Star Fox Soars Back: Switch 2 Remake Impresses Ahead of Launch

Nintendo's classic space shooter returns with stunning visuals, expanded storytelling, and a promising future for the franchise as players get their first taste through a newly released demo.

With the long-awaited return of one of its most cherished titles nearing its June 25 release date, Nintendo is beginning to ramp up its promotion for Star Fox. You may now download a playable demo of the game from the Nintendo eShop. Fans got another glimpse of the project during the latest Nintendo Direct showing, where the game was showcased.

The 30- to 40-minute test gives players an early glimpse of what Nintendo and its development partners have been working on. The opening is short but does an excellent job of showcasing the upgraded game's features, graphics, and storytelling. This also gives gamers an advance notice of whether the game is worth adding to their library.

Besides the demo, there was also more gameplay video in Nintendo’s Treehouse broadcast, which provided spectators a clearer idea of what the game will be like.

The additional film has revealed new details about the gameplay, graphics, and the remake's overall direction. Star Fox is coming out in a couple of weeks, and many fans are starting to wonder if it’s worth the price. Should players consider pre-ordering? For the true collector, this may be a very crucial question. Some businesses are selling the game for pre-sale for roughly $50, $10 off its normal price.

So players are trying to figure out whether this version of Star Fox 64 has the content and quality to justify the purchase. At heart, it’s still a modern spin on an old Nintendo 64 game. But Nintendo appears to be providing more than just a graphical upgrade. It seems they are adding to the plot and giving the famed Star Fox crew additional depth.

One of the most interesting things the project revealed was who was behind it. It’s not being produced by one of Nintendo’s internal teams, as some people figured. Instead, the development job has been given to the American company Vain. The New York startup was formed in 2016 by former Vicarious Visions executives.

Vain has developed titles such as Hot Wheels Rift Rally and the multiplayer game Knockout City. Nintendo and the firm have collaborated on Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. This is Star Fox’s second big collaboration with the Japanese gaming powerhouse. “We are very happy to finally say we are working on the project,” Vain said. “We are proud to work with Nintendo to bring Fox McCloud and his team to Nintendo Switch 2,” they said. Fans were quick to remark about the announcement, many stunned that Nintendo was giving an independent developer one of its legendary titles.

From early trailers, it looks like the relaunch will retain much of Star Fox 64 while adding plenty of new content.

Some news sources have remarked that longtime fans anticipating a one-to-one remake could be surprised by how much more story and character development has been added. Immediately, it’s evident that the remake has far greater focus on character development. Fox McCloud and the rest of the crew receive a lot more dialogue, and it feels like they have more depth than ever before. 

Rather than simply replicating the storyline from the original game, the update seems to be intent on refreshing it while preserving its spirit. An emotional moment between the franchise’s past and present developers added to the excitement. The developers of the revolutionary Super FX chip used to program the original SNES Star Fox, Argonaut Games, wished Vain the best of luck, and Vain cemented its involvement in the project.

“Happy the team is back, and it's time to hand off the baton and tell the new team to do a barrel roll,” Argonaut wrote in an online post. For fans who have been around the team for a long time, the transaction represented the continuation of a tradition that stretches back more than 30 years.

The timing of the game's return also has people wondering what Nintendo’s wider plans are for the Star Fox brand. In the past few years, the corporation has been spending a lot of work porting many of its key intellectual assets to various media, including movies and TV shows. Some fans are speculating that Star Fox could be the next game to get a bigger push.

Industry reports have only fanned those discussions.

Rumors abound that this remake may not be the only Star Fox project in the works. Recent Nintendo leaks have sparked speculation about a new Star Fox game in development for a 2027 launch. This game may be more towards the adventure side.

Those reports have yet to be confirmed, but significant investment in a big remake and handing the series off to an independent company seem like signs that Nintendo believes in the brand again. The reintroduction of Star Fox is a return that many fans regard as more than a one-off for nostalgia. They regard it as the beginning of a larger comeback.

Hands-on impressions of the demo released just now have been largely positive, particularly for the visuals. The graphics are quite different from the original, but for folks who grew up with Star Fox 64, the recreation is a lot of fun.

The game runs on Nintendo Switch 2 and features incredibly rich environments, colorful spacefights, and effects that are so much better than before. With today’s technology, previous stages have been recreated, giving players a much better sense of what the original developers intended on the Nintendo 64 all those years ago.

On a huge 4K screen, the visual benefits are even more noticeable. The scenery in space is colorful and detailed, and the lighting and effects are better, making you feel like you are in a movie theater. The experience has been compared to big-budget sci-fi blockbusters, and the Star Wars-inspired space fight looks more genuine than ever.

The expanded tale also leaves a strong impression on the remake.

The early scenes spend much more time detailing what transpired with James McCloud and Fox’s ascent to head of the Star Fox team. These characteristics help you feel more involved with the characters before the action really kicks in. The result is a game that seems intended to make players care about its characters and plot in a manner that prior iterations never did.

The gameplay remains true to the arcade-style action that made Star Fox 64 a sensation, but a slew of quality-of-life changes bring the experience up to date. One significant surprise is that the game opens with the controls reversed, a tribute to previous flight games and the original release. The good news is that players can easily go back to standard controls using the settings page.

Once set, the functions feel quite responsive. The Arwing moves immediately when the player presses the button. It is so much more precise than the Nintendo 64. Doing techniques like barrel rolls, jumps, brakes, and U-turns feels good. The remake also introduces new control choices enabled by Switch 2 tech. The Joy-Con's mouse functions let players aim more accurately, and in co-op mode, one person can control movement while the other fires.

It also feels like the fights are more fluid and alive. Dogfights with enemy squadrons now feature improved targeting and movement systems, and the free-roaming combat segments allow players to fully try out the new controls. But the remake retains many of the signature elements fans recall. Iconic boss fights and traditional stage patterns, asteroid fields, all here. Star Fox 64 preserves the basic framework but improves practically every other aspect.

From what we can see in the demo and the new footage, Star Fox looks like one of the greatest early Nintendo Switch 2 games.

With magnificent graphics, an extended story, improved controls, and reverence for the original game’s roots, there’s a lot of enthusiasm building before the game even releases. Most significantly, the project indicates that Nintendo is willing to revive established franchises and entrust beloved IP to other developers. If it goes well, it might lead to the comeback of other fan-favorite series that have been missing for years.

Most of those who have seen early views are positive for now. The demo has done a good job of reigniting interest in Star Fox, with many gamers already considering it worth the purchase. If you’re a fan, and you can’t wait to get back to the Lylat System, you might want to pick up a copy before the official release date, since certain retailers are presently providing discounts on physical pre-orders.

Sure, Fox McCloud is back, and Nintendo seems committed to giving the series a better future than it has had in years. Whether this revamp is the beginning of a full-on Star Fox revival remains to be seen.