F-Zero

Gameplay; Graphics; Sound & Music; Retro value;

Developer; Nintendo
Publisher; Nintendo

Genre; Racing

Players; 1

Release dates;

JP; 21 NOV 1990

US; 13 AUG 1991

EU;  06 APR 1992

First things first

Big Blue

As Japan was nearing the end of autumn in 1990, F-Zero was one of the first two games released for the Super Famicom along with launch of the system itself, the other title being Super Mario World. One could consider these two the primeval parents of all SNES games. Super Mario World was sort of a mother Earth, which showed us what vast and interesting platforming worlds could be imagined and realised in 16-bit. F-Zero was more like father Time, an extremely rapid racing game with a strong focus on times ahead. Almost as if it was trying to push game development into the one direction it can go; forward, into the future. It raised the quality bar for the  racing genre by more than a few notches along the way.

Like all games developed by Shigeru Miyamoto, the game concept is almost as important as the final product. The story is set in the year 2560 AD, where the main form of entertainment is racing. The player selects one of four vehicles attached to a certain character to join, among them is naturally the beloved Captain Falcon in his "Blue Falcon", who would later become the face of the franchise. All vehicles have their own specifications, though it is kind of hard to deduce what the differences are before you actually start trying them out.

Off to the Races

Booklet art; Captain Falcon, Dr. Stuart, Pico and Samurai Goroh

Off you are to race on (kind of) bare roads against beautifully crafted backdrops.
The controls are very easy, which really maximizes the experience. You can steer, throttle, brake, and at given times turn on your super jet for a few seconds. all very easy to get used to. No matter how easy the controls though, the game moves so fast that you'll really need your head at all times. The L and R buttons allow you to 'shift your center of gravity', to cut corners even more deeply. You'll sorely need it, but it takes some experimenting to really get the hang of it.

I guess that overall, the game is relatively hard for a modern player, but when compared to contemporary Arcade style games of the '80s, it is only moderate in difficulty. The racing adopts some very genuine - if not annoying - racing Arcade elements, like the possibility to die. And dying you'll do a lot, especially when you are just getting started. Everything that hits you will damage you, until you're out of damage and you explode. You'll have chance each lap to restore some of this damage, flydriving over a so-called Pit Row.

If you're new to this game, do not let the dying put you off, the learning curve is very steep here. Also, remember that back in the day, these games were very expensive, and you would never dream of putting them away quickly unless you were absolutely certain it was not your cup of tea.

Sand Ocean

Unlike said Arcade games, a big plus to this game is that it has a clear goal. You work your way through levels and modes that become progressively harder, until you finish and get a "Thank you" screen. It will give you a very satisfied feeling, I can assure it!

A lust for eyes and ears

For its time, the graphics were really impressive. It showed off the so-called "Mode-7", which realised that honest "fake" feeling of racing in a 3D world. The levels are really well designed and themed for racing in a futuristic world, whether it be a track on a sand ocean or a city at night, you'll always feel right at home. Like I already mentioned, the tracks itself don't have a lot of variety to them, not like we've come to expect from later racing games. They are kind of bare, but I guess for this game, that is a good thing, it is hard enough as it is. The only notable feature that differs each time is the placement of the the spot where you can restore your ship.

The Pit Row over at Mute City I

The music is very good, the soundtrack has become somewhat of an icon. The themes written back then are still being used to this very day in different arrangements for the likes of Smash Brothers and fan remixes.

Final retro verdict

Perhaps the only really unfortunate thing about the game in retrospect is that Nintendo never conceived a two player mode, or maybe they couldn't realise it due to budget, time or technical constraints. It is so fiercely competitive that it really is a shame it couldn't be enjoyed in VS.

Overall, this game is a must-play-for-at-least-a-day for every Super Nintendo fan. It was the birth of F-Zero, the birth of the nostalgic character Captain Falcon, and the beginning of an era full of fantastic racing games, as well as Nintendo and non-Nintendo games to come.