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F-Zero GX Review - Gamecube

27th October 2003 by
92%
The year is 1986 and a movie about elite US flight school pilots was about to make Tom Cruise a household name. We followed the fortunes of Maverick, the hot-headed protege with a past and his wingman, Goose, the goofy easy go lucky oddball, as they pitted their talents against the likes of the arrogant Iceman. Top Gun introduced us to inverted G's, "communicating" with the enemy, and a catch phrase that is known the world over - "I feel the need, the need for speed!"
Well Maverick and Goose, if you have a need for speed, then F-Zero GX is the game for you. Bring your tissues, cos this will make your nose bleed.

Gameplay

F-Zero GX is a futuristic arcade racer, with intense track design, intense rivalry, intense err… speed (you get the picture). The game is intense! F-Zero dishes up all previous gaming modes and more, in the GP mode you're trying to win various cups set over 5 tracks and 3 difficulty levels. Win the 3 cups on either standard or advanced levels and you'll open up another cup. You are rewarded points after every completed race, get the most points and you win the cup. A nice touch is that a "Rival" tag is placed upon either the ladder leader, or your nearest competitor if you're leading the cup.
Other modes include Time Attack, Vs Battle and Story Mode, a new addition to the series, which has you racing as Captain Falcon through 9 different scenarios. Races are set over 3 laps and you're up against 30 other ships. It's an absolute treat seeing 29 other ships zooming across a level. The modes each throw up the required level of variety and challenge to keep you coming back for more.

With a massive emphasis on speed, and therefore reflexes, F-Zero's brilliances hinges on how the ship control. Thankfully, it's like a dream. Controlling your ship couldn't be any easier, with a 2 button accelerate/brake combo and left/right air slides (2 variations), for navigating around those 90-degree corners. Early on you'll find little use for the air slides, but as you progress up the cups, it becomes an important skill to master.
F-Zero isn't always about outgunning your opponents as you can attack them also. You have 2 attack moves, which not only dish out damage, but also, if successful, earn back a portion of your energy meter. Your energy meter not only decreases when you crash into a wall or bump into another ship, but also, after the first lap, when you activate the ships boost. Depending on your ships boost ranking, you'll be hurtled forward at break neck speed, handy for catching up to leading ships, but at a cost. Naturally, this creates some truly edge of your seat moments- do you boost early on in the lap and put yourself in danger of exploding, or do you hang back and launch a boost avalanche towards the laps end?

Thankfully (continued next page)

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