After a decade on the sidelines, Fox McCloud is back — and Singapore Switch 2 owners can already take the Arwing for a spin.
What Is Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2?
Nintendo has handed the keys to its long-dormant space-shooter franchise to Velan Studios, the New York-based developer behind Knockout City. Their brief: reimagine Star Fox 64 for a new generation on Switch 2, with a “cinematic take” that keeps the classic rail-shooter bones but rebuilds everything else from scratch. That means fully voiced dialogue, a sweeping new orchestral soundtrack, and a complete visual overhaul of Fox McCloud and crew as they battle to protect the Lylat System from the villainous Andross.
New lore is part of the package too: the game opens with a story prologue centred on Fox’s father, James McCloud, adding depth for both newcomers and returning fans. Perhaps the strongest endorsement of the project comes from Takaya Imamura — the original Star Fox character designer from the 1990s — who said the new designs are “exactly” what he always envisioned for the franchise.
The Free Demo Is Live Right Now
Nintendo released a free playable demo on the Switch 2 eShop on 12 June, and it is still up and waiting. Open the Nintendo eShop on your Switch 2, search for “Star Fox,” and download. The demo covers the opening tutorial sequence and the Meteo stage, giving you a real feel for the revamped flight controls — including the optional Joy-Con 2 mouse mode, which lets you steer and aim with pointer precision rather than analogue sticks.
New Features in Star Fox 2026
Beyond the single-player campaign, Velan Studios has added substantial new multiplayer and co-op content to justify the Switch 2 exclusivity:
- Online 4-vs-4 team battles — Team Star Fox takes on Team Star Wolf across multiple arenas
- Two-player co-op via local play or GameShare online — one player pilots, the other handles weapons
- Three difficulty tiers (Easy, Normal, Expert), each adjusting enemy behaviour and story outcomes
- First-person cockpit view as an alternative to the default third-person camera
- amiibo support for Fox, Falco, and Wolf figures, unlocking in-game cosmetic rewards
- USB camera GameChat integration that mirrors your facial expressions onto your character avatar in real time during online play
The Character Redesign Debate
One aspect of Star Fox 2026 that Singapore fans will have strong opinions on: the new character models. Velan Studios gave Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy significantly more realistic, animalistic proportions — longer snouts, fur textures, expressive ears — a sharp departure from the rounded, almost toy-like designs of the ’90s originals. The reaction online has been genuinely split. Some love the cinematic polish and feel the characters finally look like actual anthropomorphic animals. Others feel it strips away exactly the charm that made Star Fox 64 iconic in the first place. Takaya Imamura’s endorsement has added some weight to the “pro-redesign” camp, but this debate is not going away before launch.
How to Get It in Singapore
Star Fox launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on 25 June 2026. The digital price in the US is US$49.99 — SGD pricing is to be confirmed on the Singapore eShop, but Switch 2 titles at this tier have typically landed in the SGD 67–70 range locally. A physical edition is also expected through local retailers. The game file is 14.8 GB, so plan your storage accordingly if you are going digital.
Pre-orders are live now on the Nintendo eShop. For those who just want to try it today, the free demo requires no purchase and no subscription.
Last words
Star Fox 64 holds a real place in the memory of Singapore gamers who grew up with the Nintendo 64 — “Do a barrel roll!” is practically part of the shared vocabulary. Whether Velan Studios’ bold reimagining earns those memories or unsettles them is something each of us will decide on 25 June. In the meantime, the demo is free, it takes minutes to download, and it is a genuinely solid way to spend a Sunday morning. Keep an eye on our Nintendo news section for more Switch 2 coverage ahead of launch.