Futuristic racing at its finest.
THE GOOD
-Fun tracks
-Groovy music
-Good graphics
-Solid controls
THE BAD
-No multiplayer
OVERVIEW
F-Zero takes place in a futuristic world where the highest form of entertainment comes from pilots that race at extreme speeds high above the city in nimble hovercrafts. This game combines speed with precision as your hovercraft will be traveling faster than 500 km/h. In F-Zero there are four fierce competitors to choose from: Blue Falcon (Blue hovercraft), Golden Fox (Yellow hovercraft), Wild Goose (Green hovercraft), and Fire Stingray (Pink hovercraft). Each competitor is willing to put their life on the line to become the greatest F-Zero pilot of all time and you'll get to enjoy all the intense racing.
GAMEPLAY
F-Zero consists of three sets of five tracks divided into three leagues: Knight, Queen, and King. There are two different racing modes to pick from which are Grand Prix and Practice. In the beginning, of Grand Prix mode, you'll be able to choose a racer, from the four I've mentioned previously, and the difficulty setting: beginner, intermediate, expert and master. Each of the tracks are not only pretty to look at but are also extremely fun to drive on. Long straight-aways, tight corners, jumps and other obstacles fill each track along with other drivers. You'll need to watch out for other racers along with the walls of the track because they can do damage to your hovercraft. If your vehicle's shields (life meter) depletes too much it'll literally blow up so it won't matter if you're wearing a seatbelt or not. But don't worry because if you survive an entire lap there is a pit station where a refueling craft will fly overhead and charge up your hovercraft's shields. You're also rewarded with a super charged speed boost for finishing a lap that can come in quite handy. However, you'll have to keep track of which place that you're in at the start of each lap because there is a limit. For example, if you're in fourth place and on the final lap you'll have to finish in the top three in order to avoid being disqualified from the race.
The controls are fantastic in F-Zero; especially the ability to maneuver around tight corners. With each hovercraft you'll be able to accelerate, brake, turn (using the d-pad) and perform a tight turn with the R and L buttons. The ability to travel at such high speeds and then make a 90 degree turn is quite fun.
F-Zero not only provides are great racing experience but the difficulty in the tracks and A.I. can prove to be a nice challenge. With four different difficulties there is an appropriate challenge for everyone; even beginners. The master difficulty is available for the expert gamers that really need a challenge. You'll have to prove yourself by completing one of the leagues on the expert setting in order to unlock the master setting.
Aside from competing against other A.I. players, in the main racing mode (Grand Prix), you'll have the option to brush up on your skills in the practice mode. Here you'll be able to do a time trial on all the fifteen tracks and save your times. Other than the Grand Prix and Practice modes, there aren't any other extra elements to F-Zero.
There is one major drawback to F-Zero and it's the fact that it is a racing game without a multiplayer mode. This disappointment lowers the replay value because you can really only race against the computer for so long.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
F-Zero's futuristic style is very appealing. The track design looks great and the backgrounds make it feel like you're racing high above a futuristic city. The clarity and color stands out with four main hovercrafts, however, the other drone racers look drab.
The music is probably the best feature in this game. Each track has a unique soundtrack that's jazzy and upbeat with some memorable songs like the main theme, Big Blue and Mute City. The music definitely makes racing, in F-Zero, much more exciting. The sound effects are another great feature. Whether you're crashing into the wall or accelerating over jumps, the audio really enhances the gameplay.
CONCLUSION
F-Zero is flat out great racing game with electrifying tracks and tight controls. The lack of a multiplayer might be a turn off for some but the challenging Grand Prix mode is something that nobody should miss. I would recommend this game to all racing fans of all skill levels. This is futuristic racing at its finest but will you be able to handle immense danger for a chance at glory?