this is one of the best racing games ever. super high speeds, surprisingly engaging combat, diverse cast of characters and incredible unique tracks. the music is wonderful and memorable, especially the character themes. my only real complaints are 1) the story mode is pretty bad. nothing really happens and the cutscenes are awkward. 2) the game is hard, like really hard. beyond reason it should be this difficult on normal mode. but other than that? i love this game, super cool
The guys at Amusement Vision (later Ryu ga Gotoku Studio) were truly masters of the craft around this time, making two of my favorite games: this and Super Monkey Ball 1. They really knew how to make games that feel great to play on a visceral, physical level - games you can sit down for hours and forget you're even using your hands to control it. You just feel it.
F-Zero GX, on the surface, doesn't appear to do much to distinguish it from X. There aren't any obvious new gimmicks or anything. But AV knew exactly what kind of small, precision changes to make that would make a huge impact. The vehicles control extremely precisely; this is something you should simply experience yourself rather than take my word for it. Track designs are a clear step up from X's, with more memorable, varied layouts. To me, this makes up for the lack of the X Cup and track creator/editor.
The new Story Mode is fun, but I think I prefer the simplicity of a standard Grand Prix. I will say though that you should definitely do all the Master Class GPs before diving into the Story since those are pretty much a tutorial.
And of course, Hidenori Shoji and Daiki Kasho bring a world-class soundtrack which fits the game perfectly. I especially love how the music changes for the final lap.
It's no surprise Nintendo seems hesitant to follow up on this considering Sega's AV team knocked it out of the park.
F-Zero GX, on the surface, doesn't appear to do much to distinguish it from X. There aren't any obvious new gimmicks or anything. But AV knew exactly what kind of small, precision changes to make that would make a huge impact. The vehicles control extremely precisely; this is something you should simply experience yourself rather than take my word for it. Track designs are a clear step up from X's, with more memorable, varied layouts. To me, this makes up for the lack of the X Cup and track creator/editor.
The new Story Mode is fun, but I think I prefer the simplicity of a standard Grand Prix. I will say though that you should definitely do all the Master Class GPs before diving into the Story since those are pretty much a tutorial.
And of course, Hidenori Shoji and Daiki Kasho bring a world-class soundtrack which fits the game perfectly. I especially love how the music changes for the final lap.
It's no surprise Nintendo seems hesitant to follow up on this considering Sega's AV team knocked it out of the park.
Nintendo themselves could never reach a magnitude this high, hence F-Zero was shelved...........
I dunno, that's what my uncle who worked at Nintendo keeps telling me.
I dunno, that's what my uncle who worked at Nintendo keeps telling me.
Revisiting a childhood game, and realizing the game has not only aged incredibly well, but it is significantly better than you remember may be one of the best feelings in the world. You always knew the game was great, but experiencing that greatness with a deeper appreciation for what makes it so great is like reaffirming your childhood memories. I thought this was one of the best arcade racing games ever made. And fortunately (and somewhat unfortunately) this still reigns true today. F-Zero GX is the peak of the series, and I think I get why Nintendo and Sega were so afraid to make a proper follow-up to it. It's hard to improve on perfection, without fundamentally changing it. What we were left with was Mario Kart 8.....for 10 years.
Rest in Piece F-Zero/10
Rest in Piece F-Zero/10