Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk a little about that new Star Fox game. 

Let me tell you, when I first saw the notification for that Nintendo Direct, I was pretty excited. I LOVE the original Star Fox for SNES. I love Star Fox 64 too, but not quite as much (because the SNES game has a way better soundtrack). Thing is, I haven’t really liked any other Star Fox games. Okay, that’s a lie. Star Fox Adventures was pretty great. And Star Fox Guard was cool, too. But those aren’t exactly what I’d call traditional Star Fox games, you know? Star Fox 2, Star Fox Command, Star Fox Assault, Star Fox Zero, they're all solid games, but I’ve never finished any of them. They just weren’t all that fun to me. All I really want is a proper sequel to Star Fox 64. I want a new story and new levels with that on-rails gameplay. I don’t want on-foot missions, I don’t want to have to incorporate a bunch of strategy stuff in between stages, and I certainly don’t want any bonkers multi-screen control schemes. I want new StarFox, and that’s what this new Switch 2 game is…

Sort of. 

Star Fox for Switch 2 is Star Fox 64. Again. Now, I know a lot has been made of this being like, the 100th remake of Star Fox 64, but that’s not exactly accurate. Star Fox 64 was a retelling of the same story as the original Star Fox. Star Fox Zero was the same thing. It was intended to be a sort of reboot for the franchise, and retold that same story again. But that doesn’t negate the fact that Star Fox 64 DID get a remake already. 

Star Fox 64 3D for 3DS is not just a port of the N64 game. It’s a remake. The visuals were all overhauled, and it was pretty darn great! 

So, my question is this. If they were remaking an old Star Fox game, why remake 64 again? Why not remake the original game?!?

That’s the one that needs it more. There is so much good stuff in Star Fox for SNES that is positively BEGGING to be remade with modern tech. There is so much potential there! And I hate that I understand the logic behind this move. Star Fox 64 is the safer bet. It has more variety, and it’s a more beloved game. But darn it, Nintendo! You already did this!!!

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It's clear that Nintendo cares a lot about this property. They’ve tried a lot of things with it because they see the potential in its characters and world. But they’ve gone about it in so many weird ways. I don’t understand why they insisted for so long on trying to reinvent the wheel with StarFox. 2D Mario games play like 2D Mario games. Zelda games play like Zelda games. Kirby games play like Kirby games. These all introduce plenty of innovative elements into their sequels, but they don’t fundamentally change the core mechanics. Star Fox is a rail shooter! So, do more of that! 

But not like this! 

I’m not mad at the art, even if it’s a little weird. I’m just flabbergasted by the decision to remake Star Fox 64 again instead of either remaining the original or just doing something new. I hope it pays off this time. I hope with all my heart that this is the one that breaks through for the first time since the Nintendo 64. I hope it's a huge success and we finally, FINALLY, get that proper sequel I’ve always wanted. Keep evolving the formula without reinventing it. Remember why the game caught on in the first place, and do more of that. 

Then do the same for F-Zero.