Star Fox Zero is a 3D scrolling shooter developed by Nintendo and Platinum Games and published by Nintendo.  The game was released on April 21, 2016 in Japan and the next day in North America and Europe.  The retail version comes packaged with Star Fox Guard either as a separate disc or as a download code.  The game originally was to be released in November 2015 but was pushed back due to it not being ready.

    The game's existence was confirmed on June 8, 2014 in a press sheet.  It was fully revealed on June 10, 2014 during E3.  Star Fox Guard was revealed in Nintendo Direct on March 3, 2016.

       The gameplay closely follows its predecessors especially Star Fox 64.  The Arwing can transform into the Walker.  This transformation would have been used in the unreleased SNES games Star Fox 2.  The GamePad provides a different view than that on the TV. The game has gyroscope functionality through the GamePad.

      Fox's teammates Falco, Peppy, and Slippy return in Star Fox Zero.  Several level locations have also returned including Corneria, Zoness, and Titania.

     Players can scan the Fox and Falco amiibo figurines to unlock the Retro Arwing, which is based on the model used in the original Star Fox game, and the Black Arwing, which sports a black and red color scheme, is stronger and faster but takes more damage, respectively.

        The game received mixed reviews.  Critics found fault with the controls and the length of the game.  Many reviews said it was too similar to Star Fox 64.  As of May 2016, the game has sold 350,000 copies.