Star Fox Switch 2 - Falco
Image: Nintendo Life

Here's a sentence we had presumed we'd never write again: we've made it to the release month of the next Star Fox game!

Star Fox flies onto Switch 2 on 25th June, bringing another (another) remake of the wonderful Star Fox 64 to modern audiences. As that release date nears, we've got our first idea of how this one holds up on the latest hardware, and spoilers, it sounds really rather good.

The first wave of previews has gone live today, with several outlets sharing their early hands-on impressions. Here at Nintendo Life, we had a wonderful time with what we've seen so far, with the movement and new visuals being particular standouts:

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If Nintendo were set on remaking Star Fox 64, I’m not sure if they could’ve done a better job than what I’ve experienced so far

Let's see what a handful of other outlets are saying about this one, eh?

Things were equally positive over at Game Informer, with the preview giving a shoutout to the new cutscenes and their contextualising power:

In the campaign, I get a chance to see the call between Fox and General Pepper in the lead-up to the first mission on Corneria. The mission briefing is much more organic and grants significantly more context about what's happening in the galaxy.

There were more positive vibes from VGC, even if some of the squad's new characterisations might take some getting used to.

While these scenes look fantastic, I wasn’t 100% convinced they enhanced the snappier arcade flow of the original game, and they also present character traits that feel quite at odds with what I remember.

Polygon's preview says the Switch 2 release "may very well be the best version of a beloved game yet", with an "intense" new Pilot and Gunner mode to boot:

It’s an intriguing twist on Nintendo’s brand of two-player co-op, and I think it will be an unexpectedly beloved new addition to some familiar Star Fox gameplay.

For something a little less rosy, TechRadar's preview argues that, regardless of how neat the new version is, all of these Star Fox 64 remakes are getting silly now:

With its release, almost half of the series’ nine mainline games will be some version of Star Fox 64, and when there hasn’t been a new game for almost a decade, surely now is the time for something more new and exciting.

It was back to positivity with IGN, which describes this fresh take as being "like 'A New Hope' for the franchise:

Its stages certainly don’t feel old or out of place by comparison: its crisp graphics, snappy controls, and majestic orchestral soundtrack match the grand scope Nintendo appears to be aiming for.


Are you more excited for Star Fox after reading these first impressions? Let us know in the comments.