History YMMV / StarFox

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny:
** ''Star Fox'' for the SNES looks dated today, but it was considered one of the most advanced games at the time. Rendering UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics on the primarily 2D SNES is quite a feat to behold.
** ''Star Fox 64'' has this to a lesser extent. While the gameplay is still praised, the minimalist geometric graphics aren't.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Out of This Dimension in the original, and the [=OoTD=]-style warps in ''64''.

** Krystal is a BaseBreakingCharacter in the West, but is heavily disliked in Japan, to the point where it's believed one of the reasons Nintendo did a ContinuityReboot with ''Star Fox Zero'' was to get rid of her.

** Slippy is generally well-liked in Japan, but is more TheScrappy in the West, ''especially'' in ''Star Fox 64'', in which he is frequently considered one of the most annoying characters in video game history due to his tendency to distress.

*** Sector Z in ''64'' was a big example of this. It's difficult to unlock medals already thanks to the thin number of enemies, which are shaved down further by your teammates. They can easily get the last shots on those missiles.[[note]] In the original SNES version, their kills count towards your score, and Peppy and Falco could just as easily get into trouble as Slippy. The problem here is that your wing men have an infuriating tendency to fly right into your line of fire, so they end up bitching at you on the radio even as they're absorbing blasts that would have destroyed your enemies.[[/note]]

** ''Assault'' is widely regarded as this by fans and some reviewers. Interestingly, it's the worst-reviewed game in the series, but you would be hard-pressed to find a fan that prefers ''Command'' over it.

** Panther gets this to a lesser extent. While he is ''far'' more pleasant than both Pigma and Andrew combined, there are some people who actually prefer the latter two, as they make Star Wolf feel more like a villainous threat instead of just anti-heroic rival figures.

** While all of Fox's wingmen have shades of this being an AnnoyingVideoGameHelper who needs saving every now and again, Slippy gets the worst of this reaction in ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' due to needing to be rescued ''in the game's first few seconds'' along with his grating and squeaky voice.

** ''[[VideoGame/StarFoxAssault Assault]]'': * CompleteMonster: [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen The Aparoid Queen]] birthed the Aparoid race and [[HiveQueen unleashed them upon the Lylat System to infect all matter]] in a cataclysmic attempt at [[EvilutionaryBiologist bypassing evolution]]. When opposed by Fox [=McCloud=] and the rest of Star Fox, the Aparoid Queen initiates horrifically destructive campaigns upon Sauria, Corneria, and the Orbital Gate to distract them or stamp out resistance. Her AssimilationPlot sees those infected by Aparoids [[AndIMustScream retain some consciousness coupled with the inability to do anything about it]]; the tragic effects are seen most vividly in the fights against General Pepper and Pigma Dengar. When Star Fox confronted her at the heart of the Aparoid Homeworld, the Queen uses the information she absorbed from her spawn's exploits to imitate the voices of the fallen, including Fox's deceased father James, to break their spirits. Under the delusion everything existed for her race of "truth," the Aparoid Queen threatened existence itself in her quest to dominate all as Aparoid.

** ''[[VideoGame/StarFoxAssault Assault]]'': [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen The Aparoid Queen]] is the [[HiveQueen source of the Aparoids' will]]. Allegedly [[TheSoulless born without a soul]], the Aparoid Queen [[EvilutionaryBiologist aimed to bypass evolution]]. To that end, she [[MonsterProgenitor spawned]] countless [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Aparoids]] and unleashed them all throughout the Lylat System to infect both inorganic and organic matter through Aparoidedation. Her race threatens inhabitants of countless planets; most notably, [[spoiler:Sauria and Corneria]] suffer the most damage and casualties. Her AssimilationPlot sees other people infected by Aparoids [[AndIMustScream retain some consciousness coupled with the inability to do anything about it]]; the tragic effects seen most vividly in the fights against [[spoiler:General Pepper and Pigma Dengar. Before the attack on her homeworld, she has an armada of Aparoids try and destroy the Orbital Gate, including the deployment of numerous powerful missiles, in hopes of ending all opposition, including the scientists studying Core Memories. When Star Fox reaches the heart of the Aparoid Homeworld, the Queen uses the information she's absorbed from her spawn's exploits to imitate the voices of the fallen, including Fox's deceased father James [=McCloud=], to break their spirits.]] Under the belief all existed for them and her race was "truth", the Aparoid Queen threatened existence itself in her quest to turn everything into Aparoid under her control, and rivaled Emperor Andross himself in sheer darkness.

* LoveToHate: Pigma Dengar is an irredeemable swine, but his non-stop boasting about betraying Star Fox and shameless displays of {{Greed}} can make him really entertaining to watch. It's enough to make you wonder just how evil and immoral one can get in a game about anthropomorphic animals shooting each other in space, and then you have the ensuing satisfaction of putting him down. His [[spoiler: infection and death]] in ''Assault'' are also some of the more memorable moments in the series.

** Many believe Star Wolf is at its best when they're a group of villainous PsychoRangers instead of antiheroic rivals/reluctant allies.

* EvilIsCool: '''Andross'''. An [[EvilGenius evil]] EmperorScientist that's [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot also]] a [[ManiacMonkeys monkey]]. Not only does he have GiantHandsOfDoom and a VacuumMouth, his OneWingedAngel form in ''64'' is a [[BodyHorror giant brain with tentacle eyes]].

** Krystal's sudden change in character was also one of the biggest criticisms in ''Command''. This wasn't the first time it happened. Before her debut in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', she went from a modestly dressed courageous heroine in ''VideoGame/DinosaurPlanet'' to a telepathic NubileSavage MsFanservice who gets captured in the prologue as we know her today. Fox also received a shift in personality too when Saber's personality and lines were transferred to Fox when he was axed. While Krystal being reduced to a DamselInDistress was and is still criticized, she gets rid of that aspect in [[VideoGame/StarFoxAssault Assault]] and Fox's change didn't detract that much from the plot. Where as Krystal becoming a WomanScorned in ''Command'' as Fox removes her from the team causes romantic drama between her and Fox, which ended up [[RomanticPlotTumor consuming]] nearly the entirety of the game's plot. While she can get together with Fox again and go back to her original self, it only happens if you chose the best possible path in an ending that's considered non-canon anyway and this is currently the last Star Fox game she appeared in which also doesn't help matters.
** The main complaint of ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero'' is that it's a rehash of ''64'' and yet another continuity reboot. This can be traced back to ''64'' itself. As that game was more or less a remake and a reboot of the first Star Fox game. Aside from a few fans, it wasn't that much of an issue as the 1st timeline barely had any lore to it at all and ''64'' improved on every aspect of the original game. ''Zero'' on the other hand was [[ContestedSequel polarizing]] for it's control system and retconning the ''64'' timeline which despite the controversial sequels to it, had several defenders of the post-64 timeline, particularly fans of Krystal and Panther who were not happy that they were written out. ''Zero'' is often held as proof that Nintendo can't get out of ''64'''s shadow.

** ''Star Fox'' naturally gets this in the form of [[MsFanservice Krystal]] the blue vixen, who is both Fox's [[SatelliteLoveInterest love interest]] and a big BaseBreakingCharacter. Most fans prefer to pair Fox with someone else, such as [[HoYay Falco]], [[FoeYay Wolf]] or [[ActionGirl Fara Phoenix]][[note]]from the [[ComicStrip/StarFox comic series]][[/note]] instead, due to her being made specifically for the Star Fox franchise (unlike Krystal, who is a CanonImmigrant), or even minor characters like Bill Grey.

** Fay and Miyu from ''VideoGame/StarFox2'' were the first female characters in the series and have not made any appearances ever since. They are quite popular anyway. In terms of popularity, Fay appears to be the most popular character in the game due to her cute sprite animations (such as her finger wagging gesture during the "Character Select Screen").

* FanPreferredCouple: Fox/Krystal, despite being the canon pairing, is completely eclipsed by Fox/Falco (mostly in Japan) and Fox/Wolf (mostly in the US) in terms of popularity.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Well, first two installments anyway. While the later games have their fans, ''VideoGame/StarFox1'' and ''Star Fox 64'' remain the most highly regarded by critics and fans, while the rest of the series afterwards is heavily [[ContestedSequel contested]].

** Katt oddly averts this. No one really seems to hate her despite the fact that she's a possible love interest for Falco. If anything, she's mostly just ignored.

** Krystal. She's a good character, and her and Fox being a BattleCouple isn't a bad idea in and of itself, but their relationship was hardly ever explored in the series besides the games going "Hey, these two are a couple". ''Command'' is the worst about this, as Fox suddenly fires her and ends their relationship without any good reason to, leading to some jarring shifts in characterization for her.

** ''Star Fox 64'' has this too a lesser extent. While the gameplay is still praised, the minimalist geometric graphics aren't.

** ''Command'' and ''Zero'' were criticized for their gimmicky gameplay and being considered nothing more than glorified tech demos. This was the case of the first [[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox on the SNES]]. The game was made to show off the ''Mode 7'' type graphics which was revolutionary for games at that time. This wasn't an issue as ''Mode 7'' was mainly a graphical type mechanic and the game was still regarded for it's gameplay. ''Command'' however used the DS features for it's gameplay, primarily it's stylus and touch screen, and the game was wildly criticized for it's finicky and repetitive gameplay. ''Zero'' used the Wii U Pad for a lot of it's functions and also came to be regarded as frustrating to use as well for some people. The fact that there's no way to use traditional controls also didn't help.

** Again, Slippy. He does have his fans in the West, particularly those who like his status as [[PluckyComicRelief a good source of laughs]] ({{Narm}} and NarmCharm-moments aside), and he is well-liked in Japan (unsurprisingly for a country whose one of many symbolic animals is the frog). However, it's hard for the frog to [[NeverLiveItDown get rid of the stigma]] he obtained in the series' most popular game, ''64'', with [[DistressedDude his tendency to get into trouble]] ''[[DistressedDude very]]'' [[DistressedDude often]]; this is without mentioning how in Sector X, he [[LeeroyJenkins recklessly charges]] at the Spyborg only to get swatted out of the way and towards [[ThatOneLevel Titania]] (which also prives you of reaching the good ending). His CrossdressingVoice has further aided to the annoyance. At the very least, he is agreed to be more tolerable outside of ''64'', and he was {{rescued|From The Scrappy Heap}} for some come ''Assault'', [[AuthorsSavingThrow where his voice, while remaining goofy, is more masculine]], and the game takes a step to poke fun at him at the beginning of the game.

** Was Andross really just an evil psycho who unleashed a virus ForTheEvulz? Or was he initially a good-hearted inventor who's experiments went tragically wrong, and who was exiled by Peppy due over a rivalry? In ''Star Fox Command'' Krystal claims it's the second one. That said, she was [[ItMakesSenseInContext really upset at the time and may have just been telling Fox this to be mean.]]

** Poor Krystal. While she's a brave AcePilot, owing to her BaseBreakingCharacter reception she's frequently remembered for [[ExecutiveMeddling being demoted]] from a protagonist of the cancelled ''VideoGame/DinosaurPlanet'' to spending the majority of ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' as a DamselInDistress [[CrystalPrison stuffed inside a rock]]. [[TookALevelInJerkass Her characterization]] as [[WomanScorned Fox's jilted lover]] in ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'' didn't help matters. The good news is that her addition to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' as both an Assist Trophy and as a [[ThatOneLevel challenging Legend Spirit fight]] is beginning to turn things around.

** The main complaint of ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero'' is that it's a rehash of ''64'' and yet another continuity reboot. This can be traced back to ''64'' itself. As that game was more or less a remake and a reboot of the first Star Fox game. Aside from a few fans, it wasn't that much of an issue as the 1st timeline barely had any lore to it at all and ''64'' improved on every aspect of the original game. ''Zero'' on the other hand was [[ContestedSequel polarizing]] for it's control system and retconning the ''64'' timeline which despite the controversial sequels to it, had several defenders of the post-64 timeline, particularly fans of Krystal and Panther who were not happy that they were written out. ''Zero'' is often held as proof that Nintendo can't get of ''64'''s shadow.

** Krystal's sudden change in character was also one of the biggest criticisms in ''Command''. This wasn't the first time it happened. Before her debut in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', she went from a modestly dressed courageous heroine in ''VideoGame/DinosaurPlanet'' to a telepathic NubileSavage MsFanservice who gets captured in the prologue as we know her today. Fox also received a shift in personality too when Saber's personality and lines were transferred to Fox when he was axed. While Krystal being reduced to a DamselInDistress was and is still criticized, she gets rid of that aspect in [[VideoGame/StarFoxAssault Assault]] and Fox's change didn't detract that much from the plot. Where as Krystal becoming a WomanScorned in ''Command'' as Fox removes her from the team causes the romantic drama between her and Fox which ended up [[RomanticPlotTumor consuming]] nearly the entirety of the game's plot. While she can get together with Fox again and go back to her original self, it only happens if you chose the best possible path in an ending that's considered non-canon anyway and this is currently the last Star Fox game she appeared in which also doesn't help matters.

** Panther seems to exist mostly to woo Krystal and act as a sort of love rival to Fox, even though Fox himself hardly seems to care about Panther. We also don't see why Panther is even with Star Wolf or what exactly Wolf saw in Panther to recruit him for his team, so his introduction feels sudden and out of place.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Krystal. She's a good character, and her and Fox being a BattleCouple isn't a bad idea in and of itself, but their relationship was hardly ever explored in the series besides the games going "Hey, these two are a couple". ''Command'' is the worst about this, as Fox suddenly fires her and ends their relationship without any good reason to, leading to some jarring shifts in characterization for her.