Star Fox 2

Star Fox 2
Developers: Argonaut Software, Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Platform: SNES Released in JP: October 5, 2017 Released in US: September 29, 2017 Released in EU: September 29, 2017 Released in AU: September 30, 2017 This game has unused code. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has a prototype article This game has a prerelease article This game has a notes page

Star Fox 2 is the once-cancelled sequel to Star Fox, originally scheduled for release in early 1996.

By the time the game was completed in late 1995, the Nintendo 64 was around the corner, complete with its own Star Fox title in the pipeline. Eager to retire the SNES as soon as possible, Nintendo didn't want to cannibalize sales of its new console by giving the old one a cutting-edge 3D game on its way out the door, and Star Fox 2 therefore got resigned to the dustbin of history - seemingly forever. In the years following its cancellation, elements from the game were incorporated into Star Fox 64, Star Fox Command, and Star Fox Zero.

Prototype builds of Star Fox 2 were leaked online as early as 1999, cementing its reputation as one of history's most famous unreleased games. Two decades after its cancellation, the finished game finally saw the light of day as part of the SNES Classic Edition, with the ROM getting dumped and leaked on the same day as the console's release. Star Fox 2 was also released for the Nintendo Switch as part of the console's online subscription service, on December 12, 2019.

To do: Regional differences. Debate on if info about the post-final debug-enabled build should go here, or be given its own proto sub-page. There's plenty of .CGX graphics found from the July 2020 gigaleak such as a more progressed design of unnamed human woman, and a 1993 title screen. Document them in a Development page. That also includes more unnamed cut animals from Corneria.

Sub-Pages

Prototype Info

Prerelease Info

Notes

Test Menus

On the main menu, use Pro Action Replay (PAR) code 03F0B603 to access the Test menu or 03F0B604 to access Training mode. Both of these options were present in the June 22, 1995 build, but were disabled for the final.

To restore the Test menu's functionality, use 7FFA2502 7ED7F402 7E1BC802.

These codes also re-enable the Expert Mode menu option by default (as was the case in the June 22, 1995 build), though selecting it redirects the player to the Test menu instead.

One noteworthy detail is the top-left corner of the menu, which lists the game's build date as September 12, 1995. This may seem like proof of a delayed release date, considering the 1996 copyright on the title screen. Since the game's original release was cancelled outright, there's no way of knowing for sure, but a build date of September '95 wouldn't be out of line for a Q1 1996 release.

(Source: Nensondubois, Darkchaosblast)

Early Secret Base

By promptly turning off the cheats after accessing the test menu, selecting Venom level 06 sends the player to the earlier secret base that was seen in the June 22, 1995 prototype. This version appears to have been worked on since then, as the Homing upgrade is now present. However, due to there being no target to destroy, a stage clear message will display immediately upon entering, and will send the player back to the Test menu.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Leftover Build Date

Present at 0xE07 in the ROM is a build string. It's apparently from an early prototype which predated the first Star Fox, when the game was intended to be a new entry in Argonaut's Star Glider series rather than an original Nintendo IP. (A build of Star Glider for the SNES was eventually leaked in July 2020.)

STAR GLIDER 01 NOV 1991

This text is even stranger when considering that this string doesn't appear in any version of Star Fox itself.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

ASCII Art Developer Credit

Present at 0x6BA76 is an ASCII art credit for programmer Dylan Cuthbert, at spacing of 64 characters per line:

00  0   0 0     00  0  0     00 0  0 000 0  0 000  000 000  000 
0 0  0 0  0    0  0 00 0    0   0  0  0  0  0 0  0 0   0  0  0  
0  0  0   0    0000 0 00    0   0  0  0  0000 000  00  000   0  
0 0   0   0    0  0 0  0    0   0  0  0  0  0 0  0 0   0 0   0  
00    0   0000 0  0 0  0     00  00   0  0  0 000  000 0  0  0  

(Source: Rusty)

Graphical Oddities

The graphic of the six playable characters displayed on the title screen has a few coloring discrepancies when compared to other character artwork seen throughout the game:

• Slippy's necklace is blue on the title screen, but red in both his dialogue and Pilot Select portraits.
• Peppy's scarf is red on the title screen, but green in both his dialogue and Pilot Select portraits.

(Source: McAleeCh)

Regional Differences

Title Screen

US	Japan

The S and F are raised in the logo for the US version, and level with the rest of the text in the Japanese version. The logo font as a whole is slightly different between the two.

Audio Differences

In the Japanese version, shipped with the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom, Falco's voice shouts "Adiós, Andorf!" after the player defeats the final boss:

In the US version that comes with the SNES Classic Edition, the sound file says "Adiós, Andross!" instead.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Hidden Music

To do: Rip the songs. See if they can be accessed in the sound test (does the sound test still exist in the final game?).

Waiting ten minutes at the ending screen after clearing the game on Expert mode will play some music heard nowhere else in the game. The music consists of an orchestral overture, followed by a lengthy pause, and finally a different song that loops until the player presses Start.

(Considering the long gap between these two thematically-different bits of music, it's fair to say they are probably two separate pieces.)

(Source: zallard1, Patrick Gilland)

Controller Error

US	Japan

If the game detects that a Super Scope/SNES Mouse is plugged in either port, this error message will be displayed. This ended up going functionally unused, since the player is hard-coded to use a standard controller in the game's SNES Classic and Switch Online releases.