FAST Racing NEO was easily one of the best indie titles on the Wii U; in our review we referred to it as one of the few titles that is "...able to stand to-to-toe with Nintendo's first-party offerings." Unfortunately it didn't get the level of attention it deserved due to being released on a console with such a narrow install base. Thankfully, Shin'en is preparing an updated version of the delightful racer, titled FAST RMX. We played the game in New York last week and came away rather impressed.
FAST RMX is essentially an enhanced port of the Wii U game, featuring all of the vehicles and 16 tracks available in FAST Racing Neo, with some added content on top. The developer's stated that we can expect a total of 30 tracks in the finished game, though only three tracks from the original Wii U version were available in the demo version we played.
If you haven't played a FAST game before, they're very much like the F-Zero series blended with WipEout; you're in a futuristic vehicle traveling at hyper-fast speeds along an out-of-this-world track. The environments on offer are all gorgeous and feature jumps and hairpin turns aplenty. The build we tried out featured local splitscreen co-op as well as single player races; in both modes we noticed FAST RMX ran at a smooth 60 frames per second, which is an improvement over the Wii U version that slowed down noticeably in two-player splitscreen mode.
The first few races we played were on the Switch Pro controller, which works extremely well for this game. The Pro Controller's A button handles acceleration, while the ZL and ZR buttons handle leaning your vehicle into turns either left or right respectively; the X button is used for shifting your booster's colour from orange to blue and back, in order to match the colour of boost and jump pads on the track.
The port we played seemed as though it was quite polished, despite only have three tracks available. Nintendo's own infographics suggest it's due early in the system's life, so it's likely that a much greater number of tracks are already complete; from what we've seen in the past, we're optimistic. (Footage below via IGN)
When FAST RMX releases, it promises four-player local splitscreen and eight-player online play, just like FAST Racing NEO before it on the Wii U. With almost double the amount of tracks available and likely improved performance on the Switch, we can't wait to see more.
Comments 105
so this is the game people thought was f-zero
The Wii U game was amazing. Will be double dipping for the new content!
Ah if only Nintendo would let them license F-Zero! Seems like it could be another situation like when Amusement Vision worked on the series, and we all won as a result.
PS. I miss Amusement Vision so much.
It looks good.
I wonder what the performance enhancements are over the Wii U version. I'm sure it's 1080p, 60 fps like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The game on Wii U is pretty good, but the CPU is stupid hard.
Hm, looks good.
I ever met with a teen boy who want to find a racing games with simulation inside.
I think I can recommended this title for him.
So was this the game in the presentation? If so what is Redout?
@Whopper744
So is the F-Zero CPU. Which makes a Shin'en-made F-Zero all the more of a wet dream.
I like the look of this game but I'm sick of frustratingly hard cpu opponents!
@JKRiki I do too, Even if I have a love/hate relationship with F zero GX i wish to see it alive again...
@AlexSora89 I didn't find the cpu on Fzero at all difficult. I found it just right, unlike this series.
I wish they added new track to mk8d. Likely Nintendo wants to make money on DLC. With current pricing on switch games I'll be very selective buying games.
I bought this on the eShop, then again when it was release on disc... I'm afraid I might end up triple dipping on this one. Probably worth it though, it's a great game! Hope it's getting a physical release on Switch.
I never got round to buying the Wii U DLC yet. I don't think I'll bother now though, I'll just wait for RMX instead . 14 new tracks will make it feel like a new game. Hopefully the online will work better this time.
Seeing as I never played the Wii U version for some odd reason, I think I will just wait for this one. Doubling the tracks makes that option much more tempting and having a game like this in portable form would be awesome!
As much as I love this game it's on wiiu already so why switch version? Make a new game please
I will be buying this, The legend of Zelda, and Bomberman R.
I can't wait to double dip on this one!
Yay, another Wii U port...
The game looks like F-Zero but it plays nothing like F-Zero.
F-Zero has extremely tight controls and that allows for much more exciting track design. the Fast games are nothing more than Wipeout games in another coat that was clearly inspired from F-Zero.
I'm not saying the games are bad but I hate it when people say the game is like F-Zero when it's not. I still have no idea why most developers choose floaty controls.
...I want a new F-Zero >_<
@Anti-Matter you should recommend grand turismo, every teens dream.
Neo was over-hyped but this site and a few others.
It was not much different than the Wiiware game, even graphically (nicer but still someting very thin about them, almost transparent racing through pictures of settings, felt disconnected to me).
I do enjoy Neo but F-Zero and even the earlier Wipeout are just way more fun to me and more consistent skill-based. I am still playing Neo though and have not bought the DLC, maybe I will since I will be skipping Switch, possibly for years or altogether. I always felt this series was more Extreme G racing than either of those legendary series...lukewarm.
...I want F-Zero GX (with the arcade tracks included!) HD update more than any of these clone games or even a new F-Zero...
This is an easy one. If it's better than the Wii U version then it's a great game as the original is excellent.
Wii u version was awesome, will definitely be buying again on Swith
I'd really enjoy fast if it wasn't for the colour switching, a completely unnecessary complication sadly. I know it's a core mechanic but it's there a way to turn it off?
If Fast RMX and Redout are both good and I can get them for under 60€ combined then I might buy both!
@LegendOfPokemon Ports aplenty are welcome on the Switch. Its portability means ports of console games have way more value than usual.
@TeslaChippie True, but I'm not going to pay $300 just so I can play games I already own (or can get on Wii U) on the go.
I really liked this game.
Been my dream to have F-Zero GX on the go, and that may become a reality with GameCube VC, but this is the closest game that's ever come to it, and I'll gladly take it on Switch.
Redout is also coming, which I've played on PC and though it's different, it's great (just in its own way)
I thought the DLC tracks in FAST were actually better than the main game
I enjoyed Fast Racing Neo on the Wii U, but I didn't enjoy it enough to double dip with this.
I never got around to getting Neo on Wii-U, but I won't miss RMX. So excited for this one!
do i get this or redout?
Had the Wii u version not double dipping.
Between this, Redout, and MK8D on 200cc, do we even need a new F-Zero?
I'm glad I waited! I will be getting this for the Switch for sure
@LegendOfPokemon so the switch doesn't have new games?
@Dakt yup plus extra tracks
@faint The new games aren't enough to convince me to purchase the system, especially at the $300 price point.
With all of these (lazy) ports, I'm still wrestling with the question of whether or not the Switch is more powerful than the Wii-U. I know it's not that important to many, but if they're going to hope for ports of hot AAA titles from the PS4 and XB1 licensees like EA, Activision and others the system needs to be at least significantly more powerful than the Wii-U or they won't even bother. None of the titles revealed so far look like anything that the Wii-U--and many modern smartphones--couldn't do.
Great racer that made me want to break my Gamepad on several occasions. No-brainer download for Switch.
CPU is challenging, but I always felt like you were penalized too much for wrecking or falling off the track. I know in F-Zero it meant having to start over, but in FAST you might as well start over as well if you crash.
I didn't get this on the Wii U, but I'll probably nab this day one on the Switch if it launches at a reasonable price. $40 or less and this is a guaranteed buy for me.
@LegendOfPokemon well maybe you're a second year buyer. Most systems have ports. The PS4 had 10 ports on launch day. It's very common for the first year. You guys complain way to much.
@noutBr I agree that FAST Racing is not exactly like F-Zero, but it's nothing like Wipeout either. Wipeout has weapons; FAST does not. FAST also has a lot tighter controls than Wipeout. FAST Racing NEO even has a mode that basically works like F-Zero.
A bit like you, I'm annoyed when people compare FAST to Wipeout.
@PAppleyard
So do I just suck at F-Zero games? The Ambassador version of Maximum Velocity on 3DS is beyond my grasp.
Picking this over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this game has a much better value
@AlexSora89 I LOVE Maximum Velocity! What you have to remember is that you have to pump the accelerator while going around corners. So instead of holding the button while cornering, you have to tap it. And you have to use your boosts strategically.
Personally I think Fast Racing Neo is better than any F-Zero title. I just want Shinen to make their own game on a Nintendo budget.
I'm hoping RMX sells so well that Nintendo funds Fast Racing 2 and really uses it to promote the Switch to the hardcore racing fans.
The question is, will this be getting a physical release?
@Lizuka I never cared for F-Zero at all but loved Fast Racing Neo.
@AirElephant What lazy ports are coming to Switch? Zelda was repurposed so it would be perfect for the Switch. Mario Kart 8 is getting new content and having the graphics look a lot better (not just upscale to 1080p, they look so much smoother) Splatoon gets a whole new sequel and RMX doubles the content as well as boosting the graphics (but not as much as Mario Kart 8).
@KoopaTheGamer
I must admit that I haven't actually played FRN so I'm not entirely sure just how it compares to Wipeout in controls. However, I feel like I don't need to play it to know that the controls are much closer to Wipeout than F-Zero as it is very obvious just from watching gameplay footage.
The fact that Wipeout has items actually doesn't make THAT much of a difference I'd argue. To me the way the vehicles control make all the difference and no amount of modes, boosting or even items will make floaty controls feel anything like an F-Zero game.
I do understand that FRN is different enough from Wipeout to not be considered a direct clone though.
It's just that I prefer F-Zero's tight controls and after enjoying Wipeout HD to a certain extend...in the end it only made me want F-Zero more. So that's why I decided not to buy FRN.
Seeing this franchise grow to this level of awesomeness makes me kinda forget all about F-Zero and WipEout.
If this gets a physical release, I am buying again all the way. Have "Neo" on Wii U digital - skipped the disc version since the cover art was the ugly "Selects" line.
EDIT: Redout might be a pickup as well, if physical. I'm skipping digital for Switch on everything but VC titles and small indies. If the download is over 3GB, forget it. I'll pick up a 64GB SD card, but there's no way I'm filling ~5% of my storage space with a single game.
Hard to say I'm excited about an F-Zero/Wipeout clone. While it looks great, I'd probably hold out for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for my default racer.
Perhaps Nintendo is letting this game through so they can show it up with their own F-Zero a few months down the line?
@noutBr I've also played Wipeout HD. It's not a bad game, but the vehicles feel floaty and don't control as well as I would have hoped. That's why I prefer FAST. It controls beautifully and the game is a lot faster than Wipeout. I actually have not played F-Zero X or GX (I've tried the original, though).
I recommend you try FAST at some point. In fact, I think you should try FAST RMX if you're getting Switch.
Great same that deserves more people playing it. The improvements will fulfill the potential the game had on Wii u!
One big question for this and mk8 is whether we can play local-switch to switch multiplayer without split screen? The trailers all show a 4 way split on 4 screens!!
@JibberX I am the same! Didn't really like the colour switching. I would buy again if that feature was removed.
@LegendOfPokemon To each their own! As a student who is out of the house for 95% of my daylight hours, the portability is ABSOLUTELY worth the cost to me.
I might be tempted to double dip if they finally add control mapping. I'm so tired of Nintendo games that use B/A instead of Y/B, I just find it so uncomfortable. ☹️
The game is so fast and smooooth, looks great but I'm terrible at these sort of games, I'll be sticking with Mario Kart.
I'm in.
But be warned, this game is diamond hard.
@Giygas_95
I used to play that game and only found out about turning upon playing the Ambassador 3DS port, which speaks volumes of how counter-intuitive that game mechanic was.
@AlexSora89 they can be, but Ibremember beating the GX cups on Master. The medium difficulty of this game was frustrating.
The article is misleading. FAST is nothing like F-Zero. Both are futuristic racers. That's pretty much it. FAST is much closer to WipeOut in terms of feel, gameplay and aesthetics.
The cornering in FAST is as bad as it looks. The ships behave like tanks. The shiny graphics are just a layer of paint. I find the game dull. I suggest F-Zero X, a timeless classic and Miyamoto masterpiece, for a proper racing game on Wii U.
Just to illustrate, another key way the 3D F-Zeros differ from FAST, is how you're working your way up a pack of 30 racers:
"Sugiyama: Normally in racing games you see a lot of enemy racers at the start and then everybody scatters off with a "bang!" at the start of the race. Then you only occasionally see other enemy racers after that. We didn't want to do that with F-Zero X. In order to seriously handle 30 units, we had to properly calculate how the enemy units behave when they're offscreen."
http://www.fzerocentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=13935
@AlexSora89 Yeah, it's counterintuitive, but it's really rewarding when mastered. Especially when you unlock the Falcon Mk-II.
@DanteSolablood Well, in that case you might miss out on a great game. Although all of these types of racers share some similarities, FAST Racing has a complete set of its own characteristics that makes it stand out from those others.
The first FAST on the Wii was already great fun and to some extent even impressive, especially for a 40MB game, and the later games have only improved upon that.
I could definitely recommend you trying out a demo if that ever comes, or maybe you've got a game shop in your area that allows you to try games out. You could even try out the Wii U version, since the controls will be more or less the same.
@Giygas_95
Speaking of which, what are that car's unlock criteria?
@Whopper744
I'll track down all the GCN games I missed... eventually.
As of now some GCN games are expensive, like, stupid expensive.
@AlexSora89 It's been a long time...But if I remember correctly you have to beat a cup on master difficulty. I'm pretty sure that's it. If not, you might have to finish the Queen cup on master difficulty.
I've seen some things say you have to beat a set of courses on expert, but that's wrong. You definitely have to do it on master.
@Mijzelffan This is the spiritual successor to F-Zero for Wii U. It even has the announcer from F-Zero GX though many of the game mechanics are different. The game looks great, even though the YouTube compression with the dark scene doesn't flatter anything here. Still I think the developer has done a great job and Nintendo should seriously consider offering them a third party role in the development of an actual F-Zero sequel. Very unlikely to happen which is likely why they put this game out, but we can still dream. Although I really liked the SEGA co-developed GX entry. With Nintendo's current relationship with SEGA I would also love to see them re-partner on the series again at some point, and the Switch seems like the perfect console for it.
Been wondering how it compares to redout myself. Probably get both eventually. For those choosing just 1, just know that Shin'en makes great games.
FRN is hard, but fair. You have to learn the courses and the alt routes. You also have to pair the ship with the track and your skills. The ships' have a range of performance, which is a nice layer to the game. And oh, don't crash; wall scraping is ok.
@sandman89 if you read the article you would understand why - the released it late in the life cycle of Wii U and didn't get many sales due to small user base. A lot of money went into producing it and I'm guess they made very modest profit on it.
Even though its a rerelease with 14 extra tracks - it might as well be just called a sequel to begin with! It has nearly double the courses with much improved frame rate and also probably at 1080p.
@Giygas_95
Ouch.
Getting that car will be painful.
At least there's the awesome main theme, with a melody that to me sounded nostalgic(-"ish") even back when the game came out.
I read the article. I know what your saying. But switch needs new games what's to stop people buying a cheap second hand wiiu console and getting the original for half the price?
@OzHuski 🤔
@AlexSora89 I thought after posting we could be talking about different versions.
I'm referring to Fzero on the SNES.
@AlexSora89 Beating a cup on master isn't that bad in my opinion. Just use the Stingray. It has a massive 12 second boost. I've found it's very hard to beat master difficulty without either the Stingray or the Falcon.
I hope that the camera angle and jankiness of the death animations are fixed. The camera angle was super low to the ground so it was hard to see what was coming up ahead and the death animations were just... off.
@AlexSora89 I know, it's a shame really. Some real good ones on GC. Maybe the VC will bring them back one day.
@sandman89 So few people bought Wii U that they will be new games for the audience they're hoping to reach.
@Whopper744 I dunno, I still have my old GameCube, complete with Game Boy Player, it would be a shame to leave that machine to die.
@PAppleyard After many replies I kind of lost track of where we were.
@Giygas_95 I'll try my best.
@AlexSora89 Good luck! Do you have the Stingray by the way? It's not very hard to unlock if I remember correctly.
I don't want to double-dip and start the game over.I wish the new content would come as DLC for the Wii U version.
Games like this is what's going to make the Switch awesome. High quality and portable type games. Nintendo 3ds but in hd, that's what Switch is and we're it can succeed. Plus with the ability to play AAA games. This system will do what the Play Station Vita couldn't. Nintendo has truly created a new market.
Quite excited for this and Red Out later in the year. Sadly I think it might be the nail in the coffin for F-Zero though, with both these games doing a damn fine job I expect Nintendo to consider the genre covered on their console. Which would be a real shame as there is definitely room for all three, and more! Maybe even Formula Fusion - the kickstarted game by the former WipEout team - could eventually make it across too?
@F-ZeroX I disagree. I think it handles like its own mechanics. It didn't feel like F-Zero and it defiantly doesn't handle like wipeout. Fast Racing it amazing on its own grounds. I wish people would stop comparing it to both F-Zero and wipeout. I mean yea it gets its ideas from them but that's about it.
It has double the tracks you say? Day one.
@noutBr
Yeah I thought the same... I bought it on wiiu but it hasn't the personality f-zero has. I don't know. Maybe if they implemented the same feature there was in excite trucks when the vehicle lands and you could calibrate the landing so you gain a turbo it could be better.
Nintendo = idiots for not giving this developer some $$ and the F-Zero license
@Giygas_95
I have only the first four vehicles, sadly.
Fast Racing Neo was awesome. If you haven't gotten it yet, it's well worth getting it on the Switch.
@AlexSora89 According to GameFAQs, the Stingray unlocks after completing pawn, Knight, and Bishop on expert difficulty. Keep in mind you don't have to get first to finish and unlock anything. In fact you could unlock everything and never finish in first once. You only have to finish each race in the top three.
@Giygas_95
Which is still quite the achievement!
I wish Nintendo had done this with the single player content for MK8D
All this talk about F-Zero has me wishing Nintendo made one for the Wii U, I really hope Switch gets the F-Zero treatment, but in the meantime, I'd love to see all the F-Zero classics made available on the Virtual Console.
Will they release a physical version this time? If they do, I may pick it up down the road on the Switch.
I'll rebuy this defo! Loved it!... I'm also interested in redout. I do want a new F-Zero though
Love futuristic racers like this, and I passed on the Wii U version. So I'll spring for this one. Now fingers crossed for F Zero GX on VC.
I'm surprised that some people here don't like Fast Racing NEO. It's not perfect, but i liked it a lot, specially for $15.
Met a couple of guys at Shin'en a few months ago and they said they were hoping to get the game ported to Nintendo's next hardware. Sadly I couldn't prise out of them what the hardware was, but I guess we all know following the presentation!
Physical release or digital only?
Its supposed to get a physical release and buying if does. Great game on WiiU and well worth the price. Double the tracks and up the performance slap it on a cart and sold!
Its hard to place this game but its no F-zero in controls and the track designs are heavy on long open stretches. Its fun to play and the blue/orange dynamic adds something....it looks super smooth and fast on WiiU...most vids dont do it justice
Great game for WiiU.
@abbyhitter NX is 1.5-2x the power of Wii U.
An upgrade to full 720p60/900p60 might be all. Mario Kart 8 Wii U had alot of headroom at 720p60, the game was capped on Wii U.
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