Shigeru Miyamoto filled Star Fox with animals because Star Wars and Gundam already had human sci-fi covered: "We're going to create our own original science fiction!"

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Peppy and Falco were based on folklore, while Slippy was added because frogs are good

Star Fox
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Shigeru Miyamoto previously explained why Star Fox was Star Fox and not Star Man or Star Robot, and it's all thanks to Gundam, Star Wars, and other Sci-Fi that were popular before the game began development.

Following the announcement of Star Fox – the new remake of Star Fox 64 – Twitter user Genki_JPN resurfaced and translated an old Iwata Asks interview from the release of Star Fox 64 3D – the old remake of Star Fox 64 – in 2011, where the developer recalled how Star Fox got its identity. Miyamoto recalled that he suggested to designer Takaya Imamura about putting animals in the pilot's seat for their space shooter

"At the time some people said 'It would be cooler if it you made something with robots,'" Miyamoto explained, " But what was important to me was that, after Star Wars and Mobile Suit Gundam had already appeared, and with so many hit works already depicting the world of science fiction, I thought 'We're going to create our own original science fiction!'"

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Miyamoto added, "I didn't want to make it like any other existing sci-fi game adaptations. So, the only option left was a fox." He mentioned elsewhere in the interview that the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine was around a 15-minute walk from Nintendo's office back in the day, as well as a local baseball team called "Inari Fox," leading to Miyamoto picking a Fox for the project.

Meanwhile, the game's script writer, Mitsuhiro Takano, recalled that Imamura took inspiration from folklore and fairy tales for Peppy and Falco being a rabbit and a pheasant. As for Slippy, Miyamoto recalls Imamura drawing a frog and saying those are good too.

Of course, it's a gambit that paid off as Star Fox's cast of characters would go on to become some of Nintendo's most popular, and not just because Fox and Falco were busted in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Former Star Fox actor says "that is not my voice" in the remake, but "I'm so honored to have been part of Star Fox history at all."

Scott McCrae
Scott McCrae
Contributor

Scott has been freelancing for over four years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

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