# Star Fox 2
**Star Fox 2** (スターフォックス2) is a 3D rail-and-free-roaming shooter developed by Nintendo with the British studio Argonaut Software as the sequel to [Star Fox](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-fox) (1993). Completed in 1995 but canceled before release, it remained unreleased for 22 years until Nintendo shipped it worldwide in 2017 as an included title on the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom, sold in the United States as the [Super NES Classic Edition](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-nes-classic-edition).[1](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2017/170627.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo EAD with Argonaut Software; Dylan Cuthbert served as lead programmer[2](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/feature_the_full_story_behind_star_fox_2_nintendos_most_famous_cancellation) |
| Completion and cancellation | Finished in 1995; canceled because the Nintendo 64 was imminent and the required Super FX 2 chip would raise cartridge prices[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html) |
| First release | Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom, October 5, 2017 (7,980 yen); SNES Classic Edition, September 29, 2017 ($79.99)[1](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2017/170627.html) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7iELeijcus) |
| Unlock condition | Playable on the mini console only after beating the first level of the included Star Fox[1](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2017/170627.html) |
| Hardware | Runs on the second revision of the Super FX chip, which supports limited texture mapping and more detailed polygon models than the original[5](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/star_fox_2) |
| Design departure | Removes the original's on-rails gameplay in favor of a real-time strategy-style overworld map of the Lylat system[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-fox-2-review/1900-6416778/) • [7](https://videochums.com/article/star-fox-2-back-from-obscurity) |
## Development
Production on the sequel began almost as soon as the first game was finished, according to Dylan Cuthbert, then employed by UK studio Argonaut Software, which had co-created Star Fox and the Super FX polygon-rendering chip with Nintendo.[2](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/feature_the_full_story_behind_star_fox_2_nintendos_most_famous_cancellation) The first public statement on the project was a February 1994 Usenet post by Cuthbert on rec.games.video.nintendo stating that the game would continue to use polygons.[8](https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0077)
Within Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto served as game designer and producer, Takaya Imamura handled non-polygon graphics, character design, and the story lines, and Tsuyoshi Watanabe was in charge of polygon design.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html) • [2](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/feature_the_full_story_behind_star_fox_2_nintendos_most_famous_cancellation) Imamura was stationed permanently in the Argonaut office during development.[2](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/feature_the_full_story_behind_star_fox_2_nintendos_most_famous_cancellation)
The second revision of the Super FX chip, with double the memory of the original, allowed more polygons on screen and broadened what the team could show; Watanabe credits it with the decision to let the Arwing fighter transform into a walking mode, the Walker.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html) • [5](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/star_fox_2) The chip also permits limited texture-mapping effects and more detailed polygon models than the first Star Fox cartridge.[5](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/star_fox_2)
## Cancellation
The game was shown favorably at the Winter 1995 Consumer Electronics Show, but by the middle of 1995 Nintendo was hesitant to release it against the better-looking [Sega Saturn](https://www.edgepedia.org/sega-saturn) and Sony PlayStation; its graphics, while supporting gameplay that outshone most Saturn and [PlayStation](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation) games released that year, were not impressive by comparison.[8](https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0077) Nintendo had planned a launch in August 1995.[9](https://www.gamesradar.com/platforms/nintendo/star-fox-dev-wasnt-too-upset-that-its-canceled-sequel-was-delayed-by-22-years-because-he-didnt-want-the-snes-game-to-be-compared-to-the-obviously-far-superior-playstation/)
Miyamoto gave the producer's account in a 2017 interview: the game was finished in 1995, but the [Nintendo 64](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-64), hardware built for polygons, was due the following year. Releasing Star Fox 2 would have required the Super FX 2 chip, raising cartridge prices, and the timing was awkward, so Nintendo canceled it and started a new Star Fox game for the Nintendo 64, which became [Star Fox 64](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-fox-64) (1997).[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html) He added that the decision was not based on testing: "It's not like we showed it to testers and they gave it a low grade."[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html)
Cuthbert later said the team was less disappointed than fans might expect, since he did not want the SNES game compared with the "obviously far superior" PlayStation.[9](https://www.gamesradar.com/platforms/nintendo/star-fox-dev-wasnt-too-upset-that-its-canceled-sequel-was-delayed-by-22-years-because-he-didnt-want-the-snes-game-to-be-compared-to-the-obviously-far-superior-playstation/) Watanabe, by contrast, described the cancellation as a shock after the work he had put in.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html) When Star Fox 64 was confirmed, Nintendo chose not to involve Argonaut despite the studio's work on both earlier games.[10](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/03/feature_the_making_of_star_fox) For two decades the game survived only through videos and incomplete leaked ROMs.[11](https://as.com/meristation/2018/02/25/analisis/1519542000_173446.html)
## Gameplay
Star Fox 2 takes place a few years after the original game.[12](https://egmnow.com/star-fox-2-review/) Nearly every stage allows for free flying in any direction, in contrast to the on-rails gameplay used by its predecessor.[7](https://videochums.com/article/star-fox-2-back-from-obscurity) • [17](https://retronauts.com/article/417/star-fox-2-and-knowing-what-youve-been-missing) Instead, an overworld map of the Lylat system operates in real time: missiles fly toward Corneria, enemy squadrons patrol, and carriers approach their targets while the player sends pilots out to defuse multiple interplanetary threats.[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-fox-2-review/1900-6416778/) The design includes a real-time strategy element and free-roaming 3D, an ambitious combination for 1995 hardware.[13](https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/star-fox-has-become-nintendos-most-persistent-comeback-story-resurfacing-again-on-switch-2-but-its-history-stretches-far-beyond-remakes)
The planets offer varied missions, with underwater sections on Fortuna and molten lava on Macbeth that damages the ship in Walker mode, though reviewers found the all-range approach less detailed than the set-pieces of the first game.[5](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/star_fox_2) Critics of the 2017 release also noted a sluggish framerate and rudimentary visuals that make dogfights laborious, alongside praise for the game's design.[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-fox-2-review/1900-6416778/)
## Release and reception
On June 27, 2017, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom would include Star Fox 2 among its 21 titles, marking the game's first release worldwide; the console launched October 5, 2017 in Japan at 7,980 yen, and the Super NES Classic Edition followed September 29 in Western markets at $79.99.[1](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2017/170627.html) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7iELeijcus) The announcement surprised fans worldwide, including the sequel's own lead programmer.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html) • [14](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/10/exclusive-legendary-star-fox-coder-on-series-history-surprise-sequel-launch/)
Reviews of the released build were broadly positive about the design. Nintendo World Report called it every bit as essential as the majority of the SNES Classic's library,[15](https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/45546/star-fox-2-review) and GameSpot described it as both an expression of the SNES platform's technical limitations and laudable modern game design.[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-fox-2-review/1900-6416778/) Snes Central notes that despite its cancellation the game remains highly regarded for its gameplay and history.[8](https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0077)
## Legacy
The Walker transformation introduced in Star Fox 2 resurfaced in later series entries, including the immediate Arwing-to-Walker change in a later Star Fox title.[16](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/starfox-tres-decadas-de-aventuras-espaciales-y-barrel-rolls-f202606-n/) The game's free-roaming, real-time design also anticipated directions the series explored later, and its cancellation shaped the series' history: Star Fox 64, made without Argonaut, realized the original game's vision on hardware built for polygons.[10](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/03/feature_the_making_of_star_fox) • [13](https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/star-fox-has-become-nintendos-most-persistent-comeback-story-resurfacing-again-on-switch-2-but-its-history-stretches-far-beyond-remakes)
## References
1. [News Release: June 27, 2017, Nintendo Co., Ltd.](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2017/170627.html)
2. [The Full Story Behind Star Fox 2, Nintendo's Most Famous Cancellation, Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/feature_the_full_story_behind_star_fox_2_nintendos_most_famous_cancellation)
3. [Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES developer interview, Volume 1: Star Fox + Star Fox 2, Nintendo UK](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2017/September/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-SNES-developer-interview-Volume-1-Star-Fox-Star-Fox-2-1273086.html)
4. [SNES Mini / Super NES Classic Edition Confirmed by Nintendo, and It Comes With Star Fox 2, Nintendo Life (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7iELeijcus)
5. [Star Fox 2 Review (SNES), Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/snes/star_fox_2)
6. [Star Fox 2 Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-fox-2-review/1900-6416778/)
7. [Star Fox 2: Back From Obscurity, Video Chums](https://videochums.com/article/star-fox-2-back-from-obscurity)
8. [Snes Central: Star Fox 2](https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0077)
9. [Star Fox dev wasn't too upset that its 'canceled' sequel was delayed by 22 years, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/platforms/nintendo/star-fox-dev-wasnt-too-upset-that-its-canceled-sequel-was-delayed-by-22-years-because-he-didnt-want-the-snes-game-to-be-compared-to-the-obviously-far-superior-playstation/)
10. [The Making of Star Fox, Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/03/feature_the_making_of_star_fox)
11. [Star Fox 2, Análisis Retro, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/2018/02/25/analisis/1519542000_173446.html)
12. [Star Fox 2 review, EGM](https://egmnow.com/star-fox-2-review/)
13. [Star Fox's forgotten history, Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/gaming/star-fox-has-become-nintendos-most-persistent-comeback-story-resurfacing-again-on-switch-2-but-its-history-stretches-far-beyond-remakes)
14. [Original Star Fox staffer tells story of sequel's shelving, surprise launch, Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/10/exclusive-legendary-star-fox-coder-on-series-history-surprise-sequel-launch/)
15. [Star Fox 2 Review, Nintendo World Report](https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/45546/star-fox-2-review)
16. [Starfox, tres décadas de aventuras espaciales y barrel rolls, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/starfox-tres-decadas-de-aventuras-espaciales-y-barrel-rolls-f202606-n/)
17. [Star Fox 2 and knowing what you've been missing](https://retronauts.com/article/417/star-fox-2-and-knowing-what-youve-been-missing)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual Nintendo-platform game titles › NES and SNES titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license