Fox McCloud is finally back. Star Fox launches today, 25 June 2026, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 — the franchise’s first proper new game since Star Fox Zero a decade ago. The developer is Velan Studios, the Massachusetts studio behind Knockout City and Mario Kart Live, and what they have delivered is not a straight remaster but a fully rebuilt, cinematically expanded reimagining of the beloved 1997 Star Fox 64.
What Velan Studios Built With Star Fox Switch 2
At its core, Star Fox remains the rail-shooter it has always been: you pilot Fox McCloud’s Arwing through branching mission paths, barrel-rolling through enemy fire and barking orders at your wingmates across the Lylat System. But the bones have been completely reclothed. The original 64-bit visuals are gone, replaced by real-time cinematic cutscenes rendered at a locked 60fps. All dialogue has been re-recorded with a new cast, and the score is a sweeping orchestral work composed by Matt Pirog and Stephen Barton. Three difficulty modes — Easy, Normal, and Expert — give both returning veterans and first-timers a sensible way in.
Velan Studios described the project simply: “Collaborating with Nintendo and bringing Fox McCloud and crew to Nintendo Switch 2 is truly an honor.” Original Star Fox 64 character designer Takaya Imamura was characteristically direct in his response — telling NintendoEverything that “this latest graphics upgrade really gets me choked up” and that “the designs of the 2026 game are exactly what I had in mind when designing for Star Fox 64.”
The Joy-Con 2 Mouse Mode Is the Real Star Fox Switch 2 Showcase
The headline hardware trick is a cockpit first-person view that maps to the Joy-Con 2’s built-in optical mouse sensor. Point the Joy-Con 2 like a mouse on a flat surface and you get tight, zero-dead-zone aiming that feels closer to PC mouse-and-keyboard than anything the platform has managed before. Players can switch between standard button controls and mouse mode mid-mission — no menus, no restarts. It is the kind of feature that sounds gimmicky on paper but, based on early impressions, changes how the combat loop actually feels.
Multiplayer and Co-op Modes
Solo play is only part of the package. A two-player asymmetric local co-op mode splits duties between pilot and gunner on the same machine. Online co-op runs through GameShare. The competitive multiplayer is a 4v4 mode pitting the Star Fox crew against the Star Wolf team across three dedicated maps — up to eight players online in total. amiibo support adds cosmetic Battle Banner items for multiplayer if you own Fox, Falco, or Wolf figures.
What Singapore Switch 2 Owners Need to Know
Star Fox is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive — the original Switch cannot run it. International pricing is US$49.99 for the digital edition and US$59.99 for the physical version; check the Singapore-region Nintendo eShop for local SGD pricing. A free demo is live on the eShop now, covering the prologue, the tutorial, and the full Meteo stage — enough to get a real feel for the mouse mode and the campaign structure before committing. The full game weighs 14.8 GB.
Early reviews have landed warmly, with a Metacritic score around 81–82 and IGN awarding 8/10. If your Switch 2 has been sitting on the shelf since launch, Star Fox is one of the more compelling reasons to pick it up again. Check out other game launches and news for what else is worth your attention this week.