The fastest racer to ever set foot on the GameCube, is also quite simply, one of the best.
The gameplay in F-Zero GX is simply incredible. Controls are tight and it really does matter which vehicle you select as every vehicle is unique and controls differently. You can even unlock parts as you progress through the game and create your own vehicle. You’ll have a lot of fun playing this title with friends as well as the single-player portion. The only true complaint that I have is, once again, the difficulty. It’s not unusual to fly through the first few courses in a cup, only to lose every continue on one ridiculously hard level. “Retired! Retired! Retired!” No matter how good you consider yourself to be at video games, you’re going to be seeing that screen a lot so get used to it or find another game.
In terms of graphics, F-Zero GX has a very impressive look to it. The vehicles, character models, and tracks all look superb. The cut-scenes, while corny as crap, look fantastic. The sheer speed of the game makes it look very impressive as well. Nintendo even threw in a few touches of their own such as the old NES “ROB” peripheral moving around in the background. This game also supports progressive scan and widescreen. If you have an expensive entertainment setup then you are going to get a lot out of F-Zero GX.
This game’s sound is also very well done for the most part. The music is a unique and surprisingly catchy form of techno. I actually found myself choosing tracks based on their background music which speaks well for the level of quality. The sound, however, is kind of a mixed bag. While the sound effects are very well done, the character voice-overs are quite lame. They also use some of the worst lines I’ve ever seen in video games. For instance, Captain Falcon says to his nemesis, “Let’s finish this in the Grand Prix. Not like this, it’s the coward’s way.” His opponent responds by saying, “The coward’s way? You make it sound so noble!” Wow. I’ve heard better one-liners in True Crime: Streets of L.A. That’s just a taste of the sheer cheesiness that you’re going to experience in the game’s story. Does the cheesy story matter though? Nah, not really.
Replay value is another strong point. It has a bevy of unlockables including new vehicles, racers, cups, vehicle parts, staff ghosts, and sound tests. You’ll never run out of things to do in this game. Even the most hardcore racing fans will be looking at plenty of gameplay hours ahead of them.
All told, this is one of the finest racing games I’ve ever played. I put it right up there with Mario Kart: Double Dash. It just has so much polish, several play modes, and so many fun things to discover. If you’re lucky enough to play the arcade counterpart, F-Zero AX, then you can stick in a GameCube memory card to unlock more extras. F-Zero GX is an amazing game. I highly recommend you go out and pick this one up.