F-Zero 99

[dataDave]

Poop.

The one advantage it has in its corner is that it was developed internally by Nintendo. The rest are/were handled by Arika.

[Nu-Eclipse]

The one advantage it has in its corner is that it was developed internally by Nintendo. The rest are/were handled by Arika.

Don't think that makes any difference, tbh.

Let's be honest: Resurrecting F-Zero like this - enhanced SNES port - was likely more an easy low-cost measure rather than out of any genuine love for the franchise.

[dataDave]

Well they could have just outsourced it like the rest, but they didn’t. The fact that they handled F-Zero themselves when they didn’t do the same for Tetris, Mario, and Pac-Man says something.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Well they could have just outsourced it like the rest, but they didn’t. The fact that they handled F-Zero themselves when they didn’t do the same for Tetris, Mario, and Pac-Man says something.

Even Nintendo have limits to their own laziness, I guess?

You could probably count the Dev team involved in this on one hand, I would think.

Easy low-hanging fruit - let's toss out something for those who are still begging for F-Zero decades after the last original game. Minimal effort.

Had this used the engine of X or AX/GX then maybe, but the fact the SNES original was used for this says it all about how Nintendo view F-Zero nowadays, IMO.

[fishbowlhead]

It’s for the exact audience that are gushing on here, the Dave’s and the other hard core that want something with tight gameplay and smooth visuals that they can get good to the point that their eyes melt out the sockets and reality becomes meaningless until that 1000 of a second is shaved off corner 4.

Ninty know their people.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Ninty know their people.

If Ninty know their people, why have they waited decades to release a new F-Zero? If Ninty know their people, why isn't it an all-new F-Zero game that so many have begged and begged for? If Ninty know their people, why did they destroy Starfox by making Starfox Zero a mess?

I could go on and on but you get the point.

[Super Monkey Balls]

I hate to break it to you guys, but "Ninty's people" have never been middle aged dudes with rose tinted specs.

[ItsThere]

I went back and played the original for comparisons sake.

F-Zero 99 is a much better game in every respect. I can't see a reason to play the SNES version now and I want to see the GBA ones again on the Switch but I expect they will also pale in comparison to this.

Mechanically it is more interesting and visually it is crisp and clear.

I also tried F-Zero X at the same time and I just don't see how that would have worked with the carnage. I expect they tried both and settled on the one that made more sense.

[dataDave]

Honestly, don’t rank up if you really want to farm GP wins and the various liveries for the machines. Throw races to your rivals in order to stay at a lower rank. At S-rank I’m being matched with names that you normally see on the top 25 of the leaderboards, as such winning is now much, much harder. Frontrunning with a handful of these characters hot on your tail is incredibly stressful.

[MarioMark]

I've hammered this over the weekend with no sign of getting bored of it so far. I've managed to secure victory in two races so far. The more I immerse myself in it, the clearer it becomes that success hinges on a strategic approach rather than sheer aggression. You can't simply go all out; it's about managing your resources wisely and utilizing the sky road at precisely the right moments.


Experimenting with various cars has taught me that your driving style must adapt to the vehicle you choose. For instance, when driving the Wild Goose, it's possible to dive into the midst of other cars to collect sparks without much worry of getting bashed around. However, if you go for the Golden Fox, a different strategy is necessary. In that car, you need to accelerate to the front early on, as it's susceptible to getting bumped around when mixed in with the pack.

[dataDave]

Back to the SNES version I go for Queen League practice.

This didn't unlock anything, btw.

[MarioMark]

Back to the SNES version I go for Queen League practice.

This didn't unlock anything, btw.

Woah, well played

[dataDave]

Queen League is apparently launching later today.

White Land II and Death Wind II will be the new Pro Tracks.

EDIT: They’re dropping them at 1am GMT.

[dataDave]

A couple of wins from just now. Was frontrunning Mute City for over two laps, no way I was giving that up.

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The same on Death Wind II. Had to fight back for my spot.

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[dataDave]

I had a couple of F-Zero 99 streams on last night while working, with coverage of races and all the familiar names playing. I’m no stranger to game streaming of course, but it felt pretty surreal- like it should be a feature of the game (F-Zero TV).

It’s actually a lot better now that it’s boiled down to a few hundred tight-knit/regular players. The rivalries have weight to them, and everyone’s becoming better at playing all the time, with a few of the top players really pushing the maximum out of what’s possible with the game.