F-Zero GX
Posted January 9, 2004
In 1991, Nintendo more or less invented the futuristic racing genre with the release of F-Zero, a launch game designed in part by Shigeru Miyamoto (of Mario and Link fame) to exhibit the Super Nintendo's technological capabilities. Despite only four vehicles and the lack of a two-player mode, it managed to wow players with its tight gameplay and unconventional elements. Seven years later, F-Zero X debuted on the Nintendo 64, boosting the number of racers and tracks but sacrificing graphics for the sake of speed.
Now we have F-Zero GX, and I feel like all of the elements have finally come together to form a truly fantastic racing game.
Gameplay:
Let me say something up front. F-Zero GX is a fast game. Like, ridiculously fast. I don't know how Amusement Vision did it, but there is absolutely no framerate drop. Ever. That's an impressive feat considering the fact that most races have you squared up against 29 other racers, all individuals, each vying for first place, in beautifully-rendered settings.
There are five basic modes in which you can compete. Most people are familiar with the Grand Prix mode, which initially contains three different cups (Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald). There are also three different modes of difficulty (Novice, Standard, and Expert), and the names are pretty accurate for each. Players can also unlock a fourth cup, the Diamond Cup, as well as the (yikes) Master difficulty level.
Each of these cups has five tracks of increasing difficulty. The early ones are largely standard tracks, while later ones include tunnels, tubes, and levels with long freefalls.
Other competitive modes include the Vs. Battle, the Time Attack, Practice, and the most interesting of them all, a brand new Story mode, which has full-motion animated video sequences that bookend each race. Story mode races help hone essential F-Zero racing skills (attacking, thinking three-dimensionally, etc.) while at the same time adding context and making a handful of the eccentric characters of F-Zero GX a little more memorable. One of my favorite Story races is an "escape from the second Death Star"-style straight tunnel track where you are racing to the exit. Doors are closing in front of you (sometimes vertically, sometimes horizonally, sometimes diagonally) and you must boost repeatedly while catching all the turbo boost pads and riding on the sides of the tunnel to get through each one.
There's also a Replay mode, where you can watch old races of yours that you've saved; a Pilot Profiles section, where you can read about the pilots and listen to their theme songs; and a Customize mode, where you can build your own F-Zero racer from parts that you've purchased, create your own insignias, and purchase pilots or story segments. You can also unlock several cars and pilots by bringing your memory card to play the F-Zero AX arcade game (although there are alternative ways of unlocking them if you don't have an AX machine nearby).
Graphics:
The graphics of F-Zero GX are superb, and look all the better since this game supports progressive mode. There is also a widescreen mode, and, let me tell you, there is nothing quite like zooming along at 1000 kilometers per hour on a gigantic widescreen TV in progressive mode. It's incredible.
Audio:
I've always liked the fun techno tracks of the other F-Zero games, but Amusement Vision has really outdone themselves with the techno-rock F-Zero GX soundtrack. Every pilot has his own theme, and most are fantastic. New pilots are worth unlocking just to hear their theme songs. Some even (gasp!) have lyrics, like the Captain Falcon theme. It's refreshing to hear a video game soundtrack not culled from the whatever happens to be playing on the radio at the moment.
There aren't going to be a lot of sound effects in a game like F-Zero GX -- engines, boosts, and collisions are pretty much it -- but they work well and I have no complaints. Voices are exaggerated and goofy, but that's almost expected.
Conclusion:
Although some of the races are frustratingly difficult, it's usually the good kind of difficult -- the kind that will have you try a particular race "just one more time" over and over until you finally get it. F-Zero GX is a fantastic game and a worthy successor to the F-Zero series. Highly recommended.
Now we have F-Zero GX, and I feel like all of the elements have finally come together to form a truly fantastic racing game.
Gameplay:
Let me say something up front. F-Zero GX is a fast game. Like, ridiculously fast. I don't know how Amusement Vision did it, but there is absolutely no framerate drop. Ever. That's an impressive feat considering the fact that most races have you squared up against 29 other racers, all individuals, each vying for first place, in beautifully-rendered settings.
There are five basic modes in which you can compete. Most people are familiar with the Grand Prix mode, which initially contains three different cups (Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald). There are also three different modes of difficulty (Novice, Standard, and Expert), and the names are pretty accurate for each. Players can also unlock a fourth cup, the Diamond Cup, as well as the (yikes) Master difficulty level.
Each of these cups has five tracks of increasing difficulty. The early ones are largely standard tracks, while later ones include tunnels, tubes, and levels with long freefalls.
Other competitive modes include the Vs. Battle, the Time Attack, Practice, and the most interesting of them all, a brand new Story mode, which has full-motion animated video sequences that bookend each race. Story mode races help hone essential F-Zero racing skills (attacking, thinking three-dimensionally, etc.) while at the same time adding context and making a handful of the eccentric characters of F-Zero GX a little more memorable. One of my favorite Story races is an "escape from the second Death Star"-style straight tunnel track where you are racing to the exit. Doors are closing in front of you (sometimes vertically, sometimes horizonally, sometimes diagonally) and you must boost repeatedly while catching all the turbo boost pads and riding on the sides of the tunnel to get through each one.
There's also a Replay mode, where you can watch old races of yours that you've saved; a Pilot Profiles section, where you can read about the pilots and listen to their theme songs; and a Customize mode, where you can build your own F-Zero racer from parts that you've purchased, create your own insignias, and purchase pilots or story segments. You can also unlock several cars and pilots by bringing your memory card to play the F-Zero AX arcade game (although there are alternative ways of unlocking them if you don't have an AX machine nearby).
Graphics:
The graphics of F-Zero GX are superb, and look all the better since this game supports progressive mode. There is also a widescreen mode, and, let me tell you, there is nothing quite like zooming along at 1000 kilometers per hour on a gigantic widescreen TV in progressive mode. It's incredible.
Audio:
I've always liked the fun techno tracks of the other F-Zero games, but Amusement Vision has really outdone themselves with the techno-rock F-Zero GX soundtrack. Every pilot has his own theme, and most are fantastic. New pilots are worth unlocking just to hear their theme songs. Some even (gasp!) have lyrics, like the Captain Falcon theme. It's refreshing to hear a video game soundtrack not culled from the whatever happens to be playing on the radio at the moment.
There aren't going to be a lot of sound effects in a game like F-Zero GX -- engines, boosts, and collisions are pretty much it -- but they work well and I have no complaints. Voices are exaggerated and goofy, but that's almost expected.
Conclusion:
Although some of the races are frustratingly difficult, it's usually the good kind of difficult -- the kind that will have you try a particular race "just one more time" over and over until you finally get it. F-Zero GX is a fantastic game and a worthy successor to the F-Zero series. Highly recommended.