Nintendo is a fun and stealthy company to drop a Star Fox Nintendo Direct last night. As many of you know, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie showcased Star Fox in it. This led many gamers to believe this was a setup for a Smash Bros movie of some kind. That might still be the case, but the Star Fox 64 reboot was not on my gaming bingo card for this year.
Ready to do a Barrel roll!
A refresher of what’s in the Star Fox game!
“Maniacal scientist Andross seeks control of the Lylat star system, and only Fox McCloud and the Star Fox team stand in his way. Pilot your Arwing and travel the system, battling opposing forces and performing thrilling aerial maneuvers, like barrel rolls and somersaults, to shake off enemies. Find alternative routes through the Lylat System during multiple playthroughs, taking on new missions and varied challenges. Plus, team up with friends in the new 4-vs-4 multiplayer Battle Mode.”
The showcase triggered the memories of the SNES version and, of course, the Nintendo 64 version. I briefly played the Star Fox SNES version at a neighbor’s house. But he only had us over to watch him play, mostly. However, in 1996, when the N64 dropped. I obtained the system, and Star Fox 64 was my first title, and it was glorious. Being that I was a Panzer Dragoon fan, this game felt familiar to me. You can control your ARwing to an extent, meaning you can maneuver and take on hidden paths. But your motion is automatic. All you can do is control your speed, but nothing wrong with that.
Star Fox will be Nintendo’s cinematic take on the Star Fox 64 game, fully overhauled. It will also feature full voice dialogues and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, and a brand-new GameChat2 feature. This new feature will use full motion controls where players can be their favorite Star Fox character. With a compatible USB-C webcam, your face movements will animate Star Fox characters fully. That will all be shown in the video below.
Star Fox Featured Intel:
All right pilots, let’s engage in some intel on the features of this new version that is modernized.
- A Modernized Adventure: Star Fox is based on the Star Fox 64 game. It features a complete visual overhaul that takes full advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2’s power and performance. Explore diverse planets and the interiors of nebulae within the Lylat System. From the vibrant world of Corneria to the desolate, polluted oceans of Zoness. There are also all-new cinematic cutscenes featuring fully voiced dialogue. As well as never-before-seen mission briefings between stages. This is where you can learn even more about the characters and worlds that make up the Star Fox universe.
- Intense Space Combat: Hop into your Arwing, a high-performance aerospace fighter, and use laser blasts to take down opposing forces. You can also brake in mid-air to get enemies off your tail (no pun intended). Deploy a Boost for added thrust, somersault. Of course, pull off barrel rolls to defend against incoming fire.
- New and Returning Game Modes: Star Fox features a variety of different modes, including:
- Campaign Mode: Travel to a wide variety of planets, navigate through asteroid fields and engage in free-flying dogfights. Choose between Easy or Normal difficulty at the start and hone your skills to earn all the medals needed to unlock the Expert setting. The objectives you complete, foes you defeat and other actions you take can alter your route and what you do in each stage. Taking different routes can also affect the stages you encounter on your path through the system, so there’s always a reason to revisit each mission.
- Challenge Mode: Replay stages you’ve cleared and take on a variety of new objectives and challenges, some of which you won’t find in Campaign Mode. Challenges are available in either Normal or Expert difficulty settings.
- Battle Mode: Gather up your crew to compete in all-new 4-vs-4 dogfights, with up to eight players divided between Team Star Fox and Team Star Wolf. This mode features three stages with different objectives: secure control of a designated zone on Corneria, collect energy crystals on Fichina, or retrieve cargo from space pirates in Sector Y. Join team battles online via private matches, or match with players from near and far. With GameShare3, up to four players can take to the skies locally or online through GameChat. While GameShare online is only available for Nintendo Switch 2 systems, local GameShare allows sharing of compatible games with both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch systems.
- Additional Nintendo Switch 2 Features:
- Joy-Con 2 Mouse Controls: If you are playing the game solo in Campaign Mode and/or Challenge Mode, you can swap seamlessly between button and mouse controls with the Joy-Con 2 controller. The mouse control feature allows for more intuitive aiming, and if a friend joins in, either on the same system or through GameShare via GameChat, they can assume gunner duties while you focus on flying (or vice versa!).
- GameChat Character Avatars and AR Filters: Appear as Fox McCloud or any of his crew while chatting with friends using an interactive avatar that mirrors your expressions and movements in GameChat4. With the game’s AR Filters, you can also add a pair of Star Fox-like ears or a Falco-inspired beak that moves when you talk.
When does the adventure begin?
All right pilots, jump into your Arwing to take off to Corneria and save the Lylat System! Star Fox is up for pre-order and is expected to drop on June 25th, 2026. The physical edition will go for $59.99, while the digital goes for $49.99. It is about time that digital games are cheaper than physical copies; it just makes sense. Are you excited to take to the skies and combat the evil of Andross? We shall see. – Beast Out –