Star Fox Zero, released April 21, 2016 in Japan and April 22 worldwide for the Wii U, is the most divisive Star Fox game ever made. Co-developed by PlatinumGames (Bayonetta, NieR: Automata) and Nintendo EPD, Star Fox Zero is a loose reimagining of Star Fox 64 with overhauled stages, new vehicles like the Gyrowing and Walker, and a unique dual-screen control scheme that split the fanbase from day one.
Star Fox Zero's central design idea is dual-screen aiming. The TV shows a third-person view of your Arwing for steering; the Wii U GamePad shows a cockpit view that you aim with motion controls, separate from your steering input. In theory this lets you fire backwards while flying forwards. In practice, most players found it cognitively overwhelming — your eyes have to bounce between two screens, and your hands are doing two different jobs.
Star Fox Zero's defenders argue that once the dual-screen scheme clicks, it's the most expressive Star Fox flight model ever made. Detractors argue that any game which requires 5+ hours of training to feel good is a bad game. Both takes are correct in their own way. The control scheme is also one of the main reasons Star Fox 2026 deliberately abandoned dual-screen play.
Star Fox Zero scored in the high 60s on Metacritic — the lowest critical reception of any mainline Star Fox game — and underperformed on Wii U sales charts. A companion tower-defense game, Star Fox Guard, was bundled with physical copies and sold separately on the eShop.