STAR FOX: DO A BARREL ROLL, ONE MORE TIME

8.5 of 10 bananas. A gorgeous, faithful Star Fox 64 remake with modern controls and online modes, held back by a short campaign that hardly changes.

By the Alpha. Switch 2 game card listing. Updated Oct 17 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 only. It does not run on the original Switch. The Amazon button is the US Switch 2 physical release (Nintendo, ESRB Everyone 10+, released June 25 2026). At my Oct 17 check it was in stock and sold by Amazon.com at 59 dollars. No PC, PlayStation, or Xbox version exists.

Sit with me a moment. In 1997 a rabbit told me to do a barrel roll and I have never forgotten it. Some games you play. Some games teach you to fly. Star Fox 64 was the second kind, and Nintendo knows it, because this Switch 2 release is that same flight, rebuilt and polished until the metal shines.

What It Wants To Be

This is a remake of Star Fox 64, the game Europe knew as Lylat Wars, made by Velan Studios with Nintendo. The campaign is the same branching run through the Lylat system with on-rails stages and all-range dogfights. On top of it you get new cutscenes and voice work, a challenge mode that helps you find the secret routes, a codex of lore, modern dual stick controls, a Joy-Con 2 mouse mode, and online multiplayer with three modes inspired by conquest and capture the flag, playable against bots too.

What Works

It looks wonderful. Tom's Guide called it a modernized masterpiece and reported crisp 4K at 60 frames per second on Switch 2. Metro called it a top notch remake that keeps everything great about the original. Destructoid praised how easy it is to pick up and how fun the two player mode is, with one pilot flying and one shooting. The branching routes still reward replays, and the orchestral score gives every boss fight weight.

What Breaks

Listen well. It is still Star Fox 64. If you know the 1997 game by heart, there are few surprises. The campaign is short, and the branching structure can make it feel thin unless you push yourself to find new paths. All-range mode has aged worse than the on-rails stages. There is no split-screen versus like the original; local play leans on GameShare, and Tom's Guide called the multiplayer underwhelming.

Who Should Play

Play it if you never flew with Fox, or if you want the definitive way to replay a classic on a big screen. Wait for a sale if you already own Star Fox 64 on Nintendo Switch Online and only want something new.

Related: Metroid Prime 4, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Sources: Tom's Guide review, Metro review, Destructoid review, Metacritic.

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