Star Fox 64 Cheat Codes & Secrets
Complete collection of cheat codes, passwords, unlockables, and hidden secrets for Star Fox 64 (1997).
Expert Mode
Completing the game on Normal difficulty — reaching Venom via any route — unlocks Expert Mode from the main menu. Expert Mode increases enemy aggression, adds more incoming fire, and removes the training wheels on boss patterns. All stages remain available for practice once cleared.
To reach Venom on the hard path (required for the true ending), you must pass through Area 6 rather than approaching via Bolse. The hard path runs through either Katina or Aquas, then proceeds to Zoness or Solar, and eventually through Macbeth and Area 6.
Warp Gates and Alternate Routes
Star Fox 64 has two confirmed warp triggers that skip entire route sections.
Corneria → Sector Y Warp
When Falco shouts that enemies are on his tail, destroy all enemy fighters pursuing him before they damage his ship. He will acknowledge the save and lead you through a barrel roll into a warp gate. This skips Meteo entirely and drops you into Sector Y.
- Trigger: Shoot all enemies off Falco’s tail during the Corneria dogfight section
- Destination: Sector Y (bypasses Meteo and Fortuna)
- Note: Falco must survive for the warp to activate
Meteo → Sector Z Warp
Meteo contains a series of large spinning silver checkpoint rings embedded in the asteroid field. Flying through all nine rings in sequence without missing any activates a warp gate at the end of the stage.
- Trigger: Pass through all 9 spinning blue/silver rings in order
- Destination: Sector Z (bypasses Fortuna and the standard mid-game planets)
- Note: Missing even one ring cancels the warp — the gate will not appear
Secret Stages
Two hidden stages exist completely off the standard route map and cannot be reached through normal play.
Black Hole (Sector X)
During the Sector X mission, a massive gravitational anomaly appears off the beaten path. Veer away from the main flight corridor toward the upper-left section of the stage and you will be pulled into the Black Hole — a chaotic warp stage that cycles through psychedelic environments. You cannot fight your way out; the stage loops until you exit through one of the dimensional portals.
- Access: Sector X, fly to the far upper-left off the main path
- Effect: Warps you to a hidden looping stage; exits randomize your destination among mid-game planets
Out of This Dimension
Accessible from the Black Hole by choosing the correct exit portal, Out of This Dimension is a surreal stage featuring a giant paper airplane as the boss (called “The Awesome”). It has no real combat — the boss is unkillable — and ends with a non-standard credits scroll. Completing it returns you to the title screen with no save progress for that route.
- Access: Exit the Black Hole through a specific portal
- Boss: Giant paper airplane (cannot be defeated)
- Reward: Special alternate credits; no route progression
Medal System and Unlockables
Each planet has a hidden kill quota. Reaching the quota AND completing the mission awards a medal for that stage. Medals are the primary unlock mechanism in the game.
| Stage | Approximate Kill Quota | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Corneria | 150 | Includes all-range segment kills |
| Meteo | 200 | Dense asteroid field enemies |
| Fortuna | 50 | Short stage, low quota |
| Sector Y | 150 | — |
| Katina | 150 | Mothership must also be destroyed |
| Aquas | 150 | Submarine environment |
| Zoness | 250 | Highest quota outside Area 6 |
| Titania | 150 | Ground-based enemies count |
| Solar | 100 | Hazardous environment limits time |
| Sector X | 150 | — |
| Macbeth | 150 | Hit all 8 switches to destroy the train for bonus kills |
| Area 6 | 300 | Hardest quota in the game |
| Bolse | 150 | Destroy the core quickly |
| Venom (Hard) | 200 | Final stage |
Getting all medals on Normal unlocks Expert Mode. Getting all medals on Expert is the highest achievement the game tracks and changes the title screen to display all four pilots.
Versus Mode Unlockables
Versus mode (4-player split-screen) begins with only Arwing battles available. Additional vehicle types unlock through in-game medals.
| Unlock | Requirement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Landmaster Tank in Versus | Earn medal on Titania | Playable Landmaster for all Versus matches |
| On-Foot mode in Versus | Earn medal on Fortuna | Characters fight on foot with blasters |
| Additional Versus stages | Earn medals on various stages | More arenas available in stage select |
Versus mode supports 1–4 players; CPU-controlled opponents fill empty slots. All four pilots (Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy) are selectable with no unlock requirement.
Wingman Rescue System
Your three wingmen (Falco, Slippy, Peppy) can be shot down if enemies damage them and you do not intervene. A downed wingman does not return for the remainder of that playthrough. Keeping all three alive is both a gameplay advantage (they call out enemy positions and occasionally damage enemies) and a prerequisite for certain dialogue triggers.
- Falco tends to handle himself but will complain when outnumbered — watch for his distress callouts
- Slippy is targeted most often and calls for help frequently; saving him consistently reveals boss health bars
- Peppy provides the barrel roll tip and other tactical advice; losing him early removes useful callouts
There is no penalty for losing wingmen, but solo runs through later stages are considerably harder. Some players intentionally take the Sector Y warp (which requires saving Falco in Corneria) to keep him available through the mid-game.
Alternate Endings
The game has two distinct endings based on which path you take to Venom.
Easy Ending (via Bolse): Fox reaches Andross alone while the rest of Star Fox waits outside. The team celebrates from orbit. You fight a standard holographic Andross head that explodes when defeated.
True Ending (via Area 6): Fox penetrates deeper into Venom and faces a second, “true” Andross form — a giant brain with mechanical hands — after destroying the decoy head. After defeating the true form, James McCloud’s ghost (Fox’s father, thought dead) appears in the escape tunnel and guides Fox out before the planet explodes. This is the canonical story conclusion and the only ending that explicitly resolves the James McCloud subplot.
Easter Eggs and Developer Secrets
Macbeth Train Switches
Macbeth contains 8 track switches that can be activated by shooting their targets as you fly over them. Hitting all 8 redirects the enemy supply train into a collision course with the station, destroying it and triggering the “All Switches Hit” bonus message. This also generates extra kills toward the medal quota and produces a unique explosion cutscene rather than the standard mission clear.
Staff Credits Shooter
After completing the game, the ending credits scroll contains interactive targets with developer names. You can shoot these targets for points. There is no tracked high score or reward, but the mechanic exists and developers appear to have intended players to engage with it.
Slippy’s Boss Health Bars
If Slippy is still alive during a boss encounter, he scans the enemy and displays a health bar on screen. This is the only way to see boss HP in the game. Intentionally keeping Slippy alive through difficult stages specifically for this information is a recognized strategy.
Peppy’s Barrel Roll Cue
“Do a barrel roll!” — Peppy’s signature advice — refers to the actual mechanic of pressing R or Z twice in quick succession to execute a barrel roll that deflects incoming laser fire. The line triggers automatically at specific story beats and was not intended as a meme, but the specificity of “press R or Z twice” (the actual in-game input) is accurate game instruction delivered as dialogue.
James McCloud’s Ghost Dialogue
On the hard route ending, James McCloud speaks to Fox briefly before disappearing. His appearance is silent in terms of gameplay — he is invulnerable and untargetable — but the scene is skippable if Fox flies past his position rather than following him. Players who miss it on first playthrough often do not know the scene exists.
Useful Techniques
Barrel Roll Laser Deflection
Pressing R twice or Z twice executes a barrel roll that physically blocks incoming laser blasts. This is not a glitch — it is an intended mechanic — but many players do not realize it deflects projectiles rather than just being an evasive maneuver. Use it against Andross’s eye lasers, Star Wolf’s charged shots, and Area 6 enemy salvos.
Boost and Brake for Lock-On Evasion
Enemies in all-range mode lock targeting on your current speed. Rapidly alternating boost (A) and brake (Z) causes most enemy missiles to fly past. This is particularly effective against Star Wolf’s homing fire.
Smart Bomb Charge Targeting
Nova Bombs (B) can be held briefly before releasing to increase their blast radius slightly. Against tightly clustered enemies in on-rails sections, delayed release catches more targets in the explosion.
Cornelia Hidden Ring Route
In the opening Corneria stage, an archway near the waterfall contains a ring pickup. Flying through it without touching the sides awards bonus points. Experienced players route through it consistently since the flight path also positions you favorably for the next wave of enemies.