I just finished Star Fox on Switch 2 — and it’s better than the game I imagined I was playing as a kid

Star Fox for the Nintendo Switch 2 is the rare remake that managed to exceed my expectations while feeling instantly familiar. While the original formula remains intact, Nintendo, alongside developer Velan Studios have modernized every aspect of this classic game from the visuals down to the controls.

Fox McCloud and the rest of the Star Fox crew look better than ever, as do all of the 15 different stages. Of course, due to the game’s branching paths, you will have to complete multiple playthroughs if you want to see them all. You definitely will, though, thanks to the new, more cinematic cutscenes between each stage.

Controlling your Arwing felt great in the original, but on the Switch 2, it’s even more satisfying. The controls are snappy and responsive when playing in handheld mode or with a Switch 2 Pro Controller. However, you can also detach your Joy-Cons to play in Mouse Mode, which shifts your perspective from third to first-person, making gameplay feel even more immersive.

If this is your first time saving the Lylat system, you’re in for a treat. For seasoned Star Fox players, though, the game and its stages play out almost exactly as you remember them, for better or worse. While there is a new multiplayer mode, it doesn’t feel extensive enough to justify picking up this remake for it alone.

Star Fox for the Switch 2 is still the best way to experience this classic starfighter. Read on for my full Star Fox review.

Star Fox: The Basics

• What is it? Star Fox is a sci-fi rail-shooter and space combat game with high-speed aerial dogfights and branching paths where you fight to protect the Lylat system.
• Who is it for? Star Fox fans who want to re-experience Star Fox 64 on the Switch 2’s more powerful hardware with improved controls and visuals.
• What's the price? Star Fox costs $49 if you buy it digitally or $59 if you buy a physical copy.
• What other games has the developer made? Star Fox for the Switch 2 was developed by Velan Studios alongside Nintendo. They previously worked together on the mixed-reality racer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, but the studio also created the dodgeball brawler Knockout City.
• What games is it similar to? Given it’s a modern remake, Star Fox feels a lot like Star Fox 64 as well as other space combat and flying games such as Star Wars: Squadrons and Ace Combat.

Seeing the Lylat system with new eyes

I still remember popping the rumble pack into the back of my N64 controller and booting up Star Fox 64 for the first time. While the original set the bar quite high, this reimagining of Nintendo’s classic space opera immediately hooked me once I saw how stunning it looked on the Switch 2.

From the menus to the cutscenes to the levels themselves, Star Fox shines in a crisp and buttery smooth 4K resolution at 60fps on Switch 2. Gone are the blocky and low-polygon structures of the original as they’ve been replaced with top-tier graphics you’d expect to see on the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

By upgrading and optimizing its proprietary Viper Engine, Velan Studios has managed to deliver impressive visuals and a locked framerate of 60 fps. The HDR implementation is another big highlight here as laser fire and bombs shot from your Arwing stand out brilliantly against the deep blacks of outer space.

Whether I was flying alongside the water outside Corneria, navigating through space debris in Sector X or submerged in the Blue-Marine in Aquas, all of the various environments in Star Fox had my eyes glued to the screen. In fact, I took different paths throughout several playthroughs just to see them all.

Fantastic Mr. Star Fox

From the opening scene after the updated tutorial, when the crew takes off their VR headsets, it’s clear we’re dealing with a familiar yet entirely different Star Fox. Instead of the dated character models of the original, we’re now met with ones that feel more like the cast of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox film. I like them personally, but they have divided the series’ loyal fanbase somewhat.

You’ll be seeing a lot more of Fox, Slippy, Peppy and Falco, too, as there are now beautifully rendered cinematics in between missions. They help fill out the story and show the inner workings of the Star Fox crew in ways I could only imagine when playing the original.

There are changes during the missions themselves, too, when it comes to the story and especially dialogue. While some fan favorite sayings like “Do a barrel roll” remain, the lines delivered by the crew mid-combat feel more intentional and add an extra layer of depth to the overall story.

For instance, during the first level, you’re tasked with saving Falco as he’s having trouble with his ship’s G-Diffuser. In the original, after you helped him out, that was that. Now, though, in the Switch 2 version of Star Fox, Slippy chimes in saying that’s why you don’t want to rush a systems check.

There are little extra bits of dialogue here and there throughout the story, and alongside the new cinematics, I felt more immersed in the world of Star Fox than ever before.

By air, land and sea

Even though the levels themselves are on-rails, your journey to take on Andross is more flexible thanks to Star Fox’s branching paths. Depending on which teammates you save, how many hits you deal out to enemies and a few other conditions, new paths and different levels become available.

This adds some much-needed variety to the core game while also giving you a reason to replay its campaign. While you pilot Star Fox’s iconic Arwing craft for a majority of the game, it’s not the only vehicle.

For instance, if you take the easy path to Venom, there’s a level where you take command of the Landmaster tank. The tank features the same controls as your Arwing, but since you’re on the ground instead of in the air, it’s a welcome change from flying.

Alternatively, if you take the hard path to Venom, there’s an underwater level where you pilot the Blue-Marine submarine. Built by Slippy from spare parts, the submarine works just like your Arwing, too. Having missed this section as a kid, it was a nice surprise, and the enemies and environment of Aquas were absolutely worth another run of the campaign.

Although Star Fox’s campaign only takes about an hour and a half to finish, revisiting levels to look for secret paths does add a bit more to the game. Still, I wish there were more new levels besides the prologue to really round out this upgraded package.

From tactical to all-range

If you’ve booted up Nintendo Switch Online and tried to play through Star Fox 64 recently, you’re in for a welcome surprise on Switch 2 as Velan Studios has modernized the game’s controls. Instead of using a single analog stick and the C-button, Star Fox now features dual-stick flight.

The left stick handles your Arwing’s positioning while the right stick controls your reticle. This separation gives you far greater precision when aiming your lasers.

Alternatively, you can take things a step further by detaching your Joy-Cons and playing in Mouse Mode. Though I found the first-person perspective does take some getting used to.

In addition to this new control scheme, there’s an overall snapiness when it comes to pressing buttons to boost, brake and deploy bombs, as well as when you’re using the triggers to shoot or the bumpers to barrel roll. Suffice it to say, piloting an Arwing has never felt this good.

Star Fox: Verdict

Star Fox on the Switch 2 marks the triumphant return of Fox McCloud, though it’s also an excellent showcase of what Nintendo’s latest console is capable of. The upgraded graphics and improved visual fidelity make this the best way to experience this classic adventure, while the snappier and more modern controls make piloting your Arwing just as satisfying.

Although I wish we could play the full campaign together with a friend in co-op mode with our own ships, at least Nintendo does give you a way to do so as pilot and gunner. Likewise, there are a lot of great ideas in the new multiplayer modes, but let’s face it, we’re here for the single-player campaign. Whether you’re just saving the Lylat system for the first time or you’re a seasoned mercenary who knows all the hidden paths, this is the best Star Fox has ever looked and played.

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