What is up, everyone! Welcome to a very special episode of RetrOS. This time, we are straying from retro gaming territory to take a look at an indie title that is hailed as the spiritual successor to Star Fox 64.
Will this game fill Star Fox 64's shoes? Or is this a quick cash grab, cashing in on the hype and success of the recently released Star Fox reboot?
Let's find out!
In 2026, there has been no other classic gaming franchise that has received as much hype and media attention as Nintendo's Star Fox.
The series started in 1993, which started out as a showcase of 3-D graphics technology for the SNES console, produced by UK-based developer Argonaut Games.
The original game was a massive success, sparking the industry-wide push to 3-D graphics technology, and is hailed as one of the most recognisable titles of the SNES game library. Although a successor to the original game was developed, but later cancelled.
One of the most famous, critically acclaimed titles of this franchise was Star Fox 64, or Lylat Wars in Europe. It is hailed as a reboot and retelling of the original Star Wing.
The game is hailed as one of the N64's most defining titles. The game is praised for the fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay, the style in which the story is told and the branching pathways you could take in a single playthrough.
You know as well as I do, one of the biggest unwritten laws of the gaming industry today is that when a game, mechanic, or trend is highly successful both critically and commercially, copycats and clones are sure to follow.
Wild Blue Skies is one of them, developed by Chuhai Labs and VITEI BACKROOM Inc. The game is centred around an elite fighter Squadron, turned mercenary unit, the Blue Bombers, comprised of Bowie Stray, Chuck Barbacoa, Roe Whitetail, and Thorne.
The world was rocked by a war between General Harding and chief engineer, turned evil tyrant, Grimclaw. It is up to you to repel the robotic armada under the leadership of Grimclaw and launch a counter-attack to stop Grimclaw's plot to take over the world!
The accessibility scores are as follows-
Visibility 9.5
In terms of this category, the game lacks basic accessibility features. For a start, this game lacks a colourblind mode. This is important because the arrows above your squadmate's craft are colour-coded.
This is not exactly a big deal, as the colour contrast is colourblind friendly as it is. The letter and the middle of that icon should also indicate who is piloting which craft.
So, despite the shortfalls, this game is easily playable for players with visual impairments.
Audibility 10
This game has full subtitle support. The way that this is presented is very similar to Star Fox 64's.
The subtitles are displayed in a box located at the bottom centre of the screen. The portrait of the speaker is also displayed to the left of this box, and his or her name also appears in the top left. These subtitles are present in both missions and in cutscenes.
This allows a player with a hearing impairment to immerse themselves in the game's rich story. However, it would be great if there were customisation options for the font sizes of these subtitles. This reduces any risk of a player gaining eye strain when he or she is reading them.
So, this game is very playable for a player with hearing impairments, but, as said before, font customisation options would make this game a fair bit easier and safer to play.
Mobility 6
On the PC version used to test this, the game is designed with controller use in mind. To be fair, this is a spiritual successor to Star Fox 64, a console exclusive we're talking about. Now, the game lacks a critical feature. This game has no interchangeable control layouts or any remapping support.
This can make the game inaccessible for players with mobility impairments, as a player cannot reach a certain button on his or her controller. This game is a rail shooter. So, success in this game relies on fast reaction times as the game progresses.
I understand that this game is based on a 1998 N64 classic, but come on! This needs to be addressed ASAP!
Gameplay 9.5
The developers have replicated the formula which makes Star Fox 64 truly unique; to be fair, a former programmer of the original Star Fox, Giles Goddard, is involved. The game's controls are similar to Star Fox 64
Pressing X fires a single shot from Bowie's plasma blaster. Pressing and holding A charges your laser; releasing the button fires a charge shot. This is useful for taking down close-knit enemy groups and for targeting enemies from afar. Silver rings recover a portion of your health.
However, this game seems to be a lot more difficult than Star Fox 64. For example, there is no way to increase your max health. Also, you and your team recover a little health between levels, and enemies take a lot more damage before being shot down. So, finding and collecting those weapon upgrades is vital! And the boss battles at the end of every stage do get very hectic.
In the original Star Fox 64, you can zoom the camera in and out behind your craft. You can also switch the camera to the inside of your cockpit. In Wild Blue Skies, you don't have the luxury! This makes aiming a lot harder as you spend most of your time on the top half of the screen to line up your sight with your target.
However, as I have said, the majority of the game in terms of mechanics and aspects of the story is simply copied and pasted from Star Fox 64. The arcade elements of this game are expanded. For example, keeping all 3 squad means live throughout the duration of the mission gives you a score boost. Also, finding the letters W-I-L-D in the same way you collect S-K-A-T-E in the Tony Hawk games also boosts your score.
In summary, Wild Blue Skies feels like a slight upgrade when in contrast with the original Star Fox 64. The cell-shaded art style is like a breath of fresh air.
So, if you are a Star Fox enthusiast and are looking for something fresh to play, this game is highly recommended!
OVERALL SCORE: 87.5%
See you guys in the next review!
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