The Star Fox Remake Was Made for Mario Movie Fans, Not Switch 2 Players

While that thread of generational insecurity provided a subtle texture to the original’s frantic dogfights, developer Velan Studios brings it to the forefront in this more overt revival. Cinematic sequences interrupt the action to remind both Fox and the player that living up to James McCloud’s legacy is a heavy burden to bear.

The familial angst is laid on much thicker than in the N64 original, but it begs the question: does a longer script equate to a superior narrative? Do cutscenes polished to a high sheen—reminiscent of a major animated feature—genuinely enhance the gameplay? These questions loom over Star Fox, a stellar remake that occasionally suffers from an overzealous desire to prove itself against an untouchable masterpiece. In its pursuit of total modernization, the game sometimes confuses technical polish with true maturity. It looks undeniably gorgeous, but a sleek, high-definition coat of paint doesn’t necessarily make you a better pilot.

At its core, Star Fox remains wise enough to respect the rock-solid foundation of its source material. It remains a quintessential arcade-style space shooter where you guide an Arwing across seven distinct planets, dismantling enemy armadas and navigating through collapsing urban environments. While the campaign is relatively brief—clocking in at under two hours—the true appeal lies in the pursuit of branching paths and hidden objectives. These classic secrets remain intact, and even after dozens of sorties, the drive to refine my routes and maximize my high score remains as infectious as it was thirty years ago.

Impressively, Star Fox avoids the modern trend of artificial progression loops or Skinner-box incentives. There is no tedious leveling grind; the reward is the gameplay itself, much like a comfort-watch action film you return to time and again. It captures the essence of a high-octane dogfighting fantasy without demanding grueling technical mastery. Maneuvers like barrel rolls, sharp banking, and somersaults are mapped to responsive, streamlined inputs, allowing you to execute cinematic sequences with satisfying ease.

The nostalgic thrill of the original holds up remarkably well. Corneria, now rendered with lush, high-fidelity environments and spectacular pyrotechnics, offers a breathless introduction that feels fresh. Stages like Sector X and Meteo lean heavily into the game’s Star Wars-inspired roots, tasking players with weaving through chaotic asteroid fields. Conversely, the game’s weaker elements from the 1997 original—specifically the All-Range combat zones—remain somewhat tedious, even with improved flight mechanics. While the submersible and tank segments feel more refined, the aerial dogfighting remains the undisputed star of the show.

Blasting foes with charged shots and smart bombs is as gratifying as ever, yet the decision to remove the original game’s leaderboard system in favor of superficial achievement banners is a disappointment. While you can view your personal records, the lack of a global stage to showcase your prowess with friends feels like a missed opportunity for the modern era.

This omission reflects a broader philosophical shift. Comparing the two versions reveals how far the industry has pivoted in its expectations for big-budget titles. Bragging rights no longer suffice for blockbuster releases; developers feel pressured to offer more substantive narrative weight to captivate current audiences. Velan Studios’ solution? Doubling down on the cinematic flair.

This is most apparent in the character redesigns, which feel suspiciously like they’re vying for a feature film adaptation. Their uncanny valley appearance is jarring initially, suggesting they were plucked from a high-end Unreal Engine tech demo. While they fare better in motion, they lean toward a gritty, semi-realistic aesthetic that loses some of the original’s charm. The most egregious issue, however, is their lack of vitality; despite the intricate detail of every fur follicle, the characters remain largely stiff, lacking the expressive range required to justify their cinematic framing.

The new voice performances further illustrate this shift. The original cast’s delightfully exaggerated delivery has been replaced by more grounded, “serious” acting. Slippy Toad’s iconic, panicked warble—which perfectly defined his role as the squad’s desperate tech-whiz—is now flat and restrained. Falco Lombardi’s trademark sarcasm is similarly muted, leaving his lines feeling strangely uninspired. It is a sacrifice of personality on the altar of “maturity.”

Where the remake succeeds unequivocally is the soundtrack. Replacing synthesized brass with a full, live orchestra breathes new life into the score. The arrangements are grand and bombastic, perfectly aligning with the game’s melodramatic space-opera tone. It’s an effective, patriotic soundscape that makes you feel like an ace fighter pilot in a grand conflict.

However, the new cutscenes, intended to provide depth, often feel superfluous. The opening mission—a depiction of James McCloud’s fateful flight—adds nothing of consequence; it is a cinematic spectacle that replaces the mystery of the past with a straightforward action sequence. It doesn’t enrich the narrative; it simply leaves less room for the player’s imagination.

The interstitial scenes aboard the Great Fox are equally hollow. They provide ample opportunity for the cast to bicker, but they rarely offer genuine character development. Most of these exchanges are simply reiterations of traits already conveyed during active combat. They function less as narrative building blocks and more as a proof-of-concept for a potential animated film.

The core issue is that the lore of Star Fox is thin by design. It’s a classic, straightforward tale of good versus evil in the Lylat System. Trying to stretch it out with lore-heavy cutscenes is a fool’s errand. The elegance of Star Fox 64 wasn’t in its dialogue, but in the incidental storytelling that occurred during gameplay. A simple exchange—like Falco challenging Fox to a race after a save—communicates more about their history and bond than a dozen scripted conversations ever could.

It is unfortunate that these cinematic pretensions often overshadow Velan Studios’ genuinely innovative ideas. The multiplayer Battle Mode, for instance, is a hidden gem marred by a lack of content. With objective-based gameplay, strategic power-ups, and fluid movement, it is the most exciting addition to the franchise, yet it is stifled by a meager three-map rotation.

There is a path forward for Star Fox, one built on these strong mechanics and environmental design. With more confidence from Nintendo, this could evolve into a premier multiplayer powerhouse. For now, however, it remains stuck in the past.

Star Fox is a competent, beautifully rendered trip down memory lane, but it adds little of substance to the original vision. Fox McCloud remains trapped in a perpetual cycle of proving his worth. It’s time for Nintendo to allow him to step out from his father’s shadow and forge a new, daring future for the series.

Star Fox launches on June 25 for the Nintendo Switch 2.

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Source: Polygon