Star Fox’s core gameplay focuses primarily on skill over collecting a myriad of upgrades and power-ups, but there are a few key items.
Power Shield
The Power Shield grants temporary invulnerability.
Twin Blaster Type A / B
This key item doubles the amount of Blaster beams that can be fired simultaneously. If you already have Twin Blaster Type A and pick up another of these items, you gain the Twin Blaster Type B, which is even more powerful.
Wing Gyro
If your ship is damaged, this item repairs your wings instead of providing a Twin Blaster upgrade.
Nova Bomb
Nova Bombs create a screen-clearing explosion when outnumbered, and can help quickly take out certain bosses. The Arwing can carry a maximum of five at a time.