Nintendo and PlatinumGames share a special relationship, with Nintendo even asking them to co-develop a major Star Fox title on the Wii U. Since then, Platinum has had a solid relationship with Nintendo, releasing the hit title Astral Chain last year.
However, the aforementioned Star Fox Wii U title, Star Fox Zero, was not very well received by fans or critics. Now, a recent interview with the Head Producer of PlatinumGames, Atsushi Inaba, confirmed that the company has not been approached for a possible port on Switch.
PlatinumGames has had a very solid relationship with Nintendo over the last decade or so, developing major titles like Bayonetta, MadWorld, and The Wonderful 101. In fact, Bayonetta became a Nintendo-exclusive franchise starting with Bayonetta 2, after the game was shelved by Sega by revived through Nintendo’s funding. Now, Bayonetta 3 is in development for a release on Switch sometime in the near future.
Additionally, PlatinumGames has also shown interest in re-releasing titles the company felt needed a second chance. This was conveyed clearly through the huge success of Wonderful 101: Remastered’s Kickstarter. Yet, PlatinumGames has apparently never been approached to assist on a potential port of Star Fox Zero on Switch, another Wii U title that couldn’t reach a larger audience because of its platform. A recent interview by way of GameXplain gives more details.
The Head Producer at PlatinumGames, Atsushi Inaba, was asked about any news regarding a potential Switch port of Star Fox Zero, but denied having been approached by Nintendo. Inaba said, “To be honest we wouldn't have the slightest clue, Star Fox Zero was a bit of a special case for us. Star Fox was, you know, an IP that Nintendo has had way before we entered the picture. That was a game that they were interested in making and kind of just lent out an offer to us…”
The offer apparently came about following Nintendo’s desire to but Nintendo-themed content in Bayonetta 2. PlatinumGames has often partnered up with a variety of publishers while maintaining its overall independence for the most part. While some rumors claimed Microsoft was looking to purchase the studio, Inaba has denied receiving any offers and apparently doesn’t want to be part of Xbox’s family of developers either. So while Platinum has solid relationships with various publishers, it seems the company is striving to maintain that independence.
Still, a Star Fox Zero port on Switch would be nice to see. Though the game wasn’t a major success for Nintendo, the Star Fox franchise could be in danger of being forgotten like F-Zero. Star Fox has a history dating back to the SNES, with massively successful titles like Star Fox 64 – which was recently part of a massive Nintendo leak. Hopefully, the Switch will see some form of successful Star Fox content in the future.