Barely an E3 or Nintendo Direct goes by without someone in the Nintendo Life team muttering that maybe, against all odds, F-Zero will return. It's now been over ten years since F-Zero Climax, a thoroughly disappointing Game Boy Advance entry that's ignored by many, arrived in stores. It was an inglorious end to a franchise that, primarily through its three home console releases, captured the imagination of racing fans and ensured that the appearance of Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros., as an example, can still be a hugely satisfying moment.
In an article looking back at this 10 years absence over on Red Bull, some current Nintendo eShop developers have spoken about their memories of the series. Aurelien Regard, who's bringing The Next Penelope to Wii U, explains the impact of the SNES original on his young self.
F-Zero is really something special to me. I remember how F-Zero on Super Nintendo scared me at first. I wouldn't dare play it on the demo pods in stores because it looked so different, so fast! It's hard to imagine any modern racer giving the same kind of feeling today; it just looked so impressive and 3D-like back then.
Shin'en Multimedia's Manfred Linzner talks up the N64 entry, though feels the peak came in F-Zero GX; that, he explains, may help to put Nintendo off bringing the series back.
F-Zero 'clicked' for me first time on N64. The feeling of speed was simply beyond anything I played before. The music and the smooth graphics left a big impression for years.
...It was simply amazing how much excellent content there was in the game (GX). Just look at all these racers and their signature songs. Some of these songs are among the best I ever heard in any game. I also loved the arcade feeling of the game, the varied courses and of course the dazzling speed.
...I somehow feel the series peaked with the GameCube entry. Without something drastic and new it would feel just more of the same. That would be maybe fine for many fans but I'm sure it's not what Nintendo would strive for.
Nintendo's continuing silence on the franchise, beyond its mini-game in Nintendo Land, leaves futuristic racing fans looking elsewhere. Linzner certainly suggests that, while FAST Racing NEO is its own game, it takes some cues from aspects popular in F-Zero.
We certainly tried to have a similar feel of speed and immersion, just because no game before or after ever felt that intense, in our opinion. And we are quite happy that we got to that special point in development where simply everything snapped together and became bigger than its parts. We are really looking forward to seeing how gamers will react to our game.
As for The Next Penelope, Regard has also been inspired by mechanics from the Nintendo series.
I mainly keep in mind how clever the energy trade mechanic in F-Zero is. You're able to boost at will, but this acceleration costs bits of your life gauge. I used this as a start for the Penelope game design, and tried to push it on a ridiculous level. You boost, you shoot, you drop a mine, your teleport yourself, you cancel projectiles, all of this causes you to burn some vital energy.
The whole point is to be very powerful: you don't pick items on track, instead you can use and combine all your abilities at any time, but you'll always be close to exploding at the same time. That's a lot of pressure for the player, but that freedom and this high difficulty level is very rewarding. From the playtests I'm doing right now, it sounds like some gamers were really in need of this kind of challenge.
Are you excited about eShop games with clear inspiration from the F-Zero series, or primarily frustrated at the IPs long absence from Nintendo hardware? Sound off in the comments below.
[source redbull.com]
Comments 57
I'd love a new one but I think the only way it's happening is if they get an outside studio like Sumo to do it. Funnily enough, some ex wipeout devs launched a kickstarter today for a futuristic racer. I'm much more optimistic when an experienced dev like that begins work on something as opposed to inexperienced devs announcing a game 'inspired' by a classic.
Still my all time favourite franchise. There really better be something new coming, I can't stand another decade without a new, proper F-Zero entry.
I'm ready to Cruz.
I just want f zero gx hd. Damn it, Nintendo. It's alright, we'll get ten more Kirby and Mario games before we get that.
SNES version had some of the best music.
I've been watching speedruns of the later series on youtube under the AGDQ tag.
Brand new HD F-Zero would be fun.
F-Zero Climax never arrived anywhere outside Japan.
Cannot blame people for ignoring it.
I wait and I will wait the arrive of a new F-Zero, of course, the next year, when the Super Nintendo will have 25 years, F-Zero also will have 25 years; will appear a anniversary edition by its 25 years?
a great idea
release f-zero snes as a 3d classic for the 3ds and the new 3ds
a remake of f-zero n64 and gba in 3d for the 3ds
remake for f-zero game cube in hd for the wii u
and make a f-zero game like smash for 3ds and wii u
Can't even count how many times I threw my gamecube controller in anger while playing GX. Probably my favorite racing game ever.
I love N64's F-Zero X! I remember playing it for the first time... Man, those songs, that speed... It's so marvelously unique. I really hope the franchise will resurge someday.
Maybe after Star Fox...
I'd love to see Nintendo pick up on what they left so far, but as it stands now, F-Zero might be damned to rot as a cameo track in Mario Kart. Nintendo is really losing perspective with some of their stuff...
I've never actually gotten to play a 3-D F-Zero game. If N64 VC ever comes along for Wii U I'll be all over it though...and even more so if GameCube VC ever comes.
I reckon they'll make another one. Just look at Kid Icarus, we all thought that was dead and gone. Metroid was absent for quite a long time before Metroid Prime. They've confirmed Star Fox, so I believe it won't be too many more years before they give F-Zero another entry.
I think part of the reason was failing find a decent control scheme for Wii, without going full Classic Controller. The motion controls were great for Mario Kart, but probably wouldn't suit the high speed demands of F-Zero. Just look at the Mario Golf/Tennis games. They skipped the Wii generation, with only a port of MPT with horrible Wii Sports style controls because they couldn't find a way to make a brilliant game with motion controls. (only a very average one with the MPT port).
I still hold out hope for an F-Zero game on Wii U or 3DS. I also hold out hope for a new installment of Wave Race.
@Discipledoctor I didn't get into F-Zero until it went 3D myself. In my opinion, that's when the series is at its best.
The F-Zero and Wipeout series are still the pinnacle of the futuristic racing genre.
F-Zero is just one of many Nintendo classics that I dream of. What I don't understand though, is why Nintendo would keep adding F-Zero content into other Nintendo games if they weren't planning on bringing it back at some point.
Its time for another F zero. No one is tired of it already as Miyamoto claimed.
An HD entry in the series would be amazing.
It's amazing how much love there is for this series considering X and GX both sold poorly and all the filthy casual PS1/2 players used to say it looked terrible, needed weapons and wasnt as good as wipeout. I'd definitely buy the next proper game but I'm hoping FAST Neo is good enough to satisfy my futuristic racer cravings
F Zero X is the best in the series, the music, the badass characters, the sounds, hell even when you're selecting cars you hear a badass track, also you can die horribly if you fail .... i love that game, sorry to GX fans but techno music for F zero? no thanks, i prefer badass metal like F zero X has.
F Zero X was awesome. Never tired of the random tracks.
Give me a F-Zero for Wii U. I pay cash.
Loved X, loved loved loved it! That and Ocarina of Time on the virtual console is what's probably what made me the Nintenfan I am today. Was very impressed with both of the games for different reasons. OOT on Virtual Console needed YouTube just for me too get to the Deku Tree. The Puzzles were just so clever, I needed a guide. This game was so fresh from just playing Mario Kart. Loved the original characters, the simplicity of the cars, and the tight and hard to master controls.
I'm hoping for a new F-Zero. Either a brand new entry or even a HD remake of GX, in similar fashion to WindWaker HD, i'd be happy with. Just give us a bone Nintendo!
I think my dream game would be a collaboration between Nintendo, Platinum, and the team that did GX. It would theoretically contain both a full-fledged racer and an expansive, vehicle-focused, Captain Falcon-starring open-world brawler that would take heavy inspiration from God Hand.
Failing that, I would be ecstatic for an HD port of GX.
I agree that GX is easily the best F-Zero game, even releasing the game on Wii U VC (hint: GameCube adapter) or having a HD remake would be good enough. Just let us play it on Wii U consoles!
I'm all for a HD GX game. Maybe they can release AX for the Wii U as its own game.
i want a new F-zero. and the WiiU wouldnt be too bad to start with that
Well there is still hope I mean Star Fox made it back.
@unrandomsam Yeah they made a mistake, it has been ten years since GP Legend and eight since Climax.
I know the Extreme-G series was not a part of Nintendo, but that was one of my favorite futuristic racers. They made a third game for the Gamecube, but it doesn't compare to the first two on the N64.
Anyway, I really hope F-Zero makes a comeback.Even a remake would be nice.
I miss F-Zero, Wave Race, Exitebike and 1080
Long term Nintendo fans - "give us F-Zero please. Just the old games in HD will do"
Nintendo - "No we need to do something original or we wont bother. We refuse to just do sequels. Meanwhile here's another load of nearly-identical Wii Party, Mario at the Olympics and Wii Fit minigame collections and a conveyor belt of New Super Mario games none of which are good as the Mario games we released twenty years ago."
Long term fans - "Yeah brilliant cheers. Thanks for gouging us on the VC too, I enjoy repeatedly overpaying for the SNES version everytime you release a new machine. I'm not going to get bored and do one to Sony or PC Gaming, honest"
If we all buy Captain Falcon Amibo maybe someone at HQ will get the message?
Fact, WiiU needs new F-Zero, Metroid and Star Fox games.
An HD F-Zero would change my life.
A new F-Zero for Wii U? droolz
F-Zero on Wii U would make me very happy. I loved the original and Maximum Velocity , though I could never beat them to the end. Very difficult. Anyways, if we can't get a new game, a remake of GX would be great. At the very least we could've gotten a new character in Smash Bros (I love the good old Captain, but I feel like now was the time for a newcomer.)
I think that Nintendo could really make something special if they made a 3D F-Zero or a HD F-Zero for the Wii U. With all the fans that have been waiting for a new installment of F-Zero (Including me), I think that it could sell really well.
@Jazzer94 Ahem. F-Zero Climax came out in October 2004 in Japan. GP Legend came out in September 2004 (June in Europe).
What I think Nintendo really to do is send out a voting or suggestion thing, and ask 'what games would you like to see?' Whether new, remade or VC. Then get into making the most suggested games.
The thing with Nintendo is, yeah they lack the 3rd party support, but their 1st party IP games sell really well. Get the 1st party games out, then the 3rd will come crawling back when they see heaps of people are playing on Nintendo.
I expect a F-Zero on 3DS honestly, with MK8 being on the Wii U, F-Zero on the 3DS wouldn't cut into Mario Kart sales.
As racing games are one of my least favorite genres, I honestly couldn't care less.
I find them one dimensional, shallow experiences.
My brother and I played the first Top Gear on the SNES and enjoyed it for the most part, though it's not a game we enjoyed going back to it recently.
Nor am I an overly competitive gamer, a fact that lands me firmly in Nintendo's platform, RPG, puzzle heavy camp.
F Zero, to be blunt, is a faster, less whimsical Mario Kart. Created by a poorer studio than Sony's veritable GT powerhouse. To satiate the drones of 'old school' gamers who claim their love for the game (and genre) isn't fueled entirely by youthful nostalgia when really, the game never advanced beyond the 64's jump to 3D.
Unfortunately, when you're talking F Zero and other mindless racers, you also have to consider that 3D is in and of itself, a rather loose term.
Like Star Fox on the GC, the series and it's creators hit a wall well over a decade ago and one not worth wasting money overcoming.
So many better offerings available.
@electrolite77
Electrolite77 ''Yeah, spend millions of dollars making games for a system 'old' Nintendo gamers won't buy because of a lack of 3rd party software, forgetting the last game any of us purchased legally from Nintendo was probably GX.''
Just some friendly banter.
For reference, if the game had actually, I dunno, sold systems and moved a decent amount of copies, maybe GX would have a sequel.
As Koei Tecmo how likely it'll be to give Wii U another Fatal Frame before shoving your fist in your mouth.
Point is: you don't get games by asking.
Nintendo isn't a charitable organization.
They're here to make money.
By selling games.
And making games that make money.
Gamers want with their mouths and pinch their pennies, waiting for deals.
They don't vote with money, they just expect.
It's like paying for a dollar burger and expecting half a kilo of prime rib.
@Gridatttack I don't think he was referring to fans. Obviously we F-Zero fans are never going to be tired of it. What I think he was referring to was everybody else. Futuristic racers stopped catching the attention of the masses about 10 years ago. And I think what he meant by his statement was, the public is tired of it. Gamers at large are no longer impressed by the genre, neither are they drawn to it, aside from those who are already fans and have always been fans of the genre. A new F-Zero will surely sell to F-Zero fans, but the question is will it sell to anybody else?
As much as I hate to say this, I think the answer is no.
@Damo Okay I got schooled thought it was 06 for Climax keep in mind I was young back then so all this feels like a life time ago for me.
I've got some solid reasoning behind my claims that F Zero is dead to Nintendo.
1) Handheld decline.
While the first KILLED (334k in Japan, 273k in the US), the second did just 79k in Japan while Climax moved less than 10k units.
2) Install base.
The SNES version was 1 in 49, the N64 was 1 in 68, the GC was 1 in 36 and the first GBA game was (using just the US and Japanese numbers) 1 in 96.
So aside from the GC version doing respectably, the series has been in constant decline since it's debut.
3) Cost effectiveness.
Without even delving into the other versions, let's look at GX.
3rd party development, arcade machine development, arcade / GC integration.
Due to Nintendo subletting the project and Sega developing the title for the arcades, Nintendo's gains per sale is less than 60% vs 100% for every other incarnation.
The Gamecube's low install base is another figure that negatively impacts the relevance of GX as a sequel worthy entry.
Mario Kart 8 stands with a 1 in 10 install, while NSMBU is over 1 in 2 (closer to 1.1 in 2).
Both titles, despite the 7-8 million Wii Us sold, have exceeded GX's lifetime numbers (on a system that sold over 21 million units).
The reality of a 1 in 36 install base is less than 200k games. Worldwide.
Even a 1 in 20 install base is less than 350k units.
Estimations put an HD F Zero at 12 million dollars to properly develop, market and distribute.
Which means, just to break even, Nintendo would have to price the title at 50-60$ and sell 400-600k copies to break even.
The point is, while the title COULD happen on a console, say, 5-10 million sales from now, it isn't happening anytime soon and it isn't happening on a portable. A port of GX COULD hit the New 3DS, but the likelihood of Nintendo putting such a fast moving game is as good as Sega making a new home console.
@Peach64 Shin'en is hardly inexperienced with Nintendo's hardware. They've been pulling some amazing (and beautiful) games out of the Wii U lately.
What i find most annoying about Nintendo is that they seem to walk away from their famous IP's after a period , semmingly feeling that these are no longer relevant or that they shouldnt be used because they must find new. What they need to realise is that once you create gold it will always be gold, we the fans want to buy these games but you must firstly make them. There is literally virtual piles of cash around this globe waiting for a new wave race of F-Zero, Metroid so please just put them into action.
@SahashraLA Sad but True, this is the reality of why many games don't have secuels or get lost in the time (and many videogames companies report red numbers)
In few words
No great profits = No new game or new secuel.
regular profits = posible secuel
Super profits = Secuels and more secuels and a new game
Remembering: Profits = Total sells - Total Inversion, expenses
I'm actually very hopeful of getting a F-Zero on the Wii U. The reason why...
So far from Nintendo established franchises we've had released or promised in 2015, Mario 2d & 3d, Pikmin, MK8, Smash, Zelda, Starfox, Yoshi, Kirby, Xenoblade, Mario Party, DK, and there's even talk of Metroid.
Titles we've had no information on are Paper Mario, Mario Golf & Tennis, Pilotwings and F Zero. I'm sure there are others. I doubt there would be Punch-out.
The Wii U is two years old, so discounting 2015 there are probably 2 years, maybe 2.5 left of the Wii U. Surely in that time we must get an F Zero or perhaps a Pilotwings.
f-zero gx was soooo good!
I hope nintendo will create a new one some day. When that happens, I'll be buying. Whether or not it will happen anytime during the wii U life is something I don't know, but I do think that it will return as a major release at some point.
They say there's nothing new to give. But today, seriously? It has the potential to be a kickass racing game (look at MK and Sonic All Star Racing). There is always markets for driving games and do it well like those three (original, X and GX) and it will sell. Especially there wasn't one for Wii.
I think racing games are always more value to be played again and again than any other game.
I've mostly played SNES version. The whole sountrack is saved in my memory. IT's a kickass sountrack. I am shamed to admit, after playing SNES GX was rather way too speedy for me, I haven't tried it much tho.
Last week I bought X, finally. Haven't yet tried (busy with HW and now Bayonetta)
hums the Big Blue theme
Climax is really good, actually (much better than Maximum Velocity IMO). I wish it had been released outside Japan. Obviously you can't compare it with F-Zero GX, but I wouldn't call it disappointing for a GBA game.
@DarkAvenger As much as I prefer F-zero GX, I have to admit the songs were lacklusters compared to X. The character themes were amazing though.
R.I.P. f zero
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