The SNES introduced us to F-Zero and futuristic hovercraft racing. The PlayStation took the idea, refined it and gave us WipeOut. F-Zero X combines the best of both games and gives us incredibly fast hovercrafts, wild tracks, gut churning jumps and spins, great control, cool tunes and doesn't even break a sweat.
Nintendo is definitely starting to live up to it's "Quality not Quantity" motto they were spewing when the N64 hit North America in 1996. It may have taken 2.5 years but no one can argue that Nintendo (and it's third parties) are releasing some of the best games available for any system. F-Zero X can be added to that list. This game is fast and furious and doesn't let up until you turn the game off.
A racing game is judged by three things: Framerate, Control and Fun. If the framerate is good then you've got a good illusion of speed. If the cars control well then you've got the hardest part down. If Framerate and Control are there, who cares what kind of cars you drive? In the case of F-Zero X, there aren't any cars at all; just insane hovercrafts that not only defy gravity, but spit in it's face.
Offering 24 tracks, 30 crafts and a few racing option staples such as Time Trial and Practice modes as well as the main game GP Race (featuring four Cup races: Jack, Queen , King and the hidden Joker Cup), Death Race, and VS Battle (2-4 player).
Every vehicle has it's strength and weaknesses which means you must choose the right craft for the course. That won't be easy due to the fact that each track can be incredibly diverse. It may start off straight, but pretty soon you'll be upside down, making wicked turns, jumping chasms, hitting ramps, using speed boosts, you name it. This game rarely let's you catch your breath.
Although the tracks look amazing, the backgrounds often don't look much better than the SNES version. However, you really won't be focusing on the backgrounds, unless you've left the track and are crashing to the streets (or whatever they are, motherboards perhaps...) below. Thanks to the sparse look of the BG's the game flies at breakneck speed.
Tune wise, F-Zero X is pretty impressive. Lot's of heavy guitar, bass and drum tunes that suit the style of the game quite well.
Final Thought: This game is very worthy of your time and money. The one player game is great as is the two player game. The three and fourth player games I find too distracting, but that's just me. Compared to WipEout 64, F-Zero X is simply better due to the speed and control. WipEout looks prettier but as my momma always said, "It's not looks that count, it's how fast and how easy your hovercraft controls." I don't know how the hell she knew anything about F-Zero X or video gaming in general going back twenty years ago. But she was bang on, as usual.
Final Analysis: