If you caught the latest Nintendo Direct, you saw the big news: Star Fox is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 25.
Following Fox McCloud’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo is bringing us a modernized take on the Star Fox 64 experience. This isn’t just a port; it’s a full visual overhaul of the Lylat System with detailed cutscenes, fully voiced dialogue, and a new orchestral soundtrack.
A Modernized Campaign
The game follows the familiar fight against Andross, but the presentation has been updated for the Switch 2’s performance. You’ll be able to explore locations like Corneria and the polluted oceans of Zoness with much more detail.
The campaign keeps the branching paths we expect, meaning your performance and the objectives you hit will change which planets you visit next. There are also new mission briefings between stages to flesh out the story more than the original N64 version did.
New Ways to Play: Mouse Controls and Multiplayer
Nintendo is introducing some specific Switch 2 features for this release:
- Joy-Con 2 Mouse Controls: In solo play, you can switch between standard buttons and mouse controls for more precise aiming.
- Co-op Gunner Mode: A second player can join locally or via GameShare to take over the gunner duties while you handle the flying.
- 4-vs-4 Battle Mode: This is a big addition. You can jump into 8-player dogfights online, divided between Team Star Fox and Team Star Wolf, with objectives like zone control and cargo retrieval.
- GameChat: The new system allows for character avatars and AR filters that mirror your expressions while you’re talking to your squad.
My Reaction to the Direct
I actually reacted to the full livestream over on my YouTube channel. Seeing the Arwing manoeuvers with these new visuals looks great, and I’m curious to see how the 4-vs-4 multiplayer holds up online. You can check out my full thoughts and the breakdown of the footage in the video below.
Are you planning to pick this up on launch day? I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how the new Expert difficulty medals and the mouse controls feel. Let me know what you think in the comments.