Star Fox 2

Star Fox 2
Developers: Nintendo EAD, Argonaut Software 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 areas. This game has unused code. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused music. 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 (as you may have guessed) the sequel to Star Fox, greatly opening up exploration and adding a large number of new features as well as the ability to play as Peppy, Falco, Slippy, and new crew members Miyu and Fay. It also introduced many now-series staples, such as all-range mode, the charge shot, vehicle transformations, and voice clips (though to a lesser extent than in later games).

Turns out Andross isn't actually dead (what, you thought that cube inside a polygonal white face was actually him?), and he's launched an all-out assault on the Lylat System. While the map is open to you to go anywhere you want, this is also true for Andross' forces, even when you're in levels - and for the most part they'll be heading toward Corneria. As such, the Star Fox team needs to liberate planets while making sure Corneria doesn't take too much damage, because if Corneria is conquered then Andross wins. Elements from the game were incorporated into Star Fox 64, Star Fox Command, and Star Fox Zero.

By the time the game was completed in September 1995, the Nintendo 64 was around the corner, complete with its own Star Fox title in the pipeline. Since Star Fox 2 had been planned for release in 1996 (or possibly '97), it seems Nintendo didn't want to cannibalize sales of its new console by giving the SNES 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.

Prototypes 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 Nintendo Switch on December 12, 2019 as part of the console's online subscription service.

To do: Regional differences. Debate on if info about the pre-final (1995.09.20) and Japan final (1995.09.21) debug-enabled build should go here, or be given its own sub-page. There's plenty of .CGX graphics found from the July 2020 leak such as a more progressed design of the 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.

(The build date of September 12, 1995 shown in the corner is incorrect; the final game was actually built nine days later on September 21. Apparently the devs never bothered to update this screen.)

(Source: Nensondubois, Darkchaosblast)

Unused Areas

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)

Unused Text

Leftover Build Date

Present at 0xE07 in the ROM is a build string from an early prototype of 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

As strange as it is for this to be here, it's even stranger in 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

Intro & Title Screen

Japan	International

Japan	International

The S and F are raised in the logo for the international 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, with the international logo's font using more serifs.

Audio Differences

Japan	International

In the Japanese version, Falco's voice shouts "Adiós, Andorf!" after the player defeats the final boss. The international version appropriately uses "Adiós, Andross!" instead.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Results Screen

Japan	International

Similarly to the Falco voice line in the ending, the results screen also changed the "ANDORF DESTROYED" text to "ANDROSS DESTROYED" in the international version.

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

Japan	International

If the game detects that a Super Scope or 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 SNES Classic and Switch Online releases.