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Star Fox Zero is landing on the eShop and in stores, bringing us the first full entry in the series in a number of years. We were big fans in our review, yet the game has been divisive, in part because of its GamePad-centric controls - for our money we think the time required to master the game's intricacies is time well spent.

In any case, we want to help you get the most out of it so have planned some Guides to take you through the game. This first article is focused on the basics for your early time with it, with information on making good use of each vehicle and their unique controls, along with some other tidbits.

Getting Ready to Play

Due to the GamePad aiming we don't advise slouching in a soft chair for this one. This is a game that puts a player's skills to the test, and the nature of the gameplay demands some respect for the activity.

As you're consistently looking between screens it's a good idea to sit relatively central to the TV, as it can help with perception when having the GamePad's aiming view in front of you. You don't need to be constantly flicking your view between screens, but it's worth finding a comfortable spot where you can sit upright with a clear view.

You also need to bear in mind that the GamePad, and its sound, are mandatory. Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto spoke prior to launch about giving the game a 'cinematic' feel, and to do this it uses the GamePad speakers for voiced dialogue and some sound effects, while the TV deals with music and general sound. That rules headphones out if you want the full experience, ultimately, so when sitting down to play it's worth ensuring you 'have the room' to enjoy it.

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Mastering the Controls

This is the key section to this guide and will go through the basic controls and provide some pointers that will, hopefully, help ease you into the way Star Fox Zero plays.

First of all, the game does take you through some mandatory tutorial stages, with optional equivalents then found in Training. It's a good idea to look at these after the initial guided segment of the game is complete to give you practice in different vehicles ahead of time.

Let's break down the vehicles and their key controls.

Arwing

The classic and most familiar vehicle, this is also the most commonly used (unsurprisingly) in the game.

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  • Left analogue stick - Moves the ship on the screen, with ascent and descent being optionally switched in the pause menu.
  • GamePad screen - Shows the precise aiming viewpoint, controlling targeting which is also visible on the TV. You can apply a setting that means motion controls are only on when firing your lasers, though we recommend having them on all the time.
  • Right analogue stick - You boost by pushing the right stick forward and brake by pulling the right stick back, which feels intuitive in practice. Pushing left or right on the stick will tilt your Arwing that way and also allow quicker steering combined with the left stick, which is necessary for squeezing through tight spots. To barrel roll you flick the stick left or right twice in quick succession.
  • ZR - Fires your laser, hold, lock-on and release for a charge shot.
  • ZL - Target enemies and activates 'Target Mode' while in all-range mode.
  • R or R3 (clicking the right stick) - Shoots bombs
  • Y - This is an important button as it automatically centres your aiming reticule. If the calibration is lost or you've simply gotten carried away and lost your bearings, tap Y to fix.
  • X - Somersault. Though you can apply this move with the sticks, a button press is easiest.
  • B - U-turn, to change direction 180 degrees in All-Range mode.
  • A - Transform into the Walker (when unlocked).

Walker

Originally seen in the unreleased Star Fox 2, this bipedal vehicle is introduced early in the game for ground-based missions or ad-hoc gameplay.

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  • Left analogue stick - Moves the Walker left and right in auto-scrolling stages. In non-scrolling stages the speed of its walk is determined by how far you push the stick forward and backward, while left and right sidestep.
  • GamePad screen - Shows precise aiming.
  • Right analogue stick - You boost by pushing the right stick forward to run even quicker. Down on the stick engages a hover mode, though this has limits in how high it can take you while also using up your boost meter. Left and right move the camera, though when holding ZL these inputs instigate a dodge move.
  • ZR - Fires your laser, hold, lock-on and release for a charge shot.
  • ZL - Target enemies and activate 'Target Mode' while in all-range mode.
  • R or R3 (clicking the right stick) - Shoots bombs
  • Y -Centres your aiming reticule.
  • X - When not in an auto-scrolling stage this serves as a quick turn, handy for a 180 degree switch.
  • B - Same as X.
  • A - Transform into the Arwing.

Landmaster

Another familiar vehicle for series veterans, this is actually introduced relatively late in the game; in fact, if you're a hot-shot in a relevant stage your first playthrough may miss the vehicle altogether. In any case, it controls rather differently from the other vehicles, and some key tips are worth bearing in mind.

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  • Left analogue stick - In scrolling levels you focus primarily on moving left and right, though can adjust speed slightly with up and down. In all-range areas, however, forward serves as the throttle and back as the brake / reverse. When you're not pushing forward you'll slow down a great deal, so maintaining the throttle is important.
  • GamePad screen - Shows precise aiming.
  • Right analogue stick - You boost by pushing the right stick forward. Down on the stick engages a hover mode, though this has limits in how high it can take you while also using up your boost meter. Left and right strafe, with a double flick in a direction prompting a barrel roll.
  • ZR - Fires your laser, hold and release for a charge shot (missiles) that can target up to three enemies at a time.
  • ZL - Target enemies and activate 'Target Mode' while in all-range mode.
  • R or R3 (clicking the right stick) - Shoots bombs
  • Y - Centres your aiming reticule.
  • A - Transform into the Gravmaster (when unlocked)

Gravmaster

An unlockable transformation of the Landmaster, this allows for temporary flight that uses the Boost meter. It's worth noting that it's far less agile than an Arwing, for example, and cannot execute barrel rolls. It can be effective in short bursts, however, and is required for some enemy encounters.

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  • Left analogue stick - Controls rather like a slow Arwing with standard flight controls.
  • GamePad screen - Shows precise aiming.
  • Right analogue stick - You boost by pushing the right stick forward and brake by pushing down. Left and right help for quicker steering (as with the Arwing) though there's no barrel roll.
  • ZR - Fires your laser, hold and release for a charge shot (missiles) that can target up to three enemies at a time.
  • ZL - Target enemies and activate 'Target Mode' while in all-range mode.
  • R or R3 (clicking the right stick) - Shoots bombs
  • Y - Centres your aiming reticule.
  • A - Transform into the Landmaster

Gyrowing and Direct-i

Effectively a drone-style ship that hovers, and is all new. The Direct-i robot can hack terminals and enter small areas, with a laser of its own.

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  • Left analogue stick - This only works on a horizontal plane to move forward and back, and to strafe left and right.
  • GamePad screen - Shows precise aiming.
  • Right analogue stick - Up and down adjust the ship's height, which isn't inverted (like the Arwing flight controls) by default. Left and right are used to turn, so combining both analogue sticks together is a key skill to master.
  • ZR - Fires your laser, hold and release for a charge shot.
  • ZL - Triggers a downward view to allow you to see below the ship, which is vital for lowering Direct-i in particular.
  • Y - Centres your aiming reticule.
  • A - Lowers Direct-i. When lowered you control the robot with the left stick, using the GamePad screen for the view.

Target Mode

When in an all-range scenario pressing the ZL button will lock onto a key target, whether a boss, member of Star Wolf or standard enemy. As the camera pans out it's important to guide the ship relatively carefully while keeping a close eye on the GamePad's aiming screen. In many encounters it's important to first position your ship and set it on a solid flight path, before using the broad range of your aim to take out enemies.

Mastering this style of play is certainly one of the key challenges in the first hour or so with the game. It can feel unnatural initially, but once it becomes instinctive can be a thrilling way to engage in dogfights. It allows you to view and react to enemies even when they're manoeuvring behind you.

When in these areas with the Landmaster, it is vital that you remember to maintain the throttle with up on the left stick, tilting to the left and right when shifting direction. In some key encounters it makes sense to use ZL to scope out the broader scene on the zoomed out view, before releasing to return to the behind-vehicle view for more conventional controls.

It's also worth highlighting that some encounters, such as the first boss on Corneria, enforce the zoomed out Target Mode perspective. If you want precise flight to go through an opening, for example, it can be easier to use the GamePad / aiming view as a central perspective. In fact, in some encounters it's easier to have the GamePad view switched to the TV for that very reason, and you can use the Select button to do just that.

Some amiibo Fun

The following screen from Nintendo's official website neatly summarises the key functionality of the Fox and Falco amiibo.

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With the Retro Arwing (Fox) there's no charge shot, in order to be faithful to the original. We heartily advise playing the first level with this amiibo scanned in as it's a treat.

The Falco amiibo is really a hardcore difficulty option, as the extra power in the Black Arwing's shots is cancelled out by how quickly your life bar will deplete.

It's also worth noting that these can be unlocked, but you need 70 medals to do so. That is a huge ask, but the most dedicated of players will no doubt find a way.

Tackling Andross With a Buddy

The co-op mode becomes an option when manually choosing levels, allowing two players to share the gameplay. One simply controls the vehicle with the Wii U Pro Controller, and also has a basic laser that can't be upgraded or used for charge shots.

The primary shooting is done on the GamePad, meaning someone can pretend they're manning a Millennium Falcon-style turret. The weapon upgrades and charges as normal but, of course, the aim is limited depending on the direction the vehicle's facing.

If playing in co-op a key point for the pilot is to focus on smooth flying / driving. Though nearly impossible in a dogfight, in other scenarios keeping flight steady without drastic manoeuvres should help the gunner make their shots.

There's More...

We've published two other guides to help you through the game:

We also have a big Star Fox Guard guide coming this weekend.