But you've only just scratched the surface!!
Luigi: Explore the cosmos all you like...
Mario: ...but you'll never beat us!!
Star Fox EX (the EX being short for Exploration Showcase) is a Game Mod for Star Fox by a team of developers led by Kandowontu released on November 9th, 2022.
The Star Fox Team is back! But this time, their mission is to fight for their very existence! The Mario Bros. have decided that the Star Fox franchise no longer has a place within the grand Nintendo universe, and has set out to destroy the Lylat System forever, with the help of characters from more successful Nintendo IPs! They have also posed as Andross in order to hire the infamous Star Wolf team, a rival band of mercenaries led by Wolf O’Donnell, to distract Star Fox while they pull off their plans! Can Fox and his team put aside their former friendship with the Nintendo All-Stars to save both the Lylat System and everything associated with their franchise?
Star Fox EX is designed to be playable on real hardware as well as emulators, though some features require the latter. It contains 17 new levels, and supports co-op multiplayer for up to 5 players via Multitap, as well as the SNES Mouse, Super Scope, and the NTT Data Pad. It can be downloaded here
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Star Fox EX provides examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: In their games, the Mario Bros. have not shown any willingness to destroy the Lylat System and are heroes through and through.
- Big Bad: The Mario Bros. are out to destroy the Lylat System in hopes of ending the Star Fox franchise once and for all.
- Boss Rush: Level 4 is this across all the planets of the original game, with every stage being Boss-Only Levels.
- Crossover: Various Nintendo characters appear as bosses in the game from the Mario Bros. to Samus Aran.
- Death by Adaptation: Both Mario Bros. get killed by Fox when they try to destroy Lylat. In their games, both Bros. are still alive.
- Doomed Hometown: The second stage in Level 7 takes place on Fox's home planet Papetoon.
- Dual Boss: The Mario Bros. fight Fox both at once during their boss fight.
- Embedded Precursor: The original game is still present and can be accessed by pressing R on the map before choosing a Level.
- Land Down Under: The optional post-credits stage takes place in Australia. Notably, it loops endlessly and can only be exited by resetting the game.
- Omnicidal Maniac: The end game of the Mario Bros. is the entire destruction of the Lylat System and rid themselves of the Star Fox I.P.
- Playing with Fire: The T-Rex boss makes use of fire as one of his attacks and gets a flaming texture towards the end.
