F-Zero X, the thrilling sequel to the Super Nintendo classic, is one of the fastest racing games you’ve ever seen. If you were one of them, that’s just playing the original F-Zero always got bad, then wait until you F-Zero X play! One reason for the overwhelming feeling of speed F-Zero X is the consistently high refresh rate. Even when 30 Hover cars fight for pole position, there is not the slightest judder. And the 4-player split-screen mode is arguably one of the hottest multiplayer modes ever. Here, too, the frame rate always remains consistently high.
High above the abstract image of a planet’s surface, the racetracks twist and turn into infinity. As in the first F-Zero, the track barriers are set up to damage your vehicle if you touch them, so the ultimate goal is always to have the cleanest possible race.
Acceleration arrows are strategically placed on the track, but you can also turbo-charge by pressing the B Button once you’ve completed the first lap of the race, though this will cost you some energy from your shields. With the R button and the Z button, you can steer more sharply and drift elegantly through corners. The controls are very intuitive and allow for extremely precise control of the car, which is also very important given that a driving error can take you over the edge of the track and into nowhere.
Players can choose between 30 different hover cars. Among other things, there are also modernized versions of Captain Falcon’s Blue Falcon and other cars from the original F-Zero. Each vehicle has very different driving characteristics – some are light and agile, others big and cumbersome – but victory is possible with each. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that a faster car is always better – the heavier cars are better protected and more resistant to damage, including from track barriers. In Death Race your task is to eliminate the opponents who are on the track.
In F-Zero X the game view is free-moving, so you can look backwards or move the camera up to get a better view. It is also possible to zoom in to take a look at your car. The background is also stripped of unnecessary detail – not that you notice when the scenery rushes by at over 1,500 km/h. In addition to the new cars, tracks and characters offers F-Zero X also a great incentive to play the game once more and once more. To unlock all 30 vehicles and all tracks, you must prove yourself in each of the track modes. Who needs weapons or weird extras anyway? After all, we’re dealing with one of the fastest racing games of all time!
