The first home video game to offer "force feedback" in a home console game, in which the game sent signals to the special "Rumble Pak" accessory attached to the controller, causing the controller to vibrate according to in-game actions.
If you defeat the Sorcerer on the Katina Mission without shooting any "Friendlies" (the Corneria Fighters + Bill), you'll get a special ending after the Mission where all of the Allied Fighters fly in formation and Bill and Fox have different dialogue.
The saucer battle on Katina is a reference to the film Independence Day. This is particularly noticeable at the end of the mission.
Numerous pieces of art for the game depict Fox holding a small gun, which he never actually uses in the game. However, he does use a weapon like this in the Smash Bros. series.
The snowy world called Fortuna in the final version of the game was called Fichina in an early beta version. Interestingly enough, with the release of Star Fox Command for the Nintendo DS, they went back to using the name Fichina.