Definitely extremely rough to come back to in 2021, but I think there's some fun to be had here. Memorizing the tracks and getting a decent handle of controlling the vehicle is fun in the Stunt Trax courses, but really as soon as you put all those mechanics in a race, which is what most of this game is, it becomes way too demanding and reflex-based considering the frame rate of the game. Like, this stuff requires being able to immediately see how your car reacts to your inputs, and that's not happening here. I don't hate it, but I definitely don't feel like trying to finish all the races (managed to beat Novice and Expert got two tracks into Master and gave up).
A cute little racing game made with that nifty super fx chip, but unfortunately time has not been kind to it.
The low poly look of this game in itself is appealing as usual for me, but what kills the game is the single-digit framerates it hits constantly. The framerate is actually so bad that it works against your controls and makes you feel like you're driving through molasses.
I had a good time with this game as a kid, but games like Burnout 3 Takedown and Wreckfest have spoiled me immensely. I for sure don't recommend it for the younger lads, at least as is......murmurs something about overclocking and retroarch and makes sure the nintendo cops don't beat the shit out of him
It'd be great if this game got a remake of sorts, preferably with the clay looking models of the cars from the box art. Unfortunately Nintendo gets irritable and goes into fits of old man rage at even the mention of F-Zero, let alone single entries they made back on the SNES.
Shame.
The low poly look of this game in itself is appealing as usual for me, but what kills the game is the single-digit framerates it hits constantly. The framerate is actually so bad that it works against your controls and makes you feel like you're driving through molasses.
I had a good time with this game as a kid, but games like Burnout 3 Takedown and Wreckfest have spoiled me immensely. I for sure don't recommend it for the younger lads, at least as is......murmurs something about overclocking and retroarch and makes sure the nintendo cops don't beat the shit out of him
It'd be great if this game got a remake of sorts, preferably with the clay looking models of the cars from the box art. Unfortunately Nintendo gets irritable and goes into fits of old man rage at even the mention of F-Zero, let alone single entries they made back on the SNES.
Shame.
Wait... You mean to tell me THIS has secretly been the best SNES racing game all along?? I was put off by F-Zero and Super Mario Kart as a kid since the N64 versions were so much better, but if I had owned Stunt Race FX, I would have played the heck outta this. Forget about the framerate issues, they don't stop this from having superior and more intuitive handling than its peers, none of which look as charming as this adorable truck with its animated eyes and Rayman-esque limbless movements. If you can get past the choppiness, there is a KILLER racing game in here!
I see a lot of harsh reviews for this game, and tbh most of them are fair critcisms. I played this game more than most would because A) I liked monster trucks and you could play as one and B) I didn't get an N64 until almost 1998 so 3D racing games were basically nonexistent for me.
Looking at this game objectively though, it did some pretty cool stuff. While your Top Gears and Pole Positions were fixed on the distant horizon and only let you follow a fairly narrow track, this was a truly three-dimensional racing game, complete with jumps and and hills and shortcuts. It even had minigames and bonus courses specifically for stunts. If nothing else it's an interesting and impressive demonstration of the FX chip and SNES hardware. Yes the frame-rate ranges from meh to abysmal, yes it's a little easy, but the controls really aren't bad once you get used to them and when you get rolling this game really gives you a sense of speed that isn't present in other 16 bit titles.
Yeah it's a bit janky, but if you appreciate retro games and seeing how tech capabilities evolved, this is worth a visit. It's no Mario Kart or F-zero, but you could far worse on the SNES.
Looking at this game objectively though, it did some pretty cool stuff. While your Top Gears and Pole Positions were fixed on the distant horizon and only let you follow a fairly narrow track, this was a truly three-dimensional racing game, complete with jumps and and hills and shortcuts. It even had minigames and bonus courses specifically for stunts. If nothing else it's an interesting and impressive demonstration of the FX chip and SNES hardware. Yes the frame-rate ranges from meh to abysmal, yes it's a little easy, but the controls really aren't bad once you get used to them and when you get rolling this game really gives you a sense of speed that isn't present in other 16 bit titles.
Yeah it's a bit janky, but if you appreciate retro games and seeing how tech capabilities evolved, this is worth a visit. It's no Mario Kart or F-zero, but you could far worse on the SNES.
Stunt Race FX, is easily the worst racing game I've ever played and I've played Super Mario Kart Super Circuit.
What's wrong with the game?
The game itself feels incredibly confusing and the gravity of the kart doesn't always feel the most consistent either, neither does moving in general. I can't tell what's going on most of the time.
The graphics look incredibly bad, which is unfortunate as the Super Nintendo has some of the best looking games out there.
The game lags so much, which might be part of the reason for the inconsistent gravity and moving. I find it to be incredibly distracting and it ruins the game for me.
What's wrong with the game?
The game itself feels incredibly confusing and the gravity of the kart doesn't always feel the most consistent either, neither does moving in general. I can't tell what's going on most of the time.
The graphics look incredibly bad, which is unfortunate as the Super Nintendo has some of the best looking games out there.
The game lags so much, which might be part of the reason for the inconsistent gravity and moving. I find it to be incredibly distracting and it ruins the game for me.
Played on modded SNES Classic
Hardcore relic of it's time.
This game has some neat things going for it. I like the aesthetic of the game and the different types of cars are nice. The maps seem decent enough.
This game is just kinda obsolete now though. It suffers from a terrible frame rate and the actual screen of game play is super tiny you can hardly see anything at times.
This game is an interesting relic and nothing more, there is countless other racers that you should play rather than this.
Hardcore relic of it's time.
This game has some neat things going for it. I like the aesthetic of the game and the different types of cars are nice. The maps seem decent enough.
This game is just kinda obsolete now though. It suffers from a terrible frame rate and the actual screen of game play is super tiny you can hardly see anything at times.
This game is an interesting relic and nothing more, there is countless other racers that you should play rather than this.
While it's true that this game has not aged well, this was a fun racing game that stood out when it originally came out in the mid 90s. The number of cars is limited and so are the number of tracks but both manage to showcase that typical Nintendo charm in terms of easter eggs (Arwings flying on the background, Mario posters in some circuits, etc) and personality with cars having "life" with eyes and reacting to how you drive them.
Controls are a bit on the tricky side and require heavy usage of trigger buttons to help steer the vehicle. Depending on the car you select, the physics and attributes are vastly different which makes up for good variety and replay value.
Unfortunately, performance is not great with low frame rates courtesy of the FX chip graphics. Overall, this is a fun racing game with personality and a rare off-shoot from Nintendo that I hope gets revisisted at some point.
Controls are a bit on the tricky side and require heavy usage of trigger buttons to help steer the vehicle. Depending on the car you select, the physics and attributes are vastly different which makes up for good variety and replay value.
Unfortunately, performance is not great with low frame rates courtesy of the FX chip graphics. Overall, this is a fun racing game with personality and a rare off-shoot from Nintendo that I hope gets revisisted at some point.