Playing Star Fox on Switch 2 has effortlessly reminded me every day for the past week how much I miss arcade dogfights when done well. Jumping into a mission, trying to get a better score, and realizing halfway through that the game has already talked you into doing it again is something that still works for me, even though I didn't realize it was happening when I played. Star Fox 64 like a child. Star Fox on the Switch 2 it might be short if one wants to just tick off the credits once and move on, but the more I play it, the more I'm reminded of how addicting this game can be once you understand what it's asking you to do.
Naturally, it makes me think Ace Combat 8: Wings of Thevewhich I had the opportunity to view more than a month before Star Fox launched. All I knew at the time was that I was playing one of the most exciting arcade fighting games I've touched in years. But now that Star Fox pulled me back into this overhead space Ace Combat 8arriving on October 2, 2026, seems like the obvious next game to keep on your radar. And I'm here to tell you that if you're a fan of how Star Fox you feel like playing, you should keep an eye out Ace Combat 8 also. Unfortunately, if you only have a Switch 2, you won't be able to play it at launch as it will be PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC only. However, Ace Combat 7 was eventually ported to the Switch so I'm sure the next entry will be as well.
Star Fox Review
Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 is the best way to experience the classic Star Fox story, but it's a story we've heard too many times.
Ace Combat 8 is the obvious next step after Star Fox
That thing Star Fox what he's right about switch 2 is that he understands the value of rerun. The campaign is short if one just wants to beat the campaign and then move on to another game but Star Fox it was never really about that. Instead, it's about replaying each mission, finding alternate routes, improving your score and collecting medals for it, and realizing that the real game only starts to open up after the credits roll.
Guess the emoji games.
Start
Guess the emoji games.
Easy (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)
But that's also what it does Ace Combat 8 such an easy recommendation for me to make. No, it's not a rail shooter, and no, it's not trying to be Star Fox with fighters, but it's appealing in exactly the same way. Basically if Star Fox is an apple Ace Combat 8 is an orange You embark on a mission, try to survive the chaos, end up with a score you know could be better, and then feel that nagging little voice in your head telling you to do it all over again.
I have felt this several times during my life Ace Combat 8 preview in May. I played through seven incredible story missions and after completing a few of them I still had time to replay them – so I did. The thing is, I didn't need to, and I was completely exhausted from staring at a bright screen in a dark room for hours, but I did it anyway. Reason? Because I had an absolute rush and I just didn't want to stop.
Basically if Star Fox is an apple Ace Combat 8 is an orange
This is probably the clearest connection between them Star Fox and Ace Combat 8. Both games understand that replayability doesn't always have to be about a massive checklist. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting comfortable enough with the game that you willingly come back for a second, third, fourth, and multiple try. Star Fox it does this with its branching paths, medals, challenge mode and battle mode. Ace Combat 8 it does this with a score and tons of great unlockables, as well as story missions that feel dangerous, cinematic, and more than worth upgrading.
The variety of missions I've seen Ace Combat 8 there is a huge reason for that. One mission felt like trying to save a city from Godzilla, only instead of a giant monster, the threat was a massive land battleship that plowed through everything in its path. Another mission forced me to track enemies by following jet trails in the sky instead of relying on radar as I would normally do. These are the kinds of ideas that make replaying missions inherently less repetitive, especially when things open up and you can start choosing those missions at will.
And that's the place Ace Combat 8 may be ideal for players who are leaving Star Fox. If Star Fox on Switch 2 you remembered how much fun it is to learn a mission through repeated runs instead of simply clearing it and moving on to something else, Ace Combat 8 is an arcade air combat game that is essentially built around the exact same kind of satisfaction. Beating a mission is one thing, but understanding it, surviving it better, and improving your performance is where the game really starts to dig in.
Arcade Combat 8 is ready to keep your Arcade Flight Combat Streak alive
I guess the main point I'm trying to make here is this Star Fox on the Switch 2 it put me in a very specific mood and Ace Combat 8 is the only upcoming game I can think of that seems poised to keep me there. I already liked it Theve's wings when I was viewing it, but now I like the idea even more Star Fox it reminded me how satisfying it is to replay a mission simply because I know I can do it better. It may sound like a small thing, but it's not. Some games make playing content feel like a chore, others the opposite Star Fox and Ace Combat 8 to make the whole point of it in the most natural and satisfying way possible.
Both games understand that replayability doesn't always have to be about a massive checklist.
Based on what I played, Ace Combat 8 I have a feeling he belongs to the latter group. It has speed, spectacle, scoring, variety of missions and the kind of pressure that makes any successful run feel like it could go wrong at any moment. So if Star Fox you want more arcade air combat on Switch 2, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve should be the next game you start paying attention to. It may not have the Arwing, Fox McCloud or the iconic branching paths of the Nintendo 64 classic, but it has exactly the same ability to make one more run sound like the best idea ever.
- Released
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June 25, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence
- Developers
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Nintendo
- Publishers
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
