Game 67: F-Zero GX

Game 573/1001 according to the list

Genre: Racing
Platform: Gamecube
Year of Release: 2003
Developer: Amusement Vision Ltd.
Publisher: Nintendo

So here we are. It’s been some time since we covered F-Zero X (although on 1001 games, the gap is still small). And so we return to the high-speed futuristic racing of the F-Zero world.

The gameplay stays the same, the game looks a bit better and a number of new modes and options have been added. We decided we’d check it out next.

Our Thoughts

Right, where do we start on this? The game has improved, that much is clear, but it very much still stuck to the existing formula.

There are a number of new gaming modes which have been added in order to facilitate the franchise’s successful transition to the Gamecube. As expected from most racing games released from sixth generation onwards F-Zero GX now comes with a story mode. It’s an interesting addition, if fairly tough to handle. They are basically quest missions where, rather than racing against 30 other racers, you have missions and such to deal with – gather capsules, win a one-on-one race against someone on a boulder-filled track, and that’s just the first few. In a way they feel more like tacked on mini games rather than something which fleshes out the main game but it’s a fun diversion nonetheless.

The thing that the Story Mode demonstrates most, however, is how the developers have well and truly ramped up the difficulty level from the last outing. Most games have a curve; this is more like a climbing wall.  While the lower difficulty levels are doable, the games still feel like a number of drivers get perfect AI all the time, which shows in the story mode especially. It could be that we haven’t discovered the tricks yet, but they make the game harder. It showed how much experience mattered here – Peter being better at this, while this was the first time playing for me, showed there was a difference there. This is the only niggle that we had with this game. Otherwise it is amazing. It’s the only game that I ever rented multiple times from my local Blockbuster. I was unable to afford the forty quid then (or now to be perfectly honest). 

The main things that we loved about F-Zero X were the soundtrack, graphics and how successful the game was in making you feel as if you were driving at 1000 km/hr… F-Zero GX has not only improved on this but also makes the old game feel crude and sluggish. Not only this but also they added a Garage Mode which, at the time, was the glistening cherry on top. The sad fact is that about 30% of the amazingness of this function has been lost by the passage of technology.

Back on the games original release there was also F-Zero AX – an arcade version which saw you play the game in a pod reminiscent of the cars within the title. What you could with F-Zero GX‘s Garage Mode is bring your customised car with you on a memory card and then play with it in the arcade. I mean is it just me or is that just brilliant. It makes for a cool additional feature that would’ve added some extra time to playing the game – not to mention make you want to play the arcade version more often.

The last big thing worth mentioning a bit further is the graphics. Last time we mentioned these being very sparse in order to allow the game to keep up its frame-rate. This time, however, the environments look stunning. You race around through large cities, deserts and at one point a Möbius strip in a forest. The sandworms you pass in the desert level just add to the strangeness of the game. I think it’s because for the first time in F-Zero history the console was not stretched to breaking point by the needs of the game.

Final Thoughts

Technology has caught up with this series, and you can tell. All 30 racers are there in all relevant modes, the scenery is gorgeous and far more interactive, and the opportunities for customization are legion. If anything, you get the feeling this is what they wanted the F-Zero series to be like from the start. It’s a shame we haven’t seen a successor yet, although it makes you wonder what they could do to take the series further, other than adding more tracks.

It’s hard, it’s beautiful and it’s fast. And that last bit still matters most – you want that experience of really racing around the track. If that’s the main thing you want from your racing game, then F-Zero GX is the game for you.

Game 51: Micro Machines

Game 214/1001 according to the list

Genre: Racing/Driving
Platform: NES
Year of Release: 1991
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Camerica

After the marathon that was Baldur’s Gate II it’s time for a quick race to the finish (no pun intended).

Based on the very successful Micro Machine toys this game started a very lucrative series where the first few games received smatterings of critical acclaim. With most of the toys featuring their own races (jeeps, helicopters, speedboats what have you) it would be easy to dismiss this as purely an exercise in shifting merchandise…

Our Thoughts

Personally, I was rather surprised that a game inspired by a famous toy line would make it onto this list, let alone it’s sequel. I guess I was too young for this to make an impact on me since I was not exactly aware Micro Machines even existed as a gaming franchise. Yeah, that must have been. I remember playing this over at friends on the NES and SNES and loving it. While it may not look like much, this is back when our racing games were on tracks where you had limited movement, staying on the track, with boring surroundings. The colourful racing, where you can go where you want (as long as you don’t stray for too long) in the colourful, somewhat varied tracks, is amazing. Major games featuring top-down racing are not exactly made anymore. It really stopped being made around the same time Grand Theft Auto made a similar move.  So in that way this game is almost immediately dated. Of course, back in those days, first person racing looked far worse (locked camera and limited graphics) and this allowed for more possibilities for racers in those days.

However, the cute settings really does save it somewhat. Rather than normal settings of cityscapes or verdant green hills you find yourself racing around the breakfast table or the bathtub. Presumably trying to give kids ideas for playtime. It really feels like you’re a kid racing your toys around your home. As someone who did not play with toy cars that much this may have passed me by slightly. Make this Lego however and I’m yours. My father was a car mechanic and collected miniature Alfa Romeos. I often wasn’t allowed to play with them, so this was more of being able to actually race them. Like how I took solace in ESPN Extreme Games since my lack of natural balance prevented me from using roller blades? Very possible. Although playing Super Mario Bros. was not because I wanted to eat mushrooms. I’d like to make that absolutely clear. Fair enough, being Dutch I am sure there were other metaphorical fish to fry. Low blow I know… but I could not resist.

Anyway, it took us a bit of time to get into the game, but it was fun to play. A lot of freedom, and fun surroundings, making clever use of everyday elements. Stick with it, and it can be fun to play – and still be a good racer.

Final Thoughts

We know that this was a bit of a short write-up but in terms of games that changed history this would not be the top of our list. It is, however, a really good fun racing game to play to while away the time of day. Coming in a few years time: Micro Machines 2.

Game 27: Mario Kart 64

Game 305/1001 according to the list

Genre: Racing
Platform: Nintendo 64
Year of Release: 1996
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

As we know, Mario loves his racing, and he loves racing with his friends. After doing so for the first time on the SNES, he returns on the Nintendo 64 with full 3D tracks, more options and paths, different weapons, more variety, and detours that you didn’t think of before. It’s prettier, nicer, faster, better, more interesting. Right?

Our Playthrough

We did single player, we did multiplayer. Kat joined in for a bit to try three player gaming. In other words, we tried to see all there is to see – at easy and hard difficulty. With and without falling in random lakes, holes and other deep places.

Our Thoughts

This game explains why it’s important to have some sense of reliable, realistic physics even in a fantasy-based game. Only you could fall through the top of a wall (or find out such a physics glitch exists). It happens. Apparently, with the Bowser’s Castle barriers, only the sides are solid – you fall through the top. Then again it did annoy me no end that a carpet, dirt track and wooden bridge all have the same physics befitting polished marble. Yeah, and banana peels only make you slip ten seconds after you’ve raced past them. Don’t forget the snowmen filled with nitro glycerine. Ledges you can fall off from a few metres away. And the moment you even graze certain sections you tumble into a lake…

It looks nicer than the SNES game, there’s some improvement, but it just feels off at times, which makes the game a lot harder. It is true that with the later editions in the series like Mario Kart Wii and Double Dash we have become spoilt. Bear in mind this was the franchise’s first foray into 3D. True, and you can’t make the physics too complicated on the relatively limited hardware. So considering what they had to deal with… they did a lot with it, but you could find better physics on F-Zero X. Absolutely. It just gets frustrating to play at times,  an effect that increases exponentially as you get into the harder courses.  It matters little on the simple racing tracks, but when you reach places like the aforementioned Bowser’s Castle, it’s hard.

Then there is the total nightmare that is Yoshi Valley. Don’t even start.  I finished dead last, by a large margin. It was a good experiment in track construction. The idea of multiple pathways through it could have actually been a real boon of a track. In reality though, it didn’t turn our that great and is in fact an almighty mess that is a chore to play. The lack of barriers only makes it harder, as half the time, trying to pick a route means you just fall in between without any way of getting out. The extra bombs strewn about the place in Versus Mode doesn’t help much either.

Interesting note: if 3-4 players are playing at the same time it is unable to play the music so the only soundtrack is breathing and the occasional curse word. The latter is quite frequent and I’m sure with a nice beat, it could lead to a song that’ll top the charts. It looks nice, there’s nice ideas about multiple tracks, different routes, with areas of the track that are there to explore without it leading you anywhere, but as a whole, the game feels unpolished. Due to the limitations, it’s not as good as the later games, and that gets annoying. It’s a work in progress, and interesting in that sense.

Now for something completely different: positives. Sound, when it’s there, is good. The voicing makes it more alive. The sound effects are good. It’s nice. Although I did get a little bit tired of hearing Mario cheer every time he managed to overtake me. Because he’s better? Just because he was incredibly vocal about it. The music, as always, is really good too. This makes it more of a shame when it gets taken away in multiplayer.

Another good thing is the atmosphere of the track and how it impacts your races. One interesting example is the train in Kalimari Desert. One or two of them drive around on a track, and if you’re unlucky, they’ll pass just as you have to cross the railway. Then there are the penguins in Sherbert land which look adorable. The cuteness factor is multiplied threefold when you hit them and they make a little squeaky noise. Something we both loved to try out, of course. It was intentional when we did so. Which sort of leads us onto the graphics. The Mario style has always been beautifully rendered in the games and this is no exception. Yeah. The environments are beautiful and the creatures, where appropriate, cute. And the touches they’ve put in, both in the characters and on the outside, can be amazing. (who is also present in the Wii remake of the track) (Yeah.  Which is slightly more playable, as we discussed before.)
This may read a little bit one-sided in terms of thoughts but this really is a good racing game. It does strike a good balance between challenging and fun. It has a charming personality too. It just that the good sides of the game are all of the generic kind – looks good, sounds good – while there’s some specific issues with the downside of the game. It’s charming, it’s fun, but sometimes you need to be careful to avoid the tracks and areas where the game doesn’t work as well.

Final Thoughts

I would like to personally apologise for all the Mario games in the first 27 games, we’re going to steer clear of him for a while after this game. Then again there will be a lot of Final Fantasy and Zelda titles soon, just a fyi.

In terms of this game I do believe that we have been very harsh when judging Mario Kart 64 as we have done so in a more modern context. It is good, but there are a lot of racing games out there better than this one especially the Mario Kart games that followed this one.

Game 24: F-Zero X

Game 374/1001 according to the list

Genre: Racing
Platform: Nintendo 64
Year of Release: 1998
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

The best way to explain this game is as a fast futuristic racer where you need to be careful not to crash and burn, or fall down from the road. In other words, a faster, deadlier Mario Kart, with its own futuristic style.

The game looks bad, but there’s a reason for it – they had to keep the frame rate up, that was more important.

Our Playthrough

We played through some of the GP mode, some deathmatches and some VS matches. In other words, we tried some parts of everything.

Our Thoughts

I think I’ve now officially travelled at over 1000km/h. No, I don’t think you ever actually made it to that top speed. In that case, I was very close. I think the safest thing we can say is that we have now both straddled a very thick pole using a plasma powered vehicle.

Oh yes, and then we were ejected from it at high speed to proceed on our course to victory. Well I did – you somehow flew off of the edge of a rounded edge and crashed. I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t fly straight though, I remember a few embarrassing falls you made.

Only in the VS Mode though, when I was racing with the AI I never fell off. Also, you were the only one who exploded. Stop ruining my double entendres. Also, I saw you fall off during at least one death match game. That was because I got bored with it and hoped for some flaming wreckage. As a gaming mode… it was exceedingly dull. Yeah, it was. Waiting for others to crash and burn, even when you can nudge them, seemed to take ages. It doesn’t help that they can easily restore their health so a lot of bumping went to waste. Yeah. So can you, to be fair, but the AI do not try anything to get each other killed.

Where the deathmatch mode is a dud the Grand Prix is a lot of fun, even considering the very poor graphics (for the time) which Jeroen will now explain:

Yes, as I’ve referenced before, the game looks relatively simplistic. It’s 3D, that’s for sure, and it doesn’t look horrible, but we see better in many other N64 games. The reason for this has to do with the required frame rate for the game. It has to show the track and up to 30 racers at a time, together with assorted other decorations. The game also moves fast (the km/h above are actual figures, although I’m sure it wouldn’t match in real life). Because of the speed of gameplay, it was important they kept the frame rate high – keep it constant as 60 frames per second. To make sure they could, Nintendo used simplistic graphics in this game, so the CPU didn’t need to spend that much time on rendering the models. So it needed to look simple and relatively bad to make sure the game stays playable.

Do you understand now, dear? I understood it but knew you would be able to explain it better… and don’t call me dear. Even on the blog it sounds condescending.

ANYWAY! The point I think that needs to be made is that despite the lacklustre graphics are in fact the biggest boon that this game possesses. True, it is not always pretty to look at but it allowed greater focus on the overall experience of a high-octane racer with an amazing rock soundtrack. It also allowed the construction of some fantastical gravity-defying courses that it would take until the next generation of consoles to be able to render perfectly (Sickness bags not included) It is to the credit of this series that the sequel F-Zero GX is seen to have the best graphics of a Gamecube game.

The fact that one of these games in this series has not been made for the last 6-7 years is a real pity as people are now growing up in gaming without the F-Zero series. Realistic racers are all well and good, to be honest, but sometimes you need a good futuristic racer. The current champion of this title will be the Wipeout series, but that would not have been made if not for the original F-Zero on the SNES.

It fits in brilliantly with the legacy of Mario Kart as well, and while it’s not as quirky fun and cute, it has the same casual gameplay in a more futuristic, raw setting. The only thing that’s missing is weapons, something that both Mario Kart and Wipeout do brilliantly.

Yeah, but I think that this is a game where it’s fair enough. True, it doesn’t work with the deathmatch mode, where they’re badly missed. But during the proper racing modes, it means that you can focus on the actual racing and bashing them out of the way, rather than weapons coming in – making this far more dependent on racing skills instead of weapon luck or skills.

Strategy also plays a large role in this. Before each race you have the opportunity to weigh up top speed against acceleration. If you have enough knowledge of the race track to come you can actually stack the deck in your favour a little bit. Yeah, which is one of the two bits of customizations – the other being the obligatory ‘pick your player and cart with its own handling and grip’ – which is more so compared to the original where there were only 4 playable vehicles. Fair enough – it’s a new version after all. It also allows for adding in a little bit of characters – 30 different models and drivers, all of which race normally (of course).

As for the last feature, did we mention the music yet? Briefly I think, but it definitely needs more of a focus. Yeah, it does. It’s a rock soundtrack, ‘sounding’ fast (does that make sense?) and certainly adding to the experience of a speedy game. It sets your heart racing, blood pumping and sets you up for having to be fast, using your reflexes, and keep racing. Some of the music, especially the one used for the Big Blue track, is very familiar. Mostly because of it’s use for one of the stages in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Which shows the legacy of this game – it is an important racer, one you don’t want to miss out on even if it just a chance to play as Captain Falcon without him repeatedly saying his name as he punches Pikachu in the face.

Final Thoughts

Seeing how more of my formative gaming years was in the company of Wipeout 2097 compared with the F-Zero franchise it is interesting to see the huge influence one had on the other. In that way F-Zero X is a really important title in the racing genre, even if it is not the most stunning. Somehow over 12 years later the simple gameplay can still induce an adrenaline rush; mightily impressive if you ask me.

Game 20: Mario Kart Wii

Game 818/1001 according to the list

Genre: Racing
Platform: Wii
Year of Release: 2008
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Earlier we kinda made a pledge that if there was a series then we would cover them from the first game on the 1001 list… we may not have mentioned it on here but such a promise was made to ourselves. Such ideals really do get thrown out of the window when you have relatives over who are itching to play titles from your gaming collection. Not that I’m complaining, I really do love this game.

The Mario Kart franchise started life back in 1992 when released on the SNES (yes we will be covering it) and has since become one of the most successful series of racing games ever released. This current incarnation sees it move onto the Wii and as such embrace the Wii motion technology. Every addition of the game was packed with a Wii Wheel which meant you could control how your car steered by turning the wheel itself (next thing will be the Wii Motion Accelerator pedals…maybe). If  this wasn’t for you then there was always the option of using an old Gamecube remote or the Wii Remote in conjunction with the nunchuck controller.

Our Playthrough

This has become known as one of the essential multiplayer games. In this vein we played this game with Jeroen’s brother as well as over the internet with our friend Mike. I would say that we’ll try out every character… but when you get settled into a racer you love it’s very hard to shift (hooray for King Boo!)

Our Thoughts

Wow, how much racing has changed; I remember playing Mario Kart on the SNES, looked worse and was quite a bit simpler. My first attempt at a racing game was an arcade version of Sega Rally Championship. Will we be covering that? Yes, game 299. Fantastic, this time it won’t take my mum’s 50ps! Awwww… that can’t have been pleasant for her.

She always preferred the Point Blank machine. I am not surprised somehow (excuse me, I need to move out of the way before physical violence is enacted) Haha, just throw another bloody blue shell at me if you want to see true violence being enacted on your person. I’ll keep that in mind the next time I am going to beat you which happens on special occasions. True, but it’s not entirely unheard of either. Yea, then again I have had probably 100 times more hours spent on it compared with you, no exaggeration. It made me miss the fun times I had with the housemates.

That makes any win worth celebrating, apart from when it’s been at the hands of the really strange AI which is really the only downside of this game. It’s been complained about by everyone who has played it that the AI in the game doesn’t act consistently and sometimes ‘cheats’. Like how suddenly in a space of 4 seconds you get red-shelled, inked, blue-shelled and then struck by lightning.

It can get rather overwhelming, and seems to be a lot of ‘all or nothing’. You can go a race without seeing anything, or have a race where you’re beaten on left, right and centre. It’s worse when suddenly your blue-shelled at the finish line… and yet when you are sitting in 3rd place for the entire last lap all you get is bananas. To be fair, part of that is based on the items you get (with default settings) being based on your position in the race. It’s worth wondering whether that applies to AI players, though.

The slight unevenness can make you feel like you are playing against human opponents even in single player mode. It certainly does, and it becomes quite a tough game, unexpectedly so at times. The difficulty curve almost becomes a vertical line when you get to certain courses (Rainbow Road being an obvious ones and the revival of Ghost Valley 2 from the SNES version).

Why don’t they ever fall off the course? I think it’s because the world is against you personally.

The SNES tracks (and it’s worth noting half the courses are remakes from earlier games) are relatively hard anything, due to their harsh turns and small layouts that are quite a change from the faster tracks with gentler curves new to the game or from other games. The oil slicks on Mario Circuit 3 are a real bitch. Absolutely, and a number of 180 degree turns that they are always in. Those are usually supplemented by Boost Pads where you can do jumps of off to get an extra speed boost. Yes, making the turns harder but allowing you to maintain speed as long as you don’t run into anything, very true.

Needless to say though, this is one fantastic racing game. Absolutely, and one of the more interesting things that set this game apart are the controls (that is to say, the Wii Wheel). I love using the Wii Wheel for this, somehow it feels like a more relaxing method to play a game… yet it’s more difficult. It probably gives the least feedback of how you’re steering, with the control stick normally providing this; you don’t know how far you’re actually turning, and are likely to overcompensate or steer too little and so are more likely to drive into a Chain Chomp. It’s especially lethal in stages like the aforementioned Rainbow Road. Still, it’s an interesting addition to a good racing game series and worth playing as its latest instalment.

The motion control aspect really does make it deserve a place on the list, as will the 3d aspect of the upcoming Mario Kart 3DS. I cannot wait for that handheld to arrive!

Final Thoughts

A very playable racing game, from a series that started off nice and got better. It’s fun and looks good. The controls are getting, better, with the Wii Wheel being a great addition. While the game can be frustrating, the AI makes the game as tough at times as playing with people sitting next to you… even though the taunting possible when playing with real people is far more worth it.