Star Fox – Nintendo Switch 2 – Guide with all the alternative routes in the game

Star Fox – Nintendo Switch 2 – Complete Walkthrough (Step-by-Step Strategy Guide) Star Fox – Nintendo Switch 2 – Guide to unlocking all game endings Star Fox – Nintendo Switch 2 – Guide with all alternative routes in the game

Star Fox is a game designed to be played multiple times, and what makes each new playthrough different from the last is the alternate route system present in almost every stage. With each completed mission, you advance to the next planet, but the destination isn’t always the same. In several stages there’s a standard path and an alternate path, and which one you follow depends on how you perform during the mission. The alternate routes generally lead to more difficult stages than the normal path, making the campaign progressively more demanding as you climb to the upper parts of the Lylat System map.

In general, the lower routes of the map are more accessible and do not require fulfilling secret conditions. The intermediate routes require one or two additional objectives. The upper routes concentrate the most difficult stages and are only accessible through multiple requirements throughout the campaign. The game has sixteen stages in total, but each round only traverses seven of them, always starting in Corneria and ending in one of the two versions of Venom.

There are twenty-five possible route combinations between Corneria and the final confrontation. Fourteen of them lead to the normal ending in Venom, and eleven lead to the true ending in Venom 2. If you unlock an alternate route but prefer not to follow it, you can choose the default destination on the map screen after the mission. The exception is Sector X, which has three possible exits and where choosing to use the warp portals also retains the option to go to Macbeth.

CORNERIA

Corneria is always the first stage, without exception. The default destination upon completing it is usually Meteo. To unlock access to Sector Y, which is the entry point to the game’s most difficult route, two objectives must be completed within the same mission. First, when Falco appears being chased by three ships after the checkpoint, destroy all three pursuers before they reach him. This is crucial, as you will need him for the second objective. After saving him, proceed to the lake with seven stone arches. Falco will mention that the arches look like a good obstacle course. Pass through the opening of all seven arches in sequence without skipping any. Upon completing all seven, Falco will guide you through a hidden route behind a waterfall, where you will face an alternate boss different from the usual one. Defeating him is what effectively unlocks Sector Y as the next destination.

METEOR

Meteo’s standard path leads to Fichina. The alternate route opens access to Katina, and she is available in the second half of the stage, after the checkpoint. In this area you will find seven orange warp rings distributed along the path. They are distinct from other elements of the scenery and easy to identify. Go through all seven in sequence to be launched into a special warp corridor with many asteroids, simple enemies, and a large number of items and bombs scattered along the way. Reaching the end of this warp corridor unlocks Katina on the map. If you miss any of the seven rings or simply don’t attempt the alternate route, Fichina will be the next destination via the normal path.

SECTOR Y

Sector Y doesn’t have a branching path that automatically determines your destination, but the accumulated hit score throughout the mission is what determines where you go next. Finish the mission with over one hundred hits and the path to Aquas opens. Finish with fewer than one hundred and your destination will be Katina. To make it easier to reach one hundred hits, choose the upper route at the inner branch of the stage, as it has a higher concentration of enemies and more opportunities for combos with charged shots than the lower route.

AQUAS

Aquas has no destination variations. No matter how you play or how well you perform during the mission, the next stage after Aquas is always Zoness, without exception.

KATINA

In Katina, the internal route remains the same, but the outcome of the battle against the Saucerer determines the next destination. If you destroy the core of the large mothership before the timer on the screen runs out, the path to Solar is unlocked. If the time expires without the core being eliminated and the base being destroyed, the next destination will be Sector X via the standard route.

FICHINA

Fichina has an alternate route that surprises first-time players, as the stage is short and simple. The key is the confrontation against the Star Wolf team: they appear with a timer running, and you need to defeat all four members before time runs out and the tower is destroyed. If you succeed, the mission is completed successfully, and Solar becomes the next destination. If the timer runs out before you eliminate all four, the tower explodes, and the normal route continues towards Sector X.

ZONE

In Zoness, the route is always the same, but how you handle the radar buoys scattered across the ocean throughout the mission is what separates the two possible destinations. To clear the path to Sector Z, you need to destroy all the radar buoys without being detected by any of them at any point. It’s an objective that demands constant attention and action before each buoy’s beam hits the Arwing. If any buoy detects you, or if you leave any intact at the end of the mission, the next destination will be Macbeth via the standard route.

SOLAR

Solar has no destination variation. The next stage after Solar is always Macbeth, regardless of any action or performance during the mission.

SECTOR X

Sector X is the most complex stage in terms of routes, as it offers three possible destinations from a single mission. Halfway through the route, a large mass of debris blocks the central path, forcing you to choose between going left or right.

The first possible destination is Sector Z. To get there, choose the left path at the fork and locate the four large metal portals along that route. Shoot each one to open it and fly through all four in sequence. This launches the Arwing into a warp corridor that leads directly to Sector Z. From this corridor you also retain the option to go to Macbeth via the map after the mission.

The second destination is Macbeth, via the direct route without the warp corridor. To get there, defeat the boss Spyborg before he manages to take down Slippy during combat. If Spyborg hits Slippy at any point before being eliminated, the third destination comes into play.

The third destination is Titania. It is activated when Spyborg knocks Slippy down during combat and is only then defeated. This happens naturally if you take long enough in combat for Spyborg to attack Slippy, which occurs in the second phase of the fight if you are not quick enough.

SECTOR Z

In Sector Z, the objective is to protect the Great Fox from six Copperhead missiles launched in sequence. If you destroy all six missiles before any of them hit the ship, access to Area 6 is unlocked, opening the path to the true ending of the game. If a single missile manages to hit the Great Fox, the next destination will be Bolse via the standard route.

MACBETH

Macbeth’s alternate route is the most elaborate in the entire game in terms of execution. It becomes available in the second half of the level, after the checkpoint. Advancing through this section, you’ll find eight numbered rail locks scattered along the path, and each one needs to be hit exactly once to be activated and turn green. Don’t shoot any of them more than once to avoid accidentally deactivating it.

The first two are on the right side of the tracks. The third is on the left immediately after the first two, and the fourth is on the right above some boxes. It’s worth braking a little to have time to hit both without missing them. The fifth is on the left, just after a gate on the right. The sixth is on the right behind a gate that needs to be opened with a shot, so be careful not to hit the lock at the same time as opening the gate. The seventh and eighth are the most difficult and are behind barricades, one on each side. The one on the left can be hit when the train passes and clears the line of sight. The one on the right requires destroying the barricade first to reach the lock behind it. If you rescued Falco during the level, he helps hit this last lock automatically. Otherwise, use the brake, destroy the barricade quickly, and then hit the lock.

With all eight locks activated, proceed to the mechanism with eight green circles, wait for it to open, and fire to activate the lever. The train is diverted to the enemy base, unlocking access to Area 6 on the map and opening the path to the true ending.

TITANIA

Titania has no alternate routes. Anyone arriving here via Sector X must always proceed to Bolse upon completing the mission, with no possible variations.

AREA 6

Area 6 also has no internal alternate routes. Completing the mission and defeating Gorgon always leads directly to Venom 2, the final stage of the most difficult path and where the true ending of the game is revealed.

BOLSE

Bolse has no alternate route. Completing the mission always leads to Venom, the more accessible version of the final stage, where the normal campaign ending takes place.