Slippy Toad
Encyclopedia
is a player character
in the Star Fox series of video games published by Nintendo
, debuting in the 1993 game Star Fox
.
green frog
(despite his name). He is a member of the Star Fox team of mercenaries
. He is relatively unskilled at flying, instead serving as the "brains" of the team, developing weapons, and performing mechanic work. Slippy serves as a sidekick to skilled teammates Fox McCloud
and Falco Lombardi
. He designed the "blaster" and "reflector" weapons that they use.
(SNES) game Star Fox
. After antagonist Andross launches an attack against the planet Corneria, the Star Fox team resolves to stop him.
Slippy makes a cameo in the 2008 Wii
fighting game
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
in the "Shadow Moses Island" stage, conversing with Solid Snake
about Falco if that character is selected. He also appears on the Lylat Cruise stage conversing with Star Fox and Star Wolf.
calls Slippy "an annoying croaking pest", also noting his "high-pitched cries for help". In an April Fools article IGN's Levi Buchanan epithetized his voice as "the sound of the earth cracking open just as the four horsemen visit plague and pestilence on humankind." GameSpot
writer Glenn Rubenstein noted the excessive use of voice acting in Star Fox 64
, highlighting Slippy's voice as androgynous
.
Slippy has also been criticized for his inadequacy as a pilot. IGN states that "he can never seem to help himself out of any kind of tight situation." The IGN team and Colin Moriarty ranked him third on their list of ten video game characters who should die, rationalizing that "[w]e can't decide what makes him more annoying: his inadequacy in the cockpit or his ear-splitting voice." In contrast to negative reception, GameSpy
journalist Bryn Williams called him "that froggy legend".
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in the Star Fox series of video games published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, debuting in the 1993 game Star Fox
Star Fox (video game)
, released as Starwing in Europe and Australia due to a game of the same name and subsequent trademark issues in those regions, is the first game in the Star Fox series of video games. It was released in the spring of 1993 for the SFC/SNES...
.
Design and characteristics
Slippy's design is that of an anthropomorphicAnthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
green frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
(despite his name). He is a member of the Star Fox team of mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
. He is relatively unskilled at flying, instead serving as the "brains" of the team, developing weapons, and performing mechanic work. Slippy serves as a sidekick to skilled teammates Fox McCloud
Fox McCloud
is an anthropomorphic video game character and the main protagonist of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. As his name implies, he is a red fox and the main player character of the series....
and Falco Lombardi
Falco Lombardi
Falco Lombardi, known as in Japan, is an anthropomorphic falcon or pheasant character from the Star Fox series of video games. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. Falco acts as the wingman and friend of title character Fox McCloud for the majority of the...
. He designed the "blaster" and "reflector" weapons that they use.
Appearances
Slippy's debut was in the 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES) game Star Fox
Star Fox (video game)
, released as Starwing in Europe and Australia due to a game of the same name and subsequent trademark issues in those regions, is the first game in the Star Fox series of video games. It was released in the spring of 1993 for the SFC/SNES...
. After antagonist Andross launches an attack against the planet Corneria, the Star Fox team resolves to stop him.
Slippy makes a cameo in the 2008 Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
in the "Shadow Moses Island" stage, conversing with Solid Snake
Solid Snake
Metal Gear, initially released in 1987, introduces Solid Snake, the rookie recruit of the elite special-forces unit FOXHOUND. Snake is sent by team leader Big Boss into the rogue nation Outer Heaven to rescue his missing teammate Gray Fox and discover who or what the "METAL GEAR" mentioned is, and...
about Falco if that character is selected. He also appears on the Lylat Cruise stage conversing with Star Fox and Star Wolf.
Critical reception
Critical opinion of Slippy has been generally negative; criticism has been leveled primarily at his voice. An article from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
calls Slippy "an annoying croaking pest", also noting his "high-pitched cries for help". In an April Fools article IGN's Levi Buchanan epithetized his voice as "the sound of the earth cracking open just as the four horsemen visit plague and pestilence on humankind." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
writer Glenn Rubenstein noted the excessive use of voice acting in Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64
, known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is a reboot of the original Star Fox, and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64....
, highlighting Slippy's voice as androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
.
Slippy has also been criticized for his inadequacy as a pilot. IGN states that "he can never seem to help himself out of any kind of tight situation." The IGN team and Colin Moriarty ranked him third on their list of ten video game characters who should die, rationalizing that "[w]e can't decide what makes him more annoying: his inadequacy in the cockpit or his ear-splitting voice." In contrast to negative reception, GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
journalist Bryn Williams called him "that froggy legend".