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Star Fox Racing Game Rumored to be In Development
If rumors are to be believed, Retro Studios' unannounced Nintendo Switch project is actually a Star Fox racing game. Reportedly called Star Fox Grand Prix, the alleged Switch exclusive will offer a new take on Nintendo's iconic space combat series. Instead of blasting every enemy in sight, there'll now be a new focus on speeding past competitors.
The Star Fox series has traditionally been an on-rails shooter taking place in outer space. Recent games in the series have mixed things up with ground combat in addition to the more prominent flying sections. Despite taking a several year hiatus, the series most recently saw a new entry in the form of 2016's Star Fox Zero.
While the most recent leak concerning the rumored Star Fox Grand Prix has come from the notorious imageboard 4chan, which has a long checkered history when it comes to rumor accuracy, this is being backed up by more reputable sources. Eurogamer gave credence to the rumor, saying that they've heard similar details regarding the upcoming racing game. It's also been previously discussed by some high-profile leakers, including DasVergeben on Reddit.
According to DasVergeben, the racing game will be modeled after the Nintendo 64 classic Diddy Kong Racing, which blended together a traditional kart racer with a story mode. That means that Star Fox Grand Prix will feature a hub world to explore, cutscenes to watch, and even boss fights to battle. So, while the Nintendo Switch installment looks to be quite the departure for the series, it will still have plenty of what fans have come to expect.
If anything, this rumor falls in line with Retro Studios' history of reviving classic Nintendo series. The studio previously worked their magic on Metroid Prime and brought the Donkey Kong Country series of platformers out of retirement. The Texas-based developer has never worked on a racing game before in a primary capacity (although they did aid Nintendo on Mario Kart 7), but that's also why nobody had expected them to develop Donkey Kong Returns on Nintendo Wii.
This also isn't the first time that the rumor mill has connected Retro with the Star Fox series. Multiple rumors came out that they were involved in Star Fox Zero's development, but the Wii U action game instead wound up being handled by PlatinumGames. While there is every possibility that this winds up being false, this rumor seems to have more independent confirmations. If it is real, expect Nintendo to announce it during their E3 2018 Nintendo Direct presentation.
