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Review: Wild Blue Skies (Switch) – An Unoriginal Alternative To Star Fox 64
Wild Blue Skies is a short, colourful on-rails space shooter that closely follows the story and gameplay of Star Fox 64. The review finds that its resemblance leaves little room for its characters or ideas to stand out, making its appeal harder to see in a year when a Star Fox remake is also available.
Players guide Bowie and three fellow pilots through seven stages, with branching routes, occasional all-range dogfights and boss battles. A run takes about two hours; the game adds four score commendations per stage to encourage replay, while its vibrant cel-shaded visuals and smooth performance on Switch 2 are among its strengths.
In short
- A polished but highly derivative Star Fox 64-style shooter.
- Seven stages take about two hours to complete.
- Bright visuals and smooth Switch 2 performance stand out.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Wild Blue Skies offers a colourful, polished take on a classic style of arcade shooter, with branching routes, dogfights and stage commendations that give players reasons to replay it. Its short length may suit players looking for a brisk experience, and familiar storytelling and gameplay can be part of the appeal for fans who want more of this kind of adventure.
The case against
Its close resemblance to Star Fox 64 may leave Wild Blue Skies with too little of its own identity, making its characters and ideas less memorable. With only seven stages and a run of about two hours, its limited scope may also make it harder to justify choosing it when a Star Fox remake is available.
Explained simply
Wild Blue Skies is a space shooter in which players steer a team of pilots through a series of battles. Its structure, story and branching routes closely resemble Star Fox 64, a 1997 Nintendo game in which players lead the Star Fox team through missions across the Lylat system.
The two games share a genre built around fast-moving, pre-set flight paths, with occasional open-area dogfights and large enemies to defeat. Wild Blue Skies has its own pilots, including Bowie, but the resemblance to Star Fox 64 shapes how its characters and ideas are understood.
The comparison matters because a remake of Star Fox is also available this year, giving players another way to revisit the older game. Wild Blue Skies is a short game, with score commendations that encourage players to replay its stages.
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