.
Star Fox is a series of sci-fi rail shooter video games created by Nintendo, featuring anthropomorphic animals as characters. The setting mainly takes place in outer space in the Lylat System. Games in the series have been released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Wii U. The majority of the Star Fox games are considered rail shooters, although Star Fox Adventures is more of an adventure title in the vein of The Legend of Zelda.
Games
Star Fox
Facing the wrath of the evil ape-like Emperor Andross, the fox Fox McCloud and his team must battle their way through the Lylat System to put an end to Andross' madness.
Developed by Nintendo EAD and Argonaut Software members in Japan, Star Fox was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993, and was quite bold in breaking technical barriers with the new Super FX chip. The chip simulated three-dimensional graphics -- a first for console games.
Star Fox 2 (unreleased)
Andross survived his encounter with Fox and has returned to destroy Corneria. With an arsenal of new enemies and giant missiles aimed at the planet, Andross' insurrection is large enough to demand the attention of the Star Fox team. With new custom Arwings, a Mothership, and rookies, the team must defend Corneria and take the battle to Andross himself.
The game was cancelled due to the impending release of the Nintendo 64, and the desire to use a more powerful system. Nintendo has stated that it currently has no plans to officially distribute this title. Some pre-release copies have since been leaked, and an anonymous ex-Nintendo employee finally released the near-final Japanese ROM in August 2002, making it fully playable with an emulator. Some of the gameplay elements introduced in this sequel were later implemented in Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Command. It is the only cancelled title in the series with the furthest known development.
Star Fox 64
Many years have passed since the supposed death of James McCloud, the former leader of the Star Fox Team. Andross, a psychotic anthropoid scientist and powerful dictator of the planet Venom, has built an army and unleashed an invasion onto the neighboring planets of the Lylat system. Under direct orders from General Pepper, a new Star Fox Team, lead by James' son Fox, must battle their way through Andross' forces in hope to stop him and liberate the Lylat system.
Released in 1997, Star Fox 64 included and introduced the Rumble Pak to the North American gaming audience. Full spoken dialogue replaced the original game's Lylat Speak.
This game is considered a series reboot and shares the "official" first title of the series along with the original 1993 Star Fox game. The Japanese Star Fox Adventures website suggested that their events are really two sides of the same coin.
Star Fox Adventures
Eight years have passed since the end of the battle against Andross. Having issues with money, the Star Fox Team is contacted by General Pepper to investigate problems on the distant planet Dinosaur Planet (referred to as Sauria in later games) after receiving a distress call. With Falco Lombardi gone, the rest of the team agrees to do so and sets forth on another adventure.
Star Fox Adventures was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002. The series took a very different turn in gameplay and style. Originally called Dinosaur Planet and unrelated to the Star Fox series, the game was later branded with the Star Fox logo, and overhauled to include flying missions and the series' trademark characters. Instead of being a rail shooter like its predecessors, Star Fox Adventures was more of an action-adventure game, akin to the Legend of Zelda series. Some gamers were disappointed with the lack of Arwing fights and the use of a "magical staff", but it received decent reviews.
Star Fox: Assault
A year after the crisis at Sauria, a new threat haunts the Lylat and brings up images of an old enemy -- Andross. His nephew Andrew Oikonny has taken over his uncle's army and has begun to attack Corneria. To add to the threat, a new alien force has come to threaten Lylat -- the Aparoids. Bent on absorbing the life in the system, the alien invasion brings about massive devastation to the citizens of these planets, and the Star Fox team is forced to protect them.
Star Fox: Assault was developed by Namco for the GameCube and released in 2005. The gameplay in Assault returned the series to its roots with trademark ship-based shooting. New features were added, such as the addition of on-foot missions. Assault was released to mixed reviews, with the main complaints being control problems, the short length of the main game, and the amount of on-foot missions.
Star Fox Command
Andross may have been defeated, but a new threat is rising from the poisonous Venom Sea -- The Anglars, lead by the Anglar Emperor. And that's not all; Team Star Fox has been shattered, and Fox stands alone against the Anglars.
Released in 2006, Star Fox Command was the only Star Fox title developed for the Nintendo DS. Multiplayer is possible with up to 6 players. Another feature is the use of the DS's built in microphone to make recordings that can be used in the game.
It is implied that Command is non-canon as it has many different endings. It remains to be seen in any future titles if this game is indeed relevant to the series continuity.
Star Fox 64 3D
At E3 2010 a promo trailer for the then-upcoming Nintendo 3DS was shown. The trailer depicted an Arwing flying out of a DS along with other iconic Nintendo-related objects -- including DK barrels, the Master Sword, and a Hylian Shield. Nintendo confirmed that they were producing a remake of Star Fox 64 along with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS. They were released early in the handheld's run, though not as launch titles. Star Fox 64 3D was released in 2011.
Star Fox Zero
The first original Star Fox title since Star Fox Command in 2006, Star Fox Zero was released for the Wii U in April 2016. It is currently debated what continuity Zero will follow or if it will start a new one, but it features elements that appear similar to the unreleased Star Fox 2. As well as traditional Arwing and Landmaster gameplay styles, Zero introduced new Walker and Gyrowing vehicles, which are used for stationary exploration like collecting Medals in areas that require slower pacing. The Landmaster can now transform into a fully flight driven jet instead of just hovering. As well as Star Wolf making antagonistic roles once more, it is worth noting that Andross' Empire appear to be the main villains again.
Super Smash Bros. series
The Star Fox series has been represented in all Super Smash Bros. series titles, with Fox as a default playable character, followed by Falco and Wolf as unlockable characters in Melee and Brawl. Fox (default) and Falco (unlockable) both appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, though Wolf has been removed.