Star Fox 2 (Beta1) is one of those "what could’ve been" SNES games—Nintendo shelved it back in the day, but the leaked beta is a fascinating time capsule. You still get the classic Arwing action, but this time there’s a twist: instead of just rail-shooting through levels, you’re defending Corneria in real-time, scrambling between planets as enemy fleets close in. It’s chaotic in the best way.

The strategy layer caught me off guard at first—you’ve got to juggle intercepting bombers, dodging asteroids, and managing your team’s energy. And yeah, the graphics are still that chunky polygonal style, but somehow it works? The new characters like Miyu and Fay add some fun variety, though I kept going back to Fox out of habit. If you’ve ever wondered how Star Fox could’ve evolved, this beta’s a weird, rough, but totally playable peek into an alternate timeline.

Just don’t expect it to be as polished as the finished Star Fox 64—this is pure 90s experimental energy.