The return of 'Star Fox': how to update a classic without losing its arcade essence

Almost three decades have passed since Shigeru Miyamoto revolutionized the Nintendo 64 with the Rumble Pak and the ambitious cinematic narrative of Lylat Wars, the name under which Star Fox 64 landed in Europe. The Japanese company's most iconic aerial combat franchise returns this week exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. Well, in fact, we are talking about a very particular case, since the original installment had already received a remaster for the Nintendo 3DS (2011) and a reboot on the Wii U console (2016), and now it definitively closes the circle with this remake.

The console adds to its catalog a new cult piece completely rebuilt from scratch that, in addition, expands its history through unpublished cinematics and delves into the past of Fox McCloud and company. The new Star Fox also adds more content, such as a cooperative multiplayer mode to enjoy the adventure in company (one player is the pilot and the other the gunner), or a four-on-four competitive mode, in which anything goes. In fact, with only one copy of the game, up to three people can play thanks to GameShare, locally or online.

Recreational spirit and new ways to pilot the ship

Star Fox maintains the frantic and arcade essenceof the original title, with gameplay that fits within the rail shooter subgenre, always with the aim of perfecting levels and achieving a better score. The player must navigate the ship through routes that vary organically according to the pilot's ability to achieve secret objectives or react to ephemeral events. This structure, inherited from arcade machines, means the campaign can be completed in approximately one hour, but the key lies in its replayability. Therefore, to travel all possible routes, defeat all enemies, and discover the true ending of the plot, the experience can be extended to more than fifteen hours.

On the other hand, in addition to the Arwing ship, some adventure branches include ground and sea combat, in which a tank and a submarine are piloted, respectively. The game also adds difficulty options, both to improve accessibility for newer pilots and to add new challenges for veterans. All this without considering the new multiplayer mode, of course.

Another notable point is that the release is not limited to just a facelift and new content. Just as it did with the Rumble Pak, it tries to squeeze the current hardware with new functionalities. For example, Star Fox introduces the use of mouse mode with the Joy-Con 2 controllers, which allow free aiming on the screen through their motion sensor. It also features integration of the GameChat function where, with the help of an external camera, an avatar of one of the game's characters can replicate the player's gestures in real time.

A graphical leap and a look to the future

One of the aspects that has most caught the attention of this return is the shift towards a notably more realistic and detailed 3D graphic style. This visual impact seems to mark a new guideline for the company when it comes to revising its great historical titles, as the same graphic fidelity can be intuited in the first images of the highly anticipated remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, announced in June and confirmed for the end of this 2026.

The title arrives at a good time for Nintendo Switch 2, which has recently celebrated its first year of life and already boasts great exclusive hits such as Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza or Pokémon Pokopia. Furthermore, on a closer calendar, the console received the new Yoshi and the Mysterious Book this May and, in a few weeks, the already confirmed Splatoon Raiders.

Star Fox consolidates this path of exclusivity for the brand's most modern hardware and suggests that, increasingly, we will stop seeing intergenerational titles suitable for the original Switch. The proposal lands with a short but very replayable game format, a dose of arcade nostalgia with next-generation graphics and a price lower than usual for new releases. For veterans and novice pilots who want to try this remake proposal firsthand and clear up doubts, a demo is already available in the console's digital store.