“Do a barrel roll!”
~Peppy Hare, Star Fox 64

A Fuzzy League of Exalted Arwing Specialists (FLEAS) are employed by the Cornerian Army to prevent a sinister simian with a god complex from conquering the Lylat System. Dog Man references aside, Star Fox 64 boasts great visuals, but the textures can be muddy at times and there’s some slight lag when there’s too much happening all at once. The controls feel fantastic despite the N64’s awkward controller. Evasive maneuvers like the somersault and U-Turn really spice up the gameplay, whether you’re vying for pickups or evading enemies. Besides the standard on-rails gameplay, All-Range Mode opens the field up for some excellent dogfighting opportunities. Audio sometimes suffers some pops and crackles, and the voice acting is a bit dated, but the game still holds up to this day. Lock-on lasers, bombs, and hitting groups of enemies with charged laser attacks are essential for medal grinding, which you will be doing a lot of if you want to unlock the hell that is Expert Mode. There’s nothing more frustrating than being one hit away from the goal score, and you’ll be repeating levels constantly since Nintendo traded the ability to save progress with the inclusion of the Rumble Pak. 

It takes seven stages to get to Venom, but how you get there depends on your skill as a pilot. Fly well and you’ll get to take on the harder missions. If you fail to meet a condition during a mission, you’ll be sent on an alternate route. The game has two endings depending on what path you take, and there are so many ways to jump from route to route. Unless you’re gunning for a high score on a specific world, you can really make the route your own.

Got four controllers and friends to play with? Fire up the multiplayer for some free-for-all dogfighting in the sky. You initially start with the Arwing, but can unlock the Landmaster or an on-foot option by earning medals. Multiplayer matches consist of a Point Match, Battle Royale, or Time Trial modes. Point Match has players shoot down their opponents a set number of times. Battle Royale ends with one fighter standing. And players must shoot down the highest number of fighters in a given time in Time Trial mode.

With the surprise announcement of a Star Fox 64 remake being released in late June for the Nintendo Switch 2 (aptly titled Star Fox), this is the perfect time to revisit this classic through Nintendo Switch Online. And Star Fox 64 is one of those rare titles that you can just pick up and play and have a great time. If you really want those medals, though, you must never give up and trust your instincts! “Good Luck!”