Expert Mode
Last updated: June 2026
Expert Mode is the highest selectable difficulty in Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2. Where the original Star Fox 64 hid Expert behind a full medal clear, the remake surfaces all three difficulty tiers — Easy, Normal, and Expert — on the campaign setup screen before your first sortie from Corneria.
How to Start an Expert Campaign
From the title menu, choose Story Mode (or Co-Op Campaign), then highlight Expert on the difficulty selector. Confirm your choice and pick a save file slot. Expert runs use the same branching route map as Normal: saving Falco on Corneria still sends you to Sector Y, warp rings at Meteo still detour to Katina, and the hard route still culminates in Venom II when you satisfy each stage’s exit condition.
Expert medals are tracked separately from Normal medals. Clearing a stage with a medal on Normal does not award the Expert version — you must meet the same hit score and wingmate survival rules again under Expert damage scaling.
Easy, Normal, and Expert Compared
Easy is a training tier. Enemies deal reduced damage, your Arwing starts with fully upgraded lasers and shields, wings cannot break, and continues are unlimited. Medals and high scores are disabled, so Easy is best for learning controls, watching wingmate rescue triggers, and practicing barrel rolls and u-turns without pressure.
Normal matches the classic Star Fox 64 balance most players remember. Damage is moderate, laser upgrades persist until your wings take heavy damage, medals and scores register, and continues are unlimited. Most first playthroughs and route discoveries happen here.
Expert sharpens every threat. Enemies hit harder, collisions cause immediate wing damage instead of gradual shield drain, Expert medals and scores are recorded separately, and continues are removed — a single careless barrel roll into a canyon wall can end a marathon medal attempt.
Combat and Survival on Expert
Expert punishes the habits that Normal forgives. Charged shots still delete armored targets, but you cannot afford to sit in one lane while charging — enemy laser fire strips shields faster, and wing breakage downgrades your laser level mid-stage. Prioritize shield rings and avoid unnecessary loop maneuvers near terrain.
Wingmate survival remains mandatory for medals. Falco, Peppy, and Slippy take Expert damage alongside you; escort stages like Sector Z require aggressive missile interception because a single Copperhead impact on Great Fox ends the run without a continue buffer. Landmaster missions at Fichina and Titania demand tighter target prioritization — farm hits only after critical objectives are secure.
Boss encounters scale with difficulty. Andross on the normal Venom path and the Star Wolf gauntlet before True Andross on Venom II leave less room for recovery. Study the dedicated boss guides linked from each walkthrough before attempting Expert medals on finale stages.
Expert Medal Completion Strategy
A full Expert medal set spans multiple routes because no single path visits all sixteen stages. Plan at least three focused runs using the route planner: one for easy-path stages, one for medium-path exclusives like Solar, and one for the hard route through Zoness and Area 6.
High-hit stages — Zoness at 250 hits and Meteo at 200 — deserve isolated practice in Challenge Mode before Expert attempts. Lower thresholds like Solar and Sector Z still challenge you with environmental limits rather than raw numbers.
Co-op on Expert splits control between two Arwings but does not relax wingmate AI requirements. Communicate intercept assignments during all-range stages and share smart bomb pickups from gold rings when hit totals stall.
Expert Versus the Original Unlock
Veterans of Star Fox 64 may remember Expert unlocking only after earning every medal with all wingmates alive. The Switch 2 remake preserves medal culture and identical hit tables but modernizes access — Expert is always available. Treat a complete Expert medal gallery as the remake’s ultimate solo achievement, equivalent in prestige to the old unlock without the gating requirement.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Unlike Star Fox 64 on Nintendo 64, the Switch 2 remake lets you select Expert from the difficulty menu before starting a campaign. There is no hidden unlock requirement tied to collecting medals first.
Hit score thresholds are identical on Normal and Expert. Expert changes damage, continues, and collision behavior — not the numbers on the medal requirement table.
No. Expert difficulty removes continues entirely. When your last ship is destroyed, you return to the title screen or mission select depending on mode context.
Easy disables medals and leaderboard scores. It also starts you with maximum laser and shield upgrades and prevents wing damage, making it ideal for route learning but not for completion tracking.
Most players clear the campaign on Normal first to learn branch conditions, then replay stages on Expert for the Expert medal tier. The route map and walkthroughs apply equally to both difficulties.