Game news They revolutionized 3D in video games… Here is the story of the creators of Star Fox!
What if I told you that the creators of Star Fox were originally just young English high school students, who, to challenge themselves, tried to surpass Nintendo. Discover their superb story in our JV Legends!
Throughout its history, video games have been built and evolved thanks to thousands of different players. Of all these people, very few can boast of having had a lasting impact on the medium, revolutionizing it. Yet this is what these young Englishmen who are partly at the origin of Nintendo’s move to 3D, no less!
Jez San and Argonaut
To begin this story, let us present Jeremy Elliott “Jez” San, born in March 1966, and only 17 years old at the time. A little genius, he mastered a number of computer languages from a very young age and, from high school, founded a computer security consulting company called Argonaut. A true enthusiast, Jez will learn to program his own games, because he was frustrated having finished all the titles he had.
Starglider released in 1986
For two yearshe will be accompanied by friends whose passion he shares, with whom he will develop his first games, all locked in a house in the north of London. Then under the name Argonaut Gamesthey will come out first Skyline AttackA shoot ’em up in 2D which will be published on Commodore 64. Then will continue with Starglideran elaborate space combat simulation based on 3D models that are created in a “wireframe” style. An excellent idea, which was particularly well executed for the time.
The success and challenge of the Gameboy
Upon its release, Stragliter will be a great success, and will be acclaimed by both critics and the public, establishing Argonaut as a 3D expert, now recognized in the profession. It is in this good momentum that Jez San will have one of the most important meetings of his career, meeting Dylan Cuthbert. He was also only 17 years old at the time, and was the type to alternate between higher studies in science and programming in his free time. Logically, he will very quickly join the Argonaut and, once adapted to the studio atmosphere, He and Jeremy will set themselves a hell of a challenge.
Their goal is then to make 3D work on a Gameboy, support which originally only manages 2D games. To achieve this feat, they will have to override a protection put in place by Nintendo, which prevents porting to game consoles not approved by the Japanese manufacturer. To get there, Dylan will have a bright idea, an idea that won’t cost the Argonauts more than a penny, and that could allow them to land a contract with Nintendo. A crazy story that you can discover in our JV Legends, available at the top of the page!