Star Fox review: "Soars on the Nintendo Switch 2"

Star Fox 64 always seemed larger than the boxy CRT television I played it on. Star Fox, a Nintendo Switch 2 remake of the Nintendo 64's 1997 rail shooter, has the same effect. Thrusting beneath tumbling skyscrapers, barrel-rolling between lasers, trying desperately to keep a rival pilot in my crosshairs – it's as if I'm stepping through the screen and into the cockpit, rather than sweatily hammering every button on the handheld.

While Star Fox's arcade-style intensity has aged marvelously over the decades, this remake targets areas that haven't kept as hot. A visual overhaul goes far beyond traditional texture reskins, reimagining war-torn cities and vast space battles with a level of detail the N64 simply couldn't offer, while glossy CG cutscenes turn the original game's barebones connective tissue into a cinematic Top Gun-style action flick. It all makes for a complementary remake, and if you're thinking of jumping in off the back of Fox McCloud's stint in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, I'd recommend starting here instead of the clunkier Star Fox 64 on Switch Online.

Would I Lylat to you?

At its core, Star Fox is the same as it ever was. Your job is to lead mercenary outfit Star Fox through the Lylat System to stop evil scientist Andross and his army, plotting a path which changes based on your choices in and out of missions.

You may decide to attack a supply convoy instead of following the lower-profile route to Venom, the seat of power for antagonist Andross and his fleet, but doing so will alter your route and necessitate attacking Venom head-on. Similarly, taking too much damage during the stealthier approach funnels you into the frontal assault. Two decades on, the structure resembles an ancient roguelike progenitor – creating replayability not through the moment-to-moment randomization, but with a rubbery campaign molded by your decisions.

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

But, where Star Fox 64 was content to let the story take a backseat, Star Fox finds smart ways to enrich its universe. Full-length cutscenes have been created for the remake, making it feel less like a series of arcade challenges and more like a traditional campaign narrative. Beyond giving the cast more personality, these cutscenes serve a practical purpose.

Diverting from Star Fox 64, which mostly required completing hidden objectives within missions, Star Fox tends to lay out your options within cutscenes – not quite spelling out the path to its 'true' ending, but making the navigational side of the campaign much more transparent.

It's another win for replayability: while seven-year-old me knew the Lylat System back-to-front, two decades later I'm not sure I could handle the frustration of taking a run-changing wrong turn. At times I wish more of the map was left for the player to uncover – if only to preserve the discovery element that kept me coming back to the original – but given how easy some levels are to miss, it makes sense to see Nintendo smooth it out.

Thanks to Star Fox's cinematics and visual makeover, newcomers could be forgiven for not realizing this is a remake. Gone are the Nintendo 64's muddy colors and pointy pixels – even without the original Switch's OLED screen, Star Fox pops on the Switch 2. Gliding over an ocean leaves frothy streaks in the water, and I've crashed into several asteroids while gazing at distant gas giants.

Better yet are the details that didn't exist before. The original game's blocky gray buildings on Corneria, for example, have been switched out to look like real buildings; while previously flat grassy space in the same level is now a burning cityscape.

Blast-off from the past

You won't get long to ogle at anything before having to shoot or dodge it. There's a wonderful dynamic between Star Fox's on-rails structure and the versatility of your Arwing.

The fixed camera feels claustrophobic when it's flush with enemy fighter craft and floating debris, and often demands quick thinking (and quicker flying) to stay in-frame. In a handful of missions you're allowed to fly in any direction, redirecting the game's forward momentum into a denser space where out-piloting foes is as important as being quicker on the trigger.

The Arwing's inputs are sensitive, and at first it flies with a seasick wobble. But it's intuitive and quick to pick up, and soon you'll marvel at how responsive the ship feels even while barrel-rolling and firing at the same time. The handheld's haptics add convincing turbulence to each violent yaw and brake, and the light touch required on the triggers is satisfying – the Arwing can be flown with muscle, but firing takes finesse.

Mastering both, you'll bounce around the fixed screen like a rocket-powered pinball in a giddy flow state. That feeling is the reason Star Fox's campaign – which runs just over an hour – remains moreish over numerous playthroughs. The newly-added Challenge Mode, which lets you play each level you've completed with additional objectives, makes Star Fox even easier to pick up and play in short bursts.

While I didn't get to try the remake's 4v4 battle mode, which pits McCloud and company against Star Wolf, the game's local co-op campaign is likely to keep me coming back for a long time.

Testing co-op with my partner turned into an impromptu campaign in one sitting, with one player flying the Arwing while the second shoots. It's a fun way to play – picture a three-legged race in space – and although lining up the controls can be finicky in levels that use the Great Fox's land and submersible vehicles, with the camera going rogue at times, it's a meaningful addition to the original game.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how smoothly mouse mode works to control the weapons, even using a carpet as a makeshift surface. This is the first game I've played on Switch 2, and Star Fox seems to bring out the handheld's best: its speakers are excellent, and facilitate a much fuller sound, with bassy booms and shrill laser fire working with improved haptics to put you right in the middle of each level's chaos. Similarly, having played a bunch of Star Fox 64 on the original Switch, the wider handheld makes Star Fox much more comfortable for longer sessions.

Of those longer sessions, expect plenty. Unlocking Expert Mode requires multiple playthroughs, as it's unlocked by earning a medal on every planet in the game and is worth it for the extra enemies alone. For its many bells and whistles, Star Fox chases the simplicity of Space Invaders and Galaga before it – you'll blow ships up by the hundreds, then U-turn to do it again.

Check out the best Switch 2 games to play right now on Nintendo's latest console