Star Fox Zero

With the end of the year fast approaching, now is the time when the big game releases usually start rolling out. Last week the brilliantly crafted Super Mario Maker hit store shelves worldwide to mark the beginning of this period as well as celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic plumber.

With one release down and a number to go, Star Fox Zero was the next big title on the radar of Wii U owners. Originally scheduled for a November release, in somewhat unfortunate news, Shigeru Miyamoto on behalf of Nintendo has today announced via social media that the game has been delayed due to the Kyoto-based company wanting to further polish the overall experience, and is now targeting a Q1 2016 launch.

Read the full message from Mr. Miyamoto below:

I made a big decision last week.

We have been developing Star Fox Zero for Wii U with the aim of releasing it this year. Although we felt that the development had been progressing well, we now believe that we will need a little more time to work on areas such as the unprecedented discovery that we want players to experience in the game by using two screens, and further polishing the level designs and perfecting the tone of the cut scenes.

While we have already reached the stage where it would be technically possible to release the title in time for the year-end holiday season, we want to polish the game a bit more so that players will be able to more smoothly grasp the new style of play that we are proposing.

To the people looking forward to the launch of the game this holiday season, I am very sorry.

Star Fox Zero is going to bring new game play and experiences that take it far beyond the framework established by Star Fox 64. All the members of the development team are doing our best so that the final product will not betray your expectations. And the game will not be delayed for a very long time – we're aiming to launch the game in Q1 2016. Please stay tuned for further announcements.

Perhaps the underwhelming reception Star Fox Zero received at this year's E3 encouraged Nintendo to hold off on a November release and wait for a slower quarter early next year. On a more positive note, it is expected the Wii U title will only benefit from this extra development time, with further enhancements being made to the game as mentioned. Maybe, with any luck, Nintendo will even consider adding in other new elements or features, such as the previously requested online multiplayer.

In terms of Wii U releases remaining for this year, this leaves the likes of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash to fill the gap and Xenoblade Chronicles X in December. This delay also leaves time to enjoy many other new releases across the Wii U, 3DS and eShop during this busy time of year.

Let us know in the comments how you feel about the delay of Star Fox Zero on Wii U, and if you think it will ultimately help or hinder the anticipated next entry in the Star Fox series.

[source facebook.com]