Star Fox is a 2026 action shooter for the Nintendo Switch 2 and a modern reimagining of the classic Star Fox 64. Developed and published by Nintendo, the game brings Fox McCloud and the Star Fox team back for a new battle against the evil scientist Dr. Andross. It was released on June 25, 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. The game retains the fast-paced rail-shooter structure of the original while giving the adventure a major visual and presentation upgrade, including fully voiced dialogue and a new orchestral soundtrack.
The story follows Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad as they fight to protect the Lylat System from Andross and his forces. Fox pilots the Arwing through a series of dangerous planets and space environments, battling enemy fighters, massive machines, bosses, and other threats along the way. The game also expands the presentation of the story with additional dialogue and cinematic elements, while maintaining the basic structure and characters that made Star Fox 64 one of Nintendo’s most recognizable space shooters. The prologue also provides additional context surrounding Fox’s father, James McCloud, and events that occurred before the main adventure.
Gameplay remains centered around the Arwing and its combination of shooting, movement, and aerial maneuvers. Players blast enemies with the ship’s laser cannons, use bombs against tougher targets, and perform maneuvers such as barrel rolls and somersaults to evade attacks. The campaign features multiple locations across the Lylat System, with the action moving quickly from one encounter to another. The arcade-style structure makes Star Fox particularly suited to replaying missions, improving scores, discovering different routes, and attempting to master each stage rather than simply completing the story once.
The 2026 version also adds several features designed to give players more reasons to return after completing the main campaign. Challenge Mode allows missions to be replayed with specific objectives and rewards, while Battle Mode introduces multiplayer combat. Players can compete in four-on-four online battles across different stages, and two-player cooperative play is also available, allowing another player to join as a pilot or gunner. GameShare and GameChat provide additional ways to play together on Nintendo Switch 2.
Visually, this version of Star Fox is a substantial upgrade over the Nintendo 64 original. The familiar planets, spacecraft, enemies, and environments have been rebuilt with modern graphics while retaining the colorful science-fiction style of the series. The new presentation gives locations such as Corneria, Sector Y, Fichina, and Meteo considerably more detail and atmosphere. Fully voiced dialogue and the orchestral soundtrack also give the adventure a more cinematic presentation than the original game. HDR output and surround sound are supported on compatible equipment.
From a technical standpoint, Nintendo has continued supporting the game after launch. An update released on June 24, 2026 added Battle Mode, avatar settings, and an Easy Campaign Mode, while also addressing several progression and mission-related bugs, including issues that could prevent certain stages from being completed. This makes the 2026 Star Fox a combination of classic arcade-style shooting and modern Nintendo presentation, with the game’s relatively compact missions making it especially well suited to repeated playthroughs and a large gameplay playlist covering its campaign, challenges, multiplayer, bosses, and different stages.
