What an enjoyable tasty treat of a game this is. Ear-to-ear grin-tastic experience. Feeling like a number in a crowd amongst a bedlam of bumper cars from that initial start, to extreme elation of holding first place for even just a few sweet seconds.
Presentation is squeaky clean, with the charm of re-using all those lovely F-Zero comic book concept arts. The Rivals system fosters individual glory and there's just about enough tertiary content to chew through. With all the original tracks on their way (they're in the practice menu) there certainly will be more content coming to F-Zero 99. But I do hope we get some extra-sauce for the game, something to raise an eyebrow at. Like, some new race cars? While I appreciate keeping to the purity and balance of the SNES original, it would be more cool to see some later F-Zero vehicles adapted into sprite work.
It also succeeds in keeping your personal achievements relevant, showing where you placed among everyone driving the same car, silly profile customisation and the aforementioned rival system. I'm also a big fan of LUCKY BUMPER BONUS which allows you to disrupt others after you crash out for some delicious revenge racing.
I also need to give HUGE praise to the Grand Prix mode. While it may seem a tad off-putting that you need to earn "tickets" to enter these, and they are on a timed rotation these are absolutely worth extra playtime to experience. It should also help maintain a healthy player base said Design Lead of Long-term Player Engagement and Progression. 5 tracks, with an ever decreasing top cut. Only the final 20 get to see the whole thing through. Watching that start line grow thinner and thinner, as both the races and the racers become more intimate. Just to glimpse that final finish line feels wonderous.
Some people don't see loop-de-loops and cylindrical tracks, so may not recognise this form of F-Zero. The GX is a hardcore-freakcore pillar of the videogame canon, and rightly so. But my time with 99 has shown me that essence was as present in that original 1990 release, as it is throughout the small much-revered series. High octane risk-reward racing is F-Zero's absolute core, and F-Zero 99 provides all the thrills and chills to shock you to the core.
(and they wont take it down if you play it lol. real shame you cant queue up with friends too)
Presentation is squeaky clean, with the charm of re-using all those lovely F-Zero comic book concept arts. The Rivals system fosters individual glory and there's just about enough tertiary content to chew through. With all the original tracks on their way (they're in the practice menu) there certainly will be more content coming to F-Zero 99. But I do hope we get some extra-sauce for the game, something to raise an eyebrow at. Like, some new race cars? While I appreciate keeping to the purity and balance of the SNES original, it would be more cool to see some later F-Zero vehicles adapted into sprite work.
It also succeeds in keeping your personal achievements relevant, showing where you placed among everyone driving the same car, silly profile customisation and the aforementioned rival system. I'm also a big fan of LUCKY BUMPER BONUS which allows you to disrupt others after you crash out for some delicious revenge racing.
I also need to give HUGE praise to the Grand Prix mode. While it may seem a tad off-putting that you need to earn "tickets" to enter these, and they are on a timed rotation these are absolutely worth extra playtime to experience. It should also help maintain a healthy player base said Design Lead of Long-term Player Engagement and Progression. 5 tracks, with an ever decreasing top cut. Only the final 20 get to see the whole thing through. Watching that start line grow thinner and thinner, as both the races and the racers become more intimate. Just to glimpse that final finish line feels wonderous.
Some people don't see loop-de-loops and cylindrical tracks, so may not recognise this form of F-Zero. The GX is a hardcore-freakcore pillar of the videogame canon, and rightly so. But my time with 99 has shown me that essence was as present in that original 1990 release, as it is throughout the small much-revered series. High octane risk-reward racing is F-Zero's absolute core, and F-Zero 99 provides all the thrills and chills to shock you to the core.
(and they wont take it down if you play it lol. real shame you cant queue up with friends too)
Swif
7 months ago