'Star Fox' Hits All The Nostalgic Notes

Star Fox 64 is like a classic movie you know by heart from beginning to end, and it never gets old when you throw it on. So does it need another remake? After spending some time with the game, the answer is yes.

In my younger days, Star Fox 64 was one of those games that held a special place in my heart. Thanks to Top Gun and Star Wars, I always loved video games that involved aerial combat. Hence, the Star Fox franchise scratched both itches by making me a hotshot fighter pilot who happens to be a talking Fox and putting him in the cockpit of a badass starfighter, the Arwing.

Following Star Fox 64’s release on the Nintendo 64, the franchise flew into a black hole that Nintendo, Rare, Namco, and Platinum couldn’t rescue it from. Still, Nintendo hit us all with a smart bomb in the form of a surprise announcement of a full remake of Star Fox 64, featuring updated graphics, voice acting, cinematics, challenges, and multiplayer modes. 

Nintendo hit your boy to take the newly redesigned Arwing for a spin, and I must say this remake has the right stuff.

Earning Your Wings

Before we hopped into a mission, Nintendo made sure we earned our wings…again, by partaking in a small tutorial featuring different sections to get us acclimated with Arwing’s modern controls, which also includes a button to pull off somersaults and U-turns, which I will touch on in a few.

Following the training section, we got our first new cutscene linking it to the first mission, which was one of the new features I appreciated.

We also see the extended exchange between Fox McCloud and General Pepper be we launch to Corneria, which adds even more context to the game’s introductory mission.

After the briefing, the nostalgia hit me watching the Team Star Fox arrive in Corneria, and iconic lines return from Fox telling his squad to perform system checks on the Arwing as that slapper of a theme song plays.

Star Fox Looks Good, & Feels Good

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Star Fox on the Nintendo Switch 2 looks amazing. The detail in the Arwings is next level, and the environments look even better while taking on Andross’ armada as they bombard Corneria.

The game sticks to its on-rail roots and, dare I say, feels as good as it looks, and I quickly got acclimated to the game as if I was playing it all over again on my N64. I got to experience the mission twice during my hands-on experience, with our presenter allowing us to take the straightforward “normal” route the first time and then the “good” branching one on the second go-around, after following hotshot Falco through a set of arches, while also making sure to keep him alive when a bogey is on his tail.

It brought back so many memories, yet it felt fresh to experience the moment with a new coat of paint. I also caught myself reciting all the banter between Fox, Slippy, Falco, and Peppy, as well as the commentary from the bosses during the encounters to end the level.

The boss battles are still fun and can be quick if you know what you are doing. I dispatched Granga pretty easily during “All-Range” mode battle, which turns the level into an arena, allowing you to circle the boss, and during the “secret” fight with the Attack Carrier after completing the branch that allows you to fly through a waterfall.

Mouse Controls Offer A New & Unique Way To Experience Star Fox

For the first mission replay, Nintendo had us team up to showcase the game’s use of the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse controls.

I, of course, had to get my Maverick on, controlling flight, while the second player was Goose and handled the Arwings’ weapons systems.

Mouse controls add a challenging and unique way to experience the game, but I’m not sure if I’ll be utilizing them. It’s nice to know there is another way to play and enjoy Star Fox.

I also got to play the meteo level, and seeing the gigantic asteroids crashing into each other as you navigate through an asteroid field has never looked better.

I missed the opportunity to access the warp gate, so I stuck to the normal route, taking on the beautifully redesigned baddies before taking on the Meteo Crusher, and my time with the single campaign came to an end.

Multiplayer Is Fun

Finally, we closed out our preview with some multiplayer. For our match, we played on the Sector Y map and were split into two teams: Star Fox versus Star Wolf.

There were two players on each side, with bots filling in the empty slots. Each team was tasked with taking down these cargo-carrying bots and bringing the cargo to their side of the map. It requires some strategy, as one player needs to provide an escort as you carry the cargo.

We played about two matches that also used All Range mode, and I found them to be fun, but I don’t see myself really playing multiplayer much, since I’m all about the campaign.

Nintendo also made sure to use the camera to turn us into the characters, adding an extra touch.

With this remake, Nintendo is looking to pitch Star Fox as the definitive way to experience the franchise, which has found new life following the character’s appearance in the Super Mario Galaxy movie, and could mean there is a new game in the works.

It looks good, feels good, and takes the beats from the original game and adds extra flavor. While yes, the character designs are polarizing, I think they look good and honestly remind me of the puppets used in the Super Nintendo game’s marketing.

I can’t wait to hop back in the pilot’s seat and experience the full Star Fox remake when it arrives on June 25.