“We need your help, Star Fox!” That line is etched into my memory from the first time I fired up Lylat Wars. General Pepper’s trembling voice set the stakes instantly. Fox McCloud and his fearless squad scrambling down a seemingly never-ending metal corridor before leaping into their Arwings, launching from Great Fox’s hangar bay towards a besieged Corneria.
The bundled Rumble Pak was a bonus at this point, because my younger Star Wars-entranced imagination was ignited by the chance to lead Star Fox’s battle-hardened, anthropomorphic wingmen to wrench the Lylat system from maniacal scientist Andross’ tyrannical grasp one planet at a time.
After Fox McCloud’s surprise appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, you can imagine my emotional stability evaporating when it was casually revealed that a remake of the Nintendo 64 classic was coming to Nintendo Switch 2… in a month. Sure, this may not be a brand-new entry like many longtime fans have been manifesting for years, but, from Nintendo’s perspective, this is prime time to reintroduce a franchise that has been dormant for a decade and invite both newcomers and battle‑worn veterans back into the cockpit. (Although I’ll always happily yell about the crossover content in Starlink: Battle for Atlas).
Having been lucky enough to take Fox McCloud’s rejuvenated Arwing for a spin last week, there’s plenty to be excited about. Before I could race to assist the Corneria Defense Force, I had to overcome the Arwing Introductory Training Module. With Space Dynamics founder and president Yaru de Pon as your guide, this is similar to what is seen in the original game and takes you through everything from unleashing charged shots from your lasers to boosting or braking with your state-of-the-art G-Diffuser. Somersaults, All-Range Mode, and the infamous laser-deflecting barrel roll, it’s all here and a worthwhile way to take you through the basics.
I was then thrown straight into the action, leading the Star Fox squad as they soared into battle across Corneria, Meteo and Fichina (not Fortuna, as it was mistakenly translated in the original game) early on in the campaign. Whether neutralising Granga in his urban assault mech, weaving through an asteroid field where enemy forces lie in wait behind its lifeless rocks, or fending off the Star Wolf team to disarm the bomb that threatens Corneria’s secret intelligence base, it’s clear from what I have played that this is an incredibly faithful remake that has now been modernised for a new generation to experience. It still looks like it can be beaten in hours like the original game, but discovering secret routes through the Lylat System will continue to encourage multiple playthroughs.
There’s much that is new, too. Cinematic cutscenes let us see more of the Star Fox crew between stages, with mission briefings adding broader context to what you’re setting out to accomplish, and the Joy-Con 2 present the opportunity to experience the game in an entirely new way through mouse controls. I needed more time to get my bearings with these when flying solo, but I thought the option to team up with another player on the same console (or through GameShare via GameChat) was terrific fun. This lets one player focus on flying the Arwing with button input while the other can concentrate on gunning down enemies with mouse controls, which is going to be a great way to get friends and family involved in Star Fox’s hijinks.
An unexpected but laugh-inducing addition to mess around with was the Character Avatars and AR Filters that you can use in GameChat. You will have seen Yoshiaki Koizumi introduce these in the Star Fox Direct, but with a Nintendo Switch 2 camera, you can choose to appear as a Star Fox character that mirrors your expressions. You can also wear other items like a Star Fox Eyepiece, Lone-Wolf Patch, Slippy’s Hat and, at its silliest, a Falco Beak. There are even more to unlock through clearing criteria like finishing a campaign or earning every medal in normal difficulty, and I can’t wait to see what Nintendo has hidden away from us. They’re goofy, but I’m here for them.
What quickly proved to be a tremendous thrill was Battle Mode. These multiplayer matches see up to eight players compete in four-on-four dogfights between Team Star Fox and Team Star Wolf. Taking to the skies above Corneria as Slippy Toad, Team Star Fox’s objective was to maintain control of a designated zone to successfully call in support while racking up extra points by downing the rival team and meandering enemies. With pickup items like laser pods, hyperboost and smart mines to help give you an edge, it was exhilarating to mercilessly hunt down the rival team. We narrowly lost the first match and won the second.
I am counting down the days to when I can battle it out online at launch, but I’m slightly concerned about the limited content. When the game was announced, Nintendo shared that Battle Mode has three stages – Corneria, Fichina or Sector Y – and, at this point in time, I don’t know if there are plans to add more in the future. It certainly doesn’t seem like it’s enough to differentiate the experience if they want the fanbase to remain engaged with the game over time. We’ll soon see.
Star Fox has never looked, sounded or played better than this. The complete visual overhaul of the game is astounding, the orchestral soundtrack is goosebump-inducing and the gameplay experience that underpins it stays true to everything I came to love about the Nintendo 64 original. It’s exciting to be weeks away from battling it out across the Lylat System once again, and I hope that this is just the start of a new chapter for the Star Fox squad’s adventures.
Star Fox will be released at retail and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2 worldwide on 25 June 2026.
