by xolotl
Star Wolf is one of the greatest foils in the history of media. Though his appearance tends to be quite brief relative to the overall length of the games he appears in, his impact ripples across the whole narrative structure. Likewise Star Wolf Theme is objectively in the top 5 greatest tunes that Nintendo has ever produced. But even amidst this rarefied selection of music, not all Star Wolf themes are equal. Given the overall depth and breadth of media that Star Wolf features in, his theme has undergone various revisions over the years. As attention spans have dwindled, and available media has broadened, it is urgent that we produce a list that allows listeners to prioritize their engagement, excitement, and efficiency with respect to music. This list provides that remedy in the narrow field of Star Wolf themes.
StarFox (1993) SNES - You don't fight Star Wolf in this game, and as a result there is no theme. Rank: n/a
StarFox 64 (1997) N64 - This is THE theme. It sets the tone and lays out the leitmotifs that define this theme going forward. It is the banquet from which all other crumbs fall. Rank: A https://youtu.be/NkQx-Wlgm_w
StarFox Adventures (2002) Gamecube - You don't fight Star Wolf in this game, and as a result there is no theme. Rank: n/a
StarFox Assault (2005) Gamecube - I can't fault this track, because it absolutely tries something new while staying true to the original motifs and tone of the original. The mariachi-esque/bolero like quality to the whole piece elevates the track to the operatic strata that Star Wolf represents. However the slower tempo shaves off some of the urgency that Star Wolf's appearance heralds. Rank: B https://youtu.be/dWtJplgXe6I
StarFox Command (2006) Nintendo DS - It's the poorer cousin to 64's theme and suffers for it. There's some piano flourishes that do their best to raise the track beyond its lackadaisical retread of the classic, but fails to really soar beyond the shadows of its originator. Rank: C https://youtu.be/FCyEvdU7Uxo
StarFox 64 3D (2011) Nintendo 3DS - Another stunted imitation of the original with some admittedly creative touches that elevate but don't free it from the originators constraints. Composer Satomi Terui clearly listened to the original a bit, but it's interesting to note that what they pulled away was the driving drum and bass line. The track suffers as a result. Rank: B https://youtu.be/WUda-ajk3jM
StarFox Zero (2016) Wii U - Now we're getting somewhere. This is the space opera track theming that Star Wolf deserves. The whole affect of the song is elevated beyond battle music to a true motif of one of media's greatest villains. The elongated intro and chorus lines capture the essence of the original, but broaden the scope of the song to the titanic scale that the battle between Star Fox and Star Wolf represents. Rank: A https://youtu.be/1lwgqKlHoQk
StarFox 2 (2017) Switch NSO - I won't rank this song out of respect for the game, it's creators, and it's ideas. Though released in 2017, the game is actually a release of the cancelled Star Fox 2 which was slated to release in the mid 90's. As a result its music and themes are from an era where StarFox 64 didn't exist and thus lies outside of our system of categorization. Take it simply as a glimpse of what might have been. https://youtu.be/jDUJPSNtZ9Y
Note: Super Smash Bros Brawl has two separate Star Wolf themes. One of these is the Star Fox Assault theme which is presented identically to how it appears in that game. As a result, this theme is not ranked below.
Super Smash Bros Brawl (2008) Wii - The inheritor, liberator, and standard bearer for the Star Wolf theme. This theme runs the razors edge of fidelity to the original and obliterating the constraints presented by this debt. The high tempo beat punctuated by deep flourishing drums elevates this theme to the stygian stars and orbs that serve as the battlefield for our hero and his villain. The horns do their part, playing urgently and violently, reminding one of the way in which Star Wolf always attacks out of the high sun, diving on the hero with the kind of trickery and lethal precision that defines his method. It's the short but defining synthesizer, however, that excitedly intervenes at the climax of the song which drives the whole song to perfection. A horizon of possibilities, a million battles, defeats, and triumphs all wrapped up into one diving synth note as the song loops. Rank: S https://youtu.be/5tOE1SYI_JU
Super Smash Bros Ultimate (2018) Nintendo Switch - This track is identical to the track in Super Smash Bros Brawl and as a result will not be ranked. https://youtu.be/sF_7GQvogqA
StarFox (2026) Switch 2 - I can tell what they're going for here, and I like it. The tempo is again urgent, though now it feels like instruments are falling and rising faster than the mind can appreciate. It's tough to rate this track without the context of the game. However one thing is clear, this song clearly fits into the new and grittier StarFox. Rank: B https://youtu.be/RlHlxw4F1ag
