If you would have told me at the beginning of 2026 that the Nintendo Switch 2 would see a complete remake of Star Fox 64, I would have called you crazy. Well, here we are. This Star Fox remake on the Switch 2 is real and it is here. The game is a visual stunner and shows what Nintendo’s system is capable of. But, is it any fun? And moreover, is it worth checking out? Let’s get into it.
Story
I think most of you are familiar with the story, but just in case, the game kicks off with the original Star Fox team, James McCloud, Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar, heading to Venom to investigate some strange activity potentially linked to the evil Dr. Andross. As soon as they arrive, Pigma betrays the team and James and his Arwing are lost. Peppy barely manages to escape, but he eventually gets back to James’ son Fox to break the bad news. The game then picks up five years later with Fox taking the reigns of the Star Fox team with Peppy, Falco Lombardo and Slippy Toad. The newly reformed mercenaries are set to take on a big mission from the Cornerian army’s General Pepper to save the Lylat system from certain doom.
One of the coolest aspects of the game is the expansion of dialogue in between missions. In the original game, this was very limited and there was just enough there to flesh out a very barebones story. Don’t get me wrong, I never thought that was necessarily a bad thing. However, with the 2026 remake, this banter provides more insight into the war with Andross and his forces, gives a closer look at the motivations of the Star Fox crew and even the hints at the motives of the Cornerian Army. This isn’t limited to just the chats between the characters either. Additional information can be found in the Holoviewer that gives a bit more history about the original Star Fox team, tech behind the current craft and more. Given the short nature of the game, this is a bit limited, but what is on offer truly expands the story and the overall lore.
Gameplay
The on rails and all range mode sections of Star Fox feel almost identical to the original game making it relatively easy to pick up and play, especially if you’re a veteran of the series. Playing with the Joy Con 2 or Pro Controller is pretty straight forward with A being used for fire, Y for bombs, X initiates a boost, B slows you down, the triggers are used for banking left and right while tapping them performs a barrel roll. Somersaults can be initiated with Up on the D-pad while U-turns (in all-range mode) can be done with Down.
The Landmaster, the tank, and Blue Marine, the submarine, are almost identical to their aerial counterparts. In the original N64 version of the game, these two vehicles were some of my least favorite parts of the game, however I think they feel a bit better here. The Landmaster has a better sense of speed and the Blue Marine stage on Aquas was actually pretty fun. They’re not quite as speedy as the Arwing and neither offer all-range mode, but they’re pretty enjoyable this time around. If you liked the originals, you’ll probably love them here, too.
Before diving in, I thought that it would feel strange controlling the game on a standard control pad as opposed to the Nintendo 64 controller, but things here feel great. If you’re still not so comfortable with that, there is an option to play with the N64 Nintendo Switch controller or a mouse options for aiming with co-op. Seeing as I played by myself for most of my time with the game, I didn’t really make use of the latter. As for the N64 controller, I did play around with this a little bit, but I honestly felt that the standard controls suit the game just fine. Still, it’s great to have these different options available for controls.
Modes
There are a handful of modes available in Star Fox on Switch 2. From the main menu you’ll find the following:
- Campaign
- Challenge Mode
- Battle Mode
- Holoviewer
- Training
The top of the screen has a few options as well with general settings, amiibo, avatar and background settings. I messed around with the AR avatar settings with my Switch 2 camera, and that was kind of fun. I could see that being of interest to a younger crowd when playing with friends.
Training is the best place to start as it not only gives you a good handle on the controls, some story elements and dialogue are also mixed in. Once you’ve cleared that, the Campaign is the place to go. This takes you through seven stages from Corneria all the way to Venom. Your path there will depend on a number of things, such as completing various challenges throughout the missions, taking out a certain number of enemies and more. Certain outcomes will offer up to two routes to choose from which is great. Boss battles are also at the end of every stage and can provide a bit of a challenge. If you’ve played the original game, you’ll know what to do, however the new visual indicators and updated graphics don’t make this as obvious as before. I thought that was fine as your wingmen will give you plenty of hints at what to do. Going through the campaign won’t take too terribly long, but the branching paths, differences in dialogue and challenges can keep players coming back.
Speaking of challenges, a special Challenge Mode is included in Star Fox on Switch 2. This allows players to try out stages that they’ve unlocked in the main campaign one at a time in an effort to complete, you guessed it, a variety of challenges. These include taking out a certain number of specific enemies, passing through a handful of arches, uncovering hidden items and more. if you’re itching to simply replay levels, or to get high scores, this mode is worth checking out.
Online & Offline Multiplayer
There are several multiplayer options to be found in the Switch 2 version of Star Fox. The campaign itself can be played in co-op either locally or via local or online GameShare. This puts one player in control of the Arwing while the second player controls the shooting. Since I’ve been playing this game mostly by myself, this is something I didn’t touch myself. I did, however, check out the Battle Mode. This can be played offline with bots, online with random players, online with friends or in Private Lobbies. Private matches support up to eight players, while playing online allows you to team up with three others to form your squad. There are three stages to play, each offering different kinds of experiences. Honestly, I was having more fun with the single player, but from what little I did play of multiplayer, it seems best suited to check out with friends if possible. One thing is for sure, though - things here are quite a bit more robust than what was found in the original which is nice.
Visuals, Audio & Presentation
Aside from using Star Fox 64 as its base, Star Fox on the Switch 2 is a complete reimagining of the original title. Environments, characters and craft will look familiar, however now they sport an incredible amount of detail. Lighting is also particularly impressive and things look amazing. With the wide variety of locations from the partially destroyed sections of Corneria, to the vast reaches of space and the putrid atmosphere of Venom, every stage feels unique and offers something different. Character models and ships also look amazing. The fur on Peppy’s face, the jump suits that the crew wears, the worn look of the Arwings, the variety of enemy ships - the attention to detail is incredible. There are laser blast marks on the ships, scratches on the craft canopy windows and other wear and tear that make the craft look believably used over a number of battles. Not only that, but the framerate is also very solid, holding at a consistent 60 frames per second in gameplay (and 30 fps in cutscenes). Even when tons of enemies are on the screen, such as in the battle at Katina, the game doesn’t skip a beat. This is the same for both docked and handheld. Simply put, this is the perfect way to construct a remake when it comes to visuals on either the TV or in handheld mode.
When it comes to the characters, while the original game went for more of a “puppet” style for the dialogue, things are much more realistic now with the movement of their mouths. This goes for not only the look, but the delivery as well. Things are less cheesy than before and the characters have a bit more pronounced and deeper personalities. It likely won’t win any awards for the narrative, but it’s quite the step up. The music is also fantastic, offering orchestrated versions of the themes from the original game. These are more bombastic and fit the new visual upgrade perfectly. Star Fox on the Switch 2 is a masterclass when it comes to visuals and audio.
Conclusion
Star Fox on the Switch 2 feels familiar enough, but offers quite a bit more with this beefed up remake. The visuals are fantastic, the game runs smoothly, the story beats are fun, the delivery by the voice actors are better than ever and the gameplay is also spot on. Simply put, this is how you do a remake of a classic title. If you’ve been dying for another trip to the Lylat System, you can’t go wrong with Star Fox on the Nintendo Switch 2.
But let’s turn things over to you guys. Did you pick up Star Fox on the Switch 2? Are you a fan of the original Star Fox 64? Are you a fan of any other titles in the series? Sound off with any and all comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
Final Score: 9.5
by Danny Bivens
No comments:
Post a Comment