Metacritic 82, OpenCritic 84. A ground-up remake of Star Fox 64 (known in Europe as Lylat Wars) — the 1997 Nintendo 64 classic — launched at midnight local time on June 25 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. The review embargo lifted at 8:00 AM ET, and the verdict from 25 critic outlets was unanimous: a franchise that had spent over a decade in exile has returned with the second-highest score in its history.
Overview
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game | Star Fox (Star Fox 64 remake) |
| Original | Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars (1997, Nintendo 64) |
| Developer | Velan Studios |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Platform | Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive |
| Release Date | June 25, 2026 |
| Metacritic | 82 (25 critic reviews) |
| OpenCritic | 84 |
| Price | $49.99 (digital) / $59.99–£49.99 (physical) |
Developer Profile — Velan Studios
Velan Studios is an external studio with no prior history working on a flagship Nintendo IP. Its previous credits include the co-op shooter Knockout City and the Labo-adjacent toy game Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. For Star Fox, Velan deployed its in-house VIPER engine, written primarily in C, at full scale for the first time.
VIPER's defining feature is rendering every cutscene in real time rather than as pre-rendered video. The 1997 original was constrained by Nintendo 64 hardware, creating a visible gap between its cinematic ambitions and its actual gameplay graphics. This remake closes that 30-year-old gap entirely. Original character designer Takaya Imamura said he was struck by the graphical leap, recalling how Star Fox 64 had "aimed to create demo scenes and presentations" that could compete with PlayStation's pre-rendered visuals at the time.
Platform & Specs
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Supported platform | Nintendo Switch 2 (exclusive) |
| Resolution (docked) | ~1440p (per WCCFtech, likely with upscaling) |
| Frame rate | Locked 60fps in both docked and handheld modes |
| vs. predecessors | N64 original: 15–20fps → 3DS remake: 30fps → this release: 60fps |
| Controls | Standard controllers plus new Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming |
| Demo | Free since June 9 on the eShop; save progress carries into the full game |
Score Breakdown — Critic Reception
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 8/10 |
| Game Informer | 8.25/10 |
| Gamereactor | 9/10 |
| Nintendo Life | 9/10 |
| WCCFtech | 8.5/10 |
| GameSpot | 7/10 |
| Metro | 8/10 |
| Press Start (Australia) | 9.5/10 |
| GamesRadar+ | 4/5 |
| Metacritic aggregate | 82 (25 reviews) |
| OpenCritic aggregate | 84 |
A Metacritic score of 82 is the second-highest in the franchise's 33-year history — trailing only the original Star Fox 64's 88. It surpasses the reception of the 2011 3DS remake and every spinoff entry since.
What's New
- ▶Real-time cutscenes — every cutscene rendered live by the engine, with full voice acting and an orchestral score
- ▶Challenge Mode — a new mode that helps players uncover the original's hidden routes and secrets
- ▶Multiplayer — new Battle Mode and GameShare support
- ▶Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming — a new optional control scheme
- ▶Gameplay itself is largely unchanged — level design and branching structure closely mirror the 1997 original
Digital Foundry praised "a coherent and dramatic visual experience" built on physically-based rendering and a sophisticated lighting system, highlighting "a stable 60fps alongside rapid loading times" with no stutters. Some reviewers noted a downside: reduced visual hit-feedback cues make it "occasionally difficult to judge performance during combat."
Critic Reviews
""A significantly expanded and surprisingly cinematic retelling of the Lylat Wars story." — IGN, Logan Plant (8/10)
""Feels like the first Nintendo-published game to truly show what the Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of." — Nintendo Insider
""Nintendo's best remake to date." — Gamereactor (9/10)
""This remake is, without a doubt, the best way to experience Star Fox 64." — Press Start, Harry Kalogirou (9.5/10)
""Still as much fun to play today as it was back in 1997... All-range mode hasn't aged quite as well as the on-rails sections." — Metro (8/10)
Community Reaction
""Only played the demo so far and the graphics are a different world. Buying the full game right now." — Reddit r/NintendoSwitch
""Grew up on Lylat Wars on the N64 — had no idea it could come back looking this good." — Nintendo fan forum
""All-range mode feels a bit flat, but the rail-shooting sections are the best they've ever been." — Switch community discussion
Digital Foundry's own reader poll found 46% planning to pre-order, 23% waiting for reviews, and 31% not interested — reflecting a genuinely divided fanbase.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ▶Metacritic 82 — second-highest score in series history
- ▶Real-time cutscenes close a 30-year-old visual gap
- ▶Stable 60fps with fast load times
- ▶Free demo lets players try before buying
- ▶New Challenge Mode and multiplayer options added
Cons
- ▶Level design and story stay nearly identical to the original — little new content for veterans
- ▶All-range mode received comparatively mixed reception
- ▶Reduced hit-feedback visuals can hurt combat readability
- ▶Switch 2 exclusivity locks out players on other platforms
Buying Guide
- ▶Digital: $49.99 via Nintendo eShop
- ▶Physical: $59.99 (US) / £49.99 (UK)
- ▶Free demo: Available on the eShop since June 9, covering the tutorial and the Meteo stage, with save progress carrying into the full game
- ▶Launch times varied by region: midnight ET on the East Coast, while West Coast players could start at 9:00 PM PT the night before
Series veterans should try the demo first. Anyone hoping for new story content may come away disappointed, but anyone looking for "the definitive way to play Star Fox 64" has little reason to hesitate.
Bottom line: This Star Fox remake wins on polish rather than reinvention. As its second-best-ever franchise score shows, Velan Studios preserved the original's core identity while modernizing its visuals, audio, and controls. Whether Nintendo builds a new future for the series on top of this collaboration remains the next question.
GamePeak Editorial | June 25, 2026