The turning in this game sucks and I don't like the driving mechanics.
I did not play much, but I can tell this is a fairly fine car game.
Nothing really remarkable to say due to it kind of just feeling like F-Zero SNES with a different coat of paint.
2.5/10
Pros: This game feels like a legitimate sequel to F-Zero SNES. High speed classic F-Zero gameplay, all the same features one would expect to return from the original are here. New to the game is multiplayer, thanks to the GBA every player has their own screen, and it's fast and fun, with options to play with a single cartridge, where you have a more limited selection of courses to race on, and everybody plays as the same racer, but still, it's enough to have fun with. Another new feature is unlockable racers, I believe you start with four, and as you play through each cup in each difficulty setting, you unlock four more. None of these characters are from any previous F-Zero game (though I believe one of them is the nephew of Captain Falcon... It's a been a minute since I've read their bios in the instruction booklets...) but their F-Zero cars are now depicted with CGI pre-rendered sprites, so it looks a bit flashier than the SNES original. In general, the mechanics work, boosting, braking, taking tight turns, it's real exhilarating racing fun, and a hefty challenge too!
Cons: There's maybe not enough here though? Like the SNES original, this was a launch game, and it's a bit barebones. Not a whole lot of features other than the standard stuff, which is all well and good, but you can feel that this was a launch game, if you know what I mean. Also, the music and presentation isn't as good as it is in the SNES original, gone are the wacky character designs, no Captain Falcon, no Samurai Goroh, no Pico, and gone are the badass memorable melodies from Mute City and Big Blue. The music and characters here are fine, just fine, nothing memorable though... and it's no surprise that they'd never reappear in the series again.
What it means to me: My brother was the first in the family to get a GBA, not at launch itself, but close enough to it, where F-Zero Maximum Velocity was the first game for the system we got and played. And it was a pretty good time! Good showpiece, really demonstrated that the GBA was essentially a handheld SNES, and who doesn't love SNES? Well, we never really got into F-Zero SNES that much before this game, and after playing through Maximum Velocity, it made going back to the SNES original much easier, and we could then tackle and beat that one too! Good first impression for GBA, but not a game we'd go back to much, well, up until revisiting it on Switch's NSO+, where my bro and I played a little online multiplayer, still decent fun!
Cons: There's maybe not enough here though? Like the SNES original, this was a launch game, and it's a bit barebones. Not a whole lot of features other than the standard stuff, which is all well and good, but you can feel that this was a launch game, if you know what I mean. Also, the music and presentation isn't as good as it is in the SNES original, gone are the wacky character designs, no Captain Falcon, no Samurai Goroh, no Pico, and gone are the badass memorable melodies from Mute City and Big Blue. The music and characters here are fine, just fine, nothing memorable though... and it's no surprise that they'd never reappear in the series again.
What it means to me: My brother was the first in the family to get a GBA, not at launch itself, but close enough to it, where F-Zero Maximum Velocity was the first game for the system we got and played. And it was a pretty good time! Good showpiece, really demonstrated that the GBA was essentially a handheld SNES, and who doesn't love SNES? Well, we never really got into F-Zero SNES that much before this game, and after playing through Maximum Velocity, it made going back to the SNES original much easier, and we could then tackle and beat that one too! Good first impression for GBA, but not a game we'd go back to much, well, up until revisiting it on Switch's NSO+, where my bro and I played a little online multiplayer, still decent fun!
divertido demais da conta, as músicas por si só são otimas, mas se possível jogue ouvindo discovery do daft punk
F-Zero with the GBA's trademark overly bright visuals and awful sound quality.
The original F-Zero but portable and sliightly clunkier. I still like it, it's the original F-Zero after all.
No Falcon though? Why?
No Falcon though? Why?
The original F-Zero but worse.
It's a good game masked by bad controls.
falcon isnt even in this
I had a decent amount of racing games on GBA and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity was one of the first ones I got besides Lego Racers 2. I didn't think this one was too bad, I think the original characters are a decent departure and the machine designs are pretty cool too, the gameplay is basically like SNES F-Zero, it's definitely far from being the worse racer on the GBA, but I don't think it stands out either. Still, I have a soft spot for this game, even though I prefer GP Legend, I played it a lot during car rides.
I am probably rating it way more than I should, but this game is what made me buy a GBA as it held the promise of a portable SNES, something I had been dreaming of for years. Visually it's F-Zero for sure, even though it's lacking any kind of lore that would really set it in the F-Zero universe, and it also kind of plays differently, but at the time it was quite stunning to be able to play a game like this on a portable system.
Unlike most of the kart games on gba this isn't a brainless button holding sim you should give it a shot if you're interested in genre.
If the overtly-intense racing of F-Zero X was too much for your blood pressure, Maximum Velocity is more of a sequel to the SNES title than anything else.
Returning for the Gameboy Advance's 16-bit presentation are the flat roads and mode 7-esque 3D style. I can't help but be a sucker for the insanely fast, eye-ball ripping gameplay of F-Zero X and GX, so this doesn't particularly spring me. Still, for a launch title on GBA back in 2001, it was a neat little piece to have on the go.
Returning for the Gameboy Advance's 16-bit presentation are the flat roads and mode 7-esque 3D style. I can't help but be a sucker for the insanely fast, eye-ball ripping gameplay of F-Zero X and GX, so this doesn't particularly spring me. Still, for a launch title on GBA back in 2001, it was a neat little piece to have on the go.
Forget JoyCon drift in the post Halle-effect era, the GBA's terribad sound hardware after the absolute powerhouse of the Game Boy Color is indisputable proof that Nintendo can't into hardware design.
After you mute the BGM and put on your own tunes, this seems like some decent F-Zero action if you can acclimate to how you need to manage thrust around corners. Bouncing off of walls is extra frustrating in this outing though.
- - -
Climax is so much better it isn't funny.
After you mute the BGM and put on your own tunes, this seems like some decent F-Zero action if you can acclimate to how you need to manage thrust around corners. Bouncing off of walls is extra frustrating in this outing though.
- - -
Climax is so much better it isn't funny.
The worst F-Zero game! Compared to the others, this one bored me the entire time!
Competent at the task it is asked to do: have F-Zero on the GBA.
But completly unremarkable otherwise
But completly unremarkable otherwise
It's fine, controls aren't the best and visually doesn't do much for me so my experience was pretty average. After playing F-Zero X and 99 this game probably isn't the best to come back to as doesn't offer much.
Not even on purpose, but this game was always thrown in the face wherever early 2000s electronic shops I encountered alongside Kuru Kuru Kururin. And no, everytime I was still going to resist because I knew it wouldn't have interested me that much.
Leaving aside the originality and greatness (as much as it is a torture) of the latter mentioned game, I knew I would have never be interested in Maximum Velocity feeling like it was too generic. Would have been a little matter of time before going to what was the real deal: GX.
But before that my first approach (even if only by display window) was this.
2 decades after I finally played it on NSO and got an idea. Does it live up? Well, if we go take it for what it was (a product of the time and the necessary way to make a F-Zero game avaiable to show off the GBA capabilities) then yes, it sure is a nice racing game alright.
But this is no og F-Zero (while it plays better, it's definitely technically not as impressive) or X for N64 by all means.
It does its job ok: a new generation of F-Zero pilots exclusive. Something that Nintendo barely canonized in any other media, which I think says already everything.
tl;dr it's a nice GBA tech demo, nothing more.
Leaving aside the originality and greatness (as much as it is a torture) of the latter mentioned game, I knew I would have never be interested in Maximum Velocity feeling like it was too generic. Would have been a little matter of time before going to what was the real deal: GX.
But before that my first approach (even if only by display window) was this.
2 decades after I finally played it on NSO and got an idea. Does it live up? Well, if we go take it for what it was (a product of the time and the necessary way to make a F-Zero game avaiable to show off the GBA capabilities) then yes, it sure is a nice racing game alright.
But this is no og F-Zero (while it plays better, it's definitely technically not as impressive) or X for N64 by all means.
It does its job ok: a new generation of F-Zero pilots exclusive. Something that Nintendo barely canonized in any other media, which I think says already everything.
tl;dr it's a nice GBA tech demo, nothing more.
going fast is such a thrill
At the launch of the GameBoy Advance the general promise was "hey, like the SNES but portable!", of course F-ZERO was not going to be out from the party.
Maximum Velocity is not just similar to its predecessor, it is also somewhat better with finer graphics and designs, not to mention a slick Y2K presentation; all that and add a 4-player feature which already raises the bar from what it attempts to emulate.
And at the end of it all... it still feels like... something is missing. It is a good game, but it somewhat feels like it vastly pales in presentation compared to F-ZERO X; while it may sound like an absurdly unfair comparison on the surface, the vehicles on Maximum Velocity lack virtually any character whatsoever, which might be an odd side effect from imitating the SNES release.
All considered, this is still a very solid game worth your time, especially if you are a fan of the handheld.
Maximum Velocity is not just similar to its predecessor, it is also somewhat better with finer graphics and designs, not to mention a slick Y2K presentation; all that and add a 4-player feature which already raises the bar from what it attempts to emulate.
And at the end of it all... it still feels like... something is missing. It is a good game, but it somewhat feels like it vastly pales in presentation compared to F-ZERO X; while it may sound like an absurdly unfair comparison on the surface, the vehicles on Maximum Velocity lack virtually any character whatsoever, which might be an odd side effect from imitating the SNES release.
All considered, this is still a very solid game worth your time, especially if you are a fan of the handheld.
Why does this one feel like the best one? Great tracks, great look and feel.
it's still fine but is way more similar to the SNES game which i just generally like less than how the later GBA f-zero games control/feel. it does look nice though in the actual races! the production values are a bit lower though just in menuing and what not. i don't know why i ended up playing the GBA games backwards but it made me have a worse time than i would have had otherwise i feel. set my expectations high after how good climax especially was, for sure nothing terrible but not much value here compared to the other 2 gba games.
Se esse é um dos melhores F-zero como alguns pintam, eu definitivamente não quero mais jogar nada da franquia. O carro é ruim de controlar, as fases são parecidas, irrita pra caramba, não gostei de nada. Tenho um GBA, e ele veio com esse jogo, então por muito tempo tentei paulatinamente jogar esse jogo, mas sempre me pego com a mesma conclusão: "Jesus, eu não suporto esse jogo".
Aqui declaro a minha última tentativa de jogar esse jogo
Aqui declaro a minha última tentativa de jogar esse jogo
F-Zero is so cool. I tried GP Legend a while back and just didn’t have the discipline or patience to get used to the controls, which require a lot more conscious input than I expected a fantasy racing game to have. Adds a lot of depth that caught me off-guard. Even the different ‘machines’ actually feel so different. You don’t notice that shit in Mario Kart. Maybe a competitve player does, but in F-Zero each machine feels different and also can be picked based off of a player’s style and expertise.
F-Zero is so cool! The environments in this game are so awesome; there’s a simplicity to this world that really works in its favor. You aren’t just racing cars on a track, you are racing space machines on space courses on different planets with cool names like “Empyrean Colony” and “Ancient Mesa.” There’s not a lot of lore given in-game, there’s not even any characters shown that go with each machine, but what the setting gives is a pretty coat for to make this cool racer really stylized, and that gives a game a lot of character!
Unlockables are set up so you just naturally unlock them all as you play each and every mode and level in this game, as you improve and try harder difficulties. Such a satisfying racer. Great machine designs, great environment designs, great controls for such a simple hardware, just really so fun.
I really wanted to finish the last series on ‘Expert’ difficulty, but that second course has a lot of jumps, and your machine takes damage every jump, and I just can’t crack it, and I’d rather my play with this end on a less sour note than me trying to conquer what I think is the only unfair moment in this game.
F-Zero is so cool! The environments in this game are so awesome; there’s a simplicity to this world that really works in its favor. You aren’t just racing cars on a track, you are racing space machines on space courses on different planets with cool names like “Empyrean Colony” and “Ancient Mesa.” There’s not a lot of lore given in-game, there’s not even any characters shown that go with each machine, but what the setting gives is a pretty coat for to make this cool racer really stylized, and that gives a game a lot of character!
Unlockables are set up so you just naturally unlock them all as you play each and every mode and level in this game, as you improve and try harder difficulties. Such a satisfying racer. Great machine designs, great environment designs, great controls for such a simple hardware, just really so fun.
I really wanted to finish the last series on ‘Expert’ difficulty, but that second course has a lot of jumps, and your machine takes damage every jump, and I just can’t crack it, and I’d rather my play with this end on a less sour note than me trying to conquer what I think is the only unfair moment in this game.
as a first fzero game, this one's the most deceiving. 7 year old me going from this to snes fzero was the most confusing point in my youth. other than that, neat game with nice ost
i mean its fun if you get the hang of it but man if you expect it to control like snes F zero then ur gonna have a bad time. the game has weird cornering that relies more on you feathering the A button than you actually using a slide drift button. other than that its basically just a portable take on 16-bit F-zero, which just feels a bit dated if you've played F-zero X or GX and become used to those games mechanics.
You'd have to pay me to play this game again.
So, back around the turn of the century, I was employed by the Nintendo folks to do testing. It seems like a pretty sweet gig, but really, it's... fine. The game I spent the most of my temp, basically minimum wage time on was this little gem, F Zero: Maximum Velocity for the Game Boy Advance. The game itself is a fine, peppy Mario Kart clone with spaceships. Playing it on the GBA for 8 hours a day for a few weeks was pretty grueling, though and I remember my hands regretting my life choices more than a few times. The worst assignment was unlocking the Jet Vermilion ship the hard way: completing the championship 255 times! Since I had done some racing game testing in the past, I think they thought this would be fun or easy, but it was neither. The game itself is a decent amount of fun and has solid GBA graphics and a peppy soundtrack, but if I never play it again, I'll be fine with that.
Pro tip: maintain your momentum!
Review from thedonproject.com
So, back around the turn of the century, I was employed by the Nintendo folks to do testing. It seems like a pretty sweet gig, but really, it's... fine. The game I spent the most of my temp, basically minimum wage time on was this little gem, F Zero: Maximum Velocity for the Game Boy Advance. The game itself is a fine, peppy Mario Kart clone with spaceships. Playing it on the GBA for 8 hours a day for a few weeks was pretty grueling, though and I remember my hands regretting my life choices more than a few times. The worst assignment was unlocking the Jet Vermilion ship the hard way: completing the championship 255 times! Since I had done some racing game testing in the past, I think they thought this would be fun or easy, but it was neither. The game itself is a decent amount of fun and has solid GBA graphics and a peppy soundtrack, but if I never play it again, I'll be fine with that.
Pro tip: maintain your momentum!
Review from thedonproject.com
F-Zero is a much-loved series, but it doesn’t get much love from Nintendo. With the Gamecube having the last F-Zero game, fans are wondering if the series is completely dead and shelved by the big N. Thankfully, fans who loved the SNES classic can have even more with Maximum Velocity.
Maximum Velocity is pretty much built on the same engine as the SNES using Mode 7 graphics. However, this may not have been the best choice to go as there are other more advanced racing games on the system. There are only four cars to select and I found the controls to be incredibly slippery and the AI to be extremely difficult to beat. The tracks are fun to drive, but the sense of speed is great, but the game is just lacking in overall content and polish.
You could write all that off on the age of the engine, the GBA’s inferior hardware, or lazy design. Maximum Velocity feels more like an expansion pack to the original game more than one that can stand on its own two feet. After you have memorized all the hazards and turns in each track it does get easier, but not by much. This game is for players who want a serious challenge with the retro feel.
While the GBA isn’t exactly ideal for racing games, this one really stands out as one of the best, people going back in time may find it nearly impossible to play due to its ancient gameplay ideas and design. However, you are missing a great opportunity to spend a fun afternoon racing on your GBA.
Maximum Velocity is pretty much built on the same engine as the SNES using Mode 7 graphics. However, this may not have been the best choice to go as there are other more advanced racing games on the system. There are only four cars to select and I found the controls to be incredibly slippery and the AI to be extremely difficult to beat. The tracks are fun to drive, but the sense of speed is great, but the game is just lacking in overall content and polish.
You could write all that off on the age of the engine, the GBA’s inferior hardware, or lazy design. Maximum Velocity feels more like an expansion pack to the original game more than one that can stand on its own two feet. After you have memorized all the hazards and turns in each track it does get easier, but not by much. This game is for players who want a serious challenge with the retro feel.
While the GBA isn’t exactly ideal for racing games, this one really stands out as one of the best, people going back in time may find it nearly impossible to play due to its ancient gameplay ideas and design. However, you are missing a great opportunity to spend a fun afternoon racing on your GBA.