SCI-FI FUN IN AN EXCITING PACKAGE

During our preview, we had the chance to fly through several missions from the beginning of the game, each with visuals more vivid and stunning than the last. The beautiful blue skies and glistening water of Corneria, the looming asteroid fields of Meteo, the deep red lighting casting through the wreckage of Sector Y, and the harsh snow weathering Fox’s Arwing on Fichina. Star Fox’s attention to graphical detail is almost unrivalled for a Nintendo exclusive. From our hands-on experience with the game, this title is one of the finest showcases of the Nintendo Switch 2’s improved technical performance to date.

The visual quality isn’t the only next-gen takeaway. The benefit of Star Fox being a largely on-rails action game means that those major and minor details can be maximised with no technical downside. During our preview of the game, Star Fox ran at a flawless 4K 60FPS during all gameplay sections. This confidently places the game as a contender to last year's Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for a Nintendo exclusive producing detailed graphics at a high resolution and smooth frame rate.

On the topic of details, much like the N64 classic (and even the SNES classic before that!), Star Fox (2026) has a spectacular cinematic flourish. Cutscenes, music, lighting, all of these elements blend together in a way that heavily invokes the ‘Star Wars’ space epic that will surely delight any player's desire for a galaxy-trotting adventure.

From the sections we experienced, missions featuring Star Fox’s command ship the Great Fox were a huge highlight in this regard. The ship’s massive sense of scale, contrasting against the light of the sun and the player’s nimble Arwing, left an immediate impression. The Great Fox has certainly come a long way since Nintendo’s mascots first casually battled across it in Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64.

Inside the Great Fox, another cinematic element is blooming: character.

We witnessed several cutscenes set inside the Star Fox team’s command ship that further leaned into the space epic Star Fox so earnestly emulates. Observing the colourful anthropomorphic cast in a more leisurely environment around the ship has a special charm, and it helps establish a strong sense of camaraderie between the Star Fox team. As the entirety of Star Fox’s gameplay is vehicle based, it is refreshing to step outside of the cockpit in between the action-packed missions. Seeing the cocksure Falco getting more screen time is always a huge plus, even if his updated design and chicken-like legs take some getting used to. Rest assured, the lovable team mechanic Slippy Toad is still just as cute as ever. 

Alongside the single player campaign, we also had time to experience the brand new Co-op Mode. The mode quite literally splits the controls in half: one Joy Con 2 becomes the pilot, and the other becomes the gunner. The gunner specifically only works using the Nintendo Switch 2’s Mouse Controls, so make sure you have a flat surface prepared.

Once set up is complete, Star Fox’s Co-op Mode is super intuitive to control and a hilarious test of cooperation. Star Fox’s entire campaign can be played in this mode (as well as its new Challenge mode). Considering the brisk pace of the game, this could very well end up being the perfect option for more experienced gamers looking to introduce newer players to the genre. If you have more than two players, why not try competing against each other to see which team of two scores the highest and who reaches the most advanced routes? Star Fox’s campaign mode features a detailed Route system, meaning that every playthrough could be different depending on how you play and what objectives you complete. For example, we experienced two different routes for the game’s opening mission on Corneria: each mission ending with a completely different environment, enemies and boss battle.

The final section of our preview was the 4v4 Battle Mode; an incredibly chaotic and fun multiplayer mode that pits Team Star Fox against Team Star Wolf. Unlike the on-rails style of most Star Fox missions, Battle Mode gives the player full control of the Arwing in All-Range Mode. 

Adding to the chaos was the surprisingly in-depth Avatar settings. By using AR accessories such as the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, the player could choose from a massive catalog of existing Star Fox characters to appear as, or accessories like Fox’s Dragon Ball Z-inspired headpiece. Launching into Battle Mode and seeing AR Avatars of your teammates added to the immersion and hilarity of the frantic dogfights. Getting eliminated for example applies a scrambled effect to your screen while you wait to respawn. From what we saw, the AR Avatar selection looks to be far more than a quick add-on. In fact, it's completely fleshed out, with a wide number of cosmetics available to unlock as you progress through the Campaign and Challenge Mode.

We were blown away by the presentation value of Star Fox. From our hands-on experience with the Campaign, Co-op Mode and Battle Mode; the biggest takeaway on our minds is that we just want to get straight back into that Arwing. The addition of a beginner-friendly Co-op Mode for the entire Campaign and Challenge Mode in particular is a huge drawcard for those who cherish some local multiplayer fun.

Star Fox launches June 25th 2026.