Nintendo has no idea of what to do with Star Fox. This isn’t a revolutionary statement, nor the first time I’ve said this. Ever since the release of Star Fox 64, the Big N has struggled with the franchise, not knowing what to do with it. They went on to comission a (great) Zelda-like action adventure that was Star Fox in name only, an underrated Battlefield-esque take on the franchise that suffered from being released on the Gamecube, no Wii titles to speak of, and the less we say about Star Fox Zero, the better.

For as hyped I was when this brand new Star Fox game was announced, I immediately started feeling skeptical the second I was able to notice the game was yet another remake of Star Fox 64, which had already been remade for the 3DS. Not to mention the Wii U game also being based on it. And when you think about it, that Nintendo 64 game was already a remake of the SNES original to begin with. So, after playing it, is it a good game? Does it justify its existence?

It is, without a doubt, the most visually impressive game ever made by Nintendo. But it’s devoid of the original’s charm.

Do you really want an honest-to-goodness answer? The first one is simple: yes, it is a very good game. Star Fox 64 was already great, and still is fun to this very day. The 3DS remake had already proven that, if you keep the core gameplay as it has always been, but improve its visuals and performance, you tend to strike gold. So yes, 2026’s Star Fox is a pretty good game. It looks astonishing, it runs like a dream, its orchestral soundtrack is a thing of absolute beauty, and there are so many controller options, including support for the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo 64 controller.

The multiplayer mode is admittedly quite fun.

But it is not a game I’d consider to be essential to own, or necessary to exist. The reason is simple: it’s just Star Fox 64. Again. It’s not even the first time this game got remade, and after all these years, this is the only thing we’re still getting. Giving credit where credit is due, the gameplay is astonishing, with the game running at a smooth 60fps and the controls being buttery smooth and responsive, but if you grew up playing either the Nintendo 64 or Nintendo 3DS games, this is the same exact thing. Same levels, same enemy placements, same secrets. There’s little to no new features, with the exception of a multiplayer mode. Everything else had, at the very least, been previously added on the 3DS port.

“Here come the little hyenas now!” This iconic line is absent from this remake.

Well, that’s not entirely true. The character models were completely remade, now looking like somewhat realistic, anthopomorphic animals, instead of the charming puppet-like creatures the franchise had always been known for. It’s an uncanny valley, as Falco now actually looks like a bird, Katt (that ally from Zonness) looks like an alley cat who sniffs glue on the side, and the final boss is a more realistic-looking, but still floating monkey head. Star Fox doesn’t mesh well with realism, and seeing a fox standing on two feet just looks… odd.

And then there’s the main issue: the completely reworked voice acting. Now, that’s not the first time the iconic Star Fox 64 voice lines had been reworked. The 3DS remake was already comprised of brand new takes, with vastly less compressed and muffled deliveries. They were, however, the same lines as before. Y’know, the iconic lines we’ve been quoting for the past 29 years, the ones we know by heart, and love to death.

That’s not what a barrel roll is, Peppy. And stop reminding me of my father’s death in each mission.

In this brand new Star Fox remake, there’s no “cocky little freaks”. There’s no “quit dinkin’ around, Slip”. No “use the boost to get through”, and so on. The game doesn’t even utter its famous “good luck” at the beginning of the new mission. Almost all lines were completely reworked and rewritten, in order to fit in with the game’s more cinematic and, for the lack of a better term, “professional” approach. Star Fox 64‘s dialogue has always been silly, I know, but it was iconic. A lightning in a bottle situation. There was no need to make the game less silly – it’s still a sci-fi adventure starring anthropomorphic animals, and no amount of high-quality cutscenes and lighting effects can make it look less like an absolute fever dream.

Katt, you look like you need an intervention.

The overall score might look much higher than the admittedly bitter tone of this review, I get it. This Star Fox remake is still a great game, as it’s still Star Fox 64. That game is timeless, so a remake of it will still be great. If you’ve never played the original, this is an absolute must-have for your Switch 2. But if you’re someone who grew up playing the original… well, there’s no other way to say it. That game oozed charisma, and this one is completely devoid of it. It might have the best graphics ever put in a Nintendo game, and it plays like a dream, but the line deliveries, slower-paced progression, and lack of new content are hard to ignore. It’s gorgeous and fun, but soulless.

Star Fox is available now on Switch 2.

Reviewed on Switch 2.