Star Fox Review – Let’s Rock N’ Barrel Roll

Summers in the 1990s were a special time for us millennials. The otter pops were plentiful, the pool was crystal clear, Blockbuster was poppin’ on a Friday night, and the family room was full of scrappy kids huddled around the Nintendo 64, dogging each other in Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. There were a number of memorable games on the N64 in those glorious years, and anyone from that time could easily list off a handful of their favorites at the drop of a hat. 

Nearly all of those millennials will have Star Fox 64 on that list. It is a classic of the era, with its engaging arcade-style shooter mode, electronically composed soundtrack, and cheesy, campy character dialogue. The phrase “Do a barrel roll!” lives in the modern lexicon and many younger folks won’t even know or appreciate the reference. But for a generation of adults that spent their childhood in the 90s, Star Fox is an institution, one that has seen a number of remakes over the years, of varying quality and success. It’s no surprise that there was some trepidation when Nintendo announced Star Fox in May of this year, billed as a complete remake of the classic 1997 original. But unlike previous remakes and reinterpretations, this remake for the Switch 2 honors its source material while slapping it with a fresh coat of paint, a joyful experience for both rookies and Arwing veterans alike. 

Star Fox takes place in the fictional Lylat System, where Dr. Andross, a genius scientist, is exiled to the toxic planet Venom for horrendous crimes against the people of the system. The original Star Fox team led by James McCloud, along with fellow pilots Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar, are dispatched to Venom following reports of strange activity on the planet. It is revealed that Andross is mounting a violent effort to take over the Lylat System, and following the team’s betrayal by Pigma, James sacrifices himself to ensure Peppy is able to escape the planet and warn the Cornerian army. Fast forward five years, and the Star Fox team is now revived by James’ son Fox, his best friend Slippy Toad, the hotheaded Falco Lombardi, and the veteran Peppy himself. 

While Star Fox 64 does have a story, it focused more on the gameplay experience versus the narrative. While this still mostly holds true in the remake, Velan Studios added in plenty of story cutscenes to enhance the experience and provide more depth to the characters. This makes the gameplay feel more meaningful, and I felt a greater bond with my fireteam by getting the chance to spend time with them outside the cockpit. Fox is brash and ambitious, a far cry from the cookie cutter good guy we see in the original game. Slippy, often a naive annoyance in previous titles, is more fleshed out, with his inexperience explained a bit more and making me feel very protective over him. Falco is cocky and conceited, constantly going toe to toe with Fox in a (mostly) friendly rivalry, and Peppy remains the calm and collected voice of reason for the young team. The in-game dialogue is mixed with familiar, classic lines, while also interspersing updated dialogue to make it feel more cohesive and relatable. For example, Fox refers to James as “Dad” instead of “Father,” which, while a small change, modernizes Fox and makes their relationship feel genuine. 

Each level of the game is a linear rail-shooter style arcade experience with branching paths depending on which objectives you complete. There are a total of 16 playable levels, and your route is determined by which objectives you accomplish or even fail to accomplish. A full campaign run will take you through seven levels, for a total runtime of around two or so hours. But the goal of Star Fox isn’t really about completing the campaign, it’s about mastering each level, topping your previous high score, and earning medals based on each level’s unique challenges. 

For veterans of the franchise, Star Fox at once feels familiar, and that muscle memory that kicks in when seeing those familiar locales is pure and exciting. But what makes it special is that those memorable planets and objectives are just as welcoming to newcomers. Star Fox even offers an Easy difficulty for new players, allowing them the chance to familiarize themselves with the story, mechanics, and objective before diving in for some sweaty top score setting gameplay. The gameplay itself feels like if butter was a concept and not a food group. The controls feel snappy and responsive, and moving around in my Arwing feels effortless. The training mode at the beginning of the game was great for getting me up to speed and refamiliarizing myself with the cockpit, and best of all, it’s replayable. So if you end up taking a break for a while, it’s easy to hop back in and reacquaint yourself in less than 10 minutes.

On paper, the additional co-op features are a cool idea, but ultimately are a bit lacking. Battle mode only had three modes among three different planetary settings, with each mode locked to a particular setting. This lack of variance makes for a very short playtime experience, since I found myself bored quite quickly of the repetition. The co-op campaign is similarly disappointing, with the mechanics of sharing control of a single Arwing a confusing experience. I’m not entirely sure why it couldn’t be a true co-op, with one player as Fox and the other as any of the other members of the team, but as it stands, it’s not an experience I’m looking to repeat anytime soon. Similarly, the customization options feel meaningless and like an afterthought. Avatars can only be used when a camera is connected to the Switch 2, and you’re limited to only using the Star Fox and StarWolf team in co-op settings. Custom banners and insignia don’t feel very exciting and I never really felt any desire to level up my gameplay with them as my primary incentive. 

The refreshed visuals are gorgeous, and landing on Corneria and taking control of the Arwing was overwhelming in the best way. The colors are bright and pop, each level feels clean and polished, and both land and space missions truly feel fit for their setting. Space levels don’t all just look like a black background with stars; planets loom in the background and colorful nebulous matter is painted across the stars. Even each character’s Arwing is lovingly re-crafted to be unique to their personality; Fox’s Arwing has a painted pawprint, and Falco has painted blue bird wings across his. 

For me, what really solidifies the experience is the completely remastered soundtrack. Conducted and orchestrated at Abbey Road Studios, the score feels like the backdrop of a true space opera, with boss music and crescendos that gave me goosebumps. In the final confrontation, I was both tense as the choir reached a fever pitch, and on the brink of tears as the horns fell to a quiet hum during the story’s emotional climax. The true spirit of the original soundtrack is preserved and expanded upon with full brass, wind, and choral arrangements that truly enhance the experience from campy sci-fi shooter to space war drama. 

After rolling credits on my third campaign run, I sat back and couldn’t help but smile for the eight-year-old little girl at her next door neighbor’s house gripping a controller, and the 38-year-old fossil curled up on her couch, massaging her aching wrists. None of us who remember Star Fox 64 will ever get to play it for the first time again; but Star Fox for the Switch 2 brings us as close as we could ever possibly get. A brief, momentary flash of childlike wonder, and a reminder that a sweeping 50+ hour experience isn’t necessary to feel at home in a video game. Sometimes just a couple hours on the couch vying for a new high score is all you need to feel right at home. 

Clare reviewed Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 with her own bought copy. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing and our score will not be changed.