Even years after its release F-Zero GX remains one of the best racing games ever made. Having previously created the arcade hit Daytona USA, SEGA's Amusement Vision had all the experience necessary to tackle Nintendo's long-running futuristic racing series. They brought together all of the traditional F-Zero elements (recharge strips, boost power, arrow zippers, and ramps) while introducing some new ideas into the mix.
The designers at Amusement Vision clearly did their homework when they began designing the various race tracks for GX. Each course has a beautiful setting based on classic F-Zero locales, such as futuristic cities, spaceports, forests, deserts, volcanic craters, and more. These are some of the most brilliantly designed courses ever seen, requiring Players to memorize the locations of cork-screw turns, speed boosts and recharge strips so that they can maximize their boost power to maintain top speed.
Taking a cue from F-Zero X, the courses resemble looping rollercoasters. Many have you racing on the inside or outside of a tube, creating a unique feeling of vertigo. There are slippery icy patches, sections with no rails, sections with magnetized rails, exploding mines, and rough patches that will steal your speed. This goes far beyond the WipeOut series in terms of course design and difficulty. Did I mention there are 29 ravenous competitors hungry for 1st place? Enemies will knock you around with a spin-dash or slam you into a wall with a well-placed body check.
The infamous story mode is the main addition to the series. There are 9 chapters starring Captain Falcon, told through relatively high quality but obnoxiously cheesy computer animations. The scenarios and dialogue are mostly cringe-worthy Saturday morning cartoon fare, but don't underestimate them. Each chapter presents a unique racing challenge that will test even the best player's mettle: from collecting markers on the course within a time limit, to racing on a course with no rails.
GX remains one of the most gorgeous racing games due to its insane course design, incredible sense of speed, and rock-steady 60 fps frame rate. The textures are incredibly detailed, and the track side details – from the interior of a crazy casino to the interstellar docking station of port city – are a sight to behold. One of my favourite effects is the electrical charge that surges around your vehicle when you hit a speed boost. And ROB the Robotic Operating Buddy puts in a cameo in one of the stages – you can't miss him!
Notably absent is F-Zero X's random track generator, which would've been a nice diversion for multi-player matches. Something similar to the scrapped 64 DD track editor may be asking a bit much, but would have been extremely cool. Unfortunately, no LAN connectivity was implemented meaning 2-4 players will be playing via split-screen – without the option of computer opponents. Another annoying quirk of the game is its memory card restrictions, which prevent sharing accomplishments between friends. These minor quibbles do little to detract from your enjoyment of the game.
GX offers plenty of variety with 20 courses to select from (an additional 6 AX tracks can be unlocked), and over 30 pilots and vehicles. With four difficulty modes ranging from easy to Master class, the game requires dedication and lots of practise. In fact, beating the computer opponents on Master class will require perfect piloting skills and a little luck. What's more, the more difficult grand prixs come with less and less credits, resulting in the gamer affliction SPS (Sweaty Palms Syndrome).
As a gamer who largely preferred the weapons-based racing of the Wipeout series, I must admit that F-Zero is back and easily takes 1st place. While the Wipeout series retains the better soundtrack, compared to the meager selection of courses in Wipeout, along with its extreme difficulty, F-Zero GX reclaims the top spot amongst futuristic racers, and is the best racing game available for the Gamecube.
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