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August 21, 1999
LE
FastCounter
F-Zero X
Nintendo continue to update their classic
back-catalogue by bringing us a 64-bit version of one of
the SNES's first games, F-Zero.
Anyone who remembers F-Zero will
remember that the graphics were't brilliant, but the
gameplay was the perfect example of a classic playable
game. So is it a mistake messing with a near-perfect
formula of speed and gameplay? Oh come on, it's Nintendo!
Vincent Coyne
| Game Specs: |
| By: Nintendo |
Type: Futuristic Racing |
Players: 1-4 |
| Cart
Size: 128 Meg |
Save
On Cart: Yes |
Memory
Pak: No |
| Rumble
Pak: Yes |
Expansion
Pak: No |
Release:
Out Now |
The first thing that you'll notice about F-Zero X
is the speed of the game. It has to be the fastest racing
game ever made. Sure, the graphics are a bit tacky, and
the backgrounds a bit bland, but these sacrifices have
had to be made to keep the speed at a constant maximum.
There are 5 Play Modes to choose from:
GP Mode
Race one of the 3 cups (plus one secret), against 29 (YES
29!!) other drivers. A total of 6 races in each
cup. Whoever has the most points in the end wins (Points
are earned by finishing the race in a certain place). You
can knock your competitors off the track or you can even
smash them to death with you side attack and spin attack
moves. This is extremely handy, as you can kill anyone
who is close to you in the overall league table. The more
cups you win on the harder difficulty levels will allow
you access to more of the 30 cars.
Time Attack
The obligatory time-trial mode. You can have up to three
ghosts racing with you if you race 3 good races in
succession.
Death Race
Yes! The Death Race is where you practice your fighting
skills. You drive on a looped track -with only one jump,
a shield recharging strip, and a section with no walls-
and have to kill all of the 29 other racers in the
fastest time possible. Class!
Vs. Battle
Multiplayer mayhem at its greatest! There is absolutely
no slowdown, even in 4-player, but the only downside is
that only 4 racers (human or CPU) can race at one time.
Training
I don't really need to explain it to you, even if you
were interested.
The craft control is excellent, and -let's face it- it
had to be at 1000+MPH! The analogue stick is deadly
accurate, and the attack moves are easily executed. And,
well, that's it really.
| Graphics: |
| A bit bland, but you won't notice at
1000+MPH! The speed IS actually
cheek-flapping (both pairs of cheeks, that
is).The end sequence is pants, though.... |
8.0 |
| Sound: |
| The sound quality is, overall, quite
good for a cartridge. It's just a pity that it's
all rawkin' guitar riffs. |
7.0 |
| Playability: |
| Possibly the best racing game on the
N64. I even prefer it to 1080 and Gran Turismo
(PSX)! The absorbing gameplay lives up to,
and even surpasses the SNES original! |
10. |
| Lifespan: |
| Five modes of play, 4 cups each with
6 tracks, 4 difficulty levels, a multiplayer
mode, A RANDOM TRACK GENERATOR,
the death race, and LOADS of
secret stuff! Brilliant! |
10. |
| Sixty
Four Bitz Verdict: |
| Nintendo have struck gold yet again.
If someone says it looks crap, kick them in the
teeth, because the gameplay is excellent! Lasts
long, is fun to play, and is very, VERY
hard! It is THE best N64 racing
game, and certainly the fastest. An excellent
companion for Zelda. |
10. |
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