It's impressive just how perfect Star Fox (2026) is for the nostalgic mind

Nostalgia is one of the more tricky things we all struggle with – especially when it comes to our media.

For example, I love Donkey Kong 64. I love it dearly. And even though everyone tells me it's a bad game, and I know in my heart that it has problems, I still love it every time I revisit it. My love for the game from when I was a kid has broken me beyond repair.

Star Fox 64, on the other hand, is a nostalgic game for me that's also a stone-cold classic. It's one of the premiere achievements of the 64 era, and a game people look back on with love and reverence. (I do have a lot of loving nostalgia for Star Fox Adventures, but we're not talking about that today). In fact, the only major problem people have with Star Fox 64 (and by association, the 2026 remake we're talking about here today) is that Nintendo refuses to make a new game in the series, and has instead opted to re-release the old one over and over again.

But the thing is ... Star Fox (2026) isn't just Star Fox 64 but 29 years later. Star Fox (2026) is exactly what I thought Star Fox 64 was when I was marrying the game's muddy 3D graphics with my childhood imagination. It's a memory that doesn't really exist made manifest.

Over the last week, I've played through each of Star Fox (2026)'s routes a handful of times, and gotten the normal difficulty medals in each stage. I've taken down Andross' many forms, I've grounded Star Wolf and his crew of idiots, and I've been saved by the legendary James McCloud. And it all looks, feels, sounds, and performs beautifully.