Collection essentials #406: F-Zero X (N64)

The first F-Zero was a launch title for the Super Nintendo, and the futuristic racer was one of its most popular games in its first months. There wasn’t a full F-Zero sequel on the console, though there was a “BS F-Zero 2” released via the Japan-only Satellaview add-on which basically felt like more tracks for the original game. But with the release of the 3D-capable Nintendo 64, Nintendo saw that it was time to give F-Zero a true, evolved sequel. And boy, did they deliver.

Vehicles in F-Zero are anti-gravity machines that move at very high speeds and are capable of “boosting” to gain a sharp increase in speed. The vehicles often take a beating during a race, so there are “recharge strips” located on every track which restores a vehicle’s energy if driven over. Those are fundamentals that are shared between the first F-Zero and F-Zero X. But otherwise F-Zero X feels very different thanks to the many upgrades and changes allowed by the jump to more powerful hardware. 

As was the case with Super Mario Kart, the original F-Zero’s tracks were completely flat because that’s all the Super Nintendo was capable of. So as Mario Kart 64 took full advantage of being able to have non-flat tracks, so did F-Zero X. Tracks in this game are capable of twisting and turning in every direction. In addition, there are half pipes, full-on pipes, and cylinder portions which your vehicle and ride all around, even if it means racing upside-down! There are 24 total tracks in the game, plus a randomizer track called “X” which will generate something completely unique for you to race on every single time!\

The controls feel completely different from the original SNES game, not just because they were created from the ground up, but also because now you’re racing with an analog stick rather than a d-pad, so you have much more precise control over your vehicle’s movement. Boosting works differently now; in the original game you would get a set, limited number of boosts per race. However, in F-Zero X boosting now consumes some of your vehicle’s energy, so there’s a risk-reward element at play since you can boost as much as you want as long as you’re confident you have energy to spare and if you’re confident you can avoid getting blown up. I very much prefer this over the original boost system. You can also get a boost if you drive over a boost pad present on the track, and there are many of those.

Grand prix races now feature 30 cars racing at once. The vehicles in this game have the ability to attack, and are incentivized to try and take out rival racers. There are no weapons or items like in Mario Kart, though. By double-tapping one of the shoulder buttons, a red light will briefly emanate from the vehicle and they will move slightly in that direction with lethal force which will be bad news for another race in the way. There’s also a spin attack which lasts a little longer but is harder to control. Hazards of various kinds exist in the tracks, too, such as these little bumper thingies that will send your vehicle in the air for a bit, and there’s also special terrain such as ice and dirt (not sure how that works with anti-gravity vehicles, but whatever). And of course, there’s always the danger of those sections with no walls which put racers at risk of falling off the track to their doom. 

The original F-Zero only had four racers to choose from. Those four from the original game return, along with TWENTY-SIX newcomers, all of which handle differently with their own strengths and weaknesses. As if that weren’t enough, before each race you are able to choose your preferred level of balance between high acceleration and high maximum speed, so there are truly a huge amount of gameplay possibilities. The game’s tight and precise controls feel awesome, and getting a hang of the game’s mechanics feels very rewarding. On top of that, the game has an incredibly smooth framerate at a full 60 frames per second (which is widely considered the desirable standard for video games), something that the developers were able to achieve by not adding much detail to the game’s backgrounds. I think the tradeoff of detailed graphics in exchange for an ideal framerate was absolutely the right move for a high-speed racing game like this.

The game’s music is also quite different from that of the original game. F-Zero’s soundtrack goes for a rock ‘n’ roll style to try and fit the vibe of dangerous futuristic high-speed racing. That kind of music can kinda be hit-or-miss for me, but this time it’s a “hit” and I think F-Zero X’s soundtrack is an excellent fit.

I owned the original F-Zero as a kid sometime in the latter half of the ‘90s. I didn’t know about F-Zero X when it first came out, but I eventually learned of its existence a year or two later thanks to a certain popular Nintendo crossover fighting game I haven’t covered yet. It was another couple years before I would even see the game, though. I remember being at the game store (probably Electronic Boutique) while my family was going on vacation, I believe in August of 2002, when I was browsing the pre-owned Nintendo 64 titles and stumbled upon F-Zero X for a very cheap price. Although I had never seen the game, I was nonetheless excited and happily snatched it up. And it quickly became one of my favorite Nintendo 64 games and one that I spent a bunch of time with, despite the fact that by that point I owned Nintendo’s next big console already. The cartridge shown in the photo is the very same one I bought way back then, but the box and manual were acquired later.

F-Zero X is one of the highlights of the Nintendo 64 and is a timelessly fun game, a shoe-in essential. But what if I told you…this isn’t even the game’s final form?? In a few weeks I’ll be covering this mysterious final form…so stay tuned!!