Star Fox on Switch 2 is a gorgeous tech showcase from Nintendo

After a decade in hyper-sleep, Fox McCloud and the rest of the Star Fox squadron return later this month in the reimagined Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2. The newest Star Fox game is (infamously) another remake of Star Fox 64, but it also feels like the setup for something bigger down the line. After all, why introduce Fox McCloud in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and release a high-gloss remake shortly after if there aren’t grander plans?

Star Fox games have often served as technical showcases for Nintendo’s hardware, illustrating how a 16-bit game system can render polygonal graphics or how a tiny handheld can display engrossing stereoscopic 3D visuals. The most recent Star Fox games were explorations of how to use the Wii U Gamepad to complement familiar space-shooter gameplay.

Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 similarly feels like a tech test, showing off innovations like Joy-Con 2 mouse controls and the Switch 2 camera. Graphically, the game is gorgeous. The Star Fox squadron is rendered with high-definition detail in all-new cutscenes that bring a deeper narrative and more believable characterizations to the game. In between missions, players see new interactions between Fox and friends that reinforce the personalities of the crew. While playing the game during a recent hands-on event, I was struck by how effective these scenes were. The rivalry between Fox and the cocksure Falco Lombardi, for example, really shines in these narrative cutaways.

Gameplay-wise, little appears to have changed from the game(s) the new Star Fox is based on. After a brief training session, I piloted Fox McCloud’s Arwing across the surface of Corneria on a mission that felt nearly identical to the opening of Star Fox 64. Of course, it was rendered in much greater detail, with sharper environments and more believable explosive effects. The camera sometimes luxuriates on the Arwing itself, showing the ship’s battle damage and transforming wings. It is, for lack of a better word, cool to see the Arwing looking this good.

The next mission on this particular playthrough sent Fox to the asteroid field Meteo. Again, there weren’t many new surprises here, but the Switch 2 is capable of rendering a much denser, more lively version of the familiar space mission. Piloting a spaceship through Meteo felt more terrifying than ever.

During a second run through the first Corneria mission, I explored the alternate hard route that led to Sector Y — though I didn’t get to actually play it. The allure of branching, unlockable paths is still present in the new Star Fox, and I can’t wait to revisit its secrets and deep replayability.

Star Fox's Pilot and Gunner Mode is unexpectedly intense

After piloting a handful of missions myself, I tried out a new Switch 2-exclusive feature: Pilot and Gunner Mode. It’s a familiar Nintendo trick, in which one player steers the Arwing while the other handles the guns and bombs, but the implementation in Star Fox felt more intense. While cooperative two-player modes in other Nintendo games are often meant to feel easier for one of the players, my gunner and I felt serious pressure to match each other’s performance.

We shared a pair of Joy‑Con 2 controllers; my gunner used mouse control mode and I focused on flying the ship — while also ensuring that I gave my gunner visibility for any enemy threats on the horizon. Afterward, he said he found focusing on shooting and bombing more stressful than relaxing. It’s an intriguing twist on Nintendo’s brand of two-player co-op, and I think it will be an unexpectedly beloved new addition to some familiar Star Fox gameplay.

Battle Mode brings 8-player dogfights to Star Fox

On the other end of the spectrum is Battle Mode, a new 4v4 multiplayer mode that brings intense dogfighting action to Star Fox.

I only experienced one session of Star Fox Battle Mode, but the action was even fiercer than in Pilot and Gunner co-op. Eight players are split across two teams — Team Star Fox and Team Star Wolf — and fight to secure an objective. There are three variations on Battle Mode, but I only played one, in which the teams fought through space wreckage to retrieve cargo from space pirates in Sector Y. So not only are the two teams battling each other to snatch and secure stolen goods; you also have to contend with pesky pirates.

Battle Mode is, frankly, a bit overwhelming at first, but the combination of dog fighting and Arwing space acrobatics was a lot of fun, once I learned to read the battlefield. More enjoyable though was the implementation of GameChat features. As previously revealed by Nintendo, players in Battle Mode can use the Switch 2’s camera to bring their faces into the game. I could either accessorize my own face with Star Fox-themed items (e.g., rabbit or fox ears, a headset) or go full VTuber. I chose the latter to become Slippy Toad, emoting and sticking my tongue out at my teammates via GameChat. Yes, it’s a gimmick, but anything that lets me fully embody Slippy is a major selling point.

Star Fox doesn’t look to reinvent the wheel, but it may very well be the best version of a beloved game yet. It’s a lovely graphical showcase for Nintendo Switch 2 and hopefully a vote of confidence in building something bigger for the Star Fox franchise in the future.

Star Fox comes to Switch 2 on June 25.