The soundtrack for this game was awesome. Total butt rock.

Great game. Multiplayer was 60fps in 4-player, an absolute triumph on the N64. The multiplayer was probably more fun than GX, due to the slot machine. But you kind of have to be good to compete, which hurts F-Zero as a multiplayer franchise.

Anyway, the X Cup was awesome. So... random. Unlocking it was a bitch and a half. Much harder than non-Story Mode GX, due to lack of overpowered customizable crafts and cheaty Nintendo same-computer-character-does-the-best-every-race-for-the-whole-cup AI.

But the SNES game was fun in its own way!

I thought this game was boring. They sacrificed too much to get that 60 FPS going.

I got the game with Club Nintendo as well, and I'm excited to try it. I did rent it back in the day, and I know it's a lot like GX, but it'll be fun trying new courses. I just hope it plays well with a GameCube or Classic controller.

@Mop it up

The graphics certainly look boring, but if it's anything like GX then the gameplay will be awesome.

@canonj It's kind of the precursor to GX. I think GX took the track design to the next level though. But I do still love some of the tracks... the Thin Line one was awesome. F-Zero should do retro tracks like Mario Kart does.

WHEN IT COMES BACK, AS IT BETTER.

@Mop it up

If you are staring at the backgrounds in an F-Zero game you are doing it wrong.

@chrisbg99 There isn't a background to stare at. Or a foreground. Or anything, really.

I feel that graphics benefit a racing game a lot more than they do most other genres. They really help establish the sense of speed, as well as having something to look at to break up the monotony. This seems especially the case for a game like F-Zero, which has speeds of over 1,000kph, but it never feels like you're going even a quarter of that because you're not zipping by any objects whatsoever. Not only that, but a lot of the tracks have twists and loops and such, but without any frame of reference, it doesn't feel like you're upside-down or sideways or anything like that. As a result, the game feels slow and is pretty easy, outside of Master. Then there's the ridiculous rubber-band AI, which makes Mario Kart seem like a completely fair game; if the processor weren't busy with the 60fps then perhaps they could have programmed an AI that's actually skillful instead of establishing difficulty through cheapness. It makes trying for a lead mostly pointless, and a better strategy is often to destroy your rival.

F-Zero GX was finally able to do F-Zero right. I don't really like that game due to the insane difficulty, but I can still recognise its merits.

@Mop it up
I agree with a lot of what you said about frame of reference and background detail, but slow? Really?

And the AI was definitely cheaty, but surgically executing the competition was part of the fun!

I also feel that 60 fps is kind of essential in a racing game. Which is one of the reasons that Mario Kart Wii disappointed me. Less bloom, more framerate, plz.

Wasn't Mario Kart Wii 60fps, but only in single player? I can't remember if it was 60fps online or not.

@Mop it up

They had to sacrifice background for frame rate otherwise the feel wouldn't have been the same. This was the N64 we are talking about. The console had problems with frame rate as it was and Nintendo chose to sacrifice all to give the game the necessary feel and speed. Had they attempted more detailed backgrounds or ships the frame rate would have suffered and the game would not have the proper speed or feel. And either way GX still had cheap A.I. even with the power allowing for more detailed backgrounds at 60fps.

It is like complaining that Star Fox on the SNES had basic mostly just polygonal shapes with little to no texture work without realizing it was almost a miracle that the game was able to be made on the SNES in the first place.

I reluctantly got this today because the Club Nintendo rewards are the absolute worst I've ever seen (shut up, Australia). I had 160 points expiring tomorrow, so theres that.

When do we get good stuff? Oh, and I don't expect to like this game, but people say its good, so we'll see.

@Anand Well, it's slow compared to how fast the speedometer claims you are going. It's still faster than the likes of Mario Kart and others, but it doesn't feel any faster than some of the regular car racing games out there, nor did I ever feel like I had trouble navigating the courses due to speed. I agree 60fps is nice for racing games, but that isn't really feasible on the N64 without making the game bland as a result.

@PogueSquadron Mario Kart Wii is a steady 60fps in 1-2 player local, and 1-player online. It is 30fps in 3-4 player local, and 2-player online.

@chrisbg99 Of course, and I'm saying they shouldn't have even bothered and taken a different direction with the game. It clearly couldn't work on the N64. I've never played Star Fox so I can't comment on that specific example, but just because a game is a technical marvel doesn't mean it works or is a good game. I actually find most ambitious games like this are not fun, even during their time.

@Mop it up

Both Star Fox and F-Zero X are fun though. And I don't know why you are claiming F-Zero X is bland. Some of the courses in the later tracks will test as much as any course in GX.

@chrisbg99 If you think the games are fun, that's fine with me, I was simply explaining why I think otherwise. I know there are people who still like this game, and I respect that. Hopefully, you can also respect that I have a different opinion than you.

Opinions are made to be argued over.

@chrisbg99 Sure, but you seem a little hostile towards me, and not just here. That could just be your writing style, though.

@Mr_Mustache
It's like Nascar, except 100 times faster. (Seriously, it IS kind of like Nascar. 30 cars, ovals, rubbing, etc.)

Death Race made this game a joy to play, IMO. Loved the soundtrack too, which isn't something I can say about a lot of N64 titles. I really enjoyed it, but I've a soft spot for racing games. I didn't even mind the admittedly bland graphics. It just *worked* when I was actually playing.

@Anand

RUBBIN' IS RACIN'!!!

@GameDadGrant
Death Race is awesome!

I used to recreate Death Race on each of the tracks in GX by going into Practice Mode, turning all of the AI players on, and racing until I had 30 Stars.

I rented F-Zero X when I was a kid and I remember "retiring" a lot during races. The music is rad and the courses were pretty slick if memory serves.

Slightly off the subject, but did anyone ever play F-Zero AX at an arcade?