They put a faster brain inside the cartridge — because the console alone couldn't keep up.
In 1993, the Super Famicom could not draw 3D polygons fast enough for a flight game. So Argonaut Software and Nintendo did something unusual: they built a custom processor — the Super FX chip — and placed it inside the cartridge itself. That chip ran at 10.74 MHz, roughly forty times faster than the console at rendering 3D shapes. It was expensive. It made the cartridge heavier. But it let Shigeru Miyamoto and the Argonaut team build Star Fox — a game the hardware was not designed to run. Years later, GPUs became standard in every console. But in 1993, Star Fox hid one in a game cartridge before the term 'GPU' even existed in consumer electronics. When the tools you have are not enough, sometimes the answer is to carry better tools with you.
— inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto and Argonaut Software
About this game
Star Fox (1993) was the first 3D polygon game on the Super Famicom, made possible by embedding a custom coprocessor — the Super FX chip — directly inside the game cartridge. Co-developed by Nintendo and British studio Argonaut Software, the game placed players in command of Fox McCloud's Arwing starfighter in a rail-shooter through the Lylat system. The Super FX chip, designed by Argonaut, ran at 10.74 MHz — roughly forty times faster than the SNES CPU at rendering 3D graphics — enabling real-time polygon rendering years before dedicated GPUs became standard in home consoles.
Key Features
Real-time 3D polygon graphics via the Super FX coprocessor embedded in the cartridge, branching mission paths depending on player performance, multiple playable vehicles including the Arwing starfighter and Landmaster tank, and a password save system for mission progress.
The Story Behind
Star Fox emerged from a collaboration between Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto and British studio Argonaut Software, who had demonstrated 3D rendering capabilities on Game Boy hardware without official development kits. When Miyamoto saw Argonaut's work, he requested they render a plane in polygons. Argonaut designed the Super FX chip specifically to enable polygon rendering on the SNES, which lacked native 3D hardware acceleration. The chip bore the backronym 'MARIO' (Mathematical, Argonaut, Rotation, & Input/Output) on production units. The collaboration resulted in the first SNES game to render real-time 3D polygons, released in early 1993.
Tricks & Tales
The Super FX chip made Star Fox cartridges noticeably heavier and more expensive than standard SNES games. Programmer Dylan Cuthbert, who worked on the game at Argonaut, later became director of Star Fox Command and Star Fox 64 3D. The game uses a password system rather than battery saves — no CR2032 battery inside. Star Fox was one of the first games to demonstrate what would later be called a 'GPU' in a consumer game cartridge, years before dedicated graphics processors became standard in home consoles.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Super Famicom and SNES region differences operate on two separate levels. First, there is a physical incompatibility: a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge and a North American SNES cartridge have different shell shapes. NTSC-J (Super Famicom) carts are narrower and will not seat in a North American SNES slot without the slot's internal tabs removed or bypassed; conversely, the wider NTSC-U carts cannot even be inserted into a Super Famicom. Second, even where cartridges physically fit — PAL carts share a shell shape closer to Super Famicom and will insert — a lockout chip on the motherboard (F411 for NTSC, F413 for PAL) will prevent the game from booting on a mismatched console. Running a Super Famicom cartridge on a Super Famicom purchased in Japan is of course straightforward; playing it on a foreign console requires either a mod or an adapter that addresses both the physical and the chip-level lock.
Maintenance Tips
The 72-pin cartridge connector is the most common maintenance point. Clean the gold-plated pins on cartridges with a cotton swab and 90%+ isopropyl alcohol; never use abrasive erasers on cartridge contacts. The connector slot on the console itself can be cleaned by inserting and removing a cartridge several times, or with a dedicated pin cleaner. For video output, S-Video provides significantly cleaner image quality than composite and uses the same multi-out port -- a passive adapter cable is all that is required. On early SHVC board revisions, a capacitor near the power LED can leak; inspect the board if the console shows instability. Use the original AC adapter or a verified equivalent: the SFC runs on 10V DC and is not compatible with Famicom or NES power supplies.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Star Fox copies regularly.
Does Star Fox use battery save, or will I lose my progress?
Star Fox does not use battery save — it uses a password system instead. At the end of each mission, the game gives you a password to write down. Enter that password at the title screen to resume from where you left off. This means there is no CR2032 coin battery inside the cartridge to replace, and your progress cannot be lost to a dead battery. The trade-off is that you need to record the password each time — but it also means a thirty-year-old Star Fox cartridge will save your place exactly as reliably as it did in 1993.
Will a Japanese Star Fox cartridge work on a North American or European SNES?
Not directly. The Super Famicom (Japanese) and Super Nintendo (North America / Europe) use different cartridge shell shapes and region-lock tabs. A Japanese Star Fox cartridge will not physically fit into a Western SNES slot without modification. To play Japanese SNES games on a Western console, you need either a region adapter cartridge or console modification. The game itself is identical across regions — only the physical cartridge shell and lockout tabs differ.
The cartridge feels heavier than other SNES games — is that normal?
Yes. Star Fox cartridges are noticeably heavier than standard SNES games because they contain the Super FX coprocessor chip — an entire additional circuit board inside the cartridge shell. That extra weight is a sign the cartridge is genuine, not a defect. The Super FX chip is what makes the 3D graphics possible, and its presence makes Star Fox one of the heaviest first-party SNES cartridges ever released.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Star Fox
A short checklist for buying a used Super Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge; its shell is shaped differently from the North American SNES and will not fit without modification.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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