Star Fox Switch 2 Review: The Perfect Remake?
I always loved Star Fox 64! As a child this game made me feel like I'm inside a Star Wars movie. It was epic, intense and action packed. But this was 29 years ago. Can a game this old really hold up today?
A new step for Nintendo
We are approaching Venom. Peppy can't join us this time — the attack on Area 6 left his ship too damaged to continue. Falco's and Slippy's ships aren't in good shape either, but we are too close to stop now.
As we are finally approaching Andross's base we get into a trap. The Star Wolf Team approaches us from behind and they have new upgraded ships! It's not looking good as I have two of them on my tail.
The fight goes on for what feels like an eternity. My shields are down, the ship is damaged. By now Falco and Slippy are out as well. All that is left is a one on one between me and Wolf. With some sharp turns and barrel rolls I finally manage to get behind him, my palms are sweaty. This is the moment of truth, if I don't get him now he will shoot me down.
I take my aim, try to keep the joystick steady, predicting where he will be moving, and shoot my lasers right in front of him. YES! I got him and he goes down and explodes on the planet's surface, but the fight is not over yet. Andross is still awaiting me.
This was a small scene from my first playthrough of Star Fox on the Switch 2. I hope I can get across how intense it can feel at times. It's the same as back in 1997, but this time with visuals to match.
When it comes to visuals and presentation it feels like a new step for Nintendo. Star Fox looks breathtaking, from the variety of the different planets, to the effects during the fights and of course the cutscenes. Now granted Star Fox doesn't have an incredibly deep story, but with great voice acting and well done cutscenes they still manage to flesh out this universe a lot more.
Together with one of the best soundtracks in gaming, Star Fox really makes you feel like you're in an action blockbuster movie. But all of this would be worth nothing if the gameplay doesn't hold up. So how does it feel to play after 29 years?
Arcade Gameplay that feels fresh in 2026
Star Fox on Switch 2 is pretty much a one to one remake of the 1997 original when it comes to its gameplay. This version seems to be based on the 3DS remake from 2011, so enemy placements, level design and so on, everything is exactly the same as back then.
This means you can finish one playthrough of Star Fox easily in 30 to 40 minutes if you don't die. But most levels offer two ways of completing them, which then leads to different routes you can take through the system. Each level itself hardly takes more than five minutes.
All of this sounds very old but honestly it feels refreshing to play in 2026. In a way it could be compared to runs in a roguelike game but without any meta progression and without any randomized elements.
This leads to you really learning the ins and outs of each stage, which is necessary if you want to earn medals in each world. Those medals you usually get for reaching a certain score, which is very hard! If you do however, you can unlock the expert mode this way.
The core of it all is still the moment to moment gameplay and it's here where Star Fox shines the most. Controlling your ship just feels amazing and the game also includes other options like mouse mode. Everything feels snappy and precise and if you fail, you know it has been your own fault.
Now could any of this have been improved even further? Honestly I personally think not really, without changing the game too much. One criticism of many players is for example that your teammates are mostly useless.
They do add a great atmosphere but gameplay wise they are mostly in the way, and more than once they need to be saved by you. However in my eyes this is part of the challenge and the core gameplay. If they were to all of a sudden play smart it would result in the game being much easier.
What should a remake be?
As you can see the game is mostly the same as in 1997 but there are a few nice additions. For one there is a new online multiplayer mode with a few different maps. It's fast paced fun and if you play with friends you can even use the new camera feature. This lets you change your face into a member of the Star Fox team which is great fun.
The core singleplayer also got some nice additions. The biggest one is surely the challenge mode which gives you a list of different achievements for each level. It's nothing groundbreaking but it does add even more to a great game.
Still, I keep on reading online from players that 5-10 hours of content isn't enough and that this remake should be more. For me personally I'm honestly torn on this. New levels would have been great fun for example, but I can't help myself and admire how pure this remake is.
Star Fox 64 was one of my favorite games of my childhood and to be able to play the same game now with new visuals and so many small but nice additions just simply feels magical to me. If they had reworked the levels and added new ones it could have harmed this effect.
Sure I still hope that this is only the beginning for Star Fox and that we will get a fully new game down the road. But I do think it's great that some of those true classic games get a chance to be played on a modern system with modern graphics.
A true blast from the past
All in all I'm just super happy with Star Fox on Switch 2. This will be the version of one of my favorite games of all time that I will play over and over again for the next 30 years to come.
There is nothing here that isn't done well. Only the fact that it is the same game as back then could be an issue for some modern players. But for that you can try the demo yourself and find out if this blast from the past is for you.
Rating: Strongly Recommended
Rating System Order: Masterpiece | Essential | Strongly Recommended | Recommended | Mixed Feelings | Disappointing
Vaulted: Games that make it into the Kasur Gaming Vault have a special place in my heart and are games that define my gaming taste.