The last modern Star Fox game, Star Fox Zero, came out in April 2016, so when Fox McCloud showed up in the Super Mario Galaxy movie, we all knew something was up. Enter: Star Fox for the Nintendo Switch 2, which comes out on June 25. As it's a remake of Star Fox 64, when the announcement came, I was struck by a feeling that we haven't seen the real meat of Nintendo's plans for the franchise. Having now played the game at a Star Fox preview event, I understand this to be true - Star Fox on Switch 2 most definitely feels like a - pardon my pun - launch pad into a new era.
If you're a longtime fan of the series, the new Star Fox game is exactly what you want out of a remake and more. Not only are the visuals mindblowing, the new modes in the game engrossing and fun, and the sound design immersive, but every aspect of the experience feels like an ambitious upgrade on previous iterations. There are new cutscenes to enjoy, additional challenges and co-op modes, and of course, it's compatible with Amiibo and the Switch 2's mouse mode, which was particularly great for campaign co-op.
The scale of the thing won't be lost on new players, either. Given Fox McCloud's aforementioned foray into the Super Mario Galaxy movie, it's evident that Nintendo is hoping to bring back Star Fox, especially to younger generations - and it's going to work. As I soared through the sky, shooting bad guys to resoundingly triumphant orchestral scores, I realized how impactful this game will be for kids. We all remember the games that imprinted on our souls as children, and I could easily put myself into the shoes of a new generation when playing. Star Fox's new game will make them feel electricity in their spines. That's the stuff they'll remember forever.
They'll also remember screaming at their siblings and parents in co-op, if I had to wager. While campaign co-op is pretty standard stuff, it was fun to try out relying on someone else in highly pressurized situations. At the preview event I attended, we'd take turns swapping between the flier and the shooter, both of which present their own kinds of fun and challenges. As an FPS game lover, I preferred to shoot, but my gaming partner preferred to fly, and the lack of consensus shows how well-designed and enjoyable each job is. I'll admit it reminded me a bit of the Mario Party minigames where you have to team up against star-stealing Bowser, but I actually wasn't mad at the similarity.
After the campaign co-op, the seven other reviewers at the event andI tried out the 4v4 PvP mode on local play, which involved a mixture of shooting each other, controlling areas of the map, achieving mini-objectives, and hitting destructibles. As you might imagine, PvP is all-range as opposed to being linear, which I'm not very gifted at, but the entire experience made me want to get good at it, which is the mark of a truly good game. Our team won both games, by the way.
The other peripheral modes, like Avatars, which utilize the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras for GameChat purposes, further reveal Nintendo's agenda to bring back Star Fox into cultural relevancy. Apart from wanting people to use the Switch 2's GameChat more, the mode is designed so that you can either choose to use your face - with some cute fox ear alterations - or conceal it completely by wearing Falco's or Slippy's face, among many others. Avatars get unlocked by completing challenges, earning medals, and finishing the campaigns.
It all adds to a wider sense that Nintendo is going to push more Star Fox, with the aim to turn Star Fox into the stuff of legends. It's no small investment to add McCloud to the movie, and given the Switch 2 remake's sudden announcement only a few months before the game comes out, it feels inevitable that there's something bigger in the works. More is on the horizon. Nintendo is going to lean into this IP, and if they do so with the care and expertise that they've shown in making Star Fox for Switch 2, I'm absolutely going to be here for it.