Away From Keyboard - Star Fox (Nintendo Switch 2)
Feature
The Fight for Lylat
The narrative kicks off with a poignant new prologue cutscene detailing a tragic betrayal: the original team leader, James McCloud, was sold out by his teammate Pigma on the planet Venom, making a final sacrifice so his friend Peppy Hare could escape. Years later, James' son, Fox McCloud, steps up to lead a new generation of pilots - alongside veteran Peppy, the brash Falco Lombardi, and the tech-savvy Slippy Toad - after General Pepper of the Cornerian Army begs them to stop Andross' invading armada.
While it beautifully remakes the classic Star Fox 64 structure, this version massively expands the storytelling through expressive, fully animated cutscenes and an unlockable "Holoviewer" lore guide. Instead of just throwing one-liners at each other, the team members now have proper, evolving character arcs; you actively watch the arrogant Falco slowly learn to trust Fox's leadership, and Peppy grapple with seeing his fallen friend's legacy live on in Fox. Because the campaign branches based on your in-game performance, the story adapts in real-time, forcing you to choose between standard tactical manoeuvres or high-stakes routes to reach Venom and confront Andross for the ultimate fate of the galaxy.
Dogfights, Parries and Precision
In combat, the action strikes a nostalgic balance that at times feels like playing a gorgeous 3D version of Space Invaders, while at other moments channeling a distinct Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter vibe—albeit with its own unique vehicular flair.
The moment-to-moment dogfighting plays out almost like a high-speed airborne swordfight. Precision timing is key: executing a barrel roll acts like a parry to deflect incoming fire, allowing you to quickly pull off special manoeuvres, pull behind your opponent, and gain the tactical upper hand.
Control options are pleasantly versatile, too. While a standard controller setup works well, support for mouse-style pointer aiming brings a noticeable bump in accuracy and pinpoint precision. Being able to quickly snap your reticle across the screen to pick off fast-moving targets makes dogfights feel significantly smoother and gives you a satisfying level of fine-tuned control over your targeting.
Management of your resources is just as crucial as your piloting skills. In Star Fox, your spacecraft and your squad mates are your primary resources. You need to keep a constant eye on both your own ship's shield levels and the status of your team. If a squad member gets taken down during a mission, their Arwing will be sidelined for repairs (except on Easy mode), leaving you without their support for the next mission. Similarly, taking heavy damage to your own ship will render specific components and parts inoperable, making survival on the battlefield significantly harder.
Shared Cockpit: Co-Op Play
Beyond the solo campaign, the game introduces a standout co-op mode that completely reimagines how you approach each level. Instead of splitting the screen, two players share control of a single ship: one handles the piloting and tactical maneuvers, while the second acts as the gunner managing target tracking and aiming. It turns every dogfight into an intense, collaborative effort. You can't just operate in a vacuum; the pilot has to actively line up clean sightlines for the gunner, while the gunner needs to communicate incoming threats so the pilot knows when to execute a barrel roll. It demands constant, active communication, creating an extraordinarily fun and satisfying dynamic when you synchronize a tight bank turn right into a full laser barrage.
A Visual and Auditory Treat
Visually, the game is simply gorgeous. The visual fidelity on the Switch 2 brings the vibrant worlds, cosmic dust, and intense space battles to life with impressive detail. Indeed, on one of the early missions, I felt like I was Luke Skywalker flying around in a Snowspeeder on Hoth, just waiting for an AT-AT to appear. Accompanying the action is fully voiced, high-quality dialogue from the entire cast, backed by superb sound effects and a sweeping, wonderful musical score that amplifies the drama of every dogfight (or fishfight - is that the term for an underwater battle?)
A single run through the campaign consists of 7 missions and takes only a few hours to complete - even when sitting back to enjoy all the cutscenes. However, the branching paths mean those 7 mission slots host a wide range of playable variations, offering 16 unique levels in total.
Unlocking and experiencing every level across multiple playthroughs will take around 10 hours. Beyond that, the real test of skill comes from replaying missions on Expert Mode and chasing the elusive high-score medals on every single level, which adds a significant amount of extra playtime for completionists.
Verdict
By blending a cinematic story expansion with tight, tactical arcade dogfighting, Star Fox delivers a fantastic showcase on the Nintendo Switch 2. Whether you're aiming for high scores, taking the alternate routes to avenge James McCloud, or sharing the flight stick with a second player in co-op, it's a thrilling ride from start to finish.
Score: 8.5/10
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