When it comes to on-rails space shooters, the Star Fox series is one of those franchises that truly defines the genre. Much like Mario Kart games becoming synonymous with kart racing, the squadron of furry space pilots command the humble 3D space shooter.
Released back in 1993 on the SNES, the first game Star Fox (localised as Starwing in Europe for legal shenanigans) pushed the boundaries of what was possible on home consoles at the time. 3D graphics on consoles? A rarity. British developer Argonaut Software conjured a way to spawn delicious polygons on the fly. The much-loved Star Fox 64 (localised as Lylat Wars) blasted into living rooms in 1997, a retelling of the original, with an impressive 3D look and the introduction of the innovative Rumble Pak. New stages, mechanics, iconic voice lines made the game a must-play, still very much to this day.
Spiritual successors and indie gems inspired by the on-rails antics have pushed the galactic envelope further, but there’s something timeless about the Nintendo 64 space adventure. Attempts have been made to also expand the universe over the years, with varying success.
Star Fox Adventures on the GameCube took an unrelated Rare IP, Dinosaur Planet, and plonked Start Fox protagonist Fox McCloud in the protagonist hotseat. It became a Legend of Zelda styled, third-person adventure with a sprinkling of space stages to fit the mould. Different, but not the same. Star Fox Assault was more of a return to form, this time with Namco at the helm. Star Fox 2 and Star Fox Command shifted to a more strategic flare, again deviating from the on-rails setup, but found a… space of its own.
Star Fox Zero revisited the core story from the first two games, with its own levels and mechanics. Designed to be a triumphant return to form, the game was a retelling that focused heavily on the ill-fated Nintendo Wii U GamePad. Smart ideas, but a challenge to use. Unless you had an extra set of hands, perhaps. Maybe Uncle Andross can lend a pair.
After a ten-year hiatus, Fox McCloud and his band of merry animal pilots return for a striking, cinematic take on Star Fox 64. Yes, the beloved 1997 game – which also had a rework on the Nintendo 3DS – is back for 2026. The game has historically been used as a benchmark for technical prowess on the latest hardware. Nintendo, and the developer of this new version, Velan Studios, are once again using the beloved on-rails shooter to showcase what the Nintendo Switch 2 can do. A return to form or relying too heavily on nostalgia?
Zipping through the war-torn planet of Coneria and this isn’t just a retextured retelling. Instead, Star Fox is what players of this reviewer’s creaky age probably imagined the Nintendo 64 hit looking like on the CRT TV. The city is packed full of visual spectacle and detail, plenty of lighting pomp to highlight the game engine, with scorching flames shimmering off collapsing buildings. Smoke engulfs the scene. Shigeru Miyamoto has certainly boarded the Hollywood train, and it shows. Corneria feels like futuristic a city marred in war, coupled with a gorgeous orchestral soundtrack. It’s going to be a run ride!
Beyond the striking ground terrain comes the vibrant depths of the underwater Aquas and the storm riddled Zoness. Sector Y and X are particularly elevated, adding a significant amount of space artefact to really sell the sense of scale and trouble brewing for Team Star Fox. Does the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware cope with the spectacle? Yes. Velan Studios have poured a significant amount of cosmic juice into the mix – constantly moving geometry, laser beams and explosions. In a nutshell, it runs at a stable and smooth 60fps, even in the most demanding of sections. The re-designed art style – which isn’t for everyone – also helps lift the darker environments compared to the original.
Is Star Fox a challenge, almost three decades after the Nintendo 64 release? Yes. Though, in some areas, the game is far more accessible. Easy mode is a welcome addition, with health replenishment, infinite retries, improved targeting, no friendly fire and more manageable bosses. What is, oddly, an issue with any difficulty setting are reduced hitboxes and a lack of clearer visual feedback when a boss takes damage. In the original there would be flashing cues, but Star Fox ditches this, making it harder to know if attacks are working.
It is still a relatively compact campaign on paper. The same stages, enemy formations, boss battles as the original. Are there secret levels? No. Bonus stages featuring James McCloud would have been a great addition for longer-term fans, or post-credits bounty missions. Anyone? Anyone? Pigma.
To pad things out, there are cutscenes that drive home these characters through on-deck moments. The sassy Falco plays the Han Solo architype well, Slippy puts mechanical skills to the test, whilst Fox showcases a mix of leadership seriousness with a sprinkling of sass. The older Peppy grounds the young recruits well. Vocal work and character development is great overall here – adding purpose to simply blasting through levels to reach the big bad. Just why head to this location next? The lore adds a surprising amount of gravitas to the overall mission. In-game voice work, though, is a bit of a mixed bag. A big chunk of classic lines have been re-written and most of the boss quips stripped of the signature cheese – which is a shame. That said, give the Japanese voice track a go. Worth it.
Star Fox also includes Challenge Mode goals for replayability, alongside classic medals, which are surprisingly fun to try to get through. From certain targets to speed goals, hit counts to item upgrades, it allows for quite a few re-runs, especially for time-driven requirements. Coneria in three minutes of less? Boost to get through, Fox. Challenges also work well when diving into the game’s co-op features. One player pilots, the other shoots via mouse mode. Slightly chaotic but can be refreshingly different when trying to for specific baddies or bosses. It can also help with newer players to get a feel for all the frantic action on screen before heading out solo.
More traditional multiplayer options round out the experience: a trio of all-range maps, with a unique scenario attached to each. Up to eight players (with bots to fill any gaps), two teams of four. Capture the flag, grab the cargo and nab the remains of falling asteroids – a brutal dogfight for sweet victory. It’s good ol’ fashioned team fun, made even more manic with Mario Kart style power-ups. It is a shame, though, the scenarios are specific to each arena. The mode does have potential to go further if Velan or Nintendo wish to add extra maps or even a traditional battle royale option in the future.
Star Fox is a visual spectacle, a space opera on the Nintendo Switch 2, with Nintendo once again using the 1997 game as a base to showcase technical prowess. The Switch 2 release is a fitting tribute to the original, expanding on character lore and personality - bar a few watered down vocal lines. It is still a short campaign to the credits roll, but extra challenges, surpassingly enjoyable co-op, and fun multiplayer do add a hefty bit of replay value. The Lylat Region is in safe hands once more!
