Preview: is the Star Fox remake any good?

Domagoj Belancic

2-6-2026

Translation: Katherine Martin

The Star Fox remake, set to be released on the Switch 2, impressed me at its demo event. It felt like the beginning of something big.

How many remakes does a game need? Nintendo, thinking about Star Fox: YES.

The new Star Fox, set to be released on the Switch 2, is a remake of the N64 classic Star Fox 64. That, incidentally, was an extended version of the SNES game Star Fox. With Star Fox 64 3D, the N64 version was re-released on the 3DS in stereoscopic 3D. Then, there was Star Fox Zero, a reimagining of the N64 title for the Wii U.

Now, the intergalactic fox and his animal crew are back for a fourth lap of honour – this time on the Switch 2 I played the remake of the remake for over an hour at a Nintendo press event. Despite my initial scepticism, I left the preview feeling hopeful. The Switch 2 version of Star Fox feels like the start of something big.

It doesn’t look like a Nintendo game

What impressed me most during the preview was the game’s audiovisual presentation. It felt really well-produced and – unusually for Nintendo – cinematic.

The cutscenes set in the Great Fox headquarters are impressive, featuring a wealth of detail within the spaceship and close-ups of well-designed character models. Fox’s fur looks so fluffy that I just want to give him a big hug (who’s a good fox? YOU’RE a good fox!). In certain lights, Falco’s plumage looks photorealistic, while Slippy’s wet skin really does look, well, slippy.

I know the character models sparked a lot of controversy when the first trailer came out. But trust me, they fit seamlessly into the game’s colourful sci-fi world and, like the rest of the game, feel refreshingly un-Nintendo-like.

The dialogue is on point too. Instead of dragging on, the cutscenes serve their purpose perfectly. They add meat to the bone that is Star Fox lore, flesh out the characters and serve as smooth transitions to the next mission.

The little aesthetic details in the cutscenes are great too. After finishing the tutorial, for example, I see that the crew members played the introductory mission using VR headsets. A frog wearing VR goggles in a Nintendo game wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card, but here we are. And it looks fantastic. I love you, Slippy.

The graphics outside of the spaceship and during cutscenes hit the mark too. Nintendo seems to have moved away from that occasionally sterile-looking Nintendo HD aesthetic that the company has adopted in numerous games since transitioning to the Wii U era. Star Fox looks like a modern AAA title, impressing with atmospheric lighting, realistic water and clouds and massive explosions – all at 60 fps.

Flying through these familiar surroundings and experiencing them in such graphical splendour feels surreal.

The only gripe I have is that upon closer inspection, some of the environment textures seem to be lacking in detail. During regular gameplay, however, you’ll probably barely notice this as you’ll constantly be moving around.

Yep, that feels good

During the demo, I blast my way through a tutorial and three levels: the war-torn planet Corneria, an asteroid field in Meteo and the ice planet Fichina. The level design is largely the same as the original. If I directly compare it to the N64 classic, I can only spot minor changes.

Not much has changed in terms of gameplay either. I battle my way through tightly choreographed, enemy-filled levels packed in an Arwing jet on rails. In some sections, I choose alternative routes or activate All Range mode, flying freely through relatively small arenas featuring boss enemies.

Peppy, Slippy and Falco provide me with backup, and I do the same for them. If they take too much damage, they’re forced to retreat. Shots, bombs, barrel rolls, somersaults and upgrades work in exactly the same way as in the original. There aren’t any new weapons or Arwing features either – at least not in the sections I saw.

Despite its similarity to the original, the Switch 2 remake feels miles better to play than the N64 game, thanks to its contemporary controls. The controls are fast, precise and intuitive, with the Switch 2 Pro controller’s excellent haptic feedback adding an extra layer of intensity to the action. After playing the remake, Star Fox 64 seems like a clunky, frustratingly imprecise relic from the Stone Age of gaming in comparison.

Multiplayer: meh

I’m less impressed by the multiplayer modes. First, I play through the campaign in co-op mode with another journalist attending the event. She takes control of the Arwing while I shoot using the Joy-Con 2 controller’s mouse function.

Having done that, I can say that co-op mode… works. As much as I enjoyed playing through the two levels, I doubt I’ll revisit co-op mode in the finished game. Yes, it’s a nice little bit of gimmickry, designed to ease inexperienced (and younger) fans to the world of Star Fox. However, ultimately, I would’ve liked Nintendo to have put a little more effort and given us a fully fledged co-op mode for the campaign.

After that, we try out Battle mode. This involves two teams of five facing off against each other in an arena. My teammates and I find ourselves on Corneria, fighting for control of various zones. Again, it’s fine, but nothing more than a bonus mode that I’ll play a few times and then ignore.

Mark my words, Star Fox is Nintendo’s next major franchise

When I got wind of the surprise announcement of the Star Fox Switch 2 remake, I was disappointed. Seriously Nintendo? Another remake of the same game?

After the preview, however, I changed my mind. This remake has made me realise that Star Fox 64 is a true classic that deserves a definitive edition. The N64 game is let down by its outdated visuals and clunky controls. Now, the Switch 2 is setting this Nintendo gem free from its shackles, allowing new and longtime players alike to experience this magnificent adventure in a modern light.

I can’t shake the feeling that the Switch 2 version of Star Fox might just be the start of something even bigger. With a cameo in the Super Mario Galaxy film, new Nintendo Store merchandise and now this remake, Nintendo is certainly doing its darndest to push the fluffy fox to the forefront of our minds. At the same time, the game feels too expensively produced to be a mere remake. Its elaborate presentation expands on the game’s lore and adds more depth to its characters. It’d be almost foolish not to build on this foundation.

I’m counting on Star Fox to join the ranks of the top Nintendo franchises – Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Splatoon and Pikmin – and delight us with new games on a regular basis. Hopefully, it’ll soon include a proper co-op mode and more multiplayer options.

Star Fox will be released on 25 June for the Switch 2. Nintendo invited me to the preview event. I’ll be publishing a detailed review of the finished game in the coming weeks.

Video games

Nintendo Star Fox

Switch 2, DE

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

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