User Review : F-Zero GX

Retroscape - F-ZERO GX Review

Back some many years ago Nintendo and Sega were undoubtedly rivals within the industry, hardware and software wise, specifically with the SNES and Sega Mega Drive or Genesis in America.

In this particular case both Nintendo and Sega put aside their past and agreed on producing a new F-ZERO game and plain simply to bring the much loved adrenaline, futuristic racing franchise to all new heights. Their collaboration with one another was a first and high hopes were held . F-ZERO has been around for a rather long time, dating back to the SNES and from that point onwards a somewhat platform-specific release on future Nintendo hardware.

F-ZERO GX is very similar to its predecessors in a sense of the core gameplay experience but only this time round some interesting changes have been made in regards to audio design and a narrative based around protagonist Captain Falcon... wait, what? You heard correctly, this F-ZERO title has a story element to which consists of a variety of races under certain completion conditions come beating times set or competing against rivals for first place. It’s an interesting take on the franchise, familiarising the player to many racers of the F-ZERO tournament and rivalries of the mighty Captain Falcon.

The story mode is evidently a mixture of challenges with supporting cut scenes and sequences which are sharply represented. The option to enable 16:9 widescreen also is a nice addition considering most other Gamecube games don’t support such an option.

The core aspect of the game still resides within the Grand Prix mode. There are four cups each containing five tracks and a final cup unlocked prior to completing all other cups on the hardest difficultly setting. I can honestly say that F-ZERO GX is one of the hardest most aggressively paced Nintendo game I have ever played. Racing with the hardest difficulty on was sheer chaos; continuously being targeted by other racers and aggressive behaviour lead to off course situations.

Iconic tracks return in F-ZERO GX ranging from your Mute City, Port Town, Big Blue and brand new additions too. One in particular Phantom Road is very uniquely designed with very narrow path-ways and the absence of track-supporting-edges making racing ever so intense.

What’s interesting about the Grand Prix mode is that if one was to complete a cup on master setting (hardest difficulty) you would unlock a special player cinematic ending that all seem to be on the humorous side on things. These videos can be view at a later time via the Pilot Profiles option located on the main menu screen. I certainly did watch some over again.

Gameplay wise the learning-curve is rather steep and if new to the genre of futuristic racing, advisable to check-out the practice or time attack modes to brush up on ones skills. Manoeuvring whilst racing requires quick reflexes especially when using boost power simultaneously. Booster power only accessible from lap two onwards. The boost power gauge also acts as a health bar for your machine, so avoidable collisions with racers as well as terrain is vital so that booster power can be used at its fullest.

The Time Attack mode is what you would expect in any other racer. Additionally staff ghost are unlockable if one was to beat a track time quick enough.

A Practice mode is also available; to an extent a fully customizable GP mode in terms of being able to set number of AI racers and laps, also difficulty level. Worth mentioning upon are replays which can be saved to memory card for future playback. Maybe for bragging purposes as I certainly have some saved for.

Upon all modes available to deluge into and to complete certain asserts, F-ZERO GX awards you with in-game currency which can be used for purchasing extra content from the F-ZERO Shop. Majority of items within the shop are machine parts, these parts relating to construct and customize F-ZERO machines from scratch. From combing parts obtained to actually being able to create a variety of designs/emblems to be place on the machine all is rather welcoming and fun to play around with. I myself spent a good amount of time creating weird and wacky machines with handling near impossible to get to grips with.

A split-screen multiplayer option is present though somewhat of a disappointment no online functionality was included which is understandable considering a poor medium to enable such an option i,e. Gamecube Broadband Adapter.

Audio credibility I give much to SEGA (Amusement Vision). They have done a fantastic job on a fitting soundtrack for the suitable setting of the game and much very different to F-ZERO X which was a mixture of a more rock, guitar arranged 80s-like soundtrack. Now having played both F-ZERO GX and F-ZERO X I can honestly say I whole heartedly prefer the more techno-themed F-ZERO GX. Each of the characters all have a uniquely distinct theme tune which plays in the Player Profiles option and additionally each character theme selectable whilst watching back a previously saved replay.

Great sound, and graphically amazing, if not the best looking Gamecube game there ever was. Track environments are dense and luscious. Unfortunately sacrifices were made; much of the oncoming environment whilst racing does pop-up fairy late. The top priority stated by the development team was to have the final build of the game running at an optimal 60 frames per second to reflect sheer speed in terms of gameplay and the target was indeed met. Not once did I feel any slow-down occur.

Closing thought

Putting aside the steep learning-curve I would highly recommend F-ZERO GX for its iconic speeding nature. Longevity of F-ZERO GX is way up there thanks to the unforgiving learning-curve. Some may feel harshly obliterated by the AI, others may see the steep learning-curve as a welcoming challenge. FMV cut-scenes look pristine and vivid with colour. The amazingly designed soundtrack is a perfect fit for supporting gameplay experience, making you feel pumped, full of adrenaline and as a result using boost power constantly and not caring for the depleting health bar, pure madness, pure fun.