Random: Takaya Imamura Ponders The Possibility Of Star Fox Zero On 'Switch 2'

No! No more reboots, re-releases, remasters, re-imaginings, remakes of Star Fox 64!

Nintendo, just make an entirely new one, damn it!

What a huge disappointment this game was. They had the chance to let Platinum run wild and make an all new, visually spectacular Starfox game but instead had them make a pseudo Starfox 64 remake with shoehorned GamePad support. It’s like they just don’t want Starfox to be successful 🙄

@RupeeClock that was my gripe; the game was utterly beautiful and brimming with detail and then it made you view smaller zoomed in areas through that little gamepad screen. Although I think it was a cool idea, it 100% took away the immersion in the environments. It would’ve been cool for a few levels as a “gimmick” but having to do it so often hurt the experience overall.

New Star Fox game with gameplay like Ratchet & Clank + playable at least four different characters + a lot of different weapons to use, please and thank you.

Just last night I was thinking, I hope Starfox makes a comeback on Switch 2. Ideally in a brand new game. I wanted to love Zero, I really did, but I never quite managed to get comfortable with the controls. It would be nice to play a remastered version with normal controls but I would much prefer a whole new game. I think even if Zero had normal controls, it wouldn't be a great game.

No thanks. It wasnt a great game at all. Just go back to the roots and make something along the lines of 64. That was an awsome Starfox game.

I mean, the exact same game with minimal changes is impossible, put they could reuse almost all the assets to put the same story and visuals in a game that would work on the Switch.

Make something better and start small by focusing on on-rail arcade shooter gameplay without distractions and combine it with a fresher story with lots of space opera charm.

The game is really good. A remake or a new game, I am interested eitherway.

Just make a new one.
Zero already had stages, that felt like remakes on the N64 game.

I hope they never add those "droid" sections again.
It completely killed the pacing of the game.

All I want, is an on-rails, arcade styled shooter. Like the original.

See, making a port of Zero would require a lot of effort due to the game’s drastic use of the gamepad, and I’d just rather they’d make a new one. No reused plot, no shoehorned gimmicks, just a new story with new locations and a new big bad with a similar gameplay style and mission structure like all the other games, but with new elements that make it feel fresh and don’t make the game harder to play. I never played Zero (or most of the Star Fox games if I’m honest, I played a bit of 64 on NSO but that’s it), but I’d be a bit interested in picking up a new game in the series, and I’d hope that they could take feedback from the previous entries (Zero especially) to make a new game.

I wish Star Fox GP was a real thing. That could have been amazing. Or even a normal Star Fox game with a few racing stages would do.

As much as the very specific gameplay of Zero was super immersive imo, the game itself was just not fun at all. Plus the story really was z-level at best, the art direction was sad and empty, and the levels were just re-used over and over again.
Once I managed to reach the end, I remember telling myself Starfox was just not a series for me anymore. I do appreciate developers trying new things, but the result there was certainly not something worth selling.
There, that's my answer 😅

I'd rather a remaster of Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox Assault.
Better yet: a new game with similar gameplay to Assault.

@Anti-Matter

And while we're at it, let's get a new Advance Wars but it's now a racer instead of SRPG and a new Pikmin but it's now a dating sim. Let's take every established-but-ignored game series and make a new game in a different genre!

I don't even think Zero was inherently bad, the core gameplay is rock solid and the base Arwing controls were damn near perfect. It was ultimately done dirty by its overreliance on the gamepad. I don't think a straight port could work in the way people think, but I'd like to see if they can take what worked and put in a proper new game.

Also people, the soft reboot isn't that big of a deal. It's only the second time they've done that.

@burninmylight Starting to sound like Chibi Robo Zip Lash lol

@burninmylight
Star Fox gameplay looked fits with Ratchet & Clank style in my opinion.
If the game also have additional features like planting crops or decorating the headquarters, it will look better and fancier.

I had some fun with Zero in co-op, but it wasn't exactly something to write home about. I agree with the sentiment of making a new game. My favorites are still Assault (still holds up!) and Command, so I'm hoping that when more Starfox does come, it doesn't just follow the 64 mold to the point of near tedium.
(Not to say 64 was tedious; just that I want some evolution and invention in the franchise.)

I’d almost want to see them do a Star Fox Metroidvania. Not a side scroller but more or less an “open world” that I can fly around in and land to get out and walk around if need be. Like, a better version of Starlink.
Then again, I’m fully okay with another purely on-rails take on the series but if they’re looking for something new, I think that is the natural progression route.

Star Fox Zero should have been ported across to Switch years ago and we should be getting excited for a new entry on Switch 2.

That's the cold hard truth.

Donkey Kong is the biggest fail of the Switch era, but Star Fox is not far behind.

Star Fox Zero is a great game with garbage controls. It is not a huge ask to refine the controls and release it on Switch... that's absolute nonsense to suggest. Besides, Nintendo are swimming in millions of pounds of profit right now. Star Fox as a franchise is in dire need of some of that money.

As is frigging Donkey Kong. Seriously.

But no... we get Xenoblade again!! It's like Nintendo enjoys this! lol

Star Fox Zero being talked up for Switch 2 is just such a stupid conversation too. Oh how exciting... a last generation game we should already have on current generation Switch... being put forward for future Switch. Am I supposed to be impressed by this? It's plain stupid. If anything it suggests Switch 2 is going to be "more of the same"!

Sorry, but Donkey Kong and Star Fox deserve far better. Nintendo better have some cards up their sleeve because a port of Returns (a Wii game no less) and dropping Zero like it's suddenly relevant today but wasn't FIVE years ago is just woefully inadequate.

unpopular opinion, but I would love a remake of Star Fox Adventures. Loved that game :'

It’s genuinely got the core of a cool game in there… somewhere. Additionally I think the problem is often misdiagnosed as “motion controls” or two screens, when I think the problem is both? If I had to use two screens but the base controls were normal I think it could have been really fun!

I'm all for a brand-new Star Fox game. I'd be interested in them really expanding it and taking it in at least an additional direction to the on-rails shooter gameplay.

Also, I feel like a Star Fox "99" would be cool, no?

@Anti-Matter Weapons?! That would be far too violent for you.

I really don't think there's any saving Star Fox Zero. It would need a major re-work to play without the Wii U gamepad and it looked incredibly dated at release, never mind in 2024.

@RupeeClock It was a game done with the idea to use the Gamepad to its fullest. It's one of my favorite Wii U games, because of that reason.

Please make it happen!

One of my favorite games from the past gen. It was stellar and the gamepad usage was brilliant. A shame it required a bit of learning and people gave up.

@Anti-Matter what you're describing is not a Star Fox game. It's just a bunch of games you happen to like that just has the name Star Fox on it.

Assault would be a better option (please tell me that wasn't Bamco's cancelled project), but Zero with actual controls would be. . .fine, I guess.

@N00BiSH
Well, it could be better.
Just like ACNH when changed become more decorating, less social talking, I became like ACNH even more because the gameplay felt more The Sims style and I like The Sims games.
Star Fox with Ratchet & Clank style gameplay, able to double jumps by pressing the button, a lot of different weapons to use, at least four playable characters, it will be my better choice of Star Fox games.

@nocdaes XCX was a far more requested port than SFZ ever was, in addition to it just flat out being a better game in every aspect. Trust me, as a Star Wars fan, I wanted to like Star Fox, but even 64 3D was just ok. I agree on Donkey Kong (even a Jungle Beat port would've been nice), but I think it's time to let Star Fox go.

I need to see a Star Fox sequel that continues on from the canonical final chronological point of the series.

Obviously the chronologically last game in the Star Fox timeline is Command on the DS. Now that game did have multiple endings. I can only see two possible solutions to this - either amalgamate the best bits of each ending together (so a heartbroken middle aged Fox flatshares with his overweight friend Slippy looks on as his ex girlfriend marries Panther while Falco leads his own "Star Falco" team against Andross' great nephew who suddenly takes a heel turn for "reasons". Any indie studio could make this game. It would be great).

...or make one Star Fox game for each of the possible endings. It's one or the other Nintendo.

I feel like I’m one of the only people that like this game lol.

Zero was an amazing game, but only if you could embrace the unorthodox control scheme. Sadly, but not unsurprisingly, the innovative controls didn’t resonate well with a lot of gamers.

In any case, Zero had its shot. It might be better to just go for an entire new entry instead.

@StuTwo I mean, a big reason they did what they did with Zero was because Command's story was an abysmal and convoluted mess. Personally, I don't think Star Fox should be strongly driven by any real consistent canon - keep it loose and keep it simple I say.

I should first note, I have 100% completion on Star Fox Zero. The controls are not good. Zero would have worked better as a New 3DS title with the screens always next to each other, but on WiiU it is disorienting. It would be better if they just made a new one. Starlink was a better Star Fox game, and that was only a small part of the Switch version of the game. Nintendo should have just gotten with Ubisoft after Starlink to have them make a full Lylat system game using the Starlink engine as a foundation.

@TechJunkie69 after recent incidents, I'd rather Nintendo simply acquire the Starlink team.

And the Mario + Rabbids team.

And the Rayman/Prince of Persia team.

And basically every good Ubisoft team.

@Erigen I feel like your comment deserves to get pinned to basically every news article.

I can't believe how strong the demand for remakes and ports has become among the gaming community. It's all everyone keeps asking about.

Star Fox Zero DOESN'T NEED TWO SCREENS. I played it entirely on the gamepad, without TV. It's exactly the same gameplay I would have on switch. Back on the day Nintendo said it trying to say it's only possible in Nintendo platforms, but it's a lie, it was the same move Nintendo did with Twilight Princess, saying they need to mirror the game on Wii because of the control. Wiimote doesn't have this kind of precision (maybe wiimote plus)

@batmanbud2 agreed, and do this before Microsoft take it

While I wouldn't be opposed to a port of Zero that reworks the all-range mode sections and changes the controls to something a bit more conventional; I think like many others, I would prefer a brand new Star Fox game that finally expands on the structure of Star Fox 64 in a meaningful way instead of rehashing it again.

I honestly wished 64 would just stay in the past, why not build off of Assault, fix the on-foot & add tons more Arwing levels? Everyone aside from me hated Fox not having his a** superglued to his Arwing 24/7. I just want Krystal back after that bomb, Command ruined the post-64 era.

@Erigen I don't think they want to. It seems after Rare was forced to rock the boat with Adventures and then, Namco worked on Assault right?, this has been the status quo. They're terrified to do anything that isn't chasing the highs of SF64.

Which is a shame, there's so much they could do.

Not unless Switch 2 has dual screens, no. Zero probably won't work well without it. I'd be more interested in seeing a new game in the style of Starlink. But then again that's the only thing remotely close to a Star Fox game (and I know, it's not actually a Star Fox game but the Star Fox chars are in the Switch version) that I'm actually interested in, so I'm not sure I can consider myself a "real" Star Fox fan.

@AmyTheBrawler I associate Krystal with Star Fox failure; everything went to hell once that furry bait showed up.

Yes, I hated Adventures. That piss-poor discount Zelda clone sucked. I don't need Fox running around pretending to be Link anymore than I need Link's crossbow training.

Star Fox 1, 2 and 64 are on NSO. Don't bother with Zero.

Make a new original game instead.

I guess to preserve it's history it'd be good to have Zero on current gen, but Assault and Adventure should be ported first. They're much better games

@batmanbud2 Xenoblade and Star Fox are so wildly different they should just both be ported over. There's no need for an either or scenario.

@AmyTheBrawler I actually agree with this. And while we're at it, do the same with Fzero.

And before anyone says otherwise, keep in mind, this is the studio that made Mario an RPG, Metroid and FPS, Zelda an open world sandbox, and Kirby 3D.

@Erigen came here to say exactly that.
It's even probably why Star Fox Zero was a flop in the first place.
I'm not going to spend 60€ for the fifth version of StarFox.

I remember posting on here that I found the demo I played at Hyper Japan back in the day a bit underwhelming and unintuitive, and I think I recall I really upset some Star Fox fans. If I'd had a Wii U I might of played it, I liked the SNES and N64 games.

Frankly, I don't think it would be possible. As flawed of a gameplay mechanic as it was (to the point where one reviewer refused to assign a score to the game because they were so miserable playing it), having the third-person perspective on the TV screen while having the cockpit view on the Wii U GamePad was integral to the experience. You can't really separate that from the game by putting it on the Switch, which has only one screen. At that point, you'd be better off porting it to the 3DS. That being said, I have heard some rumors that the successor to the Switch will have a dual screen mechanic, so it could possibly be feasible then. But the Switch as it is now, I just don't see it.

Personally, if they were to bring back a previous Star Fox game, I'd rather they bring back Adventures or Assault. But make some changes to address the complaints from their original releases. For example, with Adventures, have Fox save Krystal halfway through the game, then have them work together to stop General Scales and Andross. With Assault, add more levels (especially using the multiplayer-only maps of the Great Fox, Titania, and Zoness, plus some originals like Venom, where you have to infiltrate the ruins of Andross's base to acquire the schematics for the computer virus weapon to destroy the Aparoids), and tighten up the controls.

But above all, I would love a sequel to Assault that ignores the continuity of Command, we see Star Fox combat a new threat (something even more dangerous than the Aparoids, maybe something that threatens all of existence), and we especially see Fox's and Krystal's relationship deepen further, with the two of them getting married at the end of the game.

Given it's pretty much a Star Fox 64 reimagining, which in itself was a Star Fox 1 reboot, just remaster Star Fox 64 3D for the Switch and call it a day. The franchise needs to move on from the past again with a sequel to Assault or a story between 64 and Adventure.

@N00BiSH @anti-matter they tried doing a Star Fox game away from the normal formula, it’s called Star Fox Adventures. It didn’t do very well on the GameCube.

I can’t see Nintendo using Ratchet & Clank style gameplay for Star Fox. In fact, I highly doubt Nintendo wouldn’t want to lift anything from a Sony IP either since they’re still a bit brisk toward them compared to Microsoft.

SF Zero port would be difficult.
I would like to see a port of Assault first or a sequel set after Assault (because Command was bad).

@nocdaes Nah, the biggest fail is Mario Kart having a port be its only game and then introducing a Tour port disguised as DLC 5 years later rather than make any kind of new game. DK is second and no Star Fox is third. But I'm not even that disappointed in Star Fox since they ended up putting Star Fox content in a third party game that's basically the direction I wanted Star Fox to go in anyway, so I pretty much got what I wanted out of Star Fox this gen anyway.

@progx a salient point. Additionally, Nintendo already has the 3rd-person cartoon shooter angle covered with Splatoon. Putting a Star Fox skin on top would be needless and redundant.

With the power of Switch 2, Nintendo really does have the opportunity to turn Star Fox into a pseudo Star Wars franchise, with games like Star Fox Battlefront, Star Fox Rogue Squadron, and the list goes on! I think with proper world-building and smart merchandising, Nintendo could reimagine Star Fox as a very lucrative IP.

@N00BiSH I disagree though, I don't think Splatoon caters to the same niche of gamers that would be drawn to the Star Wars Battlefront series. Especially when part of the draw of a proper sci-fi franchise is the usage of sci-fi vehicles and ships.

I've thought for a long time that a follow-up to Star Fox Assault on Switch 2, with improved combat and seamless ground-to-air-to-space gameplay would be a unique draw for Star Fox compared to Nintendo's other franchises. The closest comparison is TOTK's Depths-to-Surface-to-Sky gameplay.

Plus now that the new Playtest Program essentially confirms better online servers moving forward, I believe a Star Fox game with proper online multiplayer would finally hit lightning in a bottle for Nintendo.

@AstroTheGamosian I agree, make a sequel to Assault, mostly a multiplayer game with the new online servers Nintendo is play testing, and seamless ground-to-air-to-space gameplay, the kind of mechanic Star Wars Battlefront 3 was trying to achieve before being canceled. Would be amazing!

IMO they should just do a sequel contuing from Star Fox Zero with a control scheme that works for Switch but still with the transforming R-Wings.

But just call it Star Fox 3 and include the SF2 characters and people will be calling it a return to form.

@Ulysses I was talking more from a broader point of view, but I don't disagree with what you're saying.

Personally speaking, I've never been the biggest fan of Assault's gameplay loop. The ground sections never did it for me, in terms of controls and gameplay. Felt like it took away from the Arwing gameplay, which is kind of what I think makes Star Fox...Star Fox.

Although I really enjoyed Star Fox Zero I'd rather a brand new Star Fox game.

@RupeeClock UNLESS, the Switch 2 will be more like a Wii u? Wherein the dock is able to use instant wifi casting to play with the game pad? Who knows?! But it would be cool to have casting again.

Maybe this is a hint that the Switch 2 would be able to be played with 2 screens.
You put the Switch 2 in the dock and connect via Bluetooth on portable mode and use it just like the gamepad ?

Which technically would be less work on the game but more work on the hardware.
It would also extend the number of titles that could be ported.

I ultimately don’t really believe on what I am saying but it is just a thought.

Unlike a certain someone on this forum. I think maybe just a new starfox in the vein of assault would be better than whatever Frankenstein s monster of a game he's describing. Preferably with online multiplayer

@Anti-Matter then it wouldn't be starfox anymore if the machinery aren't the main attraction.

Just make another Starfox God damn it !!!

@RupeeClock @RCGamer exactly, I hate people just repeating comments they don’t even validate, when already on the Wii U you could play the whole game just on the gamepad! It would easily work on Switch and even easier than Wonderful 101. The only downside-I don’t like the hovercraft missions. Otherwise Zero was great and million times better than Starlink from Ubisoft.

@Bolt_Strike @RCGamer exactly, I hate people just repeating comments they don’t even validate, when already on the Wii U you could play the whole game just on the gamepad! And switch between the view with a press of a button. It would easily work on Switch and even easier than Wonderful 101. The only downside-I don’t like the hovercraft missions. Otherwise Zero was great and million times better than Starlink from Ubisoft.

@TechJunkie69 controls worked perfectly if you get used to different scheme. Very precise and unique. Not every game needs the same layout as every other game. Those that gave up soon because of their impatience missed a solid game. Not better than 64, but great arcade shooter far better than the lazy boring Starlink- Star fox had million times better gameplay.

@8bit-Man I disagree. The co trolls felt like a breath of fresh air. I hate that unique games suffer because of lazy gamers that bash a solid game because of their impatience and rigid attitude.

@RCGamer @RCGamer exactly, I hate people just repeating comments they don’t even validate, when already on the Wii U you could play the whole game just on the gamepad and switching between the two screens with a press of a button! It would easily work on Switch and even easier than Wonderful 101. The only downside-I don’t like the hovercraft missions. Otherwise Zero was great and million times better than Starlink from Ubisoft.

@Znake I can't speak to the quality of Zero's gameplay, but the main reason I'm interested in Starlink and not the "real" Star Fox games is because Starlink is more exploration focused. Because it's an actual open space exploration game rather than a linear rail shooter. If they can make a "better", "real" Star Fox game in the style of games like Starlink and No Man's Sky, where you have an actual open world to explore and the dogfights take place in the open world rather than scripted linear sequences, I'd be interested in that. But until then the only thing Star Fox I actually like is the "worse", not-technically-a-real-Star-Fox game in Starlink since that's the closest to the style of gameplay I have in mind.

Something more Starlink style might sell better too, which means a more consistent release schedule rather than the on again/off again schedule it's had for its entire life. Complain about open world all you want but... those games tend to sell. A lot of people clearly like the genre. Many of the best selling Switch games are open world, and even on past consoles you've seen games that have sprawling open areas tend to do well in sales (for example, Mario 64, OoT, and Banjo-Kazooie on the N64). An open space game with the usual incentives to explore and dogfights all over the map would help give Star Fox a solid niche with more mainstream appeal as opposed to the linear rail shooters which few seem to care about.

I'm really tired of this franchise's future being decided by remakes and remasters of the same bloody game. Please make an actually new game before we even talk about porting this game

@Erigen this is exactly how I feel. If Star Fox 64 was a more perfect Star Fox 1, and Star Fox Zero was a reimagining of Star Fox 64, then it's time to let go of this. Thanks be to Rare and Namco Bandai for giving us other installments in this series. But all we've ever wanted was an expansion into a new game of what was good. On a side note, Star Fox's cameo in Starlink I think is a blueprint of where the series can go next while building on things it has already done well. One day I hope. But a port of Star Fox Zero is not it, nor was Star Fox Zero itself.

@Znake What part did you disagree about exactly? Sounds like we were on the same page.

Unfortunately it’s been like this ever since touch screen and motion controls became a thing. Some gamers just don’t want to give unconventional controls a chance.

For the switch 2 online + expansion, i want to be able to play gamecube, 3DS, wii, wiiU. So they dont have to re release it.

As for this game, i just want a new starfox, made specially for the switch 2 as a graphical showcase.
Also Fzero build with the switch 2 in mind to make use of the full power.
Also existing games like, Mario Luigi, smashbros, Zelda to get a 4k update.

While my favourite Star Fox entry is Assault, I think I'd want a Zero + Guard port the most from the franchise because it rescues 2 more games from the Wii U.

A sequel to Assault and Adventures please. Star Fox Zero isn't a 'poor' video game per say... but gracious its one of the most pointless things I've ever played. PLEASE for goodness sakes continue the story and reveal Star Wolf's fate after the Aparoid homeworld detonated.

@Lewiiugamepad : A successor with an optional second screen (that can perhaps be used as a second "console", albeit requiring the primary unit to function, similar to the Wii U Gamepad) seems like the most logical step for Nintendo instead of a mere repeat of the last console with a little more under the hood.

Time will tell. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised though.

Not sure if he asking for a port or if he can play switch games on switch 2

I'd rather want a new game for the series.
Star Fox Zero has good music, but it didn't capture the attention of people because the Wii U didn't sell well and the story is basically a retelling of Star Fox 64, which is also a retelling of the original Star Fox (SNES).

If they port Star Fox Zero, I'll buy it to show my support for the series, but it was a disappointing entry marred by the gimmicky controls.

Like many others, I'd much rather have a new game in the series.

@FoxyDude The problem of SFZ is not only the controls but also the fact that they reimagined the story for the third time. The story was retold from SF64, which is the best in the series IMO, and continued from that. But then at SFC nothing happen... They re-released SF64 on the 3DS and the sales weren't as they expected because it was 'an HD version of a N64 game'.
So to solve the problem they retold the story again with some twists... Which is ok in some part and I do like the new designs but they are telling the same story over and over again.
At least in Starlink Battle for Atlas there are some 'continuation' after SFZ, even if it's only some quotes from the game, but that to me is already a good sign of the series going forward.