One of the defining games of the SNES was the original Star Fox, and its sequel, Star Fox 64, cemented its legacy even further. So how does this remake stack up?
That’s the key point here: this new Star Fox game on the Switch 2 is a loving remake of Star Fox 64, which I knew as Lylat Wars growing up in the UK.
So everything that you remember from Star Fox 64 is also here, plus some extra elements to keep things fresh.
The core functionality is still basically the same, with the various ring-based power-ups behaving the same way, and the charge shot locking onto enemies.
Most of this is self-evident in the game’s demo, so from a functional standpoint, this is a very faithful remake.
Things get more interesting after you complete a playthrough of the game, as you also retain the branching paths through the Lylat system, starting off at Corneria.
This means the initial “playthrough” may seem a bit short, but the real fun starts when you try to access the other branching paths.
Now, some of these branches just pop up naturally, a lot like in the old Darius games. However, many require certain conditions to be met, and when you finish the game, you unlock the hidden condition requirements for the branching of each level you complete.
These conditions are also mirrored in the Challenge missions, which are basically the same as the regular levels you’ve already completed, plus extra conditions.
Unlocking all of these branched paths through the game is a serious and difficult undertaking, and this is where the bulk of the real playtime lies.
Graphically, the game looks wondrous. It’s almost too pristine sometimes, and can hide some of the boss messaging, which wasn’t an issue on Star Fox 64 due to its very upfront cues for what to hit. That said, if you’ve played the original game, the bosses behave as you would expect.
Some people complained that the new character models looked rather terrible, but having grown up with the original Star Fox and the puppets used to promote the game, these renditions are entirely spot on from my standpoint.
The characterization in the story is also more fleshed out now, and the dialogue delivery is more nuanced. Falco is also way more snooty this time around, but when you win him over, it does pay off.
The multiplayer modes for Star Fox 64 also make a return, although without local splitscreen. This time it’s all online, and matches are definitely fun. However, as I am based in Tokyo, the closed multiplayer test I was on was a bit awkward, as all the other players were in the US.
Obviously, this is not how the game will function at launch, but in this very specific situation, the lag was pretty challenging and made the match feel a tad unbalanced from my standpoint.
Again, I don’t think this is relevant to the game once it’s released globally, as you will be playing with people a lot nearer to you, but it’s something I encountered and felt I should mention.
The only other thing I feel I should highlight here is that this is an extremely faithful remake of Star Fox 64, albeit one with very fluid controls and a wonderful graphical overhaul.
The fact that this is not being branded as a “remake” in the title also makes me feel that Nintendo is hoping to pitch this at a new audience to get them hooked on doing barrel rolls.
The reality is this game is still as specific and technical as the original, and its camera and other mechanics will feel a bit old school for newer players.
So I’m not sure this remake is the silver bullet Nintendo thinks it will be for bringing in a new audience to Star Fox. For someone ancient like me, though, this game is genuinely superb and is arguably the best Star Fox 64 has ever been.
Overall, Star Fox is a very faithful remake of Star Fox 64, with added depth and complexity for how you tackle the branched mission structure. It also looks wonderful throughout, and the lifelike character renditions hit me right in the childhood. So if, like me, you grew up with these games, you will absolutely love this remake. Although I feel newer players may find it functionally a tad old school.
Star Fox
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Velan Studios
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 25th June 2026
Price: $49.99
Score: 8/10
Disclosure: Nintendo sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review.
Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently writing regular columns in Japanese about mecha games and mecha anime for both Game*Spark and Automaton.
