Star Fox Is Great, but It Doesn’t Compare to the Genre’s Best

28 Jun at 16:26 Comment Views: 2

The rail shooter is a fading relic—a genre that hasn’t even seen the typical resurgence enjoyed by other retro styles among indie developers. There is something inherently vintage about these experiences, which once served as the ultimate canvas for gaming spectacle. Typically, they are condensed 3D journeys where the environment and obstacles hurtle toward you, challenging your reflexes as you aim to rack up a high score.

Nintendo is currently attempting to breathe new life into the format with Star Fox, a modern reimagining of the 1997 classic Star Fox 64. It remains a delightful, accessible romp through an interstellar war fought by anthropomorphic space creatures, heavily influenced by Star Wars and classic anime. While one might argue this revival is driven more by merchandising potential than a genuine desire to see the genre reclaim its throne, it remains a welcome spotlight on a thrilling style of game that once stood at the very pinnacle of aesthetic and technical innovation.

While Star Fox 64 stands as a titan of the genre, it isn’t quite the absolute peak. On the Switch, you can explore the genre’s DNA in Sega Ages Space Harrier, a superb emulation of the 1985 arcade milestone. Alternatively, you might test your mettle with the cult favorite Sin and Punishment, Treasure’s Nintendo 64 masterclass, available via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. These are foundational entries, yet even they fall just shy of the genre’s ultimate realization.

That honor belongs to Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Rez. Originally released by Sega for the Dreamcast and PS2 in 2002, and now available in a polished, modern form for PC and PlayStation, Rez transcends the typical “rail shooter” constraints. It evolves the genre’s focus on immersive, light-drenched chaos into something entirely profound.

Drawing influence from club culture, the aesthetic of Tron, the neurological phenomenon of synesthesia, and the abstract art of Wassily Kandinsky, Rez is a hallucinatory voyage into wireframe cyberspace. Narratively, it frames the player as a hacker attempting to penetrate and sanitize a network corrupted by data overflow, aiming to awaken the dormant, godlike intelligence at its core.

While the concept of booting up a super-intelligent AI might seem like a complex narrative choice in 2026, it is ultimately secondary. The true power of Rez is metaphorical and spiritual. As you eradicate waves of corruption, your digital avatar gains complexity, evolving from a sparse collection of polygons into a shimmering, ethereal human form. It is a quest that moves beyond mere combat—a journey to rediscover and transcend humanity in search of the divine. You aren’t just fighting a war; you are systematically dismantling one.

The core optimism of Mizuguchi’s design—a philosophy carried into Lumines and Tetris Effect—is rooted in music. By syncing gameplay actions to a driving techno beat, Mizuguchi creates a euphoric feedback loop where the act of playing, seeing, and listening becomes a singular, harmonious experience.

One of the game’s greatest achievements is transforming the act of shooting from mindless button-mashing into a rhythmic, almost respiratory process. You hold the trigger, sweep over targets, and release in time with the percussion. Each takedown resonates through the soundtrack, building layers of melody. From original trance compositions to atmospheric tracks by artists like Coldcut and Adam Freeland, the audio landscape is nothing short of breathtaking.

Rez is undoubtedly a product of the turn-of-the-millennium club scene, yet it remains timeless. Who would have guessed that a rail shooter could be so meditative, philosophical, and strangely pacifist? In its own unique way, it remains peerless.

Rez Infinite is available on Steam, PS4/PS5, and Meta Quest. The Steam and PlayStation versions offer full VR support.