Star Fox Zero sales off to a series-worst in Japan

Nintendo’s head’s in the McClouds

I am legitimately unsure why Nintendo feels like Star Fox should get a nod over a lot of its existing, untouched properties COUGH METROID COUGH COUGH and it seems like I’m not alone.

Last week we saw the Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard double pack debut to a 5th place spot in Japanese retail sales with 17,114 units sold. Add the 8,135 solo Zero units and it’s still sitting in 4th, behind two One Piece games (or, the same game on Vita and PS4) and Yo-kai Sangokushi. Not great, basically. (Note: Star Fox Gourd data is not available)

And Famitsu data puts it into context with earlier entries in the series (yes, Adventures was actually a GameCube game).

Point is, see first week and lifetime sales shrinking? Even the nostalgia hit of a Star Fox 64 3DS remake didn’t rally the troops. I don’t even remember Star Fox Command. With the Wii U a lame duck console ahead of Nintendo’s new effort (and Wii U sales low as is), I doubt there’s going to be a slow and steady lifetime trickle upwards, either. More likely, dedicated Wii U owners picked it and that’s that. No approaching a million and a half, like Splatoon. European and US sales are not available yet, but I don’t expect it to fare all that much better.

Outside of Fox’s popularity in Smash, I don’t know why Nintendo keeps having a go at Star Fox, especially given the series’ general lack of a cohesive identity when it’s not relying on just remaking the first game again.