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Even with the new Star Fox game barreling its way to the Nintendo Switch 2, Star Fox merch is few and far between.
If and when fans ask me for merch recommendations, I'm not bringing their attention to the official Nintendo store, but Starlink Battle for Atlas Starter Pack, which is now 8 years old and difficult to find new in stock.
That's why I was surprised to find the pack brand new and available for £14.58 at Amazon in the UK this week. If you want one of the only official ways to get a wonderfully detailed replica of the Arwing ship (and a tiny Fox McCloud to put in it), you need to warp speed your way to checkout. I suspect with the new wave of fans generated from Fox's Super Mario Galaxy Movie cameo and the new game launching soon on the Switch 2, that this won't be around for much longer.
Besides the new Star Fox plushies that have dropped in the lead-up to the new game, there hasn't been much in the way of new collectibles featuring the crew for a while now. That's why I always bring in this Battle for Atlas Starter Pack in conversation with other fans, even though I've never actually played the game that's packed inside.
Instead, I'm all about that Arwing toy included in the box, as it's a beauty. I currently have mine sitting amongst my SNES game collection (naturally, as close to the original Starwing as possible), and it looks fantastic - like the ship flew out of Lylat Wars and onto my shelf.
Sure, I'd much prefer to have a modern version of the ship on display, especially one that doesn't feature black sections on the wings intended for equipping it with the weapon add-ons that are included in the pack. However, this is pretty much all there is to Arwing replicas, unless you have 3D printers at hand.
At just £15, this is more than a bargain. Even if it was purely the ship alone, I'd recommend it, but you get the ship, a tiny and adorable Fox which you could put in the cockpit, and a copy of the actual Starlink Battle for Atlas game, which our team's own Sam Loveridge said was, "a fantastic space exploration game, with solid flights, fights and enemies."
With the new Star Fox game heading to Switch 2, I can only assume Nintendo has new merch plans up its sleeves, which will hopefully include new versions of the team's ships. But until then, this starter pack is a great way to get some Star Fox toy rep besides picking up the amiibo or forking out three digits for those over-priced World of Nintendo figures on eBay. Trust me, it's not worth it.
Check out our guides to the best Nintendo gifts and the best Lego sets if you're hunting for more Ninty toys for your collection.
