The overall plot of "Star Fox Zero" is largely in part identical to the plot of the original 1993 game, and also the more familiar characters and plot elements introduced in the also similar "Star Fox 64", even using the term Lylat Wars as the naming of in-game conflicts, which was also the name of the 1997 PAL version releases. "Zero" also borrows elements from the at the time unreleased "Star Fox 2", a year before it was finally released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic.
Prologue[]
The Star Fox team founders.
The intro of Star Fox Zero.
Fox's team in the opening story.
- “The name's Fox, Fox McCloud. I'm the leader of Star Fox, an elite fighter squadron established by ex-Cornerian flying ace, James McCloud, my father.
5 years ago, my father was hired by General Pepper of the Cornerian army to investigate strange activities on planet Venom. He never returned. Despite being a backwater, little rock in space, Venom had become the base of operations for Andross, a crazed and banished scientist.
3 pilots flew out on that mission: My father, James, his best friend and wingman, Peppy Hare, and Pigma Dengar, an honorless slime-ball who 'volunteered' for the assignment. Turns out, Pigma was working for Andross the whole time. No one saw it coming.
Pigma betrayed Peppy and my father, and led them straight into a trap. In the chaos that followed, my father sacrificed himself to create a diversion so Peppy could escape. Barely making it home with his life, Peppy knew it fell upon him to report the courageous last moments of James McCloud.
At the same time, he delivered the news that Andross had amassed a terrifyingly huge army, and intended to conquer the entire Lylat System... And so began the Lylat Wars.
5 years have passed. The battle between the Cornerian army and Andross's forces is spreading to every planet in the Lylat System. To carry on my father's legacy, I brought Star Fox out of retirement. I've got the latest technology, and I'm filling the team with pilots I know I can trust.
Slippy Toad, a close friend and a gifted mechanic... Falco Lombardi, a hotshot flyboy who's got your back when the going gets tough... Peppy Hare, my father's old wingman, a seasoned pro, and the glue that holds the team together.
That brings us to today. While en route to planet Corneria, we received an urgent message from General Pepper. Apparently, Andross's army appeared out of nowhere, and launched a full-scale attack on our once peaceful capital. Now's our chance to honor my father's legacy and restore the Star Fox name.
You hear that, Andross? We're coming for you!” - —
Continuity[]
- The opening cinematic story is almost exactly identical to the familiar Lylat backstory that appeared in the Main Game of "Star Fox 64", image for image, albeit new character artwork and graphics.
- According to General Pepper, when explaining how Andross had access to teleportation technology and how both he and the entire planet of Venom were sealed away in an alternate dimension as punishment fro his treason, implied that it was down to the actions of James McCloud being instrumental in its sealing, which would give Andross valid hatred in particular for Fox's father, akin to their Nintendo Power Comic selves, and also alluded to James McCloud's original 1993 backstory of being sent into a black hole with Andross having a role in that action.
- The in-game backstory this time portrays Pigma as apparently having been working undercover for Andross by "volunteering" for the Star Fox team's recon mission on Venom and is seen betraying James by firing on him, meaning he was never loyal to the Cornerian cause before he became a member of Star Wolf.
- If Wolf within the time limit of the Mission at Sector β, Wolf will end up speeding out of there while expressing disbelief that he lost instead of being shot down like his compatriots, a possible reference to his role in the formerly unreleased "Star Fox 2", where he fled when lost instead of having his ship shot down.
- Much like in "Star Fox 64", the Mission on Titania was in order to save a fallen comrade due to his being knocked off-course by an enemy, and in certain situations, even have to fight a boss upon finding the comrade. Unlike the N64 game, it is Peppy who got caught by the Scrapworm, due to Wolf O'Donnell shooting him down and knocked off-course, taking the place of Slippy being sent flying by Spyborg and crash landing on Titania to immediately be captured by Goras.
- When playing Zoness: Covert Ops, Katt is in need of being rescued from the base, referencing her backstory explored in the Nintendo Power guide of "Star Fox 64", where her common dedication to defeating Andross and his empire stems from her old ship being previously shot down by Androssians and resulting in her capturing an Invader class starfighter to redesign as her Catspaw in revenge.
- Once again, when viewing the game's ending cutscene, Fox politely declines General Pepper's offer to accept the Star Fox team into the Cornerian Military, and opportunistically informed by ROB that the Great Fox is preparing to go, this time ROB is joined in his announcement by Direct-i.
