GameTimeline

Release & story order

Star Fox timeline

Star Fox from the 1993 SNES rail shooter through Star Fox Zero (2016)—US release dates, the Lylat Wars 64 → Command story arc, and FAQ for the original Star Fox, Guard, and 64 3D.

Updated July 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When Nintendo shipped each Lylat chapter—Star Fox (1993 SNES), Star Fox 64 (1997), Adventures and Assault on GameCube, Command on DS, then Zero on Wii U. Guard, Star Fox 2, and 64 3D are FAQ-only.

  • Story arc → 64, Adventures, Assault, Command
  • Start with 64 or 64 3D—not SNES first for canon—FAQ
  • Adventures is action-adventure—tone shift
  • Zero reimagines 64—Release-only reboot FAQ
Story order tips

Core Lylat continuity: Star Fox 64 → Adventures → Assault → Command. The SNES original retells the same opening arc as 64—Release only. Zero is a 64 reimagining—Release-only reboot.

  • Core order: Star Fox 64 → Adventures → Assault → Command
  • Command has branching endings—FAQ
  • Skip SNES on Story—64 supersedes it
  • On Story order, Command may be hidden—reveal when ready

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Star Fox

    Star Fox

    SNESShooterMainline

    Star Fox debuts on Super NES with the Super FX chip—on-rails 3D space combat starring Fox McCloud's team. Corneria's defense fantasy invented Nintendo's continuous space opera tone.

    Overview
    Hardware-boosted polygonal rails with wingtip shooting and barrel rolls. Branching paths reward score skill. Branching paths reward score skill on Super FX polygons.
    In-game setting
    Release row one. Story tab on this page often starts at 64—FAQ explains SNES vs 64 continuity.
    Should you play it?
    Franchise origin. Star Fox 64 is the definitive remake-style remake; Adventures/Assault shift genres. Heritage origin; many Story routes start at 64—FAQ.
    Release date
    US Super NES launch March 1, 1993 (Super FX cart).
  2. Star Fox 64

    Star Fox 64

    N64ShooterMainline

    Star Fox 64 (3D) remakes the Lylat War with voice chatter, All-Range Mode, and medal ranks on N64. It is the canon gateway most players mean by 'classic Star Fox.'

    Overview
    Rumble Pak marketing, spoken wingman banter, and path branching refined the rails formula into a blockbuster. Voiced wingmen and All-Range bosses define blockbuster rails.
    In-game setting
    Defines Andross war lore. Contrast on-rails focus with F-Zero racing—shared 90s tech bravado. Canon gateway before Adventures' genre pivot.
    Should you play it?
    Essential—3DS remake FAQ. Story row one on many guides; play before Adventures. Essential—3DS remake FAQ for portability.
    Release date
    US Nintendo 64 launch June 30, 1997; 3DS remake 2011.
  3. Star Fox Adventures

    Star Fox Adventures

    GCActionMainline

    Star Fox Adventures drops Fox into a Rare-developed Dinosaur Planet action-RPG on GameCube. On-foot staff combat and Krystal join the cockpit legacy—divisive but canon-bridging.

    Overview
    Genre pivot to adventure-RPG with staff combat, macros, and planetary hubs—still ends in Arwing set pieces. Staff combat and hubs insert Rare adventure DNA into Lylat.
    In-game setting
    Before Assault on Story. Rare era curiosity inside Nintendo's shooters. Krystal joins continuity toward Assault.
    Should you play it?
    Story after 64. Play for lore bridges into Assault; skip if you only want rail shooters. After 64 for lore bridge; skip if you only want rails.
    Release date
    US GameCube launch September 23, 2001.
  4. Star Fox: Assault

    Star Fox: Assault

    GCShooterMainline

    Star Fox: Assault mixes on-rails stages with on-foot shooting and multiplayer on GameCube. Namco-developed campaign continues post-Adventures Lylat politics.

    Overview
    Hybrid mission design—Arwing, Landmaster, and ground FPS-lite segments in one campaign. Arwing/Landmaster/on-foot hybrids militarize mission design.
    In-game setting
    Before Command. Versus modes were a selling point historically. Before Command's strategy fork.
    Should you play it?
    Play after Adventures on Story. Last GameCube mainline before Command's DS strategy turn. After Adventures; last GC mainline before Command.
    Release date
    US GameCube launch February 14, 2005. GameCube; versus modes were a historical draw.
  5. Star Fox Command

    Star Fox Command

    DSShooterMainline

    Star Fox Command reimagiles the series as a DS strategy-shooter with touch routes and multiple endings. Continuity forks make it a choose-path epilogue after Assault.

    Overview
    Map strategy between rail stages plus stylus aiming—handheld experiment with branching finales. Touch routes and multi-endings intentionally splinter canon.
    In-game setting
    Before Zero on Release. Zero reboots rails without requiring Command endings. Branching finales confuse later lore debates—FAQ.
    Should you play it?
    Story after Assault. Optional if branching endings frustrate you; still the DS mainline. Story after Assault; Zero reboots rails separately.
    Release date
    US Nintendo DS launch August 28, 2006.
  6. Star Fox Zero

    Star Fox Zero

    Wii UShooterReboot

    Star Fox Zero returns to rails on Wii U with dual-screen aiming and Gyrowing gadgets. Critically mixed controls; still the latest console mainline experiment as of June 2026.

    Overview
    GamePad cockpit + TV view split, plus vehicle suite (Walker, Gyrowing). Control thesis overpowered some players' enjoyment. GamePad/TV split cockpit is the control thesis—results mixed.
    In-game setting
    Latest major release row. 64 3D remains the safer classic recommendation.
    Should you play it?
    Release closer. Play after 64 for rails purity comparison; Story tabs may omit Zero—follow this page's rows. Release closer; compare to 64 for rails purity.
    Release date
    US Wii U launch November 20, 2016 (bundled promotions with Guard FAQ).

FAQ

Release vs story order, SNES vs 64, Zero reboot, and where to start.

Release order

Release order has six rows: Star Fox (1993 SNES) → Star Fox 64 (1997) → Adventures (2002) → Assault (2005) → Command (2006) → Zero (2016). Story order has four rows: 64 → Adventures → Assault → Command. The SNES Star Fox and Zero are Release-only—the first is superseded by 64; Zero is a 64 reboot, not a Command sequel.

Story newcomers should start with Star Fox 64 (N64, NSO Expansion Pack, or Star Fox 64 3D on 3DS—FAQ). Then Adventures, Assault, and Command in order. Zero is optional if you want a modern 64 replay—not the next story chapter.

Story & canon

Star Fox (1993, SNES) and Star Fox 64 (1997) tell the same opening Andross conflict—64 is the expanded, canonical retelling with routes and voice acting. On Story order, start at 64; the SNES game stays on Release for history.

Yes for Story order—Adventures (2002) continues after Star Fox 64 with Fox on Sauria and Krystal joining the team. It is an action-adventure detour in gameplay, not a spin-off branch—Assault and Command follow directly.

Remasters & ports

Star Fox Zero (2016, Wii U) reimagines the Star Fox 64 campaign with new stages and controls—it is a Release-only reboot row, not a sequel to Command. Treat it like an alternate 64 playthrough, not Story row five.

Optional & related

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.