Together Retro: F-Zero

[ExedExes]

I have unlocked Master difficulty in Pawn and Knight (something I have yet to do in the SNES F-Zero), and yes, Knight League on Expert was damn difficult. The only stuff I've unlocked in that game is Sly Joker and the Championship Race. Sly Joker is the car I've used in beating the leagues ever since I got the car.

I hear Sly Joker is supposed to be decent.

[Sload Soap]

I'm playing the games I have in order of release and over this weekend I beat F-Zero and F-Zero X on standard finishing first in every race and league. I also tried to emulate the BS F-Zero Grand Prix, but could only get the Ace cup to work. All the other roms showed a blue screen with japanese text on it and what looked like a crying robot. Weird.

So my main takeaway from this play through of F-Zero is that it I now put it on even pegging with Super Mario Kart as the best 16-bit racers and I really love SMK so that's saying a lot.

F-Zero I find is as sharp and fast as it always has been. You don't have any of the gravity defying craziness that was introduced once the series went 3D but you do have more emphasis on tight cornering and hitting racing lines. And the controls are superb. Every time I play it it jumps another notch up my personal SNES all time great list.


My feelings on F-Zero X haven't changed which is to say it's briliant and probably my third favourite racing game ever. The sense of speed, the rocking soundtrack, the perfect difficulty and control. I'll never get tired of playing it. And I managed to beat the X Cup without the game generating an impossible to win track! Happy days.

I'll try to get the BS game working again but otherwise I'm moving onto GX and Maximum Velocity now. I've never cared much for Maximum Velocity TBH but maybe my mind will change. Hope so anyway.

[ExedExes]

GP Legend is probably the better of the 2 on the GBA as I recently found out. They added some of the GX stuff to it, nicer, easier story mode, much better regular racing too. I'm loving this one.

[Sload Soap]

GP Legend is probably the better of the 2 on the GBA as I recently found out. They added some of the GX stuff to it, nicer, easier story mode, much better regular racing too. I'm loving this one.

Deffo. Maximum Velocity is really harsh and kind of ugly. Great demonstration of the GBA's nascent power at the time but in retrospect a bit of an odd duck. I'm wondering whether to play it on my SP or GBA player see if that alters my perception.

Do you have Climax? I hear it's the best GBA (some even say best 2D) F-Zero.

[ExedExes]

Deffo. Maximum Velocity is really harsh and kind of ugly. Great demonstration of the GBA's nascent power at the time but in retrospect a bit of an odd duck. I'm wondering whether to play it on my SP or GBA player see if that alters my perception.

Do you have Climax? I hear it's the best GBA (some even say best 2D) F-Zero.

I'd give it a try on either one of those, it looks real sharp on them, and as well on the Retron 5.

Climax was only released in Japan, so sadly no. Looks really good though. But I'd place GP Legend near the top of the best F-Zero games period. There's tons to do and they added all the good new features of GX on there. For portable F-Zero you can't go wrong.

[MyNameIsVince]

I'm playing the games I have in order of release and over this weekend I beat F-Zero and F-Zero X on standard finishing first in every race and league. I also tried to emulate the BS F-Zero Grand Prix, but could only get the Ace cup to work. All the other roms showed a blue screen with japanese text on it and what looked like a crying robot. Weird.

I think it has to do with the fact that BS F-Zero Grand Prix is wasn't dumped as one rom, but as 4 separate ones (one for each league) and that the other roms contained data that wasn't in the rom itself. I wish I could explain it better but I can't because....I'm tired.

Your best bet is to play the rom of BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2. That one functions like the original F-Zero, and it has the Ace League tracks. Granted it's ONLY those, but it functions like a regular SNES game, unlike some of the BS titles that were streamed with additional stuff like voiceovers and what not.

Actually this link might have an explanation, somewhat: http://z9.invisionfree.com/bszelda/ar/t712.htm

[Sload Soap]

I'm playing the games I have in order of release and over this weekend I beat F-Zero and F-Zero X on standard finishing first in every race and league. I also tried to emulate the BS F-Zero Grand Prix, but could only get the Ace cup to work. All the other roms showed a blue screen with japanese text on it and what looked like a crying robot. Weird.

I think it has to do with the fact that BS F-Zero Grand Prix is wasn't dumped as one rom, but as 4 separate ones (one for each league) and that the other roms contained data that wasn't in the rom itself. I wish I could explain it better but I can't because....I'm tired.

Your best bet is to play the rom of BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2. That one functions like the original F-Zero, and it has the Ace League tracks. Granted it's ONLY those, but it functions like a regular SNES game, unlike some of the BS titles that were streamed with additional stuff like voiceovers and what not.

Actually this link might have an explanation, somewhat: http://z9.invisionfree.com/bszelda/ar/t712.htm

Thanks for looking. I think in that case I played those Ace League tracks already. So, are the other leagues just the regular F-Zero tracks but with the new cars?

[Super Jamie]

F-Zero Maximum Velocity is sorta growing on me.

It's definitely easier than SNES F-Zero. I finished the Beginner Pawn cup on my first go, having only ever seen the first track before.

The machines seem like a total waste. The default does okay, it's similar to the Blue Falcon. The JB Crystal is the only other machine worth using, despite having a very low top speed. The other two machines slip and slide around so much. They might be faster but there's no use using them when you can't turn corners.

I like how you refuel the instant you hit the pit, instead of having to wait for the ship, though again that makes it much easier.

A different game for a different time.

[Sload Soap]

Just beat F-Zero: Maximum Velocity's first three cups on standard. It's pretty good but I'm not sure if I want to dedicate the time to beating the game on expert to unlock the Queen league. It's a good game not a great game.

Maximum Velocity reminds me of Outrun 2019 in the way it's a grittier and moodier version of a classic possibly designed to appeal more to teens than a general audience. It also shares a similarity in that it was made in-house by a different team.

That and it handles a bit differently. Tapping accelerate seems to be the best way to take corners rather than the air brakes here (which is also strangely like Outrun 2019 now I think about it). I like it more than I did previously but it's still at the bottom of the F-Zero pile and like Mario Kart: Super Circuit, you have to ask why you'd play this over any other game in the series.

[ExedExes]

I can agree with your thoughts on M.O. but why you feel the same about Super Circuit? That game I'd rather play !!!!

Speaking of which I need to get back to these too....