F-Zero
Takaya Imamura
November 21, 1990
September 14, 2023
F-Zero
The series is known for its high-speed racing, characters and settings, difficult gameplay, and original music, as well as for pushing technological limits to be one of the fastest racing games. The original game inspired games such as
The series has been largely dormant since the release of F-Zero Climax in 2004 in Japan, although elements have been represented in other Nintendo video games, most notably the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart franchises. Past installments have been emulated across multiple Nintendo consoles with the Virtual Console service. The original F-Zero is one of the selected games emulated on the Super NES Classic Edition.[5][6] F-Zero was one of the launch games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Nintendo Switch Online collection, released on September 5, 2019. After over 19 years of absence, a battle royale based on the original game, called F-Zero 99, was released for the Nintendo Switch, exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online members.
Gameplay
Each of the games in F-Zero series requires the player to beat opponents to the finish line while avoiding obstacles such as land mines and slip zones. The games usually require a mixture of memorization of the tracks and quick reflexes for its fast-paced racing gameplay. In F-Zero and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, a speed boost is given to the player for each lap completed. Starting with F-Zero X, players may execute speed boosts if they have finished at least one lap, but now in exchange for losing energy when boosting. It is therefore necessary to use recharge strips around courses to replenish this energy, or risk exploding when it drops to zero. Strategically situated dash plates allow boosts without energy loss. In combination with course obstacles, drivers are allowed to attack each other with their vehicle bodies.
The games' planets include different climates and terrains, and are home to many different races and tribes of aliens. There are geographical differences from game to game, but distinctive locations recur, such as Big Blue, Mute City and Port Town. Circuits are usually set on the outskirts of cities or above them situated high in planet atmospheres at an elevation as much as 300 feet (91 m) above ground. They contain anti-gravitational guide beams on both sides of the course that keep them in place.[7] Rich merchants from cities in the clouds or asteroids with almost uninhabitable environments invested their wealth in the construction of racing circuits.[7] Some cities have multiple circuits—circuits not used for the Grand Prix are open to pilots for practice. The dynamic structure of the courses are colossal in scale, as most circuits feature a single lap that spans over six miles (10 km).[8]
The vehicles used to race in these video games are known as "F-Zero machines", which are designed to hover instead of travel on wheels. An anti-gravity unit, known as the "G-Diffuser System" (first used by the
Each machine has four basic performance attributes: body, boost, grip, and weight. Body, boost, and grip are rated on a scale from A to E (A being the best, E, the worst).[12] The higher a machine's Body rating, the more durable it is and the less damage it will sustain in a collision. Machines with a good Body rating are, therefore, able to withstand more attacks before exploding.[10] The Boost rating takes into account the duration of a vehicle's boost, and how great a speed increase it provides. A machine with a high rating can travel at higher than normal speeds for a longer period of time.[10] Grip determines how well a machine negotiates turns. A higher Grip rating means that the player's vehicle will execute steadier turns, while a low one will cause the vehicle to drift more, especially when turning tightly.[10] Weight affects a vehicle's acceleration, grip, cornering ability, maximum speed, and the amount of damage it sustains in a collision. A lighter vehicle is superior in the first three categories, while a heavier vehicle has the advantage in the latter two.[10][12]
Plot
While there were originally four F-Zero pilots in the first game, this has grown with each game to more than 40 characters in the later games of the series. Each character has their own unique vehicle, story and reason for entering the F-Zero Grand Prix, but the most well known character is Captain Falcon. The winner of the Grand Prix receives a huge sum of prize money, but many pilots have been lost pursuing it.[8]
The F-Zero games are derived from the 20th and 21st century Formula One races[3][7] and the fictitious F-Max Grand Prix races from the 24th century.[11] The games portray races in the future as having come under the influence of wealthy ex-space merchants. They thought that a fast and violent race would be an effective way to get people to gamble, so the ex-merchants established the F-Zero Execution Project.[11] The F-Zero Grand Prix dates to the 26th century, and is still sponsored by the wealthy elite who originally organized the Execution Project for those events. These races feature the most technologically advanced racing machines, competing in numerous circuits of fast-paced action. It is known for its wild fans, and usually eccentric competitors. Winners of the Grand Prix receive large sums of money, as well as a great deal of prestige throughout the universe.[8]
The F-Zero games are primarily set on a futuristic Earth in the 26th century, although some games take place much earlier and some circuits have been set on different planets. F-Zero X defined the F-Max Grand Prix as the precursor to the F-Zero races which took place during the 24th century.[11] According to the American version of F-Zero GX, the greatest driver in the F-Max Grand Prix was Sterling LaVaughn;[8] a statement that would lead to inconsistencies in the sequence of events of F-Zero's storyline.
F-Zero begins in the year 2560 where the human race's countless encounters with alien life forms throughout the universe greatly expanded Earth's social framework resulting in trade, technology transfer, and cultural interchange are carried out on an interplanetary basis. An association of wealthy space merchants created the "F-Zero Grand Prix", in an attempt to add some excitement to their opulent lifestyles. When the first race was held, people were angered at the brutality of the competition, due to the various obstacles and traps along the raceway. As time passed, however, they became accustomed to these dangers, and even began to demand more excitement and danger in the races. Winning the F-Zero championship soon became the highest claim to fame in the universe. This period of time is called the "old-school" F-Zero days where the rules seemed non-existent in F-Zero X.[7]
F-Zero X's storyline starts after the seven-year suspension of Grand Prix races due to the Horrific Grand Finale.[13] The game explains the "Horrific Grand Finale" was a violent and fiery accident that burnt fourteen drivers to death, including Sterling LaVaughn during the old days of F-Zero.[13] A racer named Super Arrow escaped unscathed as the only survivor. No racing was allowed by the Federation after the crash; despite the F-Zero racing prohibition, the sport went underground where many racers went to hone their skills in secret.[14] The crash ushered in the establishment of the "F-Zero Racing Academy", after a speech, by Super Arrow to the Federation Congress, which helped to lift the ban.[15] The fictional competition was brought back with the rules and regulations revised.[11]
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity takes place 25 years after the original in the year 2585. Players race against the descendants of the original F-Zero racers.[16] Maximum Velocity is considered a reboot continuity to the rest of the home console games since it has made no indication of the safety revisions carried forth after the huge accident, in fact it states just like the original F-Zero game, the extreme danger involved when participating in those races.
F-Zero GX does not mention the Grand Finale event, but instead the game states Sterling LaVaughn was racing during the F-Max era and the F-Zero Grand Prix was suspended four years ago.[8] This game states the character Mighty Gazelle was injured in the huge accident four years ago. The Nintendo 64 game mentions that Mighty Gazelle's accident and the accident that suspended the Grand Prix were two separate events.[8][11]
Development
1990 | F-Zero GP Legend |
---|---|
2004 | F-Zero Climax |
2005–2022 | |
2023 | F-Zero 99 |
SNES / Super Famicom (1990-1997)
The first game in the series originally launched for the Super NES,
F-Zero later had a sequel for the SNES that was cancelled,[22] but was released unfinished through the Japanese-only Satellaview peripheral under the name BS F-Zero Grand Prix in 1996. Like most Satellaview games it was released in parts across multiple broadcasts, and featured an update of the first game. It was followed up by BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2 in 1997, an expansion which featured brand new courses.[3][23]
Return to international markets (1998-2004)
After a seven-year hiatus outside Japan, the series made the transition to 3D with the third installment, F-Zero X on the Nintendo 64. The game introduces twenty-six new vehicles, while also including the four from the original F-Zero game. In addition to a Grand Prix mode, the game introduces a "death race" mode and a random track generator called the "X Cup". In the death race, the player's objective is to annihilate the twenty-nine other racers as speedily as possible, while the X Cup generates a different set of tracks each time played.[26] The hardware limitations of the N64 resulted in the game running at 60 frames per second with thirty machines on screen at the same time, but with little processor power left for graphical detail and music.[27]
A
Hiatus (2004-2023)
Takaya Imamura, who worked directly on F-Zero throughout its different incarnations, said in 2003 "hav[ing] worked on the F-Zero series, and seeing the results of the collaboration with Sega, I found myself at something of a loss as to how we can take the franchise further past F-Zero GX and AX".[34]
In a January 2015 video from Smosh Games, Miyamoto was featured as guest star and stated that a new installment in the franchise could be possible if Nintendo were to develop a unique controller interface for one of their upcoming consoles that would be suited for a new game.[37]
Six years later, the producer of F-Zero GX, Toshihiro Nagoshi said that he would be open to working with Nintendo on another installment if the company were given the opportunity to do so, and that he would make a future F-Zero game challenging for advanced players, unlike the "fun and accessible" nature of Nintendo's Mario Kart series.[38] In July 2023, former Nintendo artist Takaya Imamura cited the massive popularity of Mario Kart as a key factor to why there hasn't been any new developments with the F-Zero series.[39]
F-Zero 99 (2023)
F-Zero 99 was released for the Nintendo Switch on September 14, 2023 following its announcement in a Nintendo Direct the same day. The game is a battle royale remake of the original F-Zero taking inspiration from Tetris 99 and Pac-Man 99 having 99 racers on the track at once. The game is available for free on the eShop but requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play.
Reception
Game | Year | GameRankings | Metacritic (out of 100) |
---|---|---|---|
F-Zero | 1990 | 83%[40] | — |
F-Zero X | 1998 | 87%[41] | 85[42] |
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity | 2001 | 84%[43] | 86[44] |
F-Zero GX | 2003 | 89%[45] | 89[46] |
F-Zero: GP Legend
|
2003 | 77%[47] | 77[48] |
F-Zero 99 | 2023 | — | 80[49] |
IGN's Lucas Thomas called the design and style of Mach Rider as an influence to the F-Zero series noting its sense of speed where players have "only a split second to react before you crash into a rock or enemy road warrior".[50] Matt Casamassina of IGN said in 2003 that the F-Zero franchise has remained regarded one of the best video game series in the racing genre.[51]
In 2008, an editor from Pro-G stated F-Zero GX "still ranks as one of the best high-speed racers ever made, but the series has been lying dormant for years".[52]
The Tampa Tribune's review of GP Legend mentioned that "it feels a little strange to see what was an esoteric-but-outstanding racing franchise attempt to go mass-market".[53]
Nintendo World Report gave Climax a 7.5 out of 10.[54] Siliconera praised the fast gameplay and track editor features, but criticized it for feeling more like an expansion pack than a sequel.[55]
Shigeru Miyamoto commented in 2007 that past F-Zero and Star Fox collaborations with outside development houses turned out to be a disappointment for Nintendo. He stated that "consumers got very excited about the idea of those games, but the games themselves did not deliver".[56]
Legacy
Anime
F-Zero: GP Legend | |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Ami Tomobuki |
---|---|
Produced by | Fukashi Azuma Yutaka Sugiyama Kiyonori Hirase |
Written by | Akiyoshi Sakai |
Music by | 4Kids Entertainment |
Original network | TV Tokyo |
Original run | October 7, 2003 – September 28, 2004 |
Episodes | 51 |
F-Zero: GP Legend[b] is a 51 episode animated adaptation of the video game series produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Ashi Productions and directed by Ami Tomobuki, with Akiyoshi Sakai handling series composition, Toyoo Ashida designing the characters and Takayuki Negishi composing the music.[57] Shigeru Miyamoto and Takaya Imamura served as supervisors for the series.[58] It debuted in Japan on October 7, 2003, on TV Tokyo; the final episode aired on September 28, 2004.[17][59] 4Kids Entertainment licensed the anime series for North American broadcast. According to Kombo, in North America, the show was modified by 4Kids.[60] Fifteen episodes of GP Legend aired on the FoxBox channel in the United States before its cancellation. It was being re-aired on Tokyo MX from 7:30 to 8:00 every Thursday in Japan.[61] It is a reboot of the franchise taking place in the year 2201. Lifeforms from all across the galaxy come to compete in the new racing tournament called "F-Zero".
In
Police detective Ryu Suzaku (Rick Wheeler in the 4Kids adaptation) is one of the protagonists.[17] He suffers a near-fatal car accident while in pursuit of an escaped criminal named Zoda. Ryu nearly dies and is put in cryogenic suspension until he is revived in the year 2201 by Mobile Task Force members Jody Summer and Dr. Stewart. The Task Force tries to keep prize money out of the hands of unsavory people like the Dark Million Organization run by Black Shadow and Deathborn. That organization is responsible for cryogenically evolving Ryu's old enemy Zoda, leading to Ryu joining the Task Force to help take down Zoda and the rest of Dark Million. While pursuing his objectives, Ryu unexpectedly meets up with the legendary racer and bounty hunter Captain Falcon, as well as several other various racers along the way.
Captain Falcon is one of the protagonists,[17] and is shrouded in mystery. When not racing, he works at a bar that he owns under the name Bart (Burt in the 4Kids adaptation) Lemming. Later it is revealed that he is Andy Summer, Jody's brother, who supposedly died in the accident that revolved around Zoda (unbeknownst to the rest of the Mobile Task Force for the majority of the series). He fights constantly against Black Shadow and the Dark Million Organization, and often lends a hand to the Task Force. Towards the end of the series, "The Legend of Falcon" is told to Ryu by Dr. Stewart. According to the legend, Captain Falcon and Black Shadow are incarnations of light and dark, and in the manner of Yin and Yang, they cannot defeat each other on their own. Also, in the beginning of the Universe, after the Big Bang, six powerful objects called "Reactor Mights" were created, and the one who controls them all gains unimaginable power. It is also revealed that Ryu Suzaku is "The Savior" of the Universe and is destined to finally tip the scales in Falcon's favor. During the final battle, Falcon and Ryu team up to destroy Black Shadow's Dark Matter Reactor with their collected Reactor Mights. But before Captain Falcon fights with Black Shadow, Falcon tells Ryu that the name of "Captain Falcon" is a title given only to the best, that "only the one who can exceed Falcon can become Falcon". After telling this to Ryu, Falcon proceeds to fight Black Shadow ending in Black Shadow's defeat and Captain Falcon's sacrifice. Shortly after the battle, Ryu becomes the new Captain Falcon and driver of the Blue Falcon.
The anime uses two pieces of theme music in the series; one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme is called "The Meaning of Truth" and is sung by Hiro-x. The ending theme is called "Resolution" and is sung by AiM. The opening animation for each changes after the first thirty-nine episodes, while the opening animation adds the sound effects for the show's title card after the first four episodes. The final episode did not air with an opening due to the opening theme being played during the final battle's climax scene.
Other media
F-Zero has appeared in other franchises, most notably in Nintendo's fighting game
Notes
References
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{{cite web}}
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External links
- Unaffiliated:
- History of F-Zero at IGN
- F-Zero games at Curlie
- Official:
- GX/AX official website (third-party archive)
- F-Zero Climax at Nintendo.co.jp
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