Nintendo surprised fans during its Tuesday Direct livestream with news that Star Fox, a full remake of the 1997 N64 classic, would release a playable demo that same day.

The demo gives players a chance to experience the game's tutorial and one opening stage before the full release hits Nintendo Switch 2 on June 25. It's a solid way to test-drive what Nintendo's doing with the beloved space shooter.

This isn't a straight port—the remake overhauls the original with new graphics, a fresh art style, and fully voiced cinematic briefings for the campaign. There's also a brand-new orchestral soundtrack replacing the original MIDI score. The campaign supports three difficulty levels, and a new Challenge Mode lets you replay completed stages with extra objectives on two different difficulty tiers.

Multiplayer is a major addition. The game includes a 4-on-4 Battle Mode across three game types, with online matchmaking, custom private matches, and couch co-op options. Joy-Con 2 Mouse Controls let two players split piloting and gunnery duties on the same console or through GameShare. The multiplayer even supports interactive avatars based on the game's characters when using GameChat.

Star Fox 64 itself was already a reimagining of the 1993 SNES original, so this marks the third major remake for the franchise—following Star Fox 64 3D on 3DS (2011) and Star Fox Zero on Wii U (2016). Nintendo also made the game available digitally on Switch through its Nintendo Classics service in 2021.

The timing is interesting: Fox McCloud made a cameo in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which opened in April, keeping the character fresh in players' minds heading into this remake's launch.

For Switch 2 owners looking for a reason to dust off their consoles, this remake combines nostalgic appeal with modernized presentation and genuinely expanded gameplay options. The demo dropping the same day as the announcement gives fans an immediate way to check it out.