F-Zero X (N64)

Game Profile

The fastest racing game in the universe returns! F-Zero X is the stunning Nintendo 64 sequel to the Super Nintendo smash hit, featuring more sound barrier-breaking, gravity-defying action than ever before.

F-Zero X boasts 30 different futuristic hover 'machines' to control, more than 20 tracks packed with twists, tunnels and jaw-dropping jumps, and the ability to perform sideswipes and spin attacks to bash opponents out of your way.

Play solo in the main GP Race mode, go for your fastest laps in Time Attack mode, eliminate rivals in Death Race mode, and compete with up to three friends in the split-screen VS Battle mode.

Game Review

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Review

USA Thu, 14 Jun 2007 by Darren Calvert

The fastest racing game in the universe returns!

The original F-Zero on the Super Nintendo really blew gamers away with its flagrant use of mode 7, crisp graphics, inspired music and tough difficulty curve. It was really the first of its kind spawning many imitators such as Wipeout. Nintendo must have..

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User Comments

Johannes

1. Johannes Germany 08 May 2007, 07:33 BST

I never played this - only the SNES and the Cube Version.
Let's hope it will come out here soon, i would spend 1000 Wii Points on this.

Ruffy

2. Ruffy Australia 08 May 2007, 11:35 BST

Woooooooooooo

Now this is what i'm waiting for........
About time we are seeing more n64 releases

I found this one better than the cube version, i'm also hoping to see a ds or wii version.

mummydaddy

3. mummydaddy United Kingdom 09 May 2007, 23:10 BST

well Johannes you are in for a treat, I won't hesitate spending 1000 points on this game. What it lacks in arcade "WOW" it makes up for in gameplay, including a novel DEATH RACE where you have to bump off all the other riders.

ste hicky

4. ste hicky United Kingdom 10 May 2007, 00:02 BST

f-zero x is THE future racer,end of. it's better than the snes version and wipes the floor with the (excellent) cube version.i also think it's the last 'zero' to have the classic music tracks for mute city and the like,this is one of the places the cube version fell down,wipeout it ain't. do a proper conversion nintendo and i'm happy.

whiteshadow

5. whiteshadow Ireland 18 May 2007, 14:10 BST

fantastic stuff,i knew there was a reason i kept my gamecube pads,in my opinion this is one of the best multiplayers,provided everyone playing is goodxD

ste hicky

6. ste hicky United Kingdom 18 May 2007, 18:13 BST

classic music tracks in gx? big blue? fair enough but it's the only one mute cities track is nothing like the original.

flojomojo

7. flojomojo United States 19 May 2007, 02:11 BST

I'm all over this one ... I LOVE the N64 version. All the others (SNES, GBA, Cube) are "meh" to me compared to this game. I don't have a Wii quit yet (should arrive tomorrow) but having this game on hand without having to drag out the N64 will be terrific.

Bring on Rogue Squadron, Tetrisphere, and Goldeneye and I can give up the old machine!

Storm101

8. Storm101 United States 31 May 2007, 00:09 BST

Well, this came out on Japan's VC yesterday. I guess we can expect it to come to the US Monday.

James

9. James United Kingdom 14 Jun 2007, 16:55 BST

I'd buy this. Incidentally I paid £7 for this many years ago, and £6 for Sonic 2. I find that a funny coincidence, even better if one (or both) were to hit the VC tonight.

SKTTR

10. SKTTR Germany 15 Jun 2007, 04:31 BST

I rate F-Zero X 5 Stars. It's an intense and faaaast experience.
And it doesn't seem any slower than 9 years ago when it was originally released... A classic!

Richard

11. Richard United Kingdom 15 Jun 2007, 09:36 BST

this game was a fantadtic sequal to the SNES version, which its self was amazing!
i can remember spending hours on the death race mode because each time you play in that mode, its different and one mistake can ruin your whole overall time. :)
will deff be spending 1000 when i get back form holibobs!

Matrix101

12. Matrix101 Belgium 15 Jun 2007, 10:50 BST

Hi all. Does the time attack include some ghost mode? I mean, can we compete against our own best time with the related ghost on screen? If yes, is that feature available on that VC version, or is it 'technically disabled' like for the MarioKart64 ghost on the VC? Thanks all.

Starwolf_UK

13. Starwolf_UK United Kingdom 15 Jun 2007, 11:50 BST

^ If its anything like the N64 original you can save one ghost to the cart but if you keep playing the same course you can have up to 4 temportay ghosts.

Mario Kart 64 was different as it needed to save the ghost to a memory card...

Spike

14. Spike United Kingdom 15 Jun 2007, 14:40 BST

yeaht, the best in the series. the only gripe i have with this game is that its so good, i doubt any sequel will top it...
the cube versionw as just okay, and the soundtrack was horrible (nothing, compared to the brilliant soundtrack this one has).

bring more like this!

-K-

15. -K- Canada 15 Jun 2007, 15:43 BST

Hope this come to North America this Monday.

Black Bull sucks by the way. Samurai Goroh owns everyone!!

hibhober

16. hibhober United Kingdom 15 Jun 2007, 16:14 BST

I wouldn't say best, but a very close second to F-Zero GX. That game is amazing in everyway. Only downfall is that its freakin hard!

whiteshadow

17. whiteshadow Ireland 15 Jun 2007, 21:12 BST

i read your review daz and what a fantastic review it was.this is probably the best game to ever come out on the VC,hear me out.firstly this is a game that sacrificed graphics for playability and graphics doesnt matter on the VC does it.second its a n64 game that was overlooked by the public so many never have played it so u have to try it out of a measly 1000 points.lastly it has an absolutaly brilliant random track generator so its by far the most replayable game on the VC.this is definatly the best in the series(its just so playable i love the way crafts handle,not slippy like in other f-zeros),and is nintendos finests.download right now people

whiteshadow

18. whiteshadow Ireland 15 Jun 2007, 21:22 BST

also its funny u should say that "-k-" because black shadow(black bull is the cars name) is my favourite pilot and i despise Samurai Goroh.i always make sure hes the one pilot that finishes with zero points by destroying him every race,it makes me feel so much better when i see his pansy pink car smashed on the track,the big disgrace.allow me to point out that europe got f-zero x first too so,nah nah

Ross

19. Ross United Kingdom 15 Jun 2007, 21:54 BST

looks like a pretty decent game. although i was wondering should i wait for NOE to bring out the stars conversion to buy this... or go and buy another points card ?

20. 15 Jun 2007, 22:17 BST

Finally a solid racer on th VC,it would be perfect using Nintendo Wi-Fi connection...anyway i still prefer F-zero GX.

Tom41

21. Tom41 United Kingdom 16 Jun 2007, 00:47 BST

Great game; downloaded it as soon as it came out at midnight and have been playing it all day! I wonder if Nintendo will ever update it to make use of the Gamecube pad rumble feature, or release the 64DD extras as downloadable updates?

ICEknight

22. ICEknight Spain 16 Jun 2007, 17:09 BST

So does this game run at the same speed as the 60Hz version, while in 50Hz mode? That would mean some frameskipping, thus making the game less fluid... Or perhaps it just runs at full (unoptimized) 50Hz so it runs with the same fluidity as the PAL original, albeit slower?

It's so sad they don't let you download the NTSC 60Hz versions as well.

CompactDestruction

23. CompactDestruction United Kingdom 17 Jun 2007, 00:35 BST

ICEknight- it runs as slow as the PAL original. It is not sped up to NTSC speeds.

Now I've found an unbelievable quirk in this game. Wait for it. I got the US ROM of the game (owning both the original cartridge and the VC version I think I'm justified lol)... and the speedometer actually shows higher speeds! Accelerating normally on the PAL version your vehicle will top out at about 700km/h, on the NTSC version its about 850! I think this is because the timer on the PAL version is fixed and actually runs in real time so when calculating the speed in every frame it knows it is going slower. Immense :)

24. 17 Jun 2007, 02:01 BST

yap, the 64DD extras would be great to.

SKTTR

25. SKTTR Germany 17 Jun 2007, 08:10 BST

Just watch that video and you know what FZX is all about:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iLD3T05YWPU
5 Stars

whiteshadow

26. whiteshadow Ireland 17 Jun 2007, 20:49 BST

wow!!!!.that is a brilliant video.thats how the f zero games should be advertised.Amazing,could you imagine a 4 player race with 4 of them.its more like a piloting game XD

i8cookie

27. i8cookie United Kingdom 17 Jun 2007, 21:27 BST

gameplay is great, the gamecube just took this game and made it look like a proper game. The graphics look shyte, wipeout on the ps1 looks better on a lesser powered console, but its still a great game.

-K-

28. -K- Canada 18 Jun 2007, 14:32 BST

@Whiteshadow

Black Shadow is lame. He is nothing more than a Deathborn minion. A puppet. Samurai Goroh is well, a Samurai, with a katana. And an awesome ship.

whiteshadow

29. whiteshadow Ireland 20 Jun 2007, 22:04 BST

@-k-

with regards to deathborn and the f-zero gx story,i dont think that story was meant to be taken seriously.it was very camp and cheesy and was a cheap way of glorifying captain falcon.if you finished master mode with black shadow you would see it even makes fun of the fact that black shadow was a minion,having deathborn fear him offstage.admit that if you were to judge black shadow on appearance alone you would respect him.Samurai Goroh is ok,but black shadow is falcons true rival and enemy and I can guarantee that he will be picked over Goroh for smash bros brawl.

Yoshi175

30. Yoshi175 United Kingdom 24 Jun 2007, 16:44 BST

This game is awesome, I thought the graphics are very good for N64

harmonix

31. harmonix United Kingdom 24 Jun 2007, 21:40 BST

This game is my favourite racer of all time.

The courses have to be seen to be believed, graphics are trippy and as smooth as silk, and the speed attainable in game makes me honestly fear that my tv is going to get damaged !

The gameplay is fanstastic: I especially like the fact that double pressing L or R (to barge) can also be used as way to help navigate extreme corners.

In total, this is a work of genius - thanks Nintendo.

flojomojo

32. flojomojo United States 25 Jun 2007, 16:32 BST

YEAH!!! You're way out in front!

SO glad to see this on the USA's Virtual Console. I love this game!

Clayfrd

33. Clayfrd United States 25 Jun 2007, 16:48 BST

I have the GameCube and SNES versions, but somehow I missed this one (perhaps because I was five when it released...) anyway, I am without a doubt going to pick this one up!

IrregularCape

34. IrregularCape United States 25 Jun 2007, 20:26 BST

I personally believe the GC version is superior, yet, this is not a game to miss. Framerate blows the competition away.

nintendomaniac64

35. nintendomaniac64 United States 25 Jun 2007, 21:58 BST

Part of the reasons that the graphics in this game aren't quite up to par of other N64 games is because it ran at 60fps on the N64 itself! In order to make that happen, of course you're gonna need to tone down the graphics quite a bit. :P

36. 25 Jun 2007, 22:51 BST

the speed is still inmense
even for a pal game ^^

Paul Gasca

37. Paul Gasca United States 25 Jun 2007, 23:55 BST

I enjoyed playing all of my N64 games, but F-Zero X was my least favorite of the first party titles, even though I'm a huge fan of the other two F-Zero games and the racing genre in general. I went back and played it for a couple of hours as well as F-Zero GX just to make sure I wasn't crazy after reading these reviews. It's not like I didn't give the game a chance: I beat the game on Master (not too hard to do, did it again just now after taking a half decade hiatus) and played through a lot of the cups over and over again to get the trophy symbols next to each drivers' names. But I can't say that I was having that much fun doing it. There are two great things about this game:
1. Slamming into the contenders that have the most points, thus eliminating competiton, plus being rewarded extra lives and health for doing so.

2. precise controls compared to games such as Mario Kart 64, which I realized had horrible controls when I went back to it.

Besides that, there is nothing too remarkable about the game. The sense of speed that others mention isn't really there due to sparsely detailed terrain, and pales in comparison to F-Zero GX. To say that the graphics are good for the N64 is very misinformed. Look at any other racing game on the console. Graphics don't usually matter, but it does in this case due to the sense of speed. As for the multiplayer, it isn't the F-Zero series strong point, since it's hard to physically interact with other drivers when there are only three others, unless you have items like in Mario Kart.

F-Zero GX however blew me away. It took all the good aspects of F-Zero X, added huge amounts of graphical polish, added tons of modes and customization, improved the track design, and made the Master difficulty worthy of it's name. The Story Mode at the hardest difficulty is one of the aspects that is constantly mentioned as being perfect for the hardcore. If you aren't that good, you still have the lesser difficulties. In F-Zero X, if you're any good at racing games you'll chew through the game.

Buy F-Zero GX instead for the same price! Please trust me on this one!

Paul Gasca

38. Paul Gasca United States 26 Jun 2007, 00:03 BST

Oh, and the X Cup isn't random as advertised. I played that the most since I thought the whole randomly generated thing was cool but then I eventually realized that it was approximately 12 fixed courses that use mirror modes and backwards in order to increase variety. I suppose if they really had randomly generated courses, you'd have the chance of one being impossible. Though there is one cool one that has a section where nearly all of the CPUs die! Anyway, the track design as a whole in this game isn't that inspired except for the 360 degree tunnel and tube ideas. F-Zero GX takes those ideas for it's tracks and improves on it! Sorry to go on and on about that game, but it seriously is a diamond in the rough that needs to be recognized!

Pocketim

39. Pocketim New Zealand 26 Jun 2007, 07:47 BST

Fast, Speedy and not dull! Really like this game but im having trouble getting more cars.

John Pickford

40. John Pickford United Kingdom 26 Jun 2007, 10:24 BST

A word of warning about the NTSC version. It does not run at a rock solid 60hz. It drops frames a lot. This is a major disappointment for a game which was written with framerate in mind.

The PAL version is fine - rock solid 50hz.

Nintendo need to fix this ASAP.

At full speed this is clearly a 5 star game.

whiteshadow

41. whiteshadow Ireland 26 Jun 2007, 11:47 BST

@P.J Gasca

im sorry but your wrong.you make decent points but i cant agree with you.the mulitplayer was something all my friends rated over MK64 back in the day.it was intense and not fiddely and random.also you must bear in mind that this is a re-release and you must review from that angle,of course f-zero gx will be better,but for 1000 points this is agruably the best game on VC,because of its replayablilty.here is the games deserved 5 star rating

Razor61289

42. Razor61289 United States 26 Jun 2007, 19:09 BST

This looks a little like Mario Kart 64. I suppose it would as some of the N64 racing games had a similar style. Looks good. Never really played an F Zero game before so don't know if its any good or not.

Awesome Game!

43. Awesome Game! Canada 26 Jun 2007, 22:29 BST

its much easier than GX, and it has a random track generator. Together, these two things make it win.

Jaxathon

44. Jaxathon United States 27 Jun 2007, 02:39 BST

Ive never played this but It looks like the Nintendo version of Jet Moto. and I LOVE JET MOTO!

I will probably be buying this in the near future but right now I have more games that I want more right now. =P

Shrapnel09

45. Shrapnel09 United States 27 Jun 2007, 06:12 BST

i have never played this before, but after a few hours i just got to say.. damn this is one hell of racing game! puts the f-zero on SNES to shame actually... damn big blue is so trippy with that long pipe and all, cant wait to play this game when im high! good times ahead!

i8cookie

46. i8cookie United Kingdom 27 Jun 2007, 12:36 BST

@John Pickford

a solid 60hz? you mean a solid 60fps, you cant have not solid hz

@china Warrior B
I found GX easier, there was more to do so it made it a more draw out difficulty but i found the ships in X are much harder to control.

Wolfman

47. Wolfman United States 27 Jun 2007, 22:29 BST

@P.J. Gasca:

Well, you're entitled to your opinion. I had F-Zero GX for a while and ended up selling it (among many other things) in order to get the money to buy my Wii. GX was good, and the original F-Zero was good, but X was the only one in the series I've played which was really truly brilliant.

I enjoyed the campy story mode of GX, as well as the custom machine idea, but I have to say that F-Zero X gets my vote for best in series at this time. (I still want to buy back GX, by the way)

-K-

48. -K- Canada 30 Jun 2007, 00:49 BST

@Whiteshadow (again)

Samurai Goroh would be picked way before Black Shadow for Brawl. His rivalry with Falcon is greater. He was originally with Falcon on the police force, and only joined F-Zero to destroy Falcon.

Besides Goroh is muscley and has a katana. He'd be in Brawl first, I guarantee

Storm101

49. Storm101 United States 30 Jun 2007, 00:58 BST

Great game. I got this Monday and I loved it so I went out and bought F-Zero GX. I think GX may be better but this one still shouldn't be ignored.

Jsney20

50. Jsney20 United States 01 Jul 2007, 01:19 BST

How much does a new GX cost and where can I get one new.

Bass X0

51. Bass X0 United Kingdom 02 Jul 2007, 22:05 BST

You're right, K. But not in the way you expected.

whiteshadow

52. whiteshadow Ireland 03 Jul 2007, 21:52 BST

Im actually very annoyed what they did to goroh in brawl,it wasnt really fair because he was a very well known character.Hopefully this does mean Black Shadow is in there because Brawl will really need more than Capt.Falcon

Seth

53. Seth United States 08 Jul 2007, 00:25 BST

I can appreciate this game for paving the way to F-Zero GX (one of the best games of all time), but now that its GameCube successor is out and available, I see little to no reason to pick this one up. Unlike most sequels, GX manages to do everything its predecessor did, only better, plus a whole lot more.

One of my favorite things about futuristic racers is the scenery. They are traditionally packed with cool futuristic surroundings that really add to the presentation and immersion. This game has absolutely none of that. There is essentially no background at all, just a glorified Hot-Wheels track floating in space. The graphics are bland as it is, and without anything else to look at, you get pretty sick of looking at it after a while.

Suburban_Sensei

54. Suburban_Sensei United States 09 Jul 2007, 21:06 BST

I was a huge fan of the SNES and GC versions, so I thought I would give this one a try since I never got to play it back when I had a 64. I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth it ran, and how well it has aged.

I feel the game is definitely the best racers on the VC at this moment. Unlike Mario Kart, its very fast paced. There are no items to use, so you win based on pure skill. I recommend the game to any racing fan, mainly because it doesn't get old and you can race with 30 opponents.

Jonny

55. Jonny United Kingdom 13 Jul 2007, 17:34 BST

Although I love X, GX is one my favourite racer of all time. The controls better and the story offers a fun distraction.

I don't recall x being so hard to control, and it's a bit hard using b on the GC pad to boost.

Pocketim

56. Pocketim New Zealand 18 Jul 2007, 23:11 BST

Can someone help me? If I save ghost data then do another time trial on another track then save that ghost then I can't race my old ghost, can I avoid this?

Steve

57. Steve United States 27 Jul 2007, 22:10 BST

Saw the review and went ahead and downloaded it. I was once again talked into getting a great game!

Mii be you

58. Mii be you United States 01 Aug 2007, 20:28 BST

Incredible Game! No more moaning and no more groaning!

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00xrO_rYEHo For a Mute City race video.

Shortay

59. Shortay United Kingdom 06 Aug 2007, 15:06 BST

I must be one of the only people to REALLY not like this game! <br>I thought it was very bland and very boring - same thing every track...

whiteshadow

60. whiteshadow Ireland 18 Aug 2007, 12:46 BST

Does anybody know if they will ever bring the expansion pax of this to the VC.Nobody outside of Japan ever got to try it and creating your own tracks would be so brilliant.

tank2tank

61. tank2tank United Kingdom 25 Aug 2007, 11:53 BST

If they do bring the expansion pak then i might consider getting this- but otherwise, it's a pretty dull racer thats nowhere near as fun now. It doesn't even feel that fast anymore! I admit it's a classic but GX improved on this a lot and so have other futuristic racers.

Boo!

62. Boo! Australia 05 Sep 2007, 10:47 BST

Which is better, this or Wave Race 64?

Its a toughie.

Mii be you

63. Mii be you United States 06 Sep 2007, 03:06 BST

Panda, F-Zero X is better. But you can still get both.

alvieao

64. alvieao United States 18 Sep 2007, 08:25 BST

Nintendo did what they couldn't do with Yoshi's Story and that was delivering a worthy sequel. I still have the original N64 cartridge of this game and it was fast for the time. I enjoyed playing Death Race, not to mention the random X Cup never gets old. Times have changed since the N64 game's visuals are a step behind the Sega-developed F-Zero GX (the best iteration in the series produced by Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of Daytona USA and Scud Race), but we can't deny that it boasted polygonal graphics instead of Mode 7. You could still give it a shot by playing it...

whiteshadow

65. whiteshadow Ireland 18 Sep 2007, 18:18 BST

Now that Japan-only games can come out are there any plans to release the expansion-kit.
It is so rare but brilliant and Nintendo now have the chance to get it to the whole world, a fully built in track editor.

Mii be you

66. Mii be you United States 29 Sep 2007, 21:23 BST

I REALLY want this game, but I can't get it until I get a Wii points card AND until my USB connecter works!

Chris

67. Chris United Kingdom 04 Oct 2007, 23:44 BST

Much better than GX. The courses were too wide in GX and it took the thrill right out of the game.

Smash Eggs & Garlic

68. Smash Eggs & Garlic Puerto Rico 05 Oct 2007, 03:58 BST

Anyone races on the Silence High Speed track multiple times in a row in multiplayer?
The best track for multiplayer is Silence High Speed.
Every player gets tense and to lean the vehicle everyone is not moving their arms, legs asthey are steering with zen patience transfered to their thumbs so as to not cause sliding. The losers and winners want to race again and tweak their vehicle's settings believing that their prefered vehicle (or driver sometimes) can beat the other vehicles. It seems everyone I've played against wants to be able to place first in Silence High Speed in 4 persons multiplayer.
(Hums Mute City theme song).

Juice Lee

69. Juice Lee United States 08 Oct 2007, 20:45 BST

This is the Nintendo 64 classic that you most certainly don't remember from your childhood. And if you do remember it, you probably only played it for a couple days, and hated it. This game is not for kids, it is not easy, and it isn't always fun. Exhilarating, yes. Satisfying, very much so. And hard. Hard is a word I have thrown around pretty lightly on this post, because I have the habit of downloading some genuinely hard games. It's not harder than Contra, but the difficulty curve here is very impressive. It is a racing game, the speed of which is nothing like anyone else at the time had ever experienced. Sure, you can simply raise the numbers in the MPH gauge to over the speed of sound and simply call it faster, but what does that really mean? Here, the result meets the hype. The game is, on easy mode, no easy task. On Hard mode, things get nearly impossible by casual terms, but completely doable with a lot of practice. To be successful here, one has to know the tracks, choose the right acceleration to speed ratio, and not be afraid to risk life for the finish line (it is, in fact, possible to be technically exploded and dead while the race is still moving, and careen over the finish line taking the race in any case). The biggest key might be juggling between boosting and staying alive, as your vehicles stamina and boost power are one in the same. This was a very influential concept that would go on to spawn a myriad of copycats, some of which were great, such as Extreme G. It's a hard, hard game. And it's a game for adults, one of the few on the N64 that was actually great.

gamerguy

70. gamerguy United States 18 Oct 2007, 02:06 BST

this is a very solid racer. it's something different. it's very fast, kinda like pod racing from starwars. its a really cool experence when you first try. i wasn't sure if i would like it at first but i was glad i bought it.

Dark_Jedi

71. Dark_Jedi United Kingdom 18 Oct 2007, 23:31 BST

I have all three F-Zero's (barring GBA titles) and this the best in the series.
GX is beautiful and super adrenaline pumping, but far too hard to fully enjoy (for me anyway) However GX demands respect and can still hold its own against next gen quite easily. I've even had the good fortune of playing AX and cursing the fact I didnt have my memory card (but who would?)

X is the perfect balance between 1&3 (

Mii be you

72. Mii be you United States 31 Oct 2007, 21:08 GMT

I'm one happy game now that I FINALLY have this game. I'll be more happy when the Track-editing thing comes out.

darthmix

73. darthmix United States 02 Nov 2007, 16:52 GMT

This is probably my favorite racing game of all time. It's simple, easy to pick up and play, and it's incredibly exciting. Nintendo sacrificed visual detail to achieve a liquid-smooth framerate, and it was a good trade. GX is an okay game but it didn't come close to the pure joy of this one.

Mii be you

74. Mii be you United States 20 Nov 2007, 22:47 GMT

When the track editing thing comes out, will we have to spend 200 more points? The reason i asked because Japan-only N64 games cost 1200 points.

Bass X0

75. Bass X0 United Kingdom 26 Nov 2007, 16:22 GMT

probably have to buy the track editor seperately as well as the F-Zero X game - you originally had to have both cartridge and disk so I'd suspect if it ever happened, you would have to download both F-Zero X and the track editor just to be able to use the track editor (even if the track editor download itself contains all the data the original disk took from the actual cartridge and nothing from the actual F-Zero X download). Just makes sense really.

Rob Kwasowski

76. Rob Kwasowski United Kingdom 14 Dec 2007, 13:02 GMT

The most stunning and engaging game of the era.

MadCatMk2

77. MadCatMk2 Greece 29 Dec 2007, 19:05 GMT

This game is AWESOME!
The graphics might not be impressive but the gameplay/music is tons of fun.
Its relative simplicity makes it fun!!!

Highly recommended for fans of SPEEED!! ;]

78. 05 Jan 2008, 18:07 GMT

There's a marvellous feeling of irresponsibility and recklessness to be had from charging up the pack of 29 other racers and trashing everything in your path...quality. If you want an engrossing, challenging racer for the VC - single player and multiplayer - this is what you're after.

ATRUEZELDAFAN

79. ATRUEZELDAFAN United States 15 Jan 2008, 12:30 GMT

GX is better, but this game is still the bomb

StarSoldier1

80. StarSoldier1 Canada 17 Jan 2008, 18:37 GMT

F Zero GX for the Game Cube blows, this game is more fair and much better in my opinion.

pHaT-aNt_

81. pHaT-aNt_ United Kingdom 17 Jan 2008, 21:02 GMT

I truly love this game, its probably one of my top 10 games of all time. Excellent sense of speed and racing, a worthy Nintendo CLASSIC.

ToadTheMushroom

82. ToadTheMushroom United States 22 Jan 2008, 02:38 GMT

This game is very fun to play with friends!

I suggest this game to anyone who likes fast racers.

jammy_uk

83. jammy_uk United Kingdom 23 Jan 2008, 13:40 GMT

Excellent game that is in my opinion the highlight of the F-Zero series. The graphics move at a remarkable speed and handling is tight and rewarding. I still get the same exhilaration boosting past an opponent on the finish line as I got when I first played the game on the N64. I love the way your closest rival in the points table is highlighted during the race and the thrill you get from barging him off the edge. Special mention must also go to the death race mode. Highly recommended.

Clayfrd

84. Clayfrd United States 24 Jan 2008, 00:38 GMT

Honestly, I was a bit let down by this one! Sure, it has solid racing (and I love the battle mode), but it just isn't as charming as it's GameCube and SNES counterparts. Still, despite that, I think it earns a concrete 4 stars. Good stuff.

Ho11oWxxMaN

85. Ho11oWxxMaN United States 25 Jan 2008, 13:17 GMT

In one word, I would sum F-Zero X up as "Intense". It is not the best racer around(the Mario Kart series will always have a place in my heart), but it is definitely one of the top racing games on the N64. The game is so fast, that some gamers may be a bit turned off, especially if they enjoy games a bit slower(i.e. Mario Kart).

I'll rate it with 4 very solid stars. Its very fun to play, enough of a challenge to keep you coming back for more(even after you finish all of the Cup races), and there is no shortage of tracks and racers. Also, I would like to note the audio is pretty well-done as well (who doesn't love the Big Blue theme?!).

D/L this one if you want something that is frantic...if you want something ever MORE frantic, pick up F-Zero GX for the Gamecube.

uncle smuck

86. uncle smuck United Kingdom 01 Feb 2008, 18:52 GMT

This game is outstanding. After 10 years the speed still makes my eyes bleed. Brilliant!!!

Jonny

87. Jonny United Kingdom 06 Feb 2008, 18:41 GMT

Loved this when it was first released but it pales horribly in comparison to the great GX. Bring on WX.

Nigel

88. Nigel Canada 09 Feb 2008, 03:16 GMT

Yeah, I like this game, but I have GX and basically have no reason to play this one.

SergeEXE

89. SergeEXE United States 19 Feb 2008, 15:57 GMT

Truly one of the top games of the N64-era, and worth a download if you loved it then, or need a great feeling of speed. The tracks can range from simple to nuts, and the same goes for the difficulty (Think you were hot stuff playing Standard? Try Expert.)

With tons of tracks and racers, there is no room for boredom in F-Zero X. I rate it 4-5 stars.

Marvel_Maniac

90. Marvel_Maniac Canada 21 Feb 2008, 02:23 GMT

Here's a question- can you use both the Classic Controler and a Gamecube controller to play multiplayer?

GameGod3008

91. GameGod3008 United Kingdom 22 Feb 2008, 16:27 GMT

This was my most recent purchase and it was a good choice. The graphics aren't that great but graphics aren't what makes a game great, it's the gameplay, which is brilliant. The controls work so smoothly and the music is a joy to listen to. Definetly worth the points

jumpman64

92. jumpman64 United States 26 Feb 2008, 15:11 GMT

A way more depthful racer than Mario Kart 64. The game runs silky smooth, even at mach speeds on the N64. While the game's visuals are improved on Wii, a lot of the textures just stink. The classic controller reigns supreme over the 64 controller in this game, and yes, I do recommend this game. However, if you're looking for a racer to play with a bunch of friends, than Mario Kart 64 is the way to go. -Scott L (4/5 Stars)

Lurch

93. Lurch Germany 17 Mar 2008, 06:44 GMT

this is by far one of the best races i have ever played...in 1P mode. In comparison with this one, the 2P mode seems to be weak and gives it an unfinished touch to it.
1P mode = racing against 29 other racer and you can select the difficulty.
2? mode = racing agains 3 other racer without a difficultysetting at all.
If you like fast paced racer, this is worth the download, but if you look for a good multiplayer-racing game you will have to stick with mario kart 64 (heheh, i have both :P )

calc_nerd

94. calc_nerd United States 22 Mar 2008, 17:21 GMT

All the F-Zero games were equally good for their time. Choosing between the four just depends on which system you like the best.

President_Leever

95. President_Leever Sweden 25 Mar 2008, 02:38 GMT

Just played this game for a bit with a buddy. It's rather ugly and plain looking, the theme is really cheesy (like in a westling game almost) and the sense of speed isn't that great, though it is increased by some decent level designs.So overall it's a minor disappointment for me.

Clayfrd

96. Clayfrd United States 02 May 2008, 02:47 BST

Okay, I went back and played this again, and I think it deserves better than I said before. I could sit my machine at the start line at Big Blue and listen to that music ALL DAY. I still think the Death Race is great. The first time I won was when I desperately took out the last guy by sacrificing my own machine; he died only seconds before my machine asploded. That was an "oh, snap" moment. I still have to say that, out of F-Zero, X, and GX, I still like GX the best, probably because it was the first time I experienced F-Zero awesomeness outside of Smash. The tracks are incredible on GX and X, but the original requires the most raw talent, I think. I truly cannot wait for F-Zero Wii, or whatever they call it. FALCOWN PAUNCH!

captain-banana

97. captain-banana Australia 04 May 2008, 09:34 BST

the best racer Ever! almost as good as ocarina! but i sooo need that expansion pak, even if it costs more. can someone tell me how to input the unlock everything cheat with a GC controller?

poggydude

98. poggydude United States 08 May 2008, 03:44 BST

I just love the music never really played but god that song is awesome

needs to on every game just so they have it to listen to

Kirk

99. Kirk United Kingdom 14 May 2008, 22:38 BST

This is one of the best racing games out there imo and I hope Nintendo references this when making F-Zero for Wii.

If they basically make the same game with added wiimote control options and the car and track editor from the 64DD version of the game, as well as a decent online mode, then this game could be something very special.

Bass X0

100. Bass X0 United Kingdom 15 May 2008, 12:49 BST

"This is one of the best racing games out there imo and I hope Nintendo references this when making F-Zero for Wii."
They did that when Sega made F-Zero GX. I'd rather see a sequel to one of the GBA games, storywise.

megacody

101. megacody United States 22 May 2008, 03:11 BST

This is a intense, yet fun game. If you have 1000 points, I would suggest this to you, as it is worth every point.

ReaperJ21

102. ReaperJ21 United States 24 May 2008, 14:49 BST

This game looks great and I want 2 get it, but with wiiware just coming out, im running out of space. btw, if u transfer games onto an SD card, can u still play them or channels, or is it only save data, just curious since i need 2 pick one up :D

samman

103. samman United Kingdom 29 May 2008, 10:27 BST

great game I admit. F zero GX for me hands down my favourite racer.

Storm101

104. Storm101 United States 08 Jun 2008, 22:19 BST

^Not sure which version you're playing... Everything is available from the start, except for unlockable machines, story missions parts etc. And if there is no racing mode available from the start, then you can't unlock because the only mode the game has is racing. It's a paradox.

I personally found F-Zero X far harder than GX.

mr.niceguy

105. mr.niceguy United States 14 Jun 2008, 20:22 BST

@storm101

My memory is foggy because I was 8, I guess me and my brother only focused on the story so that's all I could remember.

mr.niceguy

106. mr.niceguy United States 15 Jun 2008, 16:17 BST

F-Zero X was great, but F-Zero GX was the GREATEST RACING GAME EVER!!!!

Now that I lost that bet, does anyone kow where to get GX cheap?

pApEr y0sh!

107. pApEr y0sh! United States 23 Jun 2008, 00:17 BST

@Bass- they are making a F-zero for wii?

Gonz

108. Gonz United States 26 Jun 2008, 18:19 BST

GX got so difficult at points that it made me want to break the disc...

X, on the other hand, had a relatively smooth difficulty.

india3

109. india3 India 29 Jun 2008, 04:09 BST

should i get f-zero x or mario kart 64? i want a good multiplayer.

PHANTOM93

110. PHANTOM93 United States 13 Jul 2008, 02:05 BST

F-zero X is incredible, but F-zero GX is just that much better (especially cuz I got it for only $8). But GX has a MUCH steeper difficulty slope than X, so if you're new to racing games get X, but if you're a racing veteran get GX.

AlexSays

111. AlexSays United States 15 Jul 2008, 08:06 BST

Great game.
Just downloaded it, and I wasn't disappointed.
With several tracks and characters, this is probably the best racing game on the Virtual Console.

DaDun

112. DaDun Canada 22 Jul 2008, 03:57 BST

X.SuperMario.x that sounded like an advertisement lol

AlexSays

113. AlexSays United States 22 Jul 2008, 07:14 BST

LOL. Well actually, I work for Nintendo.
But shhh, don't tell anybody. ;)

Dormin87

114. Dormin87 United Kingdom 04 Aug 2008, 15:49 BST

Quite possibly the best racing game to ever come out for the N64. I would even go so far as to say it's better than it's sequel, GX, but that's personal opinion.

Beau Skunk

115. Beau Skunk United States 06 Aug 2008, 06:56 BST

Sence I never owned the N64 version (rented it, and loved it) I'd love to own this title. I love the F-Zero series. While I'm normally not a heavy metal fan, the music remixes of the SNES title are a nice & nostalgic touch. The game even oddly features Rainbow Road as a track from Mario Kart.
A great perk for the game is there's a secret code that unlocks every racetrack, difficulty, and racecar wich is nice if you don't want to go through the trouble to unlock everything. (It always annoys me when I can't beat harder difficulties, so I can never get something unlocked.)

Mickeymac

116. Mickeymac United States 06 Aug 2008, 10:20 BST

The funny thing is, IGN's terrible F-Zero X review was what compelled to look elsewhere for VC reviews, and that's how I wound up on this site.

This was definitely my one of my favorite games from when I was young. I loved playing it at my "friends" house, and quite frankly the memories of playing this game are the only good memories I still have from back then. Life wasn't hell, mind you, but enough s*** happened that they overpower all other memories, and yet F-Zero X shines in the dark, reminding me that there's still something worth remembering. Even if it's graphics aren't great, they always impressed me, and every time I boost I feel like I'm going a Million miles an hour, and there never was a better feeling.

Edit: Whoa, what the heck was I smokin'? Actually, I remember I hated this game when I was a kid - the cars were hard to handle, the music was bad, and I got my butt kicked each and every time I played, which wasn't very often at all, since for some reason I wasn't always had to sit back and watch whenever anybody was playing video games at my friend's house.

Well, tastes change, apparently, because years later whenever I would think back to this game it would seem like the best damn game in the whole world. Now that I've finally had a chance to play it again, at the very least, I can say that it's the best racing game in the whole damn world.

Mickeymac

117. Mickeymac United States 09 Aug 2008, 20:26 BST

Wow, I didn't know you could do attacks in this game! That made Deathrace a lot easier. I wind up overusing it though, and a lot of the time I wind up going over the edge when I'm trying to get someone else :P. Plus, I could swear that the announcer proclaims that I got "pwned" whenever I retire.

Well, at the very least the Gamecube controller works great with this game, which is good news since I bought the game solely for multiplayer matches.

Edit: And the multiplayer is as fun as I remember! Oddly enough, for me, F-Zero was a better multiplayer game than Mario Kart. I love the tracks, I love the look, the controls feel just right, and the difficulty is toned perfectly. I miss Wipeout's stylish Techno music, but FZX's themes work just fine! This is definitely the best racer I've played( albeit I never played GX, nor Wipeout 2097)! Edit: Played Wipeout 3, but F-Zero still beats it, albeit only by a few hairs.

FJOJR

118. FJOJR United States 17 Aug 2008, 20:00 BST

It's easier than GX but it's still difficult and the music is amazing. I recommend it for those looking for a challenge.

davegorack

119. davegorack United Kingdom 28 Aug 2008, 11:57 BST

wont be geting this as i alredy have it for my real N64.
awsome game though.

swordplay

120. swordplay United States 31 Aug 2008, 17:19 BST

is there a story mode or is it just racing? I wasn't able to beat F-zero GX, does that mean I should skip this game?

Adroitone

121. Adroitone United States 31 Aug 2008, 19:11 BST

There's no story, and it's not as hard as GX. There is death race which is a great mode though. I believe it's as good as GX which means it's one of the greatest racers of all time. :D

Marvel_Maniac

122. Marvel_Maniac Canada 08 Sep 2008, 16:56 BST

Inspired track design. Love it.

pikmin95

123. pikmin95 United States 11 Sep 2008, 01:57 BST

I love a sense of speed when playing my video games. This title fits it perfectly.

Nintendork

124. Nintendork United States 12 Oct 2008, 22:42 BST

This is quite possibly the greatest racer ever!

AJL

125. AJL Denmark 28 Oct 2008, 18:27 GMT

SOOOOOO underrated... probably one of the 3 best racing games ever IMO, and alot better than GX in the long run, mainly due to not having an extremely cheap and frustrating story mode, better multiplayer and sliding being SO much more fun than snaking when going for world record times:) though, most people seem to like GX alot more

Nintendork

126. Nintendork United States 11 Feb 2009, 22:38 GMT

^ What? :O That game was just a good-looking piece of garbage. The story mode was so AWFUL, the music was crappy, and the gameplay felt almost uncontrollable.

Cally

127. Cally United States 22 Feb 2009, 23:54 GMT

The latest Burnout games (since 3) hit the roof of the "fast" racer games.

So nowadays, I don't think all that highly of the F-Zero series. For GX I've only played in a demo, but X has some peculiar physics--the way you spin out on overly sharp turns doesn't make sense to me.

Eh. These "fast" racers weren't really meant for hair-splitting analysis, I suppose.

Some of the tracks are pretty interesting--I especially got a kick out of racing on roads that with a center of gravity inside (you can steer to bottom, sides, or top of the "roads"). 8/10

MickEiA

128. MickEiA Australia 22 Mar 2009, 09:19 GMT

thats cool how there is 30 racers in a race

JTCPingas09

129. JTCPingas09 United States 05 May 2009, 16:28 BST

The Wii seriously needs a new FZERO game with some online racing.

bigturbin

130. bigturbin Netherlands 21 May 2009, 10:50 BST

never played an f-zero game.. should i get this instead of mario kart?

nice_shirt

131. nice_shirt United States 05 Jun 2009, 17:03 BST

Does anyone know whats new with the re-downloadable version of this game?

Builder9

132. Builder9 United Kingdom 13 Oct 2009, 14:15 BST

The reason people are so quick to shun GX on Gamecube is because Sega developed it. Who cares though chaps! GX is an awesome upgrade to this awesome game!

I still have my F-Zero X in mint condition. I love it so damn much I just gotta look after it!

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