The Wolfen (ウルフェン) is a class of spacefighter used by the Star Wolf Team. The Wolfen was fast and maneuverable, armed with dual laser cannons for an impressive punch. However, the shield system was weaker than the one found on Arwing starfighters. The two were a close match in capabilities, so in the end the pilot's skill would more often than not determine who won a battle. Although it takes little damage from Charged Lasers and Smart Bombs, by performing a barrel roll the Wolfen could somehow cause an Arwing's locked-on Charged Laser or Bomb to stop following it.
History
Lylat Wars
The original Wolfens were called into action by Andross, during the Lylat Wars, for the purpose of preventing the Star Fox team from reaching Venom. Depending on the choice of flight path, the player will meet Star Wolf at Fichina and may encounter them at Bolse. The Star Wolf team used the new improved Wolfen II in the defence of Andross's palace. After the Lylat Wars, these ships were dropped in favour of the original models.
Aparoid Invasion
By the time of the Aparoid uprising, the Wolfen starfighters were upgraded to a new level of superiority and once again faced the restored Arwings in defence of the Sargasso Hideout. For unknown reasons, Star Fox spotted discarded Wolfen ships, which were sighted suspended in the Asteroid Belt while the team were in pursuit of Pigma Dengar. The Star Wolf team disappeared after the events of the Sargasso Region conflict, but emerged surprisingly to temporarily join the Cornerians in their cause against the Aparoid attacks. The Wolfens were put to their full potential when assisting Star Fox in the breach of the Aparoid Homeworld, drawing enemy firepower away from the Arwing's to allow them to reach the Aparoid Queen. Star Wolf vanished after these events, yet Fox was positive of their survival.
Anglar Blitz
Sometime following the Aparoid Invasion, each member of Star Wolf Team upgraded their Wolfen to suit their own preferences. All the members of the Star Wolf had their own ships as did the Star Fox Team.
Wolf kept the traditional Wolfen (except in Japan, Wolf's Wolfen was called the Red Fang). Leon converted his into the Rainbow Delta, which gained a wave-beam function enabling continuous charged shots to be fired. Panther converted his into the Black Rose, which could fire a slow but powerful and long-range beam known as a Zapper.
In Super Smash Bros. Series
Super Smash Bros.
The Wolfen sometimes appears in the Sector Z stage in Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
The Wolfen appears in the Corneria stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It occasionally fires Lasers at the characters on screen, the Wolfen doesn't target any character in particular. Once it has stopped firing, the Wolfen will then fly off the screen after a few seconds. If a character remains on it when it flies off the screen, that character will receive a Star KO. The Wolfen appears as a Trophy in the game. The Wolfen also appears in the opening movie along with the Arwing.
Trophy
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Wolfen (Star Fox 64) | The beloved ship of the mercenary team Star Wolf, which was hired to destroy Fox and his team. The ship's abilities rival an Arwing.: As a matter of fact, the Wolfen II was an improvement over its predecessor and could nearly outperform team Star Fox's ships. Star Wolf's leader, Wolf O'Donnell is Fox's most persistent rival. |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Wolfen reappears in the Corneria stage as it did before. It also makes an appearance in the Lylat Cruise stage. The Wolfen also appears briefly in both Wolf's On-Screen Appearance in which he ejects from it to enter on the battlefield, as well as a bonus scene of the Subspace Emissary, in which Wolf ejects from the Wolfen and lands on the Lylat Cruise to face off the player. Its also notable that the Wolfen appears slightly different than the Star Fox: Assault version, where its wings are spread farther apart. It looks like a mix between the Star Fox 64 Wolfen and the Assault Wolfen. Countering Fox and Falco's field entries via Arwings, Wolf uses a Wolfen to enter the arena stage.
Trophy description
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Wolfen (Star Fox 64, Star Fox: Assault) |
A class of star fighter piloted by Team Star Fox's rivals, Team Star Wolf. Wolfens boast more gravity- suppressing plates than Arwings, making their performance equal or perhaps even superior. When Team Star Wolf reappeared, they were piloting Wolfen II ships--improved versions with two laser cannons rather than one and the capability to reflect attacks by rolling. |
Other Appearances
Star Fox 2
The Wolf Team was set to appear in the unreleased Star Fox 2, with similar features and roles as the Wolfen in Star Fox 64. Wolf piloted one with a specialist colour scheme.
Star Fox 64 manga
The Wolfen starfighters make an appearance in the Star Fox 64 manga, arriving at the Asteroid Belt to ambush the Star Fox Team. They (or a least Andrew's was) were armed with disrupter torpedoes, making an attack on Fox just after he destroys the Meteo Crusher. The following dogfighting sees Star Wolf beaten back, with Fox hot on Pigma's trail in anger of the Pig's treason against James McCloud but Wolf delays him to let Pigma escape. Crash landing at Venom, Andrew and Pigma face Andross's disapproval and they vow to get even with Star Fox.
Later on, Pigma and Andrew make their next assault on the Star Fox Team at Solar, but Wolf surprises everyone and furiously throws Pigma and Andrew off his team for acting against his orders and opens fire on them. This sudden act by Wolf allows the crippled Arwings to return to the Great Fox and continue their fight to Venom.
Gallery
Trivia
- The Wolfen is also an unlockable vehicle for the Star Fox: Assault Multi player mode after playing 150 matches.
- After gaining 100 points during Star Fox 64's Training Mode, one or more Wolfen ships will appear during the All-Range Mode section. It will fire lasers at the player, for the sake of training reasons, making it the only enemy to attack the player other then the Venomian Landmaster. These Wolfen are less of a challenge than their main game counterparts.
- In Super Smash Bros., three Wolfen starfighters can be seen at the background at Sector Z Stage, although Star Wolf were not encountered at that location during the Lylat Wars.
- In Super Smash Bros. Melee, during the intro, the Wolfen shoot red lasers like they and other hostile spacecraft do in Star Fox 64. Yet on the Corneria or Venom Stage, the Wolfen shoot blue lasers, this remains the same in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
References
NINTENDO POWER Star Fox 64: Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Redmond, WA, Nintendo of America. 1997.
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| Members |        Ruffian
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| Vehicles |   Hunter   
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| Bases | Sargasso Hideout | |