Star Fox Review: The Arwing soars again

Star Fox nails fun. With its perfect controls, flashy gameplay, and hours of replayability, this remake of the N64 classic brings enough new ideas to the table to be a must-play for anyone with a Switch 2.

The story of Star Fox’s Lylat Wars saga has been told many times. Beginning on the SNES, the on-rails space shooter was reimagined on the Nintendo 64 as Star Fox 64 and then remastered years later on the 3DS. The Wii U’s Star Fox Zero was yet another reimagining, and here we are yet again, this time with a full remake of Star Fox 64.

Living up to the legend of Star Fox 64 is no easy task. The 1997 title remains iconic nearly 30 years later, as one of the most quotable games of all time, and fans have been eager for a proper sequel that never came.

Star Fox Adventures was Frankensteined together as a Star Fox title, Star Fox Assault didn’t quite capture the spirit of 64, and Star Fox Zero’s controls were so frustrating, I would’ve given a zero out of 5 if I reviewed it.

Now, Star Fox on Switch 2 has come to right the ship, and while it doesn’t live up to its predecessor in every way, it’s the most definitive version of the Lylat Wars by far.

Star Fox screenshots

What is Star Fox about?

You play as Fox McCloud, the leader of a squad of guns for hire known as Star Fox. The team was originally founded by Fox’s father, James, but he was killed after his partner, Pigma, betrayed him while investigating the scientist Andross on the planet Venom.

Star Fox takes place years later, with Andross invading the Lylat System and its leading commander, General Pepper, enlisting Fox and his crew, consisting of ace pilot Falco, engineer Slippy and mentor Peppy, to fight back.

The campaign sees players travel to different planets and space locations, blasting foes and overcoming bosses with their actions determining the next stop on their journey, creating numerous different routes on any single playthrough.

Pretty smooth flying

Just like its N64 predecessor, Star Fox features the same smooth, responsive controls that just feel good.

One second you’ll be saving teammates from hostile enemies trailing them, and the next you’ll be boosting to avoid asteroids, performing somersaults to outmaneuver foes, and barrel rolling to counter incoming enemy fire.

Whether it’s piloting the Arwing, locking onto foes in the Landmaster, or exploring the oceans of Aquas in the Bluemarine, Star Fox really captures that fantasy of being a skilled mercenary.

Nintendo

The levels are essentially identical to their 64 counterparts, with the same layouts, same enemy placements, same flow. There aren’t any expansions to the stages themselves, no new routes, no new bosses, and certainly no new planets. While this creates a wonderful sense of familiarity for longtime fans, it also leaves you wanting just a bit more.

There’s a strange mix of comfort and slight disappointment here. On one hand, it’s incredible to fly through these iconic stages again with modern graphics, but the missions feel a bit hindered by 64’s limitations.

For instance, the first mission, Corneria, has players fight through the planet’s capital city, and the location just feels small by 2026’s standards. An extra 30 seconds or a minute of actual gameplay in the city area would have gone a long way to enhance the experience.

The medal system for earning harder difficulties feels slightly more forgiving this time around. While the hit requirements are the same as the original, I was able to earn every medal relatively easily, even the notoriously tough Sector Z medal, on just my second attempt.

The game also adds a new robust Challenge Mode that boosts replayability. You can replay any mission with specific objectives, like destroying a set number of a particular enemy type. Finishing these challenges unlocks logs providing additional intel and backstories for allies, bosses, and more.

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Same squad, new personality

The major new addition is post-mission cinematics that change depending on the outcome.

After every mission, you get a new cutscene where the team discusses the previous battle and how they should plan their next move. I found myself purposely failing certain missions just to see how the team would react. Seeing the team rally after losing a battle against their rivals, Star Wolf, was just one of many scenes that helped flesh out the crew.

Speaking of which, I loved what they did with everyone on the team. Slippy may still be a bit of a klutz in the cockpit, but he provides interesting insight about enemies and strategy instead of always needing help in battle. This makes him more of a core member of the squad and less of a liability.

Falco’s rivalry with Fox feels more apparent than ever. He’s the hotshot pilot that’s skilled, cocky, and a little rude in all the right ways.

Peppy remains the warm mentor figure we all know and love, though it was bittersweet hearing the late Rick May’s absence.

The voice performances for the main four grew on me, but they’re never able to match what we got 30 years ago. That was just lightning in a bottle.

However, the bosses are a whole other story, and where this remake doesn’t live up to the legacy of Star Fox 64. Their once-bombastic, over-the-top lines from Star Fox 64 are delivered with almost no energy or gravitas.

Whether it’s “You’ll never defeat Andross,” “I can’t believe I lost to this scum,” or “No, hit the brakes! I can’t stop it!” every single line is delivered so softly, it’s like the actors were deliberately told not to yell.

Nintendo

Verdict

Despite these criticisms, this is still an excellent Star Fox game. The flight controls are pure perfection, the new cinematics are genuinely great, and the Challenge Mode gives it solid legs. Especially as a budget title, this is absolutely worth picking up.

Star Fox is simply a must-play for anyone with a Switch 2. Star Fox is back, and after this reboot, we can only hope that Nintendo finally gives us the true sequel to SF64 we’ve waited years for.