F-Zero (Super Nintendo) Review

There's no reason to explain things into detail, as there's not actually much to explain. Despite its futuristic premise (race hi-tech anti-gravity vehicles), F-Zero is just an arcade racer that's so simple, that it makes Super Mario Kart look like Gran Turismo in comparison. Just pick a vehicle (not much difference between them), enter any of the available championships, and start racing…

Generally, it's a fun game, with its only major flaw being the fact that lots of time has passed since its release, and it has become obsolete, with little variety to offer. Even in terms of audio-visuals, for a SNES title, and one that deals with the future, it looks a bit too boring, and its sound effects are subpar… apart from the music, that is, as some of its tunes are actually lesser known video game classics.

Gameplay-wise, it won't feel as fast as expected from the franchise it belongs to, as it was the later instalments that actually added the whole supersonic speed thingy into the mix… and yet, F-Zero feels great, mostly because it handles like a dream. The controls are super-tight, and quite surprisingly for a racer so old, in other words, this is will be a pure test of skill where the only one to blame will be the one holding the gamepad.

As for the "extra" mechanics of the game, the vehicles have a health bar, as they can - and will - be destroyed, yet the pit stops are non-stop areas that fix the spacecrafts on the go, and thus, don't ruin the high-speed mood of it all. Furthermore, each completed lap provides a power-up that can be used as a temporary speed boost, which can be pretty helpful when trying to overtake an opponent.

However, and as mentioned before, while a fun game, the lack of variety is disappointing. Besides playing the poorly structured championship sessions, (which, annoyingly enough, instead of letting you continue after a lost race, require trying again), there's nothing else to do, as this is actually a single player experience. Yup, F-Zero is a simplistic racer that can't be played with a friend of two…