The general reception towards Star Fox Zero has been up and down since the game was announced during the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo. With that said, it appears that the latest game in the beloved series has been shaping up nicely based on the more recent impressions. If you are planning to buy the game, we also suggest picking up a few complementary products so that you can get the most out of your experience with the Wii U exclusive.
Star Fox Guard
Star Fox Zero is not the only game in the series coming out. Nintendo recently revealed that Star Fox Guard will be released on the same day as well. Unlike the main game, the spin-off title is a tower defense experience where you use the Wii U Gamepad to place, upgrade and control cameras in order to stop the invading enemies from attacking the central tower.
Despite being a smaller release, Star Fox Guard does come with dozens of levels, including some with boss fights. Not to mention that you can also build your own army of invaders and upload your data online for the rest of the world to play. So there is plenty of content in this spin-off title.
Star Fox Guard is included in the physical version of Star Fox Zero. You can preorder the bundle for the two games, if you are interested and haven’t done so already, with this link on Amazon. 
Official Strategy Guide
As with the previous installments of the series, Star Fox Zero contains plenty of secrets. If you are planning to do everything in the shooter, you might want to pick up the official strategy guide.
In addition to helping you unlock all the secrets, the book will teach you how to expertly pilot the Arwing, Gyrowing and Landmaster so that you can easily dispose of the bosses and enemies. It will also include a complete walkthrough of the story mode along with the satellite missions. Last but not least, the detailed maps will help you locate all the enemies and collectibles.
As a bonus, the physical version of the book also comes with a full color double sided poster that measures at 35 inches by 22.5 inches. Furthermore, you will also get access to the eGuide, which has been optimized for a second screen, with the book.
The Star Fox Zero: Prima Collector’s Edition Guide is only going to be available for one print run. So, if you are looking for help for the latest mainline Star Fox release and/or a collector, you should check out the strategy guide via this page.
Co-op Controls
While Star Fox Zero does not have a competitive multiplayer battle mode, it does come with co-op play. The way the cooperative mode works is that one player can shoot via the Wii U Gamepad while the other player uses another controller to maneuver the ship on the television screen.
The game supports the following controller options for co-op play: Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote as well as the combination of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Out of the three options, we recommend picking up the Wii U Pro Controller (if you don’t have a second controller option for the game already) as you can use the pad with most other Wii U games in your library. Not to mention that it is shaped like a traditional gamepad, which should makes it a better ergonomic option when compared to the alternatives if you prefer a more traditional experience. You can buy the Wii U Pro Controller with this link.
With that said, you can still have a good time with using the Wii Remote and/or the combination of Wii Remote + Nunchuck to move the vehicle in co-op. You can purchase both accessories with the following pages: Wii Remote and Nunchuck.
Amiibo
Like most recent big-named Nintendo releases, Star Fox Zero supports Amiibos. The Star Fox Amiibo can be used to unlock a retro skin, which pays homage to the first game in the series that came out for the Super NES.
With the Falco Amiibo, you can also unlock a Black version of your vehicle, which lets you lock onto up to two targets at once. At the same time, you will take three times the amount of damage when hit.
Both the Fox and Falco figures can also be used in Star Fox Guard so that you can send airstrikes in a targeted area. You can check out both Amiibos with the following links: Fox and Falco.
Star Fox Zero will be released on the 22nd of April in North America. If you are planning on getting the latest mainline installment of the Star Fox franchise, make sure you check out the complementary items we mentioned above.
