F-Zero X

Summary

Genre: Racing
Number of players: 1-4
Rumble Pak: No
Controller Pak: No
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

F-Zero X made its first appearance back on the SNES, and was a fun little game then. On the N64 though, it has to put up with some stiff competition from the rather good Extreme G in the high-speed stakes. This being a game made by Nintendo you'd expect quality. But do you get it?


Gameplay: The thing that makes F-Zero different to most other racing games is the speed of the game. This is one FAST racer. As a result, however, it will be compared to the N64's other high speed racer, which was out a considerable time before F-Zero: Extreme G. Unlike XG though, F-Zero is a lot smoother, and is a lot easier to get into.

F-Zero is a very fun game indeed to play. The courses are well designed and the tracks are never so small as to be ridiculous, unlike XG and are well thought-out and interesting. Also, you can actually make out what you're doing all the time, instead of bouncing off walls here, there and everywhere: again, unlike XG. This game relies more on skill than luck, and as such is a lot more fun to play than its rival, which is always a good thing in my book, since when a game relies on luck, there's a chance Mav will actually beat me!!

One of the things that makes F-Zero fun is the fact that they included a boost power. You can accelerate to speeds far surpassing the norm by simply tapping 'B'. BUT there's a catch - this takes away from your craft's energy bar, which means if you hit a wall and you don't have enough energy to sustain the blow, you're out of the race. It really is good fun and knowing when and for how long you can use a boost safely is the key to winning the race.


Challenge: The game can get quite tricky when the CPU's difficulty level is up to the top, and there are a fair few tracks and vehicles that are to be unlocked as you progress, keeping you interested for a long time to come.


Graphics: Terrible. No backgrounds, cars are badly drawn.


Sounds: Not too bad. The voice of the commentator is very annoying though, and it's not always clear what he's saying. That aside, the music isn't too bad. Nothing special mind, but not annoying in the least.


Multiplayer: Not a bad experience at all. Certainly a lot more entertaining than Extreme G, whose multiplayer is very short lived indeed. It'll keep you and your friends entertained for a while, but it's no Perfect Dark.


Summing up: Pretty good racing game that will have you going for some time. Graphics let it down badly, and the sounds are nothing special, but it's certainly worth a look, especially if you liked Extreme G, and the SNES predecessor.


Gamesmark: 82%


Reviewer: Tangycheese



Maverik's opinion: I wouldn't say the graphics are terrible, but they certainly aren't up to the usual N64 standard. However, F-Zero X has got it where it counts - speed and gameplay. It's faster than any other racing game on the console, yet the control and handling is such that you'll never lose track of where you are - just as well, since a single mistake can retire you from the race. Top fun, plenty of tracks and a great multiplayer make this game an excellent choice!