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Play Star Fox 64 first if you can access it. It gives you the clearest introduction to the series’ route-based arcade flight action. Then try Star Fox Zero if you want to see that foundation reimagined around the Wii U GamePad, motion aiming and two-screen play. If you own only a Wii U, starting with Zero is perfectly reasonable.
What is the main difference between Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Zero?
Star Fox 64 is the straightforward reference point: a flight-action game built around missions, branching paths and shifts between forward-scrolling stages and 360-degree All-Range Mode. Nintendo describes it as having 15 levels, with hidden routes that make the path through the game more than a single fixed sequence.
Star Fox Zero revisits the story framework of Star Fox 64, but it is not simply the same game with newer graphics or a conventional numbered sequel. Its defining change is the control design. The Wii U television and GamePad show different views and support different aiming and movement tasks, making the controller part of the game’s central idea. It also adds different route approaches, bosses, teleporters and vehicle variations.
That distinction matters when deciding what to play first. 64 shows you the classic format without asking you to learn Zero’s particular control experiment at the same time. Once you know that baseline, you can judge whether Zero’s changes sound appealing rather than treating them as the default way the series works.
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Which game should you choose for your situation?
| Your situation | Better starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You are new to Star Fox and can access either game | Star Fox 64 | It is the clearest introduction to the classic mission, branching-route and All-Range structure. |
| You own a Wii U but not hardware that can play 64 | Star Fox Zero | It is a Wii U game, so it is the practical entry point if that is your available system. |
| You are curious about unusual controls and dual-screen play | Star Fox Zero | Its two-screen layout and motion aiming are the main reasons to choose it. |
| You prefer a direct, familiar flight-action format | Star Fox 64 | Its controls are the more direct baseline for the series’ classic approach. |
| You want local competitive multiplayer | Star Fox 64 | Nintendo lists a VS mode for up to four players. The available official description of Zero instead describes cooperative play; do not assume the modes are equivalent. |
These are preference-based recommendations, not a ranking of which game is objectively better. The available sources do not establish a controlled comparison of difficulty, playtime or control quality. If motion aiming, switching attention between two screens or changing vehicles and control modes sounds frustrating, that is a reason to be cautious about Zero—but a player who enjoys experimenting with controls may see the same design as its appeal.
Think of the choice as two different kinds of introduction. 64 is the better orientation to the series’ familiar grammar: missions, route choices and stages that can change into an all-directions encounter. Zero is the better introduction to one particular design question: what happens when aiming and movement are split across the Wii U’s television and handheld screen? If that question is what brought you to the games, it is reasonable to reverse the usual order.
How the two games compare
| Category | Star Fox 64 | Star Fox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Original platform | Nintendo 64. Nintendo also lists a Wii U Virtual Console edition. | Wii U. |
| Release information | The cited Nintendo product page does not state a release date. | PlatinumGames gives the North American release date as April 22, 2016. |
| Structure | Nintendo describes 15 levels, hidden paths and missions that shift into 360-degree All-Range Mode. | A reimagining of the 64 story framework, with new bosses, route approaches, teleporters and other vehicles. |
| Controls and display | A more direct example of the classic flight-action format. | Designed around TV and GamePad views, motion aiming and distinct aiming and movement tasks across two screens. |
| Multiplayer described by Nintendo | VS mode for up to four players. | Cooperative play is described; details depend on edition and setup. |
The table’s player-count and level details come from Nintendo’s official Star Fox 64 page; the Zero platform and release date come from developer PlatinumGames’ official page. Multiplayer descriptions should not be read as proof that the two games offer matching modes or setups.
The numbers are useful as orientation, not as a promise about how long your playthrough will take. Nintendo’s 15-level description helps convey that 64 is organized as a set of missions, while its hidden paths mean that a route through the game is not necessarily the only route. The sources do not provide a dependable head-to-head playtime comparison, so it would be misleading to turn level counts into a claim that one game is longer or shorter.
Likewise, “multiplayer” is not enough information to treat the games as interchangeable for a group. Nintendo’s description of 64 explicitly lists a VS mode for up to four players. The cited description for Zero describes cooperative play, which is a different kind of group experience. If a particular mode is the reason you are choosing a game, check the exact release and setup rather than assuming the feature set carries over.
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Why playing 64 first makes Zero easier to assess
The games share a story foundation, but the useful comparison is not just “old version versus new version.” Zero deliberately returns to the roots rather than continuing the numbering as a conventional follow-up. In a 2016 TIME interview, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto described it this way: “The game itself is not a Star Fox ‘4’ or ‘5’, and it’s not a new spinoff. It really is going back to the roots, and that’s where the ‘Zero’ comes from.”
That framing helps explain why 64 is a useful first game: it gives you the familiar story framework and classic route-based structure that Zero revisits. You can then notice what the Wii U version changes—especially the screen arrangement, motion aiming, added vehicle and control variations, and new approaches to routes and bosses—rather than encountering all of those ideas without a reference point.
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There is no need to treat Zero as a required sequel or to finish one game before you are “allowed” to play the other. The recommendation is about clarity, not chronology: 64 explains the format more directly, while Zero is the more experimental branch of that familiar framework.
That also means you do not need to worry about doing the story “out of order” if Zero is the game you can play. Miyamoto’s description positions it as a return to the roots, not a numbered continuation that requires a prior installment to make sense. Playing 64 first may make the shared framework and changes easier to recognize, but it is a useful comparison point rather than a prerequisite.
For a newcomer choosing between them, the practical question is not whether Zero is a valid first Star Fox game. It is whether you want to learn the series through its more direct classic format or through a distinct Wii U control design. The first option gives you a clean baseline; the second puts the unusual hardware interaction front and center. Neither preference is wrong, and the order does not turn one into a mandatory follow-up.
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What hardware and access should you check?
Star Fox 64
Nintendo’s UK product page lists the original Nintendo 64 release and a Wii U Virtual Console edition. Nintendo Life’s access guide also lists Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack as a way to play the Nintendo 64 game, but subscription catalogs can change, so check the current catalog and your region before subscribing for this specific title.
Nintendo ended new purchases through the Wii U and 3DS eShops on March 27, 2023. That means the Wii U eShop should not be presented as a current way to buy a new copy. Existing purchases, physical copies and regional availability are separate matters; check the system and account you intend to use.
Before making a choice based on a platform listing, distinguish an edition from a way to acquire it now. Nintendo lists a Wii U Virtual Console edition, but the end of new eShop sales means that listing does not itself guarantee a new digital purchase. If you already own it, your access may be different from a new buyer’s; if you are considering a subscription service, confirm the current catalog and whether the title is available in your region.
Star Fox Zero
Zero was developed for Wii U, and it is not a current-system release. The Wii U eShop’s end of new sales applies to its digital-purchase route as well. The sources here do not establish current used-copy prices, inventory or availability, so check those locally rather than relying on an old price or stock claim. Do not assume that a Wii U game is playable on Switch simply because both are Nintendo systems.
That makes hardware a genuine decision point rather than a minor footnote. If Wii U is the only compatible system you have access to, Zero is the practical choice among these two. If you are buying hardware or tracking down a physical copy specifically to play one game, compare your actual costs and availability locally; there is no reliable price figure here to recommend a particular purchase. Check the platform and edition before buying, and do not count on a digital Wii U store purchase being available to new customers.
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For Zero, also consider whether the control concept itself appeals before you seek out a copy. The game asks you to work with a TV view and a GamePad view, motion aiming, and different aiming and movement tasks. Someone who wants a conventional, direct flight-action setup may be happier starting elsewhere; someone who wants to try that dual-screen experiment has a clear reason to seek it out. That is a question of fit, not a claim that the controls are objectively good or bad.
A newer option for Switch 2 owners
Nintendo lists Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2 with a June 25, 2026 release date and describes it as a remake of the Nintendo 64 game. For someone with Switch 2 who wants the 64 foundation, that is a relevant newer option to investigate. It is a distinct release, however, not Star Fox Zero, and it does not change the comparison between the two games covered here.
If you have Switch 2 and are deciding how to approach the series, this remake may be a more accessible way to investigate the 64 side of the comparison. Check Nintendo’s current product information for the edition and availability that apply to you. It should not be mistaken for a Switch version of Zero, nor does its existence erase the Wii U game’s unusual dual-screen design.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A simple way to decide
- Start with your hardware. If you only have a Wii U, choose Star Fox Zero. If you have access to Star Fox 64 through a system or edition you already own, it is the clearer first game for most newcomers.
- Consider your control preferences. Choose 64 for the more direct classic format. Choose Zero first if the Wii U’s motion-aiming and two-screen design is specifically what interests you.
- Choose based on multiplayer needs. Nintendo explicitly lists a four-player VS mode for 64. For Zero, verify the exact cooperative setup and edition before buying or arranging a session.
- Play the other game if its differences appeal. You do not need to skip either one on story grounds; Zero revisits the 64 framework while offering its own bosses, routes, vehicles and control approach.
One quick test is to ask which compromise sounds more acceptable. With 64, you may need to check which version you can access and whether your preferred platform offers it in your region. With Zero, you need a Wii U and must be willing to engage with its two-screen, motion-aiming approach. If you already have both games, choosing 64 first gives you the clearest baseline; if you only have a Wii U, there is no reason to postpone Zero while hunting for a different platform.
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For someone buying or arranging a group session, make the decision in this order: confirm compatible hardware, confirm the edition and current access route, then check that the multiplayer mode matches what the group wants. A four-player VS mode and a cooperative mode are not interchangeable promises. If the group-versus feature is essential, Nintendo’s listed VS mode makes 64 the more straightforward fit based on the official descriptions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Star Fox game should I start with?
For most newcomers, start with Star Fox 64. It is the clearest introduction to the classic mission, branching-route and All-Range format. Choose Zero first if Wii U is the only hardware you have or if its motion aiming and dual-screen design are the part that interests you most.
Do I need to play Star Fox 64 before Star Fox Zero?
No. Zero revisits the 64 story framework rather than serving as a conventional numbered sequel, so the order is not a story requirement. Playing 64 first simply gives you a familiar baseline for noticing what Zero changes.
Is Star Fox Zero available on Nintendo Switch?
Zero was developed for Wii U; do not assume it is playable on Switch. Nintendo lists a separate Star Fox remake for Switch 2, released June 25, 2026, but that is not Zero.
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Nintendo lists a VS mode for up to four players in Star Fox 64. Nintendo’s cited description of Zero describes cooperative play. Check the exact edition and setup if multiplayer is central to your choice; the modes should not be assumed to match.
Can I still buy Star Fox 64 or Star Fox Zero digitally on Wii U?
Nintendo ended new Wii U and 3DS eShop purchases on March 27, 2023, so do not count on making a new Wii U eShop purchase. Existing purchases, physical copies and regional options differ. Check current local availability and your account rather than relying on an old listing or price.
The Bottom Line
For most players, start with Star Fox 64, then play Star Fox Zero if its Wii U control experiment appeals. If Wii U is your only compatible system—or dual-screen motion aiming is the main draw—start with Zero. Check platform access and the specific multiplayer mode before buying or planning a group session.
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