For a quarter of a century, skilled pilots have been climbing into the cockpit of their Arwings to fend off the Lylat System from certain disaster. The Venomian army, the Aparoid horde, the Anglar empire… All have been thwarted by the efforts of Fox McCloud and his ragtag group of misfits. Star Fox turns 25 years old today, a fact that is almost hard to believe. It feels like just yesterday we were banging into our wingmen as we tried desperately to follow the strict flying regimen in the training mode. “Stay in formation!!” Peppy warns. “I’m trying!” you bellow in response, your tiny hands fumbling with the SNES controller. With that in mind, let us celebrate the moments in this wonderful franchise that dazzled us with its sense of style and frantic galactic combat. Be sure to watch your six – Slippy’s probably going to call for help at least eleven times during the course of this article. Corneria (Star Fox) With its eerily realistic anthropomorphic puppets on the cover, Star Fox had a different feel to it from other Nintendo IPs. You didn’t quite know what to expect, and you most likely weren’t quite ready for the badassery that was soon to follow. The Arwings launch from the base on Corneria, kick their thrusters into high gear, and prepare to blast some polygonal baddies. Oh yes. It’s go time, ladies and gentlemen. It was a surreal sensation, finally taking the plane for a spin the first time. It felt intuitive and logical, and you got to grips with it before too long, albeit probably after crashing into a few buildings and accidentally sending a smart bomb into the dirt. Using the term ‘smart’ in the broadest possible sense, of course. The music here deserves special mention, as it is possibly the best the franchise has ever had. That guitar, that synth, that progression. You feel like the coolest vulpine pilot the galaxy had ever seen! Just… stop wasting those bombs, okay?

Corneria, Yet Again (Star Fox 64) Though more understated in the auditory sense, your return to Corneria on the Nintendo 64 is breathtaking in a whole new way. For starters, you’ve just heard an entire discussion between the Star Fox team members, and they had a whole lot more to say this time than ‘bebebeupbebeupblablap!’, blessed with fully voiced dialogue. The visuals are simply stunning, from the reflections on the water to the burning skyscrapers dotting the city. It really is an evolution from its humble beginnings, and even to this day, playing it is pure bliss. You’re also introduced to several of the game’s concepts with a series of scenarios that teach you the basics without seeming shoehorned in. Under heavy enemy fire? Do a barrel roll. Falco’s in trouble up ahead? Use the boost to chase. Enemy on your tail? Ignore what Peppy says, do a somersault, because hitting the brakes causes their ships to crash right into you. Thanks for trying though, Pep. And to top it off, flying through the arches causes you to go off-script and reroute, ending up in a secret location where you confront the same Attack Carrier from the original. It’s so satisfying to watch those pieces fly off as you pelt it with laser fire. “You’ll never defeat Andross!!” the enemy pilot wails as his aircraft explodes, your control vibrating madly in your hand all the while. Unfortunately for him, odds are: you will do just that.

King RedEye (Star Fox Adventures) Think catching the red eye is a dreadful experience? Just imagine how bad it would be if the RedEye catches you. With the game’s subtitle of ‘Dinosaur Planet’, most players were no doubt waiting to throw down with a tyrannosaurus rex. Arriving at the Walled City introduces you to the RedEye Tribe, and a few dinos roam the grounds, eager to take a chunk out of your rear end. They’re bigger than your average foot soldier, to be sure, but they’re nothing too intimidating. It isn’t until you confront the big kahuna that you really experience sheer terror. As you enter a darkened room, the door slams shut behind you. Down the hallway, another door opens to reveal the monstrosity that is King RedEye. Damn these sentient doors! Why have they put us in such peril? Your only hope is to activate the electric shields in order to shock the behemoth as he chases you down the halls. Fortunately, he isn’t the brightest bulb in the box, so it’s not that difficult, but still – bonus points for looking scary.

Out of this Dimension (Star Fox) We’ve discussed this bizarre level before, but it bears repeating: there is nothing else in the Star Fox series quite like the Out of this Dimension side quest/alternate ending/eternal damnation. From its arrival method, via a giant origami bird, to the boss battle against a slot machine (perhaps a social commentary on the inherent risks of gambling?) it’s unlikely we will ever again see something quite so irreverent in the franchise. It’s also worth shouting out the other hidden stage, the Awesome Black Hole, a less psychedelic but arguably eerier expanse of space where enemies drift aimlessly through the void. The implied awesomeness comes from the fact that you can use it to warp to later stages on the map, saving yourself a lot of time, but also leaving potentially dangerous enemies and bases behind, unchecked. A job half done is better than nothing, eh Fox?

Sector Beta (Star Fox Zero) For rabid Star Fox aficionados who need to have their nostalgia fed in heavy doses, you’ll get the biggest spoonful you can handle in Sector Beta. Commencing with a fight against an enemy fleet, Fox is reunited with his old pal, Bill (fan service #1). Each of the opposing frigates are piloted by monkeys that bear a striking resemblance to old bosses from Meteo and Zoness (fan service #2), though alas, they have nothing more to say than “Aaaaaahhh!” – the appropriate response when your craft is combusting, or the dentist asks you to open wide. Defeating them reveals their skipper, the immense destroyer Granby. It’s an adorable name for a spaceship, and it’s manned by another familiar face, this time the Area 6 commander (fan service #3). Once he’s bitten the dust, Katt arrives on the scene (fan service #4), dropping a gold ring for you shortly being targeted by Star Wolf (fan service #5). Their leader, Wolf O’Donnell, enters the fray late, once his comrades have already been slaughtered. He shouldn’t have stopped for that haircut. And though a duel with your fiercest rival would normally be a tall order, the fact that he is literally surrounded by your wingmen, plus Bill and Katt, leads to him being bullied like a schoolyard nerd. The first time you tackle this mission, he’ll take his aggression out on Peppy, shooting him down and sending him crash landing on the desert planet, Titania (and yes indeed, that is fan service #6).

Aparoid Pigma (Star Fox Assault) Say what you will about Star Fox Assault, it certainly wasn’t afraid to take risks to separate itself from the games that had preceded it. Longtime craven Pigma, former ally of the Star Fox team, has been shunned even by Wolf and his cronies for being untrustworthy (read: eating all of the pizza when their backs are turned). He operates as a lone figure in this game, constantly trying to throw a wrench in the works in search of the ultimate payout. Lamentably, things go sideways for old Pigma when he is infested by the Aparoids, losing all of his senses and morphing into a hideous space station. For characters that we are used to seeing applied in similar fashion again and again, watching one of them succumb to this grim fate is a little harrowing. It’s not all unfamiliar however, as he operates similarly to the Gorgon from Star Fox 64, but afterwards, Pigma is no more. Destroyed, like every other nameless drone you’ve conquered along the way. If only he hadn’t inexplicably been brought back from oblivion in the sequel. Explosions in the Star Fox universe seem to really lack in finality, for some reason.

Insane Endings (Star Fox Command) Alright, cheating a little bit on this one. Part of the replayability of Star Fox Command on the Nintendo DS comes from choosing different missions and plot turns, completely changing the course of history and yielding one of nine unique endings. It was too tall an order to narrow it down to just one, so we decided that they should receive mention as a whole. Are you ready for an almighty cringe? The base ending, and the obligatory one for your first play through, sees Krystal abandoning the team and rejoining Star Wolf, accompanied by an image of the despondent Fox trying to dissuade her with tears streaming down his face. If that’s not your cup of tea, how about the one where Fox and Krystal settle down and start a family, with their son leading a new Star Fox team accompanied by a Slippy Toad offspring who wears a cowboy hat? Or the one where Krystal is shunned for her double crossing of the team (mocked by a judgmental pug, no less), and becomes a bounty hunter named Kursed? Or our personal favorite, wherein Falco saves Fox from his depression and alcoholism by convincing him to join the G-Zero Grand Prix? Madness. Absolute madness. It makes our fanfiction headcanon sound all the more plausible, to be perfectly honest. We look forward to seeing the Fox/Andross forbidden romance more deeply explored in the upcoming sequel.

Peppy’s Fight (Star Fox Zero) Throughout series history, fans have often pined for the opportunity to take one of the other Star Fox mercenaries for a spin. It has mostly been limited to multiplayer, and the branching storyline paths of Star Fox Command (or Star Fox 2 if you’re into that kind of thing). However, in Star Fox Zero, we had our prayers answered in a most unexpected fashion. Though most would assume that we would get to play as Falco, ace pilot and resident jerkface, they threw a curve ball at us by instead giving the honor to Peppy. By investigating a portal on Titania, Fox and Peppy are sent out into an uncharted area of space, where the super dreadnought Salvadora awaits. Like a casually dressed guest at a fancy party, Fox’s Landmaster tank isn’t quite suited for this mission, so Peppy takes point and brings the fight to the warship. And goodness gracious, are they ever sure to remind you of that fact. Every time you barrel roll, Peppy will verbally declare doing so, to the point of even cutting himself off to say it over again like a crazy person. It’s a fun little nod to the meme that made Star Fox famous to non-gamers, and we wouldn’t mind seeing Nintendo try more silly things like this down the line. Fingers crossed, it involves Mudkip. We would liek that.

Andross (Star Fox 64) The fight against Andross in Star Fox 64 is such an iconic spectacle that really pulls out all of the stops. His grinning face emerges from the darkness, cackling at the puny foe before him. You can shut him up by sending a few shots right into his eyes, exposing his vulnerable hands and allowing you to deal serious damage. Once he’s had enough, he cracks a hissy fit and begins to break apart, revealing his true identity… Andross is a big, scary brain monster!! It’s weird, it’s wild, it’s downright icky. Best not to overthink it, you’ll want to hurt his brain, not your own. Punish his cerebellum (that’s a weird thing to say), and end his reign of tyranny once and for all. His final trump card, as is customary, is showing off his fantastic ability to blow up, swallowing you in a rage of hellfire. Is Fox dead? Did we fail? Can we blame Slippy, somehow? Then, when it appears that all is lost…