Update [Sat 5th Nov, 2022 20:00 GMT]: A new teaser trailer has been uploaded – revealing a release date of November 11th:
Original article [Fri 12th Aug, 2022 11:15 BST]: There has been no solid news of a Star Fox game on the Switch and Nintendo fans are growing restless. None more so is this case than modder KandoWontu who is getting close to completing work on ‘Star Fox Exploration Showcase’, a mod for the 16-bit SNES classic which not only strives to adapt the original game, but to build entirely new structures into it including new levels, ships, weapons and (yes, you guessed it) a fully-functional multiplayer mode.
Just what did it take to get into this iconic game code in the first place, and when will we be able to get our paws on it? Jack Yarwood over at our new sister site, Time Extensiongot the chance to sit down with KandoWontu to find out all this and more.
The modder’s original plan was to simply add in Star Fox 2’s distinctive all-range mode as well as some fun new camera mechanics from fellow modder, Starxxon (simpleright?) However, it seems that KandoWontu’s hunger was far greater, as he states in the interview:
After that, I thought why not make the ships changeable? And the weapons? And before you know it I was adding new features and hidden codes.
These new features are, in our view, the most exciting part of the mod and there’s a whole lotta’ them that are being added. ‘At this point,’ KandoWontu says, ‘I’ve added a full second map with the original intact and still playable, the new map has 3 new courses, a secret level, new backgrounds/enemies/bosses/music, and much more!’
It has gotten to the point now where ‘much more’ feels somewhat like an understatement. The list of newly-added features includes a full pre-game mod menu, two-player mode, new ships and weapons, a New Game+ feature, and a whole bunch more (see the original article for the full list).
Playability appears to be at the forefront of KandoWontu’s mind, however, and he has therefore added a fully-functional toggle menu into the game, letting you leap in and change out modifications as you please. As you can see from the pics above, the array of options looks seriously impressive.
The modification has not been without its challenges — especially that pesky multiplayer mode — yet KandoWontu has got by with a little help from his friends. Talking to Jack, he listed a full team of other modders (including includes SegaRetro92phonymike, livvy94, MrL314, EuclidiumSunlitspace542, chuckborrisnorris and Random Stuff) that have been integral to the various aspects of the project, from textures to music composition. It makes sense that when it comes to Star Fox, winning is a team effort.
KandoWontu had previously stated that the Star Fox Exploration Showcase would be made available at the end of August, but as the project has exponentially grown, this date has had to be pushed back to late October. You will be able to grab the newly-enhanced code here when it goes live (although bear in mind that you’ll need a legitimate copy of the original ROM to play it).
For a closer analysis of what this mod means for the SNES system, check out Time Extension’s full interview where Jack and KandoWontu explore the modder’s entry into the Star Fox franchise and much more.
What do you make of this huge mod? Start your engines and jet on down to the comments to let us know! And don’t forget you can feed your appetite for retro gaming goodness — Nintendo and non-Nintendo alike — by checking out Time Extension in all its fresh glory, we guarantee that you won’t regret it!
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