I’m all for celebrating the little anniversaries. For example, did you know that Star Fox launched on Switch 2 one week ago today? Far from the biggest achievement, I’ll admit, but it does mean that one thought has been rattling around in my head for a whopping seven days now (even longer, if you include the review period), and I just can’t shake it: Man, Sector X rules.
This smashed-up shuttle and I go way back to my very first playthrough of Star Fox 64 in the early 2000s. It haunted me then, and it still haunts me now. In a game full of top-tier levels (not you, Solar, you can get in the bin), might this be the very best of them? I’d say so.
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But first, a recap. Depending on which route you take, you’ll rock up at Sector X as your fourth mission, either off the back of Fichina’s Star Wolf showdown or Katina’s Independence Day-style Saucerer shooting. That’s two pretty high-stakes missions that precede it, so Sector X is all about resetting the tempo, and it does so wonderfully.
The mission is simple: infiltrate Andross’ experimental manufacturing facility and neutralise the mysterious weapon within. The stage’s opening feels like exactly that; you approach the base, take out a few mines and enemy patrols skirting around the entrance, and make your way into the main area.
But once you pass through the second tunnel, things get weird. The facility has already been destroyed! Broken walls and girders float through space, and the promised Death Star-style tunnel navigation and enemy shooting are replaced by something much quieter, as Fox and co. navigate the debris and wonder what the heck’s happened here.
The answer quickly shows itself, as giant robotic arms crash through the surroundings and make the base feel a little less abandoned. A fight with the huge, malfunctioning form of Spyborg ensues, and, after dodging its flailing punches and shooting its eyes (it’s always the eyes), it’s onto the next planet.
So, why is it the best of the bunch? It’s all about the build-up. Sector X is a mini mystery all of its own, complete with an introduction (the team arrive at the base), rising action (the base is already destroyed), climax (Spyborg) and conclusion, and the game sells it as an isolating one.
it’s the only time that you see that Star Fox team really in trouble, with one ending seeing Slippy dashed out of the sky and sent hurtling towards the uninhabitable Titania
Your team usually have all the answers, but here the dialogue is full of questions and surprise. The usually unflappable Falco’s “What the heck is that?” and “Something’s not right here” really put me on edge as a kid.
The shooting is a lot less intense, too. Bar the initial approach, there are very few overwhelming instances where you need to deploy a bomb. And don’t even get me started on the score! That ever-rising six-note scale might as well be a Jaws ‘duuun-un‘, teasing that there’s something big around the corner.
Those corners are particularly obscuring, too. From the second that first arm bursts through the wall (enough to make me turn off the game and not return for a good week as a little boy), Sector X repeatedly blocks off much of your view with debris, turns, and warp gates, making every movement feel last-second, every decision vital.
The base looks excellent in the Switch 2 remake, but there’s something of the N64’s simplicity that sells the isolation even more. Most of the level takes place against the pitch-black backdrop of space, with enemies and obstacles only phasing into view when they’re right ahead of you. I feel like Sandra Bullock in Gravity every time I play it, minus the trauma of being tethered to George Clooney for the first third of its runtime.
And then we get to Spyborg, a boss where you literally blow up its head, and it keeps on swinging at you. You can’t tell me that isn’t cool. Heck, it’s the only time that you see that Star Fox team really in trouble, too, with one ending seeing Slippy dashed out of the sky and sent hurtling towards the uninhabitable Titania.
That’s right, Titania, one of the three exits out of Sector X — take the warp gate and you’re off to Sector Z, defeat Spyborg before it downs Slippy and Macbeth is waiting for you. How many other levels have that many exits? None, that’s how many.
Look, I could sing the praises of just about every level in Star Fox (again, keep out of this, Solar), but none have stayed with me quite as much, nor brought quite as big a smile to see it remastered, as Sector X. Talk about timeless vibes, eh?
But what about you? Are you entirely on board the X train with me, or does your favourite lie elsewhere? You can let us know the very best Star Fox stage in the poll below.
Which stage got your vote? Tell us why it’s number one for you in the comments.
