F-Zero GX
Note: This review was also posted on GameFAQs.com.
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By Jhen Mohran
F-ZERO GX REVIEW
F-Zero GX is a fantastic game. Seriously, it is. In case you’re unaware, the F-Zero franchise is a series of high-speed, futuristic racing games. The races take place on tracks that span miles, and the machines themselves travel around 800-900 miles per hour on average, and max speeds at 1500+. GX, in my opinion, is the best of the series.
GAMEPLAY >16/20<
The game gives you a real sense of speed; it really makes you believe that you’re breaking the sound barrier. The controls are spot-on, too. Everything about this game feels smooth, even when you’re hitting a wall. The AI (artificial intelligence, or CPU players) difficulty, however, is terribly unfair, especially in the Story Mode. For instance: You’re driving the fastest car in the game, boosting like crazy at 1600 m/ph, when another slower machine passes you without boosting. Astounding.
STORY >10/20<
Like I said before, the story mode is crippling in terms of difficulty. The Story Mode consists of 10 levels. At the start, the only one available is #1. After it is beaten, the next level becomes available for purchase in the F-Zero shop. Save up your tickets by racing in Grand Prix mode to buy it. Rinse and repeat. The storyline is nothing to write home about. It follows Captain Falcon through a series of events including a Speed-esque mission (in which you can’t drop below a certain speed), a race against Samurai Goroh, and the F-Zero Grand Prix itself (watch out for that one!).
GRAPHICS and SOUND >20/20<
The graphics (in my opinion) are the best on the Gamecube (next to Wind Waker). Somehow the game manages to keep a solid 60 fps with 30 racers on the course. The music is fantastic, as well. So fantastic that there is an official soundtrack (I have not found it online as of yet, but I encourage you to look).
PLAYTIME and REPLAY VALUE >16/20<
The game’s Story Mode takes a fair amount of time, to say the least (but you get an awesome prize for beating it). Retry after retry after retry after retry. The Grand Prix mode, on the other hand, offers the best replay value. If you want to beat every cup on every difficulty level, well, I haven’t even done that yet, so I can’t tell you how long that takes.
OVERALL >18/20<
If you’re a fan of futuristic games (e.g. Starfox), racing games (e.g. Sonic Riders or Mario Kart), or even flying games (e.g. Starfox again), then I heartily recommend you buy this game. Good luck finding it though; I had to dig through to the depths of the internet to find it. Then I remembered Amazon existed. So open a new tab on your browser, go to Amazon.com/ca, and BUY THIS GAME.
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F-ZERO GX was released on August 25th, 2003 (North America) for the Nintendo Gamecube.
