Star Fox Zero has been delayed until the first quarter of next year.

Nintendo was aiming to have the Wii U exclusive release later this year, but as legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto wrote on Facebook, it needs a little more time to gestate.

“Although we felt that the development had been progressing well, we now believe that we will need a little more time to work on areas such as the unprecedented discovery that we want players to experience in the game by using two screens, and further polishing the level designs and perfecting the tone of the cut scenes," wrote Miyamoto.

“While we have already reached the stage where it would be technically possible to release the title in time for the year-end holiday season, we want to polish the game a bit more so that players will be able to more smoothly grasp the new style of play that we are proposing.”

According to Miyamoto, Star Fox Zero will bring "new game play and experiences that take it far beyond the framework established by Star Fox 64”.

Nintendo's as-yet unnamed Wii U Zelda title slipped from the console's 2015 lineup earlier this year, making Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival the only Wii U exclusive still slated for release this year.