Normally, in the video game industry, you are lucky to even get one remake of your favourite game in your lifetime. However, there are some games out there that have been remade twice or even more times!
First off, Microsoft released the award-winning Gears of War in 2006 for the Xbox 360. Nine years later, in 2015, a 1080 remake of the game was released for the PC and Xbox One. Ten years after that, Gears of War was remade for a third time to take advantage of 4K technology.
However, Nintendo may have beaten Microsoft because Star Fox 64 has been remade at least three separate times. The first release was, of course, Star Fox 64 in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. After that, in 2011, Nintendo released the first remake called Star Fox 64 3D for the portable 3DS console.
Next up is the 'honorable mention' remake called Star Fox Zero for the Wii U console. It wasn't a direct remake, but it did feature many of the same features as Star Fox 64. Lastly, we have the latest remake, simply called Star Fox for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.
The Star Fox remake for Nintendo Switch 2 features more realistic visuals, more cutscenes, a playable prologue featuring Fox's father, new gameplay modes and much more. Not to mention, it also includes the Joy-Con 2's innovative mouse controls for precise aiming.
The first thing I want to comment on Star Fox 2026 is that the visuals and voice acting might be polarising to some long-time fans. Many people were hoping the visuals would be more cartoonish, like Fox's appearance in the recent The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
As for the voice acting, many fans miss the campy and enthusiastic style of Star Fox 64. The voice acting in Star Fox 2026 is more bland and subdued in comparison. I have not played Star Fox 64 before, so the changes did not bother me too much, but I understand the frustration from some fans.
While the graphics and voice acting might be polarising, the one thing this remake does right is that the snappy gameplay and satisfying combat are left relatively intact. Unlike Ace Combat or Flight Simulator, which can be hard to master, Star Fox 2026 is a game that can be mastered by pretty much anyone.
Most of the levels in Star Fox 2026 are on rails, which mean you don't have to worry too much about flying in the wrong direction. The game moves forward automatically, so all you have to concentrate on is moving up and down or left and right to avoid obstacles and enemy fire.
While you are piloting Fox's starship called the Arwing, you have the option of two main weapon types. The primary weapon you are using is his twin laser cannons. You can initiate this by tapping furiously on the A button.
If you hold down the A button for a few seconds, this locks on to a target like a homing missile. The cool thing about using this technique is that it can destroy more than one target at a time. It's also helpful to use if you're bad at aiming like me!
When you are against a stronger enemy like a boss, you may want to use the Arwing's bomb by pressing the Y button. You press Y to shoot out a bomb, and then you can press Y again to make it explode. They're perfect to use when you see an obvious weak point during boss battles.
It isn't all just offensive measures because the Arwing can also evade enemy fire. There's a boost you can use by pressing the X button. If enemies bother you too much, you can basically run away by boosting forward.
The best defensive maneuver of the Arwing is the very famous 'barrel roll'. Not only do barrel rolls evade enemy fire, but they can deflect it as well. Some levels can be relentless, so doing a barrel roll multiple times allows you to escape heavy damage.
Aside from on-rails levels using the Arwing starship, there are two other types of levels in Star Fox 2026. The first types of level you will encounter are 'All Range Mode' levels. Instead of moving in one forward direction, these levels allow you to move freely wherever you want. It's like playing a real-life space simulator!
The other level type you will encounter is when the Arwing turns into a tank. The tank can only drive over solid ground, but it still has the same weapons. Not to mention, it can still barrel roll and even glide in the air for a few seconds to collect health upgrades and lives.
Apart from the story campaign, Star Fox 2026 introduces some new game modes. Many people may want to play the Challenge Mode, where you play through the same campaign levels, but you have to complete specific objectives like finishing in less than three minutes or destroying certain enemies.
My favourite new game mode in Star Fox is actually the 4v4 Battle Mode. It's a free-for-all battle as four members of Team Star Fox have to battle against Team Star Wolf. There are three maps in this mode, and it reminds me of the fun battles I had on the old Star Wars Battlefront video games in the '00s. You can play this mode either online or offline with AI bots.
As much fun as I had playing Star Fox on Switch 2, my biggest criticism of the game is that the campaign is too short for 2026 standards. I was gobsmacked when I played the game for the first time and finished the campaign in just under two hours!
However, in the game's defence, Star Fox is specifically designed to be played more than one time because there are different planets and alternate paths you can take when you play for a second or third time.
I played the game at least three or four more times, and I encountered new planets and different boss fights I did not see during my first playthrough. For this reason, this game does have a lot of replay value on offer, unlike Mixtape, which is a one-and-done experience.
While some fans might criticize the 'realistic graphics' and 'bland voice acting', the gameplay and new game modes are what make Star Fox 2026 a worthy experience. Hopefully, this game is successful so we can finally get a new sequel for the series in the future!
Verdict: 8.0/10