After a ten year hiatus, Star Fox is back, but Nintendo’s decision to revisit the series hasn’t exactly landed without friction. This upcoming iteration is another reimagining, displeasing fans of the series who were hoping for a fully-fledged sequel. Whilst this upcoming Switch 2 version brings a more cinematic presentation and modern controls, you can’t ignore the scepticism that’s driven by over-familiarity. Still, the fifteen things on this rundown show that, at least, the remake is doing more than simply polishing the past.
Another Version of 1993’s SNES Original
Star Fox 64 told the same story as the SNES original, but widened the tone and presentation, and it’s this version where the upcoming remake traces its lineage. In the years between, Star Fox 64 3D brought a like-for-like port for the 3DS, while 2016’s Star Fox Zero rebooted the same narrative beats through questionable Wii U game design. This year’s Star Fox – a title notably simplified, without suffixes nor numbers, suggesting a launchpad for future entries – is a ‘cinematic’ take, retaining original stage layouts but bringing overhauled graphics, controls, and character models to the iconic, on-rails arcade shooter.
Redesigned Character Models
Among Star Fox’s most polarising modernisations is its character models, redesigned to look realistically grizzled and roadworn compared to Fox McCloud’s cartoonish turn in the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Still, the rest of Team Star Fox joining leader McCloud comprise sarcastic piloting ace Falco Lombardi, experienced strategist Peppy Hare, and care-free mechanic Slippy Toad, with their portrayals here a thorough facelift over their N64 appearances. Community reaction is far from unanimously positive, but Star Fox 64 art director Takaya Imamura appears to have warmed up, describing McCloud and his crew’s modern looks as matching his original, then-unattainable vision.
Audio Significantly Overhauled
Along with introducing cinematic flair to Star Fox’s visuals, Nintendo is also overhauling the game’s audio and music, where a re-recorded orchestral score, remastered sound effects, and new voice acting aim to modernise the experience without losing its arcade punch. Meanwhile, a dynamic audio engine presents spatial audio positioning, enhancing immersion while supporting your peripheral vision during especially busy encounters.
Arwing Starfighter: Your Primary Gameplay Vehicle
Whereas Star Fox’s audio and visuals receive the greatest uplift, your return voyage across the Lylat System will once again be in the command of the Arwing, Team Star Fox’s versatile starfighter. Designed for deep space transitions and atmospheric flight alike, the Arwing shifts and somersaults with the agility of a mosquito, and comes loaded with a laser cannon which can be charged for a homing shot. Well-timed barrel rolls create projectile-absorbing electromagnetic shields, while smart bombs deal massive, area-of-effect damage, proving a worthy secondary option for tackling bosses and clearing clustered enemies.
Landmaster Tank Returns for Ground Assaults
While aerial combat dominates, certain missions pull perspective down to ground level where you’ll take charge of the Landmaster, a heavily armoured, all-terrain tank. The Landmaster’s stages slow the pace slightly, focusing your attention on managing incoming threats from air and land alike as you scuttle across unsteady territory. Equipped with an Arwing-like laser cannon, the Landmaster also packs target lock-on missiles plus a hint of the starfighter’s manoeuvrability in rolls and hovers.
Blue-Marine Submersible Missions
Alongside the Landmaster, also returning from Star Fox 64 are the sub-aquatic missions featuring the Blue-Marine, a specialised submersible deployed in the deep-sea trenches of underwater stages. These sections emphasise limited visibility, bringing a slightly more methodical approach to shooting. So, whilst the Arwing’s laser is loaded here, the Blue-Marine is equipped with “Light Bomb” torpedoes which must be locked-on before launching, illuminating the surrounding ocean as they shoot toward enemy ships. And, the laser isn’t the only carry-over from the Arwing; the Blue-Marine can also execute the starfighter’s signature, forcefield-emitting barrel roll.
New Cutscenes Expand the Story
While the core narrative is indeed familiar, the remake brings all-new cutscenes in the form of never-before-seen mission briefings and backstory elements, all designed to flesh out Star Fox’s universe and characters. Clearly part of the broader cinematic push in which Nintendo frames this latest version, these additions should also deepen your emotional stakes by expanding upon Team Star Fox’s motivations.
Branching Paths and Stage Variety
Whilst Star Fox follows a linear path through outer space, taking in a diverse range of planets, asteroid belts, space stations, and nebulae, the precise direction you’ll take depends on your performance. See, depending on enemies destroyed or objectives completed, the route you take through the Lylat System may change, leading to secrets and hidden paths on subsequent playthroughs. This branching structure is central to the game’s replayability, but the remake expands on these systems through another game mode, too.
Challenge Mode Incentivises Replay
Yes, beyond the main campaign, Challenge Mode encourages you to revisit completed stages with specific objectives in mind. These range from achieving high enemy kill counts, to defeating multiple opponents with a single projectile, fully upgrading your armoury, and more. It’s a thoughtful way to engage with the game’s arcade structure, potentially widening the pool of players by offering incentives to replay levels beyond simple score chasing.
Expanded Battle Mode
Multiplayer returns in the shape of Battle Mode, a four-versus-four dogfight between Team Star Fox and Team Star Wolf, fought across one of three arenas. Each stage introduces its own rulesets, with zone control, crystal collecting, and cargo transport objectives layering on top of blasting each other’s starships. You can jump into matches locally, connect online through matchmaking, or organise private sessions with your friends, with GameShare support allowing anyone to participate in local multiplayer, even if they don’t own the game.
Three Distinct Difficulty Modes
To accommodate both veterans and newcomers – to the Star Fox series and shmup-style arcade shooters alike – the remake includes three distinct difficulty settings. Available from the outset, easy difficulty stretches your shield gauge, with enemies dealing less damage. The challenge scales from there, through normal difficulty to an unlockable expert mode, where surviving high enemy damage, impactful collisions, and permadeath yields specific medal rewards and leaderboard access.
Mouse Controls and Co-Op Play
One of the remake’s modern additions is mouse-style aiming support, offering a more precise targeting method if that’s your preference. This control scheme also enables a two-player co-op mode, where one player manoeuvres the Arwing while the other focuses exclusively on shooting, providing a clever way to encourage collaboration on the Switch 2 which wasn’t possible in earlier versions.
N64 Controller Compatibility
For purists, the remake supports the N64 controller, allowing you to experience Star Fox with a control layout, game feel, and overall aesthetic that’s tied closely to the 1997 original. While most of you will likely opt for modern control schemes, the N64 controller option caters to nostalgia, proving, perhaps, impossible to ignore for diehards who grew up with Star Fox 64.
GameChat Avatar Integration
Star Fox also integrates the Switch 2’s Character Avatars, which allow you to switch up your look to match a character from the remake in GameChat. Tracking eye and mouth movement, facial expression, and head direction via a compatible camera, there’s an undeniable uncanniness to the appearance of these avatars, but it’s just a bit of cosmetic fun designed to enrich online interactions.
Switch 2 Exclusive
Star Fox releases on June 25th, and it’s a Switch 2 exclusive at launch. Taking advantage of the Nintendo’s latest hardware to deliver visual and audio overhauls means it won’t be available on the original Switch; is this another point of contention amongst the community who would prefer a sequel?
