5 things we want to see from a new Star Fox game
With rumors of a new Star Fox game coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in a matter of months, we’re talking about what we’d like to see.
Advance the canon. That’s about it! In all seriousness, the Star Fox series has been lying dormant for over ten years now. There hasn’t been an all-new Star Fox title since Star Fox Zero on Wii U, but it wasn’t received very well – and, perhaps more frustratingly, it was yet another retelling of the original Star Fox. To that end, the franchise’s biggest problem has been revealed: it keeps telling the same story. The original Star Fox sees the team taking on Andross for the first time. Star Fox 64 also sees the team taking on Andross for the first time, and then Star Fox Zero sees them in the exact same situation. The canon has been at a standstill for twenty years, since Star Fox Command on Nintendo DS. That’s a very, very long time for a series to tell no new stories. We’ll talk about this in more detail soon, but for now, here are some things we’d love to see from a new Star Fox game.
Easy, accessible controls
Star Fox Zero’s greatest criticisms are probably a good place to start, given that it was the last game in the series. One problem critics and fans alike had with it is that the controls were finicky and tough to get used to. It made full use of the Wii U GamePad, but perhaps to its detriment. You had to constantly switch between the TV and GamePad, and that won’t be possible for a Nintendo Switch version, so a theoretical Star Fox on Switch already has a leg up in comparison. Screens aside, a new Star Fox needs controls that are easy to learn but tough to master – not tough to learn and tough to master. As I’m sure many fans would agree, Star Fox 64’s controls were right on point. And even though Nintendo typically likes to have new gimmick and mechanic ideas before they bring back old IPs, it’s been over ten years since we’ve gotten a new game in the series – they really don’t have to reinvent the wheel because it’s very unlikely that anyone is really tired of the franchise at this point.
Advance the canon
Like we mentioned before, this has to be the most important thing. We haven’t received a truly all-new Star Fox story in twenty years, which is an insanely long time. If a new Star Fox game is revealed and it’s your typical “Corneria hires Star Fox to destroy Andross”, it’s going to be a major disappointment for sure – after all, there are four different titles that have the same story: the original Star Fox on SNES, Star Fox 64, Star Fox 64 3D, and Star Fox Zero. In fact, Star Fox 64 3D and Star Fox Zero were released less than five years apart from each other. To tell the same story within that short a span of time definitely isn’t a great idea.
Andross doesn’t appear as the villain
This relates to the previous point, but an all-new villain would really help the next Star Fox feel fresh and new – more than any gameplay mechanic would. I think, at least in theory, my favorite story was Star Fox Assault – Star Fox and Star Wolf coming together to defeat the Aparoid threat that endangered the whole galaxy. Something similar could work really well here, using Star Fox Zero as its predecessor and continuing from where it left off. That said, if I’m to be honest, I feel like a new Star Fox game unfortunately would include Andross as the main villain again and serve as yet another series reboot. And if the series continues from there, then we could possibly expect a game with an all-new story and villain. What Nintendo would actually do here, however, remains to be seen.
Beautiful graphics and performance
This one’s a no-brainer, but like I mentioned earlier, the next Star Fox doesn’t need to be a revolution in the form of its gameplay and mechanics. It can be a classic Star Fox 64-style game with an improved story and good controls and beautiful graphics and still be great! Needless to say, the next title in the series would be a true standout if it ran in 4K at 60 frames per second. Of course, though, it’s easier to make stunning graphics if the player’s movement speed isn’t very high. Arwings fly very fast, which means the surroundings are going to be zooming by. That fact alone would make impressive graphics stand out even more, since you’ll only see most areas for a few seconds at most. 60 frames per second feels important for a game like Star Fox that’s reliant on second-by-second action. That said, Star Fox Zero is the only classic Star Fox-style game that runs at 60. Star Fox on SNES runs at well below 20, Star Fox 64 runs between 20 and 25, and Star Fox 64 3D runs at 30. So even though that high frame rate sounds like it’s a necessity for a new Star Fox title, only one classic-style game has ever targeted 60.
An Arwing amiibo
Definitely not a high priority at all, but I remember Nintendo staffers discussing the idea of an Arwing amiibo a long time ago and saying it wasn’t possible. Now that some figures are upwards of $50, this – fortunately or unfortunately – seems like the best time to create one. Give it a neat little effect in-game, like an extra skin for your machine or something, but nothing that makes the amiibo an essential purchase for the game. It seems unlikely that Nintendo would create non-Smash amiibo for Fox and Falco, given that they already have their own. But if they do, why not make Peppy and Slippy to complete the team? Just as long as they aren’t $50 each too.
What would you like to see from a new Star Fox game? Would you prefer a return to form, or something more “out there” like Star Fox Adventures? Let us know in the comments down below. And for our report on the new Star Fox and Nintendo’s other future games, head on over here.
