Star Fox: Why This Franchise Could Be the Switch 2’s Coolest Must-Have Game

Star Fox launched exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on June 25, 2026, as a full remake of the beloved Nintendo 64 classic Star Fox 64, developed by American studio Velan Studios and published by Nintendo. The game debuted at number one on the UK physical sales charts during its opening week, selling almost double the physical copies of Star Fox Zero during its launch period. This commercial resurgence marks a dramatic turnaround for a franchise that has struggled to find its footing over the past decade.

A Franchise Reborn: The Switch 2’s Killer App

Star Fox enters the Switch 2 library with genuine momentum, arriving as one of the console’s most anticipated first-party titles following Nintendo’s May 6, 2026 Direct announcement. The remake faithfully recreates the rail-shooter gameplay that defined the original 1997 N64 release while leveraging the Switch 2’s enhanced hardware capabilities for a complete visual overhaul. Nintendo’s decision to partner with Velan Studios—the New York-based developer behind Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit—signals a deliberate commitment to revitalizing the dormant franchise with fresh creative energy.

Launch week data underscores the commercial strength of this decision. In the United Kingdom, Star Fox outsold competing titles including EA Sports FC 26 and Cyberpunk 2077 during its debut week. Japan’s market delivered equally impressive results, with the game moving 41,680 physical copies and claiming the top position on the physical over-the-counter sales charts, demonstrating strong demand even as Switch 2 hardware itself remains in early adoption phases.

Breaking Through Years of Franchise Stagnation

The 2026 remake arrives at a critical juncture for Star Fox, which has endured nearly a decade of commercial underperformance. Star Fox Zero, released in 2016 for the Wii U, became synonymous with the franchise’s missteps, earning a reputation as a commercial disappointment that failed to reignite player interest. The intervening years saw no major Star Fox releases, leaving the franchise effectively dormant on current-generation hardware despite Nintendo’s track record of successfully reviving dormant properties.

This remake’s commercial performance directly contradicts the trajectory established by recent Star Fox entries. Launch physical sales climbed approximately 70 percent compared to Star Fox 64 3D, the 2011 Nintendo 3DS remake, suggesting that players have been waiting for a Star Fox experience worthy of premium hardware. Industry analysts now predict lifetime sales reaching 2 million units or higher—a threshold the last three mainline Star Fox games failed to achieve.

Critical Reception Validates the Remake Strategy

Critical response has reinforced the commercial enthusiasm, with the game achieving a strong aggregate score of 8 out of 10 across major review outlets. Reviewers consistently praised the “stunning visual overhaul,” “snappy controls,” and the developers’ faithfulness to the original Star Fox 64 gameplay formula. Forbes described the game as “Fox’s best game made even better,” while critics across platforms highlighted how Velan Studios preserved what made the original rail-shooter experience engaging while modernizing its presentation for contemporary audiences.

Velan Studios itself expressed pride in the partnership during the game’s reveal on June 23, 2026, just two days before launch. “We’ve been passionately working on this for a while, and we’re so proud to finally share it with the world: Velan Studios is the developer of Star Fox. Collaborating with Nintendo and bringing Fox McCloud and crew to Nintendo Switch 2 is truly an honor,” the studio stated. Some reviewers noted that the branching mission structure, while faithful to the original, lacked significant innovation, yet this conservative approach appears to have resonated with players eager for a straightforward, high-quality remake rather than an experimental reimagining.

Star Fox’s Place in Nintendo’s Legacy

Star Fox occupies a unique position in Nintendo’s history as one of the company’s most consistently ambitious franchises. The original Star Fox, released on Super Nintendo in 1993, and its successor Star Fox 64 for Nintendo 64 in 1997 each achieved approximately 4 million units in lifetime sales and ranked among the top 10 best-sellers for their respective consoles. The franchise as a whole has accumulated over 17 million units sold worldwide as of 2026, establishing it as a significant property despite recent commercial struggles.

The 2026 remake explicitly positions itself as a return to that “golden era” of Star Fox dominance. By choosing to remake Star Fox 64 rather than create an entirely new entry, Nintendo signaled confidence in the core appeal of that specific game’s design while providing the visual and technical polish that modern audiences expect from a $59.99 premium release.

What’s Next for Star Fox and the Switch 2 Library

Star Fox’s strong launch sets a precedent for how Nintendo will handle franchise revivals on Switch 2 hardware. The game’s $49.99 digital and $59.99 physical pricing aligns with Nintendo’s standard strategy for major first-party remakes, though pre-order discounts at retailers like Amazon and Walmart brought physical copies down to $50 during the launch window. International rollout continues, with South Korea receiving the game on July 2, 2026, reflecting regional distribution logistics for the new console hardware.

The franchise’s trajectory will now depend on whether this remake’s success translates into sustained engagement or becomes a one-time revival. Star Fox’s return to prominence on Switch 2 demonstrates that players remain hungry for quality entries in beloved Nintendo series, and the game’s position as a launch window exclusive gives it significant visibility in driving early Switch 2 adoption. For Nintendo and Velan Studios, Star Fox has become far more than a nostalgic remake—it represents a blueprint for thoughtfully reviving dormant franchises on new hardware.