Like many others who grew up with the Nintendo 64, Star Fox 64 was constantly in my rotation. In between playing all sorts of other games on the console, I would continuously return to Star Fox 64 and complete a run (or five) while trying to explore all of its various routes. The game’s memorable voice lines, fast-paced action, and immaculate vibes kept me coming back over and over again, making it one of my most memorable gaming experiences as a kid.
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Now, with Star Fox 64 having been remade on Nintendo Switch 2 in the form of the simply titled Star Fox, I’m thrilled that much of what made that original game so great has remained intact. Although some of the new character models and voice acting take some getting used to, Nintendo has greatly revamped its classic shooter for a new generation, even if it doesn’t do enough to push Star Fox as a whole forward.
Rating: 4/5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Classic Star Fox gameplay feels better than ever with improved performance and overhauled visuals | Character models look jarring at times, even if they’re more in line with the original vision of the series |
| New cutscenes help make the game’s story feel more cohesive | Doesn’t do enough to push Star Fox forward for a new generation |
| Challenge mode adds a ton of additional replayability | |
| New musical arrangements are excellent |
Star Fox’s Gameplay Is Smooth and Stunning
As with just about any remake, the biggest change that has been made with Star Fox is tied to its visuals. Gone is the cartoon-style look of the original, and in steps an aesthetic that is meant to look far more realistic. This emphasis on realism extends not only to the world, ship, and enemy designs, but also the primary cast of characters in Star Fox.
These new looks for Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy were ones that I was divided on when first seeing Star Fox upon its announcement. After playing the game, I’m still left torn. Although the faces of the characters I warmed up to after a few hours of playing, some of the scenes throughout the game where the full bodies of the characters can be seen still looks a bit jarring. I think I would have appreciated a remake that tried to lean into the designs of the N64 game a bit more, but I also understand the style that Nintendo was now going for.
Regardless of how you feel about the art style, what can’t be argued is that Star Fox is one of the best looking games on Switch 2 so far. The depth of color and fine level of detail that can be seen across all of the game’s 16 diferent levels are greatly impressive and help justify this remake’s existence. These majestic visuals are joined by consistent performance that makes Star Fox’s shooting mechanics feel incredibly smooth.
It’s this act of actually playing Star Fox that is the game’s best aspect. Although the controls and mechanics haven’t changed whatsoever from Star Fox 64, it now feels better than ever to play. Whether you’re zipping through the ruins of Corneria or dogfighting with the members of Star Wolf, the gameplay in Star Fox still doesn’t feel stale nearly 30 years after the launch of the original.
Star Fox’s Story Gets Some Big Presentation Upgrades
Outside of its new look, the most notable tweaks that Nintendo has made to Star Fox with this remake are tied to its story. Rather than conveying its narrative primarily through a series of briefings that take place before each mission, Star Fox has some brand-new cutscenes that provide more glimpses at its main cast. These scenes typically are meant to set up the next mission, but they do provide some new moments of characterization that help flesh out the Star Fox crew members in new ways.
I generally found the new scenes that have been added to Star Fox as a positive, if nothing else because they help differentiate it a bit from the N64 entry. These sequences never felt bloated, either, and ensured that you always get back into the starfighting action before too long.
In terms of wholly new additions with this remake, Nintendo has thrown in a new prologue scene that sets up the story of Star Fox. This scene, while cool to see for longtime fans since it has been referenced countless times throughout the franchise’s history, also feels somewhat unnecessary. It breaks a bit of the mystical nature that surrounds James McCloud, Fox’s father, as his tale was only told to the player in the original game via second-hand accounts. Although I would have preferred this scene be left out as I think it amplifies the story and character moments within Star Fox a bit, I also understand why it was included for the purpose of this remake.
Perhaps my favorite element in the entirety of Star Fox was its reorchestrated soundtrack. The iconic music of the original has been excellently recreated in this remake while adding further depth that wasn’t possible before on the N64. I’ve always been a sucker for the soundtrack to Star Fox 64, and I think it’s now better than ever before with this new iteration.
Star Fox Will Keep You Coming Back Time and Time Again
Like the original game, Star Fox features a high level of replayability that will keep you returning to it over and over again. The short length of the game’s campaign aids in this, as does its general format, which encourages you to try to unlock all of its various routes which lead to new levels.
Even once you’ve unlocked every level in Star Fox, one of the newest elements of this remake, Challenge Mode, gives you even more of a reason to keep going back to each mission. This mode gives you specific tasks for every level that you must complete before its end. Some of these challenges can be relatively easy, like killing a certain number of enemies, while “Expert” level tasks are also available to those who truly want to test their prowess.
Challenge Mode ended up being my favorite part of Star Fox, especially as a returning player. Having an actual checklist with various achievements to aim to complete during each mission replay added more variety to the game than ever before. Being able to complete these challenges also resulted in new unlockables in the game’s Holoviewer, which further contextualizes many of the characters and factions within this universe.
For those looking to go even deeper, Star Fox also features multiplayer and co-op elements, both of which I wasn’t able to test out for myself during the review period. Multiplayer, in particular, happens to incorporate Switch 2’s GameChat function, giving players the option to even become one of the Star Fox members as an avatar. Although multiplayer likely won’t be the main offering for most playing Star Fox, I appreciate that Nintendo brought it back in this remake rather than leaving it out entirely.
Despite having so many positive things to say about Star Fox, my lasting takeaway from this remake is that I hope Nintendo now does something new with the IP. Star Fox is arguably one of the coolest franchises that Nintendo owns, which makes it that much more disappointing that the series has essentially been on ice for the past decade. Bringing it back in the form of another remake of Star Fox 64 is a great starting point, but this new version of the game doesn’t do much of anything to push the franchise forward. The gameplay formula in Star Fox feels like it’s now met its peak, which means that if this series is going to continue onward, Nintendo is going to finally have to find a way to evolve it beyond its roots in the N64 entry.
Even with some criticisms, it’s hard to be disappointed with Star Fox. As a longtime fan of the game and larger series, this remake delivered in all of the right ways. And for those who haven’t played a Star Fox game before, the Switch 2 iteration is now the best jumping on point. While Star Fox 64 almost certainly didn’t need to be remade or improved further, I’m more than happy that Nintendo opted to return to it once again.
Star Fox releases this week on June 25th, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. An advance copy of the game was provided by the Nintendo for the purpose of this review.
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Image Courtesy of Sony
