F-Zero 99

[Maryokutai]

First of all, Nintendo can go screw themselves for coming along with this almost 20 years after the previous game in the series. The last time they were this tonedeaf was when they announced Federation Force.

 

Secondly, it's not so bad. I mean it's basically just classic F-Zero with more direct controls and without a collision detection that makes Newton spin in his grave. It adds the spin attack from GX but puts a cooldown on it and tackled enemies drop coins which fill up a special bar you can use instead of your boost to drive 'on top' of the course and avoid the massacre below. I don't see it having a huge lasting impact or the immediate pull of something like Fall Guys, but it's decent enough for a freebie (if, again, extremely poorly timed).

 

Anyway, I immediately won my first race. I guess the newbies in the lobby thought Death Wind was easy after looking at its map.

 

[mfnick]

On one hand I’m fucking fuming. I’d absolutely love a new F-Zero, it’s probably the Nintendo Series I want the most. But instead they’ve given us this shit which is absolutely not what I wanted. The 99 gameplay and SNES style F Zero is just meh to me now. 
 

However, this could be a good omen for a GX2 happening in the near future. 
 

[mfnick]

Played a few rounds at to show my support & encourage a new entry. It’s ok, got bored very quickly. It’s just way too chaotic too, not in a good way IMO. Usual shit whereby if you’re not in the top 5 by the end of the first lap because you’re getting knocked all over, you’ve basically fucked it too. There’s no chance of getting onto podium. 
 

Played some X after it, now that is a damn good game. 
 

 

[Nigel Tufnell]

Played one online game and that was hectic, no fun at all.

[Maryokutai]

There is some comeback potential. Energy management seems key because I always see a lot of people explode in the final round (myself sometimes included, too). Which you can take advantage off because KOs completely refill your energy, though of course with how hectic it is getting one of those is mostly luck.

 

I dunno, I want to call it random but I almost always place in the Top25 (if I don't explode) and considering I've been playing the SNES version on and off for almost 30 years now that can't be a coincidence. I doubt it's a game I'm going to stick with, but I can see me playing it for long enough to at least unlock all the courses in training mode. I think some aren't in the game yet and will come with an update later.

[spatular]

Snes f-zero is awesome, not sure id want to play a 100 player version, will sign up to the online to give it a try at some point though.

 

apparently theres a timetrial mode?

[Maryokutai]

Yeah, there is, but you have to unlock the courses first by playing the online modes, and the game refuses to operate if you're offline.

What I don't know is wether or not you can keep playing the practice tracks if your subscription runs out.

[spatular]

^ nice one, ill have to try and get in this when ive finished starfield. I cant load the game without a sub, as nintendo are doing a lot these days, id just like to buy it the old fashioned way

[Maryokutai]

I'm enjoying this way more than I should, had my first Podium finish in a tournament today despite coming in at only 52 in the second race.

 

 

I hope they don't take forever to add the remaining tracks though as it feels a bit limited at the moment. Silence for example only appears as the very last track in the five-race tournament, which in itself is part of a rotating game mode. So for every time you get to race on it, you probably went 15 times over Mute City.

[Pikman]

I can't. tell if this is fun or not. I think it might be too chaotic and have minimal skill required to actually equate to fun...

[DisturbedSwan]

Played a bit of this and think I'm in much the same boat as @Pikman it's ridiculously chaotic and not in a fun way either really, it's just absolutely bonkers but so bonkers you can't actually see your ship going through the course at times and have to just guess where it is, there's so much going on.

 

I never played SNES F-Zero but briefly played the one on GCN, so I've no real reference point for this. I suspect I am a bit shit at it as well really lol, it's fun though, for sure, I had that itch to play just one more race/tourney after the previous was over, which is a good sign.

[Maryokutai]

If you're in the middle of the herd the best way to play is to just avoid the noise and focus on trying to stay on the racing line. After a couple of turns the pack has spread a bit and you can focus more on the immediate threats and try to get around those. There is a luck factor involved but it's surprisingly negligible in the grand scheme of things. You don't get into the Top 10 by luck, but luck might decide whether you're first or third, for example.

 

Also, shoutouts to whoever did the netcode for this, because this is by far the best-running online game Nintendo has ever launched. I know that doesn't say much, but there's zero hiccups at all, it's absolutely flawless.

[Pikman]

53 minutes ago, Maryokutai said:

If you're in the middle of the herd the best way to play is to just avoid the noise and focus on trying to stay on the racing line. After a couple of turns the pack has spread a bit and you can focus more on the immediate threats and try to get around those. There is a luck factor involved but it's surprisingly negligible in the grand scheme of things. You don't get into the Top 10 by luck, but luck might decide whether you're first or third, for example.

 

Also, shoutouts to whoever did the netcode for this, because this is by far the best-running online game Nintendo has ever launched. I know that doesn't say much, but there's zero hiccups at all, it's absolutely flawless.

True, it really seems to be 100% reliable
I did wonder if it's actually online, lol.

[Maryokutai]

Yeah, there's no noticeable difference between the offline tutorial races and the online stuff.

 

Turns out NST was developing this (in parallel with the Mario vs. DK remake). They've been mostly on support duty for the last decade, this is their first 'own' production since 2015.

[Maryokutai]

This got an update, you can now play with friends/acquaintances/some forum people:

 

Anyone interested in getting a lobby together at some point? I've stopped playing this a while ago because people made a science out of it with strategical destruction of NPCs to increase the boost gauge etc. But I'd enjoy it again in a more casual setting.

 

No idea what the secret tracks are by the way, as the entire SNES lineup of courses is already in.

 

[AndyKurosaki]

I’ve been having a great time with this, been playing it pretty much every day. I’ve only managed to reach first place in a general race once. In tournaments, best I’ve done is 17th. Still, this is so much fun. I hope it shows Nintendo that the series deserves more attention.

[Nigel Tufnell]

11 hours ago, Maryokutai said:

Anyone interested in getting a lobby together at some point? I've stopped playing this a while ago because people made a science out of it with strategical destruction of NPCs to increase the boost gauge etc. But I'd enjoy it again in a more casual setting.

 

No idea what the secret tracks are by the way, as the entire SNES lineup of courses is already in.

 

 Sounds like a plan.

[AndyKurosaki]

Yeah I’d be up for that at some point, sure.