Mastering Completion: Your Guide to Star Fox's 100% Goals

Completing Star Fox to 100% is no small feat—it took me over a month of dedication to achieve it myself. If you're going for this level of completion, you’ll be navigating a series of challenges that require not just skill, but also a significant time commitment. Here's a breakdown of what you need to do to achieve that elusive 100% completion.

1. Clear Campaign Mode

The first step on your journey should be clearing the campaign mode. Aim to earn all 16 Normal Medals, all 16 Expert Medals, and unlock all 10 Alternate Routes. Getting acquainted with the game’s controls and stage layouts plays a significant role in your success, especially as you tackle challenge mode later on.

For each stage, you'll find specific criteria for earning medals, often requiring a set number of hits against enemies. Charge shots can significantly boost your score by taking out groups of foes simultaneously. It’s also essential to keep Falco, Peppy, and Slippy alive throughout the levels; their deaths will negate medal eligibility for that playthrough.

The upside is that once you earn a medal, it will carry over to future playthroughs. You may need to tackle campaign mode several times at both Normal and Expert levels, but runs are relatively short, making it more manageable. Be mindful of specific level conditions—like allowing Slippy to reprogram a Spybot in Sector X can sink your chances of getting that precious medal. Defeating Star Wolf early on in their encounters also provides bonus points—a significant aspect for those medal hunters.

2. Clear Challenge Mode

Challenge mode is where the game tests your mettle the most. You’ll need to successfully complete all 96 Normal Challenges along with another 96 Expert Challenges. While the normal challenges are usually straightforward, the expert ones can be downright daunting.

For a detailed look at the toughest expert challenges, I previously shared insights and strategies highlighting the most challenging aspects. Expect these challenges to demand precision and a great deal of patience. A frustrating caveat is the absence of checkpoints—except for one instance—throughout challenge mode. You’ll face a long grind again if you encounter failure during boss encounters, which can mean replaying entire levels just for another shot. If you can clear all challenges, consider yourself a true master within the Star Fox universe.

3. Collect All Backgrounds and Emblems

As part of completing the game, you should aim to acquire all backgrounds and emblems. However, many of these are tied to online battle mode, which might not always be accessible. Thus, you can opt to skip this aspect if you want to focus primarily on campaign and challenge modes.

I recommend still going for these collectibles, and I've compiled tips on winning in online battles. One emblem requires you to win 100 matches, an endeavor that demands a considerable amount of time. While achieving combat excellence is quite challenging, it can be less daunting than tackling the expert challenges in challenge mode.

Don’t forget about the exclusive items you can unlock by achieving over 1,500 hits in campaign mode. Completing the full spectrum—campaign mode, challenge mode, and battle mode will ultimately yield all avatar pieces and Holoviewer entries.

While reaching 100% completion in Star Fox demands significant effort, I wouldn’t classify it among the most difficult games I’ve faced. Titles like Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu often present more of a challenge in my experience. Nevertheless, achieving 100% in Star Fox isn't a cakewalk—expect to invest around 50 hours in the quest, given efficiency and a fair run in online matches. Time could easily stretch longer if you repeatedly stumble over the more difficult sections.

Are you setting out for 100% completion, or are you just enjoying the game casually? Share your thoughts in the comments below.