Guide Index Course 2 Course 3 Other Tricks

Course One

Corneria - The Base
Briefing: Star Fox team, our last resort is to counter attack Venom!! Good luck!!
Enemies/Obstacles: Towers, small fighters, ground-based ion-launchers, smaller walker vehicles, large construction robots

Stage:

The first two enemies in this stage are easy targets if you rise up a bit just as you start off. Once that's done, follow Slippy through the arches, hitting the other minions between the second and third arches. A twin blaster power-up will appear on the ground.

If you stay low to the ground after picking up the twin blasters, you'll be in a good position to attack the small, mobile ion-launcher in the distance. Rise up at this point to attack a group of three fighters. A couple more bogeys will attack after you pass a tower (either avoid the tower or shoot its base).

Avoid the construction robots carrying a tower, then aim for a small "walker" robot. At about this time, a wingman will chase after and destroy two enemy fighters. While he's doing this, you can blast a construction robot out of your way and go for a far-off ion-launcher, which will reveal a hidden nova bomb.

You'll be flying through a downtown city at this point. There is a nova bomb to the right by the side of a red skyscraper, but you really don't need to pick it up if you don't feel like it. There are enemies in the middle part of the playfield you should probably worry about first. Dodge skyscrapers!

The next construction robot will be carrying a tower. If you stay low and blast it, then boost to avoid the falling tower it drops, you'll be in a pretty good position to attack the ion launcher and other enemies before the supply ring.

After the supply ring is a corridor of blue towers ready to fall as you approach. Just stay low. You don't even need to brake or boost. Another construction robot carrying a tower will get in your way, but you can destroy it and fly up to avoid the tower and hit another fighter.

Save a wingman!

You can avoid the next robot and concentrate on the ion launcher.

Midway Ring

Take out the saucer ship (and, if it gets a chance to drop enemies by parachute, get them, too). Another red fighter will fly into the playfield, followed by another walker.

BOSS: Attack Carrier

The Attack Carrier is at the forefront of Andross' advance forces on Corneria. Its attack pattern is basically identical to the one in Star Fox 64 (for those aspiring aces who are more familiar with that game than the original). Attack the port on its left, which launches small fighters, and, alternately, the two ports on its right that launch missiles at you. When all three are destroyed, the Attack Carrier will charge forward and loop around launching ion blasts. Target this last section until it's gone!


Asteroid Belt
Briefing: Andross' forces intend to build a base in this area!! Destroy their Rock Crusher!!
Enemies/Obstacles: Asteroids, ion-launching pods, standard fighters, hopping walker-style robots, triangle-formation ion-launchers, centipedes.

Stage:

The first enemy will approach from the top, followed by the second on the right, and the third on the bottom. Next, a wave of three fighters will approach, first on the left, then on the right. A space centipede will approach before the asteroids appear. A hit to the "head" will take out everything, but hitting it anywhere else will scatter smaller craft. Another enemy will appear and you'll get a call to save a wingman before getting to take out an enemy from above and another space centipede.

When you see a lone brown asteroid, that's your cue to watch the left/right sides of it. Two enemies will appear, followed by two more above and below it.

When you see two gray asteroids with a small robot jumping between them, shoot the robot to knock it out, then pick up a nearby bomb (if you haven't used any by now, you probably have a full supply of five nova bombs by this point).

Next let a wingman take on two bogeys and when you see three brown asteroids in a triangle formation, fly through the center of the triangle to make a twin blaster powerup available. By this point your lasers should be fully powered up, and the next centipede should pose little threat to you.

At about this point, you'll see the first of three asteroid "chains" consisting of gray asteroids surrounding a brown one. These asteroid chains are the secret to entering the Awesome Black Hole on the map screen, but if you don't want to take that warp, just avoid them and concentrate on the blue remote ion launchers and long-tailed bogeys from above. Some brown asteroids conceal more of these tailed enemies.

Midway Ring

More bogey-concealing asteroids and ion launchers await after the midpoint ring. Save a wingman!

When you see two very large gray asteroids, pay attention to the one on the left. There is a brown asteroid near it which often has a bogey behind it. A red ion launcher lies below the gray asteroid, too. Also, if you fly under this large gray asteroid you'll be in a good position to strike two invisible enemies as they "uncloak," one of which appears near a small gray asteroid.

You're nearing the end of the stage and have to face a gauntlet of tailed fighters above and behind the asteroids, another robot jumping between asteroids, and randomly positioned ion launchers. The final enemy before the boss will be a triangular-formation fighter which spawns ion blasts in its central space. Blast this central space twice to defeat it.

BOSS: Rock Crusher

Andross' Rock Crusher is meant to clear a path through the asteroid belt for his Space Armada as well as other large ships that may need to travel between Venom and conquered territory. If the Rock Crusher isn't stopped, the megalithic battleships could slowly converge on Corneria!

The targets on the Rock Crusher aren't too hard to see--they're the laser ports on each half of the Crusher, which are vulnerable when they turn on. Once all of them have been destroyed, be sure to dodge the middle section which launches toward the screen and target the small section behind where it was. Watch out for missiles and ion-blasts in the process, but the Rock Crusher isn't too hard to make "pea gravel" out of (remembering the reference from the Star Fox comics in Nintendo Power from 1993).


The Andross Space Armada
Briefing: The space armada consists of powerful battleships!! Destroy their energy cores!!
Enemies/Obstacles: Ion-launching pods, standard fighters, numerous battleships, triangle-formation ion-launchers, insect-like robots inside the ships.

Stage:

Expect to face a number of battleships from Andross' fleet in this stage. The first enemies you encounter will be small white "pod-like" crafts. They're fairly easy to defeat, but their small profile can make a tough target off in the distance if you're not used to them. There's also another twin blaster powerup to be had (if needed) and a one-up. The first battleship you pass by will fire a barrage of lasers. You can target the main laser cannons of this ship (it'll take several hits to destroy, but you'll know you've succeeded when smoke spurts from it) or you can just barrel roll through them and concentrate on the minor bogeys up ahead. More white pods and blue, ring-laser firing fighters will keep you busy as you approach another battleship on the right side of the flight corridor. Again, you can either avoid this ship's laser fire by using barrel rolls or attacking it.

There will be three more bogeys before you face the first of the main battleships. You have to fly into these ships or else that part of the stage will repeat, so don't be afraid to approach it after you take out the fighters. Its doors will open and let you in.

Battleship 1 Interior:
Careful flying is just as important as shooting inside the battleships. One easy strategy for this first ship is to stay right about where the game puts you when you enter. The first couple girders will pass by safely. Then hold L or R to maintain a 90 degree roll. You'll slide right through the vertical girders unscathed!

Let go of L or R, but stay right where you are. If you haven't changed the arwing's position since you entered the ship, you WILL safely avoid two bars that rise from the floor AND get the extra shields! Now shoot at the circular hatch to open it. Shoot the core twice to destroy it as you fly through!

Save a wingman and shoot the red ion launcher outside the ship followed by a ring laser fighter, a triangular formation fighter, and another red ion launcher (among the diagonally-flying ships).

Midway Ring

Shoot the missiles as you fly through the midway ring, then target the missile launchers on the side of a diagonally-moving ship and any missiles that it fires your way. Three more enemies will await you before the second main battleship.

Battleship 2 Interior:
Blast open doors that block your path as you enter the second ship. If you stay where the game automatically positions your arwing you'll safely avoid the first two girders (below and above you), but you'll have to move straight up to avoid a series of horizontal girders. Then fly straight down to avoid the second series of girders. Stay down all the way. If you don't use the brake or boost at all, you WILL avoid the bar that oscillates up and down.

Return to the center of the ship's hallway and shoot open the doors (another bomb is available if you need it). There are three insect-like enemies behind the last door, followed by the ship's core.

Once you've destroyed the second main ship, use the brake to avoid being hit by another large ship as it flies from left to right in front of you. Shoot it repeatedly until it explodes and starts to "fall away" from you in defeat. Then focus on the red launchers and three other large ships. Andross' main mothership will appear in the distance.

Midway Ring #2

Three bogeys and one gray ion launcher are your last foes before meeting up with the mothership. It fires a steady barrage of lasers in your general direction, but most of the time you can just stay still without worrying about the lasers hitting you.

Inside the Mothership:

One of the most prevalent obstacles inside the main battleship is a kind of door with triangles on it. The triangles point in the direction the door will move as you approach it. Be careful--shooting the door will cause the triangles to flip! Fly in a direction opposite to the direction the doors will move to avoid them. In particular, fly up to avoid the first door and a series of girders, then down to avoid another door and another series of girders, then return to the middle to avoid the remaining girders. Finally you'll have more doors to face before the last insect-like bogeys appear. Shoot open the final doors and enter the hallway. The game will take you to the Atomic Base.

BOSS: Atomic Base

The Atomic Base is the energy core of one of Andross' largest battleships. Destroying it will deal him a critical blow and will greatly help the Lylatian cause. The core is guarded, though, by manned fighters and energy arcing between the core's armor shielding and three pods on the circular walls of the chamber. The entire chamber spins in alternating directions. As it spins around, target the pods on the wall and hit them until they explode, but be careful not to hit your wings on the walls themselves. Once the pods are gone the core will be revealed and you can hit it until it goes critical!


Battle Base Meteor
Briefing: Be sure to use your retros if you're going too fast!! Be careful with my arwings!!
Enemies/Obstacles: Large walker robots, tall ion-launching stations, standard fighters, tanks, helicopters.

Stage:

Two walking robots on your right will be your first foes on the Meteor. Stay low and take out their legs, then target two tall ion launchers and two mobile photon-blasting tanks.

Save a wingman!

Take out more tanks and get ready to face a series of pillars. There are a few powerups to be had between these pillars, but you may not need them by this point. Target ion-launchers among the pillars, but be careful not to hit them. You might find it helpful to stay near the top of the flight corridor so you can see what's coming your way. Slow down if you need to.

A large walker will appear from behind a large boulder, and soon afterwards you'll fly through a canyon. Stay low to the ground in this canyon to target another walker and you'll be in position to shoot more tanks, another walker to the right, and another tank.

Next some helicopters will fly overhead and there are ion launchers in the distance, too. If you want to collect another one-up, you might find it helpful to use a nova bomb just to clear up the bogeys in the area and leave you time to collect it, but that's a matter of personal preference.

Save a wingman!

Finish off the bogeys in the area and move low to the ground to hit the three tanks that approach. Next you'll encounter two tall ion launchers in series to the left. Let a wingman chase an enemy and open the large door by firing at it as you near it. Behind it is the:

Midway Ring

Next, concentrate on the large tank while your wingman takes out a second enemy above it. Two helicopters appear after the tank. Shoot them out of the sky and then you'll face two large doors. If you need another nova bomb, go through the left door.

Save a wingman!

Only one more tank and three helicopters lie between you and the Dancing Insector!

BOSS: Dancing Insector

Andross' Dancing Insector is one of the more hypnotic enemies you'll face in the game. Its graceful movements can be deadly if you're not careful, though. Aside from an occasional ion blast it sends your way, it seems pretty docile at first. Fire at its legs to force them to bend outward. Though you won't incur any damage on it yet, your laser fire will coerce it into its main means of attack. Its legs will extend outward and the Insector will spin towards you! As it nears you, the Insector will choose (at random) either to veer towards the top or bottom of the flight corridor. Wherever it goes, you want to go the opposite way or else the spinning legs will slam into you! After it passes by you the Insector will return to its dancing motion. Follow the same pattern and when the legs extend out again they'll turn red. Keep hitting them when they're red to start hitting the Insector. Eventually, one leg after another will fly off, leaving only the Insector's core, whose base is your final target. However, this time you also should be on the lookout for the Insector's fire attack. When you see a column of fire flow down from its core, be ready to dodge the fire blasts that come your way. Again, just keep firing at the base of the Insector's core and you'll be on your way to victory!


Venom - The Final Goal
Briefing: Andross is hiding on Venom!! Fox, you must find his core brain and destroy it!!
Enemies/Obstacles: Asteroids, ion-launching pods, standard fighters, hopping walker-style robots, triangle-formation ion-launchers, centipedes.

Stage:

There are no fantastic obstacles in orbit above Venom, but there is a steady stream of bogeys and homing pods. Shoot them as they come and save wingmen when they get in trouble. Fly through a ring when you see it to make two nova bombs appear.

BOSS: Phantron

The low-orbiting Phantron is yet another enigmatic foe in Star Fox. It mainly attacks with missiles and lasers. It takes damage as you fire at it, but once its shields get low it'll rotate around and split into three "Phantrons"--only one of which is vulnerable. Once you find the real Phantron, fire repeatedly at it. The images will move around and try to confuse you, but it shouldn't take too long to destroy it....or did you? It erupts in small explosions as it plummets to Venom's surface...

Another small note--you might want to avoid using nova bombs on Phantron. Using one has an annoying tendency to cause it to launch its "death missile." It's an exceptionally powerful missile which, under normal circumstances, will take out your entire shield. It is possible to survive this missile attack, of course. If you have extra shields you might survive being hit by it, and if you fire at it repeatedly it might veer off (or blow up) and not hit you at all. Even so, it's probably better just to save your nova bombs and not risk the encounter in the first place.


Venom's surface is a deadly place. Many obstacles are controlled by Andross' telekinetic devices. Take on enemies as they appear, including tall ion launchers, but be careful to avoid the many traps Andross has set for you. When you see large blocks with triangles on them, fly to the side of the block denoted by the flat side of the triangle. As with the doors inside the mothership of the Space Armada, if you shoot these blocks the triangles will flip. The extruding pillars are easy to avoid. Watch out for falling blocks, too, as well as orange towers that try to land in your path (either fly from side to side to avoid them or shoot them repeatedly).

BOSS: Phantron

AHA! Looks like you took it down that first time, but not out! It'll try its first means of attack once again here on Venom's surface. Once more find the real Phantron and fire at it until its shields are gone.

But wait! The battle's not over yet! After it passes overhead, the Phantron transforms into a ground-based robot with an even larger reserve shield! This new Phantron still fires at you with lasers and missiles, but now it has several attack patterns (which repeat after its done executing them). It can once again split into multiple images, leap at you, and even throw out a solid holographic array of its "legs" at you! Its weak point is a spot on its head, and due to its larger shield the battle can take a little bit longer than you might expect, so be patient. When it jumps at you or kicks its leg at you, just get out of the way (it's not vulnerable while it's executing those attacks).

The Final Battle
This is it! You're on your way to the final confrontation in your mission. You just have to navigate the final corridor before the end boss, avoiding obstacles and collecting power-ups as needed. Andross will communicate with you, but don't let him intimidate you. Lylat is depending on you, so don't give up! You can do it! Andross is keeping an eye out for you. Avoid the telekinetic slabs it sends at you, but don't worry when it tries to suck them back in. (It can't suck you in, unlike StarFox 64.) Target the face's eyes until they explode. The face will reveal the "core brain"--a cube that won't take too many hits to destroy. Repeat the process if the face reassembles, though. Good luck!

Guide Index Course 2 Course 3 Other Tricks