Star Fox has had quite the week. Just two weeks ago, this Nintendo franchise showed no signs of life. Now, Fox McCloud is back in the zeitgeist after serving an important role in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and a leak claming that new Star Fox games are in the works for Nintendo Switch 2. Although I’m excited about Star Fox making a comeback, I’m worried that the series will play it safe.
To make this most of this moment, the Star Fox series needs to move out of the ever-looming shadow of Star Fox 64. The fact that the leaker of the new Star Fox game said it would be “classic-style” leaves me a bit worried this new entry could be a simple nostalgia play. Hopefully, the next Star Fox game can retain what made the series special and go beyond merely repeating its greatest hits.
Many Star Fox games follow a similar formula. They’re space shooters that take Fox McCloud and friends to planets on different routes on their quest to fight and ultimately defeat Andross. The planets, the ships they pilot, and the control schemes have changed along the way. But few games in the series have taken bold swings to change that core formula. Star Fox Adventures, Rare’s 2002 action-adventure game, showed the series could grow beyond the arcade shooter.
Star Fox Zero on Wii U disappointed me, not just because of the clunky incorporation of the GamePad into its control scheme, but because its plot and general structure felt too similar to Star Fox 64. Although I really enjoy Star Fox 64, I’d rather replay it through Nintendo Switch Online (or revisit its 3DS remake) rather than buy a new Star Fox game that’s repeating and rehashing those classics.
While the Mario and Donkey Kong series have continued to innovate across a variety of genres, Star Fox still feels stuck in the past. I hope the series’ return on Nintendo Switch 2 is one to remember, whether it comes through some drastic change to the narrative, art style, structure, or gameplay. If the next game in the series takes a big swing, I truly believe Star Fox could become one of Nintendo’s marquee franchises again.