Star Fox 64 on Switch 2 Review: Arwing Upgrades Bring the Franchise Back

It’s been about ten years since a new Star Fox mainline entry landed on a Nintendo home console, and the last attempt—Star Fox Zero—didn’t exactly land with players. With a Metacritic score hovering near 69, it remains one of the franchise’s weaker moments. The remake Nintendo picked for its Switch 2 lineup is, fittingly, Star Fox 64.

Going back to the original for this review changed my perspective in a hurry. A lot of the games I adored as a kid didn’t age gracefully, and Star Fox 64 was the same story—its flaws feel just as pronounced now as they did back then.

The big question is whether the Switch 2 version can fix the core issues: sharper visuals, smoother handling, and a revamped presentation with updated story cutscenes. Does the Arwing finally feel like it belongs in modern play sessions?

Understand what you are buying

For the digital release, the price comes in at 49.99 USD, or 69.99 CAD. That’s a bit lower than typical Nintendo Switch 2 pricing, and it looks like a deliberate move—one that makes sense once you see how brief the experience is.

There are 16 levels in total, but you’ll only see seven of them during a single run. On average, each stage lasts around ten minutes, putting a full playthrough at roughly 60 to 90 minutes.

Even with that short runtime, there’s still a longer-term goal for players who want everything. Each stage hides a secret exit behind specific criteria—things like flying through a set number of portals or defeating a boss within a time window. The game helps you figure it out, too, with guidance delivered through audio cues from your partners as you progress.

That said, this isn’t just a “new coat of paint” over an older release. The Switch 2 version is rebuilt from the ground up, bringing brand-new visuals, previously unseen cutscenes that add more story beats, refreshed ship controls, and more changes across the board.

Does Star Fox feel like a modern game despite its roots?

For a lot of players, the decision is simple: does this remake feel current enough to justify its place in today’s library? In terms of pure content volume, it probably won’t—at least not on first impression.

Star Fox does include branching routes through the story, plus a challenge mode that assigns you specific tasks. Those extra challenges can become quite tough, so there’s more to do than a straight campaign run, but it still doesn’t magically turn into a sprawling modern package.

What stood out to me is how familiar the core loop feels—missions are essentially the same pattern, just with small adjustments that encourage repeat attempts. If you’re not interested in redoing similar objectives under slightly different conditions, the game may not feel worth it.

Where the remake improves the value proposition is in its key feature additions. It now supports 8-player multiplayer, splitting players into two teams—Team Fox and Team Wolf—for head-to-head matches centered on completing objectives or taking out enemy pilots.

If you’ve played Mario Kart’s battle-style modes, you’ll understand the basic vibe here. I don’t expect it to replace my usual online rotation, but jumping in for a few matches was genuinely fun—and for many players, it’ll be the standout part of the package.

The catch is that the selection is limited: only three battle maps exist, and each mode is locked to a specific map. Cargo Heist is confined to one map, while Zone Capture is tied to another, with no way to mix and match modes and stages.

There’s also a strong cooperative mode. I played with my kids, taking turns either piloting the ship or manning the gun positions. Splitting responsibilities between flying and shooting is a smart way to make co-op feel natural, and it’s a design choice I’m glad Nintendo leaned into.

Is mouse mode a viable control option?

When Nintendo introduced mouse support for the Switch 2, I was excited. With smaller hands, mouse mode often works well for me when it’s available. Unfortunately, that’s not the same story for most Switch 2 players.

Still, Star Fox is short enough that even players who had trouble using mouse-style input with the Joy-Con are likely to find the full 60–90 minute run manageable. Mouse controls are a genuinely impressive way to play, even though you’re restricted to cockpit view during that setup.

Who is going to enjoy this one?

Deciding whether Star Fox (Switch 2) is for you is surprisingly straightforward. While many publishers stopped offering demos once magazine demo discs faded away, Nintendo keeps putting out playable previews for its major releases. With a Star Fox demo available, it’s easy to test whether the gameplay and feel click for you.

That said, if you don’t naturally enjoy repeating missions to chase secrets and higher scores, this remake may not be worth your money. The campaign is incredibly brief, and without leaning into the other modes and challenges, the cost-to-content ratio may disappoint.

On the flip side, it’s also the best-looking Star Fox to date. For fans of the series, it’s likely an instant buy: the audio lands strongly, the game targets a smooth 60 frames per second, and aside from its length, it feels built for modern play.

Quick facts

At a glance

• Cooperative mode and multiplayer mode are playable with friends who don’t own the game.
• Star Fox (Switch 2) is only longer than Star Fox 64 thanks to additional cutscenes between missions.
• Gameplay length is otherwise identical to Star Fox 64.

What you need to know

Yes—friends can join cooperative or multiplayer sessions even if they don’t own Star Fox (Switch 2). That makes it easier to bring people in without worrying about everyone having the same purchase.

Length is where expectations need to be set: Star Fox (Switch 2) only runs longer than Star Fox 64 because of extra cutscenes between missions. The main gameplay time stays the same.

Adam has been covering video games since 2014 and board games since 2018. When he’s not advocating for certain tabletop opinions—he has strong views about board games that are better than Settlers of Catan—and pushing back on the idea that Nintendo needs to chase competition from Sony and Microsoft, he’s usually gaming on a Nintendo platform or playing a board game at a table.

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