History VideoGame / StarFox2

* AxeCrazy: Andross [[{{Understatement}} didn't take to kindly to being defeated in the last game.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: While the first game wasn't exactly bright and happy, this game trumps it by virtue of Andross trying to [[AxeCrazy utterly destroy Corneria instead of conquer it]] - and that ''can'' happen [[ShootTheShaggyDog if you play poorly enough]]. In addition, rather than playing as Fox and having three companions, you choose two pilots to fight Andross - [[FinalDeath both of whom may very well die]]. Wolf Team, rather than being treated as specific evil counterparts to the Star Fox's pilots, fight separately and - [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere except for Wolf]] - [[EverybodysDeadDave all of them are killed in battle]].

** The Expert difficulty does lived up to its name. If you did not take out the first three planet bases fast enough, when Andross take over the remaining three planets and order them to fire missile instantly. The planet bases that wasn't taken out beforehand ''will also fire a missile!'' Making it possible for Andross to launch out '''six missiles toward Corneria!''' Good luck juggling between that along with the remaining Cannon Betrayers, the virus, the enemy squards without causing damage to Corneria.

* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Wolf Team, [[LensmanArmsRace who were hired and armed specifically to counter Star Fox]]. Unlike most versions of this trope, they're are taken quite seriously - while later games portray Star Wolf as [[PsychoRangers direct counterparts to the Star Fox pilots]], in this game, they are [[CarnivalOfKillers morally corrupt killers for hire with entirely unique personalities]]. They're also [[DavidVersusGoliath stronger than the heroes]]: unlike Arwings, the Wolf Team's weakest fighters come standard with [[HomingProjectile homing charge lasers]] and have tougher shields than the standard Arwing. With the [[FinalDeath with the way this game handles death]], that makes each one of them a potential HeroKiller.

It also didn't quite get as forgotten by the gaming community as the company may have hoped, as ''Star Fox 2'' actually managed to snag an ''unofficial'' release in the late 90s thanks to two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] getting [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter — originally thought to be virtually complete — was missing some features, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested it to be released]].

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: [[MindScrew Within the same installment]]. Thanks to the Star Fox franchise changing it's art style in the [[TheShelfofMovieLanguishment 22 years between the time this game was initially designed and finally released]], the character's appearances in their own [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190426015044/https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2kDX1iaTObEo7uIsoxfFsmW2248=/0x0:1080x1920/1200x675/filters:focal(399x992:571x1164)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57270657/CLV_P_VADKJ_01.0.jpg official promotional artwork]] look almost ''nothing at all'' like their [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190426015504/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/starfox2/imgeu/procedure/thumbs01.jpg actual in-game designs]], which are far more animal-like and less cartoony in style.
* EasterEgg: Like the first game, there's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_k_E66eW60 secret music track]] that plays if you wait about ten minutes at the "THE END" screen. This is the last game to have such an easter egg.

* OrchestralBombing: ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]'' and ''Videogame/StarFox2'' both have a very differently styled orchestra soundtrack than ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' or its sequels, with a heavier emphasis on {{Fanfare}}. Even though Hajime Hirasawa, the original ''Star Fox'' composer, left Nintendo after ''Videogame/StarFox1'', the composers for this game, Kozue Ishikawa and Yumiko Kanki, deliberately styled their music after his work.

** To ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' - The [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190422235919/https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starfox/images/b/bd/Mothership_from_SF2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090617065734 unnamed carrier]] from ''Videogame/StarFox2'' both looks and functions like [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gundam/images/7/70/White-base.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120903113130 the White Base]] and the [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190422235500/https://i.ytimg.com/vi/g5p1QhcyCTI/hqdefault.jpg Cannon Betrayers]] from the same game ''very closely'' resemble Zeon's [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190422235535/https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gundam/images/6/60/Rewloola.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120601094658 Rewloola-class]] battleships.
** To ''Franchise/StarTrek'' - In Star Fox 2, the [[https://youtu.be/hFA5deMftzU?t=12 homing shots]] fired by Star Wolf pilots look and function ''exactly'' like [[https://youtu.be/WCpYqWAIwFA?t=207 Photon Torpedoes]].

It also didn't quite get as forgotten by the gaming community as the company may have hoped, as ''Star Fox 2'' actually managed to snag an ''unofficial'' release in the late 90s thanks to two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] getting [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter — originally thought to be virtually complete — was missing some features, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested that it be released]].

And so the game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 21 years after its original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]]. December 12, 2019 would see the game added to the Nintendo Switch's SNES library via its online service, allowing one to play the game legally on a full-fledged console.

* AutobotsRockOut: Just like [[VideoGame/StarFox1 its predecessor]], this game has a much greater share of rock-themed soundtrack than ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' or its sequels. Even though Hajime Hirasawa, the original ''Star Fox'' composer, left Nintendo after ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]'', the composers Kozue Ishikawa Yumiko Kanki deliberately styled their music after his work.

* BackgroundMusicOverride: Thanks to he game's RealTimeStrategy element, it's possible to encounter a member of Wolf Team while fighting other enemies. If that happens, whatever theme was playing prior will change to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beNPTyi5vME Surprise Attack]], Wolf Team's theme music.
* BoringButPractical: Fox and Falco don't have the additional shields Peppy and Slippy have, nor have the speed of Fay and Miyu, but compensate for having smart bombs in their arsenal, allowing for easy base clear provided the right usage.

* ContinuingIsPainful: At the start of the game, you choose two pilots to control and can switch between them freely to mitigate damage. "Continuing" means [[AnyoneCanDie a pilot got shot down]], and the remaining pilot [[InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn must continue alone]]. Continuing also means you will not get an extra 10,000 points add to your final score if you beat the game afterward.

* EasyModeMockery: The "Normal" difficulty (the easiest mode) lacks a lot of the content found in Hard and Expert:

** Additionally, don't expect any help from Corneria. Their defensive satellite system can be helpful to take out missiles and small enemy ships far away from you, but it has a slow fire rate and can be taken over and turned against you, forcing you to intervene and stop the virus controlling it.

* NonStandardGameOver: In addition to the normal game over screen after losing both of the pilots selected at the beginning of the game, there is a non-standard one after Corneria takes too much damage. While it was disabled in the Beta it was enabled in the fan translation and full release.

* OrchestralBombing: ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]'' and ''Videogame/StarFox2'' both have a very differently styled orchestra soundtrack than ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' or its sequels, with a heavier emphasis on {{Fanfare}}. Even though Hajime Hirasawa, the original ''Star Fox'' composer, left Nintendo after ''Videogame/StarFox1'', the composers Kozue Ishikawa Yumiko Kanki deliberately styled their music after his work.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: In both of the original SNES Starfox games, the main antagonist is named "Andolf" (pronounced "Andorf" due to the [[JapaneseRanguage Japanese accent]]). With the western releases, his name is changed to "Andross" because "Andolf" was deemed by western censors to be too similar to "Adolf".

** Additionally, don't expect any help from Corneria. Their defensive satellite system can be helpful to take out missiles and small enemy ships far away from you, but it has a slow fire rate and can be taken over to turned against you.

* EasyModeMockery: On "Normal" difficultly (the easiest mode) lacks a lot of the content found in Hard and Expert:

It also didn't quite get as forgotten by the gaming community as the company may have hoped, as ''Star Fox 2'' actually managed to snag an ''unofficial'' release in the late 90s thanks to two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] getting [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter — originally thought to be virtually complete — was missing some features, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested that it be released]]. And so the game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 21 years after its original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]]. December 12, 2019 would see the game added to the Nintendo Switch's SNES library via its online service, allowing one to play the game legally on a full-fledged console.

''Star Fox 2'' is the direct sequel to the original ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]''. (It is the only officially developed work to be such, as the next entry, ''VideoGame/StarFox64'', was a ContinuityReboot) Originally completed in 1995, Nintendo proceeded to '''''not''''' release the game [[ScrewedByTheNetwork in order to promote newer 3D graphics technology that wouldn't come out for a year]]. [[{{Vaporware}} Despite the fact that the game had been heavily advertised already]]. After the release of Videogame/StarFox64, Nintendo was content to quietly let Star Fox 2 fade into distant memory. The game did not go to complete commercial waste; two-thirds of its code was recycled for ''VideoGame/StarFox64'', and some of its gameplay ideas were revisited by ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'' and ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero''. But Star Fox 2 had not yet seen the light of day. That is, [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes not officially]].

Star Fox 2 ''did'' receive an ''unofficial'' release: two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] were [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter—originally thought to be virtually complete—was missing some features, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested that it be released]]. The game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 21 years after its original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]]. December 12, 2019, would see the game added to the Nintendo Switch's SNES library via its online service, allowing one to play the game legally on a full-fledged console.

Storywise, ''Star Fox 2'' directly follows the events of [[VideoGame/StarFox1 the first game]]. The planet [[TheGoodKingdom Corneria]] is still licking it's wounds from the first Lylat War. However, though [[EmperorScientist Emperor]] [[MadScientist Andross]] was defeated by the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Star Fox mercenaries]], he [[NotQuiteDead survived]]. Now, with a renewed armada and [[LensmanArmsRace new, more powerful weapons]], he plans to get his revenge by [[OmnicidalManiac killing everyone on Corneria]] that [[DisproportionateRetribution wasn't killed in the first Lylat War]]. As added insurance, he's hired the [[CarnivalofKillers Wolf Team]] [[note]][[AdaptationNameChange Star Wolf]][[/note]] to keep Star Fox out of the way.

The SNES duology is quite a bit darker in tone than the [[LaterInstallmentWeirdness later entries in the franchise]].

* ContinuingIsPainful: At the start of the game, you choose two Arwing pilots to control and can switch between them freely to mitigate damage. "Continuing" means [[AnyoneCanDie a pilot got shot down]], and the remaining pilot [[InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn must continue alone]]. Continuing also penalizes your final score if you beat the game afterwards.

* EasyModeMockery: "Normal mode" (the easiest mode) lacks a lot of the content found in Hard and Expert:

** Viruses do not exist, so the defense system cannot be taken over or visited.

* FragileSpeedster: Fay and Miyu's Type-B Arwings are the fastest, come stock with [[MoreDakka twin blasters and charge the fastest]] but they have the [[GlassCannon least shields]], this is made up for by their default special weapon being an InvincibilityPowerup. The SNES Classic removes the default twin blasters, which instead [[NewGamePlus can be unlocked for everyone in future playthroughs]].

* GuideDangIt: Good luck finding all Pepper coins, considering some are located [[spoiler:off the map's boundaries]].
* HealThyself: A certain special weapon, one that comes stock on Peppy and Slippy's Type-C Arwings, summons a couple of drones that recharge your ship's shields to full every use.
* HomingProjectile: The Secret Base contains a power-up that makes the Charged Laser become this. [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness all later games give you this from the start]]. [[NintendoHard Star Wolf also starts with these]].

** Additionally, don't expect any help from Corneria or even their satellite while you protect them, due to the latter's reliability being mediocre at best. Unless it's turned against you, that is.

* NewGamePlus: The Homing Charged Shot only needs to be unlocked once on each difficulty. In addition, beating the game with a high enough score unlocks twin blasters for that pilot on all future playthroughs.
* NintendoHard: The released game is far more punishing than the leaked beta version. This is because the homing charge shot - instead of being available at the start - [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness needs to be unlocked on each difficulty]]. The decision to give this players from the beginning in all future titles [[AntiFrustrationFeatures likely saved many controllers from being thrown through TV sets]].

* SecretLevel: [[spoiler:Collecting all Pepper Coins in a certain difficulty level (13 on Normal, 19 on Hard and 20 on Expert) unlocks the Secret Base, an area full of power ups. It also has the Homing Charge Shot, which was available in the leaked beta and fan-translation from the start, but not in the full release.]]

* SkillGateCharacter: Peppy and Slippy are really god for newcomers with their massive total health and default healing powerups. Sadly, their speed and charge times are the worst in the game, and since getting levels done quickly is important for both scoring points and simply beating the game, they tend to struggle on higher difficulties.
* SmartBomb: As in other games, this is a consumable weapon. It comes stock on Fox and Falco's Type-A Arwings but they have to be found with the others.

* SphereOfPower: The [[DeflectorShields shield powerup]] takes the form of a large sphere that surrounds the ship. It's separate from the ship's normal shielding and functions as an InvincibilityPowerUp.

* StoneWall: Peppy's and Slippy's Type-C Arwings, combined with the negatives of MightyGlacier. They have the highest amount of shielding, and a [[UpToEleven special multiple use self-repair item.]] The drawback is their low speed, slow blaster charge, and poor boost.

* UnlockableContent: On the SNES Classic version:

** Getting all Pepper Medals on one difficulty unlocks [[spoiler:the Secret Base, which contains Twin Blasters, one of every Special Weapon, and Homing Charged Shots.]] Getting S Rank unlocks [[spoiler:an automatic Twin Blaster upgrade for the two pilots who got the S Rank; since S Rank is only feasible on Expert, the upgrade is applied to the pilots regardless of difficulty.]]

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Expert has a similar start to Hard, with three bases and two active carriers out of four totals, but with the suspicious absence of Wolf Team. After clearing all three bases, Andross proceeds to occupy the other three planets, and has them all instantly fire missiles. Wolf Team shows up at the same time.

''Star Fox 2'' is the direct sequel to the original ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]''. (It is the only officially developed work to be such, as the next entry, ''VideoGame/StarFox64'', was a ContinuityReboot) Originally completed in 1995, Nintendo proceeded to '''''not''''' release the game [[ScrewedByTheNetwork in order to promote newer 3D graphics technology that wouldn't come out for a year]]. [[{{Vaporware}} Despite the fact that the game had been heavily advertised already]]. After the release of Videogame/StarFox64, Nintendo was content to quietly let Star Fox 2 fade into distant memory. The game did not go to complete commercial waste -- two-thirds of its code was recycled for ''VideoGame/StarFox64'', and some of its gameplay ideas were revisited by ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'' and ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero''. But Star Fox 2 had not yet seen the light of day. That is, [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes not officially]].

Star Fox 2 ''did'' receive an ''unofficial'' release: two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] were [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter build was virtually complete, lacking only some polishing touches for release, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the few remaining bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested that it be released]]. The game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 21 years after its original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]]. December 12, 2019, would see the game added to the Nintendo Switch's SNES library via its online service, allowing one to play the game legally on a full-fledged console.

* ContinuingIsPainful: At the start of the game, you choose two Arwing pilots to control and can switch between them freely to mitigate damage. "Continuing" means [[AnyoneCanDie a pilot got shot down]], and the remaining pilot [[InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn must continue alone]].

Star Fox 2 ''did'' receive an ''unofficial'' release: two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] were [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter build was virtually complete, lacking only some polishing touches for release, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the few remaining bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested that it be released]]. The game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 21 years after its original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]].

Star Fox 2 ''did'' receive an ''unofficial'' release: two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] were [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter build was virtually complete, lacking only some polishing touches for release, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the few remaining bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the system producer behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 requested that it be released]]. The game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 21 years after it's original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]].

* FragileSpeedster: Fay and Miyu's Arwings are the fastest, come stock with [[MoreDakka twin blasters and charge the fastest]] but they have the [[GlassCannon least shields]], this is made up for by their default special weapon being an InvincibilityPowerup. The SNES Classic removes the default twin blasters, which instead [[NewGamePlus can be unlocked for everyone in future playthroughs]].

* HealThyself: A certain special weapon, one that comes stock on Peppy and Slippy's Arwings, summons a couple of drones that recharge your ship's shields to full every use.

** Aditionally, don't expect any help from Corneria or even their satellite while you protect them, due to the latter's reliability being mediocre at best. Unless it's turned against you, that is.
* JackOfAllStats: Fox and Falco's Arwings. Their stats are roughly the same as they were in the first game, exactly in-between the heavier [[StoneWall flying tanks]] and [[FragileSpeedster fast but fragile]] ships flown by the other pilots.

* SmartBomb: As in other games, this is a consumable weapon. It comes stock on Fox and Falco's Arwings but they have to be found with the others.

* StoneWall: Peppy's and Slippy's Arwings, combined with the negatives of MightyGlacier. They have the highest amount of shielding, and a [[UpToEleven special multiple use self-repair item.]] The drawback is their low speed, slow blaster charge, and poor boost.

** The various Hunters in the game are Andross' continued science experiments.

The SNES duology is quite a bit darker in tone than the [[LighterAndSofter later entries in the franchise]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_fox_2.jpg]]

The SNES duology is quite a bit darker in tone than the [[LighterAndSofter later entries]].

* AnyoneCanDie: As in the [[VideoGame/StarFox1 first game]], any of the Star Fox pilots can be shot down, and they will [[https://youtu.be/3wj270Wvhcc?t=454 stay down]] for the rest of the playthrough. Unlike the first game, this includes whomever you're currently playing as (your co-pilot becomes [[JustifiedExtraLives your extra life]]), and even Fox himself is as vulnerable to this as anyone else. [[http://www.glitterberri.com/star-fox/message-from-god/ According to Takaya Imamura]], the reasoning behind this element of the game is to make the player ''[[PlayerPunch feel]]'' the tragedy when they lose a wingman [[VideoGameCaringPotential they've grown attached to.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: As in the [[VideoGame/StarFox1 first game]], any of the Star Fox pilots can be shot down, and they will [[https://youtu.be/3wj270Wvhcc?t=454 stay down]] for the rest of the playthrough. Unlike the first game, this includes whoever you're currently playing as (your co-pilot becomes [[JustifiedExtraLives your extra life]]), and even Fox himself is as vulnerable to this as anyone else. [[http://www.glitterberri.com/star-fox/message-from-god/ According to Takaya Imamura]], the reasoning behind this element of the game is to make the player ''[[PlayerPunch feel]]'' the tragedy when they lose a wingman [[VideoGameCaringPotential they've grown attached to.]]

Storywise, ''Star Fox 2'' directly follows the events of [[VideoGame/StarFox1 the first game]]. The planet [[TheGoodKingdom Corneria]] is still licking it's wounds from the first Lylat War. However, though [[EmperorScientist Emperor]] [[MadScientist Andross]] was defeated by the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Star Fox mercenaries]], he [[NotQuiteDead survived]]. Now, with a renewed armada and [[LensmanArmsRace new, more powerful weapons]], he plans to get his revenge by [[OmnicidalManiac killing everyone on Corneria]] that [[DisproportionateRetribution wasn't killed in the first lylat war]]. As added insurance, he's hired the [[CarnivalofKillers Wolf Team]] [[note]][[AdaptationNameChange Star Wolf]][[/note]] to keep Star Fox out of the way.

* AnyoneCanDie: As in the [[VideoGame/StarFox1 first game]], any of the Star Fox pilots can be shot down, and they will [[https://youtu.be/3wj270Wvhcc?t=454 stay down]] for the rest of the playthrough. [[http://www.glitterberri.com/star-fox/message-from-god/ According to Takaya Imamura]], the reasoning behind this element of the game is to make the player ''[[PlayerPunch feel]]'' the tragedy when they lose a wingman [[VideoGameCaringPotential they've grown attached to.]]

Star Fox 2 ''did'' receive an ''unofficial'' release: two of the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/BetaTest testing ROMs]] were [[ContentLeak leaked online]]: a 1993/1994 early-development Alpha, and a 1995 late-development Beta. The latter build was virtually complete, lacking only some polishing touches for release, but was otherwise entirely playable using an [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulator]]. In 2004, Aeon Genesis (of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' fame) made a FanTranslation [[https://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=starfox2 patch]] for the Beta ROM that doubled as a GameMod to fix up the few remaining bugs, and [[CultClassic the game soon gained a reputation]]. So much so, that the team behind the SNES Classic Edition plug-and-play console [[http://web.archive.org/web/20180101223636/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2 demanded that it be released]]. The game finally received an official release on September 29, 2017... [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment a whopping 22 years after it's original projected release date]], usurping a 1998 port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' as the final licensed SNES game ever released by 19 years[[note]]In Japan, the last game to be released officially for the Super Famicom was ''Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut'' in 2000[[/note]].