The Legendary Starfy

The following is a list of games released in the series. Games predating Taiketsu! Daīru Kaizokudan were only released in Japan. As a result, there are no English language titles for these games. An English language title may be given if any Nintendo division outside Japan elects to localize any of these games or feature any of them in a game from another series.

The Legendary Starfy series are platform games, focusing more on swimming than running and jumping around. Players control the protagonist of the series, Starfy, throughout each game; from the third title onward, Starfy's sister Starly is also playable occasionally. When on land, the controls are equal to the controls of most other platform games. When in the water, players can only move Starfy around using the control pad alone; however, if players want to make Starfy swim faster, they hold the B button down while moving him around. The games are usually composed of multiple stages or worlds, with each stage split up into four sub-stages. Boss characters hide at the end of each world's final sub-stage. Most of the other sub-stages' goals are centered around retrieving a lost or stolen item for another character. Most power-ups are vehicles and costumes. Some are new moves, and some are upgrades for moves and other power-ups.

Although there had always been plans to bring the series to North America, the reason why the series stayed in Japan until the announcement of the fifth game was because Nintendo of America had declared the series to be "too Japanese". Nintendo of America has also considered bringing the other four games to North America in some form as well as expanding the series to the Wii, depending on "fan response".[3]

Densetsu no Stafy[lower-alpha 3] is a manga series produced by Shogakukan and Nintendo. It is based on The Legendary Starfy video game series, specifically the first and second titles in the series. It was serialized in the Shogakukan magazine CoroCoro Comic from its June 2002 issue to its October 2005 issue. Two tankōbon (bound volumes) collecting the individual chapters were released on October 28, 2003 and September 28, 2005.[4][5]

The manga series later got a sequel titled Densetsu no Stafy R[lower-alpha 4]. It is based on the same video game series as Densetsu no Stafy, specifically Densetsu no Stafy 4. This manga is also titled Densetsu no Stafy Returns.[lower-alpha 5] It was serialized in CoroCoro Comic from its April 2006 issue to April 2008 issue. A single volume was released on July 28, 2008.[6]

While only one of The Legendary Starfy games is released outside Japan, some references from the series have made cameo appearances in a few games that were released internationally. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game Boy Advance, a poster in the Yoshi Theater resembles the box art of the first game in the series also for the Game Boy Advance, but titled in English as "Legend of Stafy". In Super Princess Peach for the Nintendo DS, an enemy called "Starfish" resembles the Starfy sprites of Densetsu no Stafy 4, as well as The Legendary Starfy, but with sunglasses. In the Japanese version of Donkey Konga, one of the songs is the main theme song of the series. Starfy appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as one of the summonable Assist Trophy characters, as well as a couple of in-game Stickers and a regular Trophy, and is once again referred to as "Stafy". He attacks by using his signature spin attack against the opponents of whoever summoned him, but unlike most, he can be attacked and defeated.[7] He comes back with the same role in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Starfy has also become an unlockable costume with his own course in Super Mario Maker.