Star Fox Returns on Switch 2: The N64 Lylat Wars Remake Arrives 30 Years On

[Chris81]

Nintendo released Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2 in the final week of June, a remake of the 1997 Nintendo 64 title Lylat Wars known as Star Fox 64 in North America. The remake gives Fox McCloud and his Arwing crew full modern visual treatment while preserving the original's rail shooter structure across the Lylat System. Reviews have broadly praised the visual overhaul and the preservation of the original's intensely quotable dialogue, with Nintendo having resisted the temptation to fundamentally redesign mechanics that still hold up.

The release ends a franchise drought that has lasted over a decade, with Star Fox Zero on Wii U in 2016 being widely considered a misfire and Star Fox Guard a forgettable accompaniment. The Switch 2 version adds gyro controls as an option, a new multiplayer dogfight mode utilising the console's local wireless and online capabilities, and a visual fidelity upgrade that makes the Corneria City opening sequence look considerably more impressive than players who remember the N64 original might expect.

Donkey Kong 64 was simultaneously confirmed as coming to Nintendo Switch Online, a vault addition that had been requested by fans for years and had been held back due to a Rare Jetpac licensing complication that Nintendo has apparently resolved. The combination of the Star Fox remake launch and the DK64 announcement gave Nintendo two significant positive gaming stories in the same week, with GTA 6 pre-orders and Sony's State of Play also generating conversation, making June one of the more active gaming months of the year despite a relatively quiet release calendar overall.

Upcoming games - June 2026www.nintendo.com

[ParallelSelf34]

Do a barrel roll is still one of the most quotable lines in gaming history and the remake preserved it with exactly the delivery the original had. Some things should never be touched

[Rachel93]

Lylat Wars on N64 was one of the first games that genuinely felt like piloting a fighter craft rather than pointing a sprite at things. The remake making that same sensation work on modern hardware was the real challenge and apparently they nailed it

[VidiTechnica]

DK64 on Switch Online finally resolving the Jetpac licensing issue is one of those gaming history footnotes becoming actual news. Rare owned that minigame and it was the reason DK64 could not be re-released for years. Whatever deal Nintendo struck, worth it

[Diane82]

The gyro control option for a rail shooter on Switch 2 should work extremely well given how naturally gyro lends itself to aiming. It is the kind of hardware feature addition that makes a port feel designed for the platform rather than ported to it

[NeonPhantom32]

Star Fox Zero on Wii U failing because of mandatory dual-screen gamepad controls is the clearest example of Nintendo hardware gimmicks ruining what should have been a good game. Switch 2 not making the same mistake with its remake is a lesson learned

[AnthonyCribb]

The Switch 2 having Star Fox, Mario Kart World, Super Mario Bros. Wonder edition and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth all in its launch window is a strong software lineup compared to most Nintendo console launches

[ReacherBadger]

30 years between the original Lylat Wars and this remake is an extraordinary gap that tells you exactly how badly Nintendo managed this franchise in the intervening period. Hopefully a success here triggers new original entries rather than more remakes