Star Fox Switch Needs to Happen, and Here's how I'd Do It

Personally, I prefer the air

It has been a long time since a satisfying Star Fox game has come out. As I touched on in an earlier post (Super Mario Odyssey: Undersea Evolution) the Switch has proven to be a breeding ground for franchise evolution. Both Mario and Zelda look better than ever, and there’s even a brand new core Metroid Prime on the way. This age of innovation begs the question, when will Star Fox get its chance? For as hesitantly-positive I was towards Star Fox Zero, it’s hard to deny it wasn’t the game it needed to be or should have been. We need a true to form Star Fox game that isn’t trying to be anything other than an on-rails, wacky space epic. No “third-person shooting”, no dinosaur planets, and certainly no more intrusive hardware gimmicks. That seems crystal (bad choice of words) clear to most of us, but for some reason it isn’t. It seems clear that Nintendo doesn't know how they should handle the franchise moving forward. Luckily, I do.

Personally I prefer the 3D remake of 64

Star Fox 64 is my favorite game of all time, and there are a few reasons as to why. 64 is a no nonsense gameplay first experience. The ship to ship combat is arcade perfection, relying solely on reaction time and quick fingers. It also isn’t afraid to be simplistic; there are no gimmicks or RPG-elements to muddy the core experience. Star Fox 64 also oozes that timeless Nintendo charm that appeals to people of all ages without making compromises. From the zany character design to the comm chatter during dogfights, it comes together perfectly. It is also short and repeatable enough to be played on loop for higher and higher scores. My theoretical game draws on these core values, but evolves the series in a way that makes sense. Without further ado, here is my concept for the eventual Star Fox Switch.

The Setup

Wolf deserves a front and center
role in Star Fox Switch

Star Fox Switch would start you in the midst of the Lylat system, as Team Star Fox battle their way across the galaxy to wipe out Star Wolf’s army. In this game, Wolf would be the main villain, having recruited an army to spread his dominion across the system. Wolf would have launched a surprise attack on Corneria, forcing Fox and Co. to repel the assault, leaving the rest of the galaxy unprotected. This opening would have given Wolf his chance to turn the tables and launch massive assaults on key planets, placing them under his control. There would be a main ‘storyline’ which would play out as the traditional 2-3 hour on-rails adventure, as the team worked their way towards Wolf and his base of operations. There would also be side quests that would be exclusively all-range missions where the team would fly out to a planet and work with local pilots to repel incoming forces. This galaxy wide conflict would allow for brand new planets to be explored, which would help break the trend of the same locations, game after game.

The Great Fox

The Great Fox could function as a hub area

Through the iconic opening sequence of Star Fox 64, to the pre-mission briefings, the Star Fox team spends time on the Great Fox, General Pepper’s command ship. Although, 64 never let us freely explore the ship. I’d make the Great Fox into the hub for Star Fox Switch. You’d be able to walk around the ship in third-person as Fox, and explore areas such as the bridge, the hangar, and the barracks. From the bridge you’d converse with General Pepper to get coordinates for main and side missions across the galaxy. Fox and crew could then take off from the hangar, as well as check on the status of ship repairs should a teammate get shot down. Finally, from the barracks, Fox would be able to talk to various pilots and recruit them for upcoming missions.

A Diverse Crew

I love the Star Fox crew, but a bit of variety is overdue

I love Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy. They’re great, iconic characters. However, I’d love to see new pilots join the fray as well. To recruit new pilots to fly with team Star Fox, you’d have to meet them in one of the side missions that has you defending their home planet. For example, General Pepper sends Team Star Fox out to a planet under siege. They fly into the atmosphere to find the battle already raging. Jumping into all-range combat, the team fights alongside a particularly skilled pilot. After the assault was repelled and peace restored, he could be recruited to fly alongside Fox in later missions. New members would add diversity to the roster, but could also have tangible effects on the gameplay. Perhaps this pilot is also a hot-head, so during missions, he and Falco go at each other over the comm chatter. These pilots would not only change the dialogue during missions, but depending on who is on the team at the time different paths would open up through the levels. This would add a lot of variety and replay value. One run could be completed as the core team then subsequent playthroughs could switch the crew up. Or maybe from the start, you really hate Slippy. He could be benched entirely in favor of a new pilot. The choice would be yours.

Pilot Vs. Pilot: Local and Online

Star Fox 64's multiplayer should return on Switch

I really like Star Fox 64’s multiplayer. Assault has solid multiplayer as well, but I prefer the simplicity of 64. Essentially, it’s just solo and team last man standing dogfights. This should certainly return in Star Fox Switch, and to be honest I’d leave it alone. This would be a perfect game mode for single Joy-Con local multiplayer. Local multiplayer is great, but Star Fox needs to go online. Again, I’d keep the gameplay the same, but I’d add some progression. You could rank up, capping out at say, rank 25. As you’d run the ranks, you could unlock new insignias for your ship and new pilots to control. With a handful of maps, various modes and items, this mode could be a lot of fun.

Smart Innovation

HD rumble has potential for much larger applications than
feeling ice cubes in a glass, or marbles in a box

Single Joy-Con multiplayer is a great start, but Nintendo can utilize other Switch features in creative ways. What was Star Fox 64 known for? It’s use of the N64’s Rumble Pak. Imagine a Star Fox game on Switch that revolutionizes rumble once more. In Star Fox 64, when you sustain enough damage part of your wing gets shot off. It happens gradually, first you’ll lose the right, and then the left. HD rumble is so precise. Imagine different levels of vibration. A dull but building vibration for a charge shot, a sharp rumble when damage is taken, and my crowning idea, no rumble when your wing is shot off. So, when the right wing goes, you would no longer feel rumble in the right side of the controller, but still feel it in the left, or vice-versa. Instead of compromising the experience with the ‘gimmick’, these additions would add immersion to the game, which would be a welcome change.

______________________

Zero can't be the end; Nintendo needs to give Star Fox
another chance

This concept doesn’t sound too unattainable actually; I really believe that Nintendo could pull this off. Nothing here is that unbelievable, or to put it candidly, this is what Nintendo needs to do. Fans have wished for a true, uncompromised Star Fox game for a long time. Nintendo has shown that they aren’t happy putting out ‘just another Star Fox 64’, so I believe that additions like those above would differentiate a Switch entry from those in the past, without taking away what fans love so much. Now, if I can make just one more suggestion, could this new game please be called Star Fox: Lylat Wars?