In 1997, Nintendo released the spectacularly wonderful game, Star Fox 64. It combined on-rails shooting with areas of free roaming dogfighting. The end result was a game with constant action and thanks to the characters, a lot of personality. Audiences had seen the Star Fox team before on the groundbreaking SNES title, simply called Star Fox. The technology of the Nintendo 64 made its sequel a much more expansive and fully realized title. The legacy of it looms large over the franchise. So large in fact that Nintendo just keeps remaking it. Just like the Big N is doing right now for the Switch 2.
In a surprise Nintendo Direct that dropped on May 6th, 2026, Shigeru Miyamoto comes on camera to talk about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. He mentions that the non-Mario character, Fox McCloud is in it. He’s actually probably the best part about the movie. Miyamoto uses this to segue into talking about how a new Star Fox title is coming to the Switch 2. Then there’s the reveal, it’s a remake of Star Fox 64.
The Frustrating Stagnation of Star Fox
This wouldn’t be a big deal if it wasn’t already remade several times over. Not to mention the fact that Star Fox 64 is, in fact, a remake of the original Star Fox. Yeah, see, this is the problem the franchise has. Now, we can understand why 64 is an expanded remake of the previous title. The SNES wouldn’t have allowed for the story and other elements that make up the N64 version’s world. Fine enough, take the basic story from the first game and remake it in a better way. We can discuss the fact that there was a direct sequel, Star Fox 2, that was completed and shelved for years at a later time.
Star Fox 64 received a remake for the 3DS. The fittingly titled, Star Fox 64 3D released in 2011 and is exactly what you would expect. It’s the same game as the N64 version but looking a lot better, features some control tweaks, and you can play it in 3D if you’re using the 3DS’s features for it. Then, in 2016 we got Star Fox Zero for the Wii U. It flopped on release because of the ridiculously convoluted control system that was forced onto players with no option to change it. You basically had to watch the TV to fly your Arwing and look at the Wii U tablet to aim and shoot. Oh, and it also was a remake of 64 in retelling the story.
There have been other titles in the Star Fox franchise that follow up 64. Star Fox Adventures, Star Fox: Assault, Star Fox: Command, they all move the story and characters forward a bit. Its been 20 years since then though. Nintendo refuses to do anything more to move this series forward. It actually took the Ubisoft game, Starlink: Battle for Atlas to do something new with the Star Fox crew. They’re exclusive playable characters in the Switch version of the game, complete with their own story line. Or to put it another way, Starlink was the most original Star Fox game over the last 20 years, and it’s not even from Nintendo or part of the franchise.
It’s Not All Bad
Don’t get us wrong, there are parts of this new remake that are commendable. The game does look absolutely gorgeous. The new character designs may be a bit TOO animalistic, but they’re rendered really well. The trailer also shows a mode where you can select individual levels to replay to accomplish certain challenges. That’s a fun feature. In the original 64 the only way you could replay a level was to start the game from the beginning and progress there. They’ve also done some cool things with the multiplayer and expanded it from the basic four player dogfighting in the original.
Here comes the dilemma. The Star Fox franchise deserves better than just constant remakes of 64. Buying this came supports Nintendo in its continual remake strategy. It shouldn’t be supported. But it’s also a new Star Fox game in a world where we don’t get new Star Fox games. So, yeah, it’ll probably be something we purchase. It’s just not fair. Donkey Kong got an amazing reinvention in Donkey Kong: Bananza and Pokemon Pokopia recently proved how a series can have new life breathed into it. For Star Fox though? Just another remake. Slap a new coat of paint on it, add some new bells and whistles and there she is. Thanks and all that, but the franchise and the consumers deserve better. Star Fox released on June 25th, 2026.
