Fur Squadron Phoenix Review – Sly As a Fox

A couple of years ago, the developers at Raptor Claw took a crack at the StarFox genre with the impressive Fur Squadron. Though a bit on the short side and a bit finicky with controls, it’s quite the homage. Not to mention a lot of fun to play. But the team felt there was room for improvement, and so they gave the formula a second go with Fur Squadron Phoenix. It’s out now for Steam and Nintendo Switch, and I’m here to say it’s a lovely improvement.

The main thing you’ll enjoy here is how Raptor Claw adapts to the classic StarFox formula. This definitely borrows a few elements from that game, but crafts them around a charming, original universe. There are still animal characters, to be sure, but they have their own plans and agendas – including saving the world.

Though the controls are still a tiny bit stiff in areas, this game feels better than the original. This is especially true with its precision shooting and boosting. Not to mention the stage design is much more varied, including a dazzling cityscape with a Godzilla-style behemoth waiting at the end. It also sounds like a winner, with an upbeat soundtrack and good voice acting.

Throw in a reasonable challenge level and lots of missions, and you’ve got a game that goes leaps and bounds over the original. Fur Squadron Phoenix is the definitive edition of the two, and a lot of fun for old-school StarFox fans. More options would’ve been great, but as it stands, there’s still more than enough to blast through. Now get crackin’!

Enter the Fur Squadron

In the game, you portray Robin, whose of no relation to Batman. She’s a brave pilot who finds her squadron mowed down during a routine mission. But she’s not down for the count, as she works with new Fur Squadron team members to find the creatures responsible. You start with some training missions, but soon enough, the fur flies (literally!) in dangerous missions.

The interesting thing about Fur Squadron is the balanced difficulty. It’s not too tough, but you’ll need to acquire some upgrades in an effort to survive. The game’s more than fair, though, and I was very pleased by some of the prompts during the tougher boss battles. And, per StarFox code, you can spin your ship to deflect most attacks. Just watch out for bombs.

Control-wise, Phoenix is a notable improvement over Fur Squadron. The ship doesn’t feel so, um, mechanical this time around, though precision aiming is still a little bit stiff. But most of the StarFox tropes are there and handled well, especially when it comes to dropping bombs on unexpecting bosses. They’re just begging to be destroyed.

The game also features more content than the original, which is a nice touch. This includes a variety of randomized segments that keep things interesting. Don’t be surprised, however, if you find certain missions to your liking. Such as jetting through a city that’s being destroyed by a large Godzilla-like mech. Yeah, it’s going down.

So, yeah, Phoenix piles on a bit more content. It would’ve been nice to have some extra missions added on, but who knows. Maybe Raptor Claw will add a bit more content. As it stands, though, it’s paradise for StarFox fans. Especially considering there’s very little coming from Nintendo as it is.

Fur Squadron Phoenix Is Quite the Looker

Another notable improvement over the original Fur Squadron comes in form of visuals. The first one didn’t look bad, but the second features much deeper level design and more detailed ships. What’s more, the Switch 2 is capable of running the game at a beautiful 60 FPS, boosting its speed nicely. But for those stuck with the original Switch, it still looks swell. The in-game static cutscenes are cool, too, and help you identify with the characters.

The in-game music is excellent, with heroic tunes that play during each of the missions. And the voice acting is very well done for a game like this, so you really feel for each of the characters involved – especially Robin. Plus the sound effects offer that “space” appeal to boot. No complaints, just get yourself a good set of headphones.

Let the Fur (Squadron) Fly!

The original Fur Squadron earned a decent recommendation from us a couple of years ago, but Raptor Claw really went out of its way to improve things with Squadron. It’s a better game overall, and though not quite perfect, its pushes forward enable it to earn its wings. It’s got plenty of missions and looks rock solid on the Switch 2 front, as well as Steam Deck!

Anyone who’s a die-hard StarFox fan owes it to themselves to jump in. Nothing wrong with getting a little bit Fur-ry.