A reader suggests that a new Star Fox game should combine with F-Zero.

What direction should Star Fox take after its remake? A reader has a suggestion to pair it with another of Nintendo's forgotten franchises. It's been a struggle to bring Star Fox back into the spotlight, but one reader thinks the solution may lie in a crossover with another Nintendo franchise.

Back in the Wii U era, there was a strange rumor floating around about a potential crossover between Star Fox and Metroid. This was just before the launch of the Wii U and before the announcement of Star Fox Zero. It was an odd rumor for two reasons: Nintendo rumors are rare and this one didn't seem to make much sense.

Metroid is known for its serious tone, while Star Fox is a lighthearted game about a group of animals fighting in a war in space. At the time, both franchises were struggling and unfortunately, things haven't improved much since then. Metroid Dread was a step forward, but setbacks with Metroid Prime 4 have kept fans waiting.

And while the Star Fox 64 remake is well-received, the real question is whether Nintendo can create a new Star Fox game that is both good and popular. The current rumor is that if the remake is successful, Nintendo will move forward with a new game with a bigger budget. While this seems logical, it also suggests that they already have an idea in mind.

It's unlikely that we'll find out without them wanting us to, but the reader has their own idea: a crossover with another franchise, but not Metroid. In terms of popularity, the other Nintendo franchise that doesn't seem to have much chance of coming back is F-Zero. Fans will know that there is already a connection between the two, as James McCloud appears in F-Zero GX and drives a vehicle that resembles an Arwing.

While he's meant to be a homage and not the same character, it's not a stretch to think that both Star Fox and F-Zero take place in the same universe. And the Super Mario Galaxy movie already had Fox visit the Mario universe, so it doesn't seem like Nintendo has an issue with crossovers. The reader's idea is to expand Star Fox into an Elite-style space trading game.

This would also work well with a crossover with F-Zero, as it would provide activities on ground level when players land their spaceship. It's unlikely that Nintendo would want players running around and shooting each other, but this would provide another gameplay element, as Captain Falcon is a bounty hunter and the Star Fox team are essentially mercenaries. This crossover would offer a combination of space combat, car racing, and space exploration and trading.

It's something that Nintendo hasn't done before, which is rare for most genres, and isn't common in the industry nowadays. It also solves the problem of what to do with both franchises, as F-Zero doesn't have enough interest and Star Fox has struggled with anything other than a linear space shooter. Expanding the game into a sandbox would provide a solution.