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It’s been 10 long years since Star Fox was effectively put on ice after the disastrous release of Star Fox Zero. Regardless of where you land on the game’s overall quality, it’s undeniable that Zero did a fair bit of damage to the brand. Things were so rough that Star Fox was one of the few tentpole Nintendo franchises that didn’t see a new title release for Nintendo Switch, unless you count Starlink Battle for Atlas (you shouldn’t).
Now, in 2026, Nintendo is trying to thrust Star Fox back into the limelight. First, with franchise protagonist Fox McCloud making an unexpected appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and now with a complete remake of the 1997 classic, Star Fox 64 – also known as Lylat Wars. While 64 has already received the remake treatment in Star Fox 64 3D, Star Fox elevates it to a whole new level, cementing itself as the best way to experience this timeless gem.
Much like the original, Star Fox follows a group of mercenaries hired by the Cornerian military to defend the Lylat system from Andross, a crazed scientist exiled from Corneria to the planet Venom. After biding his time, Andross unleashes a full-scale invasion of the Lylat system, and is hellbent on assuming all control of the system and becoming its self-proclaimed emperor.
Star Fox itself is made up of a few key members, each filling integral roles on the team. Fox McCloud took leadership of Star Fox after his father, James McCloud, was killed by Andross. Falco Lombardi is an ace pilot whose cockiness always trips him up, Slippy Toad is the team’s mechanical expert, and Peppy Hare serves as a sort of mentor figure for Fox, having worked under James as part of the original Star Fox team.
None of these characters are particularly deep on their own, but it’s the way they interact throughout the story and within each level as they banter, bicker, and joke around with each other. Each is uniquely endearing, as they were in the original, but it feels like much more effort is put into their off-mission dynamics. They’re a loveable bunch of misfits, each with their own history that’s subtly hinted at in different levels.
One notable improvement that I feel does a lot for the overall flow and structure of Star Fox is the inclusion of full cutscenes between levels. Not only does it provide a lens into how the crew interacts outside of the cockpit, but it also contextualizes each level and why that particular planet or sector of space is key to the war effort. It varies depending on how you route through the system, and even if you manage to complete alternate path requirements that open up other levels. It all serves to elevate the cinematic nature of Star Fox’s narrative presentation.
When it comes to the core campaign mode, though, Star Fox 64’s key pillars are virtually untouched in every manner. This is for the better, because despite being nearly 30 years old, the core progression and structure that Star Fox is built around is as strong as ever here. Much like in the original, there are 16 different levels to tackle, but you can only play through 7 of them in a single campaign.
This is because many levels have alternate routes that you can only unlock by hitting specific conditions. This might be something as simple as completing a light obstacle course on Corneria, or as complex as destroying every searchlight on Zoness. The difference here is that they’re slightly hinted at through lines of dialogue. Falco might challenge Fox, or Slippy makes note of some strange energy readings in the vicinity.
It never feels like outright signposting, but it’s just enough to give you a nudge in the right direction. If you get properly stumped, you can now view the conditions you need to hit to activate an alternate route once you’ve beaten the level. Overall, it’s a nice compromise between maintaining the surprise of the original and pushing people towards external sources to find out whatever it is they need to do. You’re also not forced into alternate routes here; most of the time, you can pick and choose which level to tackle next, and all of it is contextualized in the story.
As always, there’s a great deal of incentive to seek out these alternate paths. Not only to get the true ending, but also to experience them. Like the original, Star Fox is a masterclass in railshooter level design, combining curated spectacle interspersed with fun moments of player choice and memorable boss fights that are just begging to be optimized. Every single level is more than meets the eye, with secrets to uncover and little challenges to complete.
The majority of these missions will have you piloting an Arwing. A high-performance combat spacecraft capable of speedy manoeuvres and lethal firepower. You always have trusty lasers that can be powered up with pickups, and a limited supply of bombs that never fail to satisfy when they clear the screen. Enemies will also lay the hurt on you as they fly in, but collect enough Supply Rings and you’ll increase your Arwing’s maximum health. To help avoid getting hit, the Arwing can barrel roll to deflect fire and somersault to reposition when being chased by bogeys.
To break up any repetition that would set in, Star Fox also throws in a good number of levels that buck the established formula. The Blue Marine level in Aquas is an enjoyable underwater jaunt in a combat submarine, where the couple of Landmaster levels let you take your fight to the ground with an impressive land tank. Even the Arwing has certain levels and boss fights that take place in All-Range Mode, letting you dart around in a 3D space instead of being stuck on rails.
The real joy of Star Fox, as it was in 64, comes from mastering these levels. Chasing a new high score for your total hit count, making it through unscathed, and then doing it all again on a higher difficulty where enemy density and aggression are ramped up to 11. Much like the original, you’ll need to prove your mastery by earning Medals on every normal difficulty level to unlock Expert difficulty.
New to Star Fox specifically is Challenge Mode. This lets you replay completed stages with a variety of new objectives. These are also split between Normal and Expert difficulties, with the latter only opening up once all Normal challenges have been completed. These aren’t simple, either. Some of the Expert challenges are a real test of skill, but are immensely satisfying to beat. They’re a fantastic addition and really show how many layers are involved in each stage.
The other big new addition is Battle Mode, a 4-versus-4 multiplayer mode that can be played against bots, online, or locally (including GameShare!). Unfortunately, I don’t think Battle Mode has the same legs that Challenge Mode does. It’s a bit of mindless fun, but it feels like something of an afterthought compared to how well thought-out other new additions are. The co-op mode is similarly undercooked, where one player pilots the Arwing and another shoots. I can see certain people having some chaotic fun with it, but I found it to be a struggle more often than not, much like it was in Star Fox Zero.
Despite its multiplayer suite being underwhelming, it can’t be understated how much of a visual step up this is from not just Star Fox 64, but Star Fox 64 3D as well. The Lylat System is gorgeously recreated here in Star Fox, and so many small changes and inclusions contribute to the overall atmosphere and scale of the world.
Things like Corneria City transitioning from its lush opening with crystal clear waters, into a warzone polluted by billowing smoke and destroyed buildings. Aquas has always been a moody underwater level, but current technology affords its depths a new level of detail that goes hand-in-hand with its key mechanic of using torpedoes to light up your surroundings. Every single level has been recreated with similar reverence, and it’s a genuine joy to behold as a longtime fan in both handheld and in docked modes – with solid performance and a memorable soundtrack to boot.
While the redesigns of the cast certainly aren’t going to be for everyone, I think they fit nicely in the context of the world and are on-brand with Star Fox’s key inspirations. They also do a fantastic job of capturing the personality of each crew member, while adding a distinct visual flair and flavour to the franchise that wasn’t present previously. They’re quite grounded in this version of the Lylat System, and I don’t think their traditional, more animated looks would fit with the visual approach this remake takes.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t somewhat disappointed by Star Fox’s announcement earlier this year. Star Fox 64 had already gotten the remake treatment on the 3DS, and I was ready for something new in this universe. Star Fox shifted that sentiment for me dramatically. Between new story beats that build up the world and characters, smart new gameplay additions that fit the formula like a glove, and a lick of new paint that brings the Lylat System to life, this is the best way to experience Star Fox 64. I’m jealous of those who get to play this for the first time through this stellar remake.