It's finally time! Nintendo has prepared several big events for us. (All times are in Pacific time zone, use this for timezone conversions.)

First, on Sunday morning at 7:40AM, Nintendo will give a pre-E3 Smash Bros. Direct. Other than details on Lucas, I don't think we know what they'll be talking about. Here's to hoping it's announcements of Krystal (and other suggested character) DLC! Unfortunately, I won't be around to cover this one live, but I will be keeping my eye on the events as they unfold.

Later that day, starting Sunday sometime after 2:20PM, Nintendo will start up their pre-E3 Treehouse Live show. Don't expect many announcements from this one, but they will probably give a big overview of stuff already revealed.

Right after that, at 3PM, the Nintendo World Championships will start. We only know for sure that Splatoon will be playable, and that seven other secret games are on the roster. Since this competition starts before E3, I sadly don't think we can expect to see competitive play of the new Star Fox game.

Finally, the main event! 9AM on Tuesday, Nintendo broadcasts its Digital Event. This will probably where we get our first glimpse of Star Fox for the Wii U. Further announcements and gameplay footage should show up throughout the next two days.

Streams

All streams and video will be posted on Nintendo's official E3 site, e3.nintendo.com. Nintendo's official YouTube channel looks like it will broadcast the events as well.

Hanging Out

If you want to hang out with other Krystal and Star Fox fans, myself included, I have a group chatroom ready to go. I will post it tomorrow. No need to sign up or anything.

DanSweeto posted a video explaining very quickly the main reasons why we want Krystal in Smash. Of course, everyone here has already voted for Krystal (YOU DID RIGHT?!), but this video is just so well done, I wanted to show you all.

Thanks to Santos for the heads up!

For the Krystal Archive Podcast Episode 35.5, I proudly present my interview with Estelle Ellis, the original voice of Krystal and several other characters in Star Fox Adventures. She was employed at Rare right before the big transition to Microsoft ownership, so she is able to provide an interesting perspective to the work environment at Rare as it changed.

Sorry this took so long. I recorded the interview in 2012, but editing it took about a week of work, which is why it's taken me so long to get around to it. Some of the information is a bit dated, but still interesting.

Please enjoy!

Download
Show Notes

As E3 and its Star Fox announcements march ever closer, there's been a lot of Star Fox talk on the web. Here's a fun video of MatPat of Game Theory trying out the Barrel Roll, U-Turn, and Loop from Star Fox games in real life.

Dylan Cuthbert, a prominent Star Fox creator since the very first game, has just given an interview at Nintendo Life about his work on Star Fox 2 and the direction they were headed. Lots of little tidbits about Star Fox 2 and the Star Fox series were sprinkled throughout. Read the whole article for the full story, but I've summarized the things that I believe constitutes new information.

• Star Fox 2 was 95% complete when it was cancelled, but the team went ahead and finished it, complete with play testing and bug fixes. Nintendo still has it in playable form. They could release it tomorrow, in theory, except for potential legal issues with Argonaut Software.
• The versions of Star Fox 2 that were leaked were very early test versions. Much of the game's unique features are missing or unfinished.
• Mr. Miyamoto was very interested in the 3D platforming sections of Star Fox 2 (the Arwing could transform into a mech), and some of their ideas might have served as key inspiration for ideas eventually seen in Super Mario 64.
• The random, open playfields and levels, and the missile encounters of Star Fox Command were intended for Star Fox 2. But Command's dev focus was on using the two touch screens in unique ways, not reviving Star Fox 2's ideas directly.
• Cuthbert thought that the toned down color scheme of Star Fox 64 was a tragedy, but the cinematic feel, the 60 fps speed, and the voice acting made it an overall superior game to the original Star Fox, all technology capabilities being equal.
• Cuthbert is as interested to see where the next Star Fox game for the Wii U is going as we are. He is primarily concerned with Nintendo getting the controls just right and retaining the cinematic feel of previous games.

Last year, Nintendo cracked the code and made an entertaining and informative E3 experience with their Digital Event and continuous Treehouse Live broadcasts. In a month, they'll be doing it again. This will be epic, like it was last year. Only this time, now that Star Fox is coming out, we can expect AT LEAST two to three HOURS of Star Fox footage (and possibly developer interviews) if they end up showing Star Fox at all. Since Nintendo already confirmed they won't be showing Zelda Wii U at E3, we can reasonably expect Star Fox and a couple other unannounced games to headline instead. Who knows, maybe the new Star Fox game will be part of the World Championships too!

A few weeks ago, I did attempt to get an E3 press pass this year, specifically to cover Star Fox. Alas, this site's popularity is just slightly too low to merit a pass according to the E3 staff. Maybe next year!

Instead, why don't we have a stream watching party? I'll set myself up to be in a chatroom with you guys while we watch the coverage all day(s). What do you say?

An emotional rock tribute to Fox's inner struggles with the loss of his father and becoming a hero in his own right. Excellent work by MandoPony as he works with new fandoms after becoming well known for his brony songs, which are also excellent.

Thanks to Dogman15 for the heads up!

You saw Krystal's new look in the recent trailer, but we're finally posting about it. After a long struggle and plenty of experimentation with her outfits, UndyingNephalim's latest Krystal update changes her uniform once again in Star Fox: Event Horizon. Her uniform design is inspired by the idea she spent a long time surviving among dinosaurs on Sauria. He terms the style a "glass cannon," the heavily armed, but lightly armored look. Another of his goals in designing her uniform was to help Krystal blend in with the rest of the Star Fox team, feeling she has stuck out too much in past game designs. She is just one of many redesigns of the game's characters, all of which got a visual and lighting overhaul. We may yet see more changes as development continues.

Guest post by Brian. Thanks!

Kreativjunkie specializes in large and life-size posable dolls, from anthro to feral. Someone commissioned her to build a life-sized Krystal action figure. It's over 5 and a half feet tall (170cm)! It can be freely posed and stand under its own weight. Kreativjunkie posted several in-progress shots of the head, but we can now see the finished product.

Cool as this idea is in theory, Five Nights At Freddy's is ruining it for me. Thanks a lot, Scott Cawthon!

Guest post by Brian. Thanks! Additional comments by me, Mr. Krystal.

Featured in The Dallas Morning News and A-KonTV, a group of friends got together to cosplay as several Star Fox characters at A-kon back in May 2013. From left to right, the represented characters are: Falco Lombardi, Katt Monroe, Krystal, and Fox McCloud. The base jumpsuit of the costume was modified for the cosplayer by Sew What?! Costumes and Alterations. The ears, tail, and jewelry were custom made for this costume. We don't know the identity of the cosplayer herself or her friends.

Guest post by Brian. Thanks!