Original Star Fox Designer comments on new character designs for the Switch 2 game

Nintendo's big reveal of Star Fox on Switch 2 has been met with mixed feedback from fans about the new, realistic character designs from Fox McCloud and company, with even the original character designer saying that the movie actually looks better. While now retired from Nintendo, the artist behind Star Fox still likes all the current versions of the characters a lot, even if he prefers one.

Star Fox is Nintendo's upcoming remake of the original Star Fox 64making it Nintendo's fourth remake or reimagined the Nintendo 64 original in nearly 30 years. Nintendo's official Star Fox The live reveal has already racked up 2.3 million views, and fans seem generally excited about the game's release on June 25, 2026. However, it's not without some mixed responses. Using the Switch 2's powerful new hardware, Nintendo has jumped into lifelike character design for this installment of Team Star Fox, making Fox and company look more like real animals than ever before. This aesthetic leap into realistic CGI has left fans loving the classic, cartoony look of the Star Fox The games rattled, especially after Fox's impressively stylized cameo The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Also, many fans are frustrated about it Star Fox is yet another remake of Star Fox 64 instead of actually pushing the franchise forward with a sequel.

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It could be a new era for Star Fox

Star Fox's appearance in the Super Mario Galaxy movie along with rumors of a new game could signal the start of a long-awaited new era for the IP.

Star Fox's original character designer thinks the movie looks better

Amid all the uproar in social media over the new Star Fox character design, the series' original graphic designer, Takaya Imamura, has stated that he actually prefers The Super Mario Galaxy movie version of the character over the design of the Switch 2 remake. Imamura has been active on Twitter recently, chatting with fans of the series about everything Star Fox on Switch 2 after the latest reveal. And despite preferring one style over the other, Imamura still thinks the upcoming Switch 2 version of the character is “good in its own way with a clear direction.” Also, Imamura thinks the concept is good and seems to accept that this is what Star Fox looks like when he's not monitoring, or “something like that”.

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Takaya Imamura retired from Nintendo in 2021 after 32 years with the company. Nevertheless, the former character designer remains a prominent voice on social media about all things Nintendo, and more specifically the upcoming Nintendo movies. As former art director for The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskImamura has commented on the upcoming live action The Legend of Zelda movie, which says fans hearing Link speak for the first time can make the series' “Zelda magic” disappears. When one takes into account his recent comments about Star Foxit seems that Imamura is enjoying his retirement as a fan who can also discuss, dissect and review his own works on social media with gamers who grew up enjoying all of his designs.

The good news for fans who might not like Fox's redesign in the new one Star Fox The bet is that there could be a lot more of the franchise coming down the pipeline very soon, and more versions of Fox McCloud to discuss on social media. Rumors are circulating that a movie featuring Fox McCloud and the rest of Team Star Fox is in the works at Illumination, and it would certainly make sense given Fox's surprise appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Moviewhich was just launched this spring. And it is possible that this fourth remake in Star Fox franchise could be the catalyst for a potential sequel, should the game succeed when it launches later in June.

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Regardless of where the fans land when it comes to Star Foxit's good to have the series back somehow. Gamers have been clamoring for games from some of Nintendo's buried franchises, such as Star Fox and F-zerowhich has seemingly been left in the dust as the company's heavy hitters continue to have massive projects in the works quite regularly. While Star Fox on Switch 2 may disappoint fans who have waited decades for Team Star Fox's story to continue, at least it means Nintendo is making an effort to reveal its B-sides and rarities to new audiences.