F-Zero X is a 1998 racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the sequel to the original F-Zero (1990) and the first F-Zero game to use 3D graphics. It can be challenging for new players, and the gameplay is similar to the original game. The F-Zero X Expansion Kit, an add-on for the 64DD that includes 12 new tracks and tools to create tracks and vehicles, was released in Japan in 2000.
F-Zero X introduced the ability to attack other racers, a Death Race mode, and a random track generator called the "X Cup." In Death Race mode, players must quickly defeat or overtake 29 opponents. The X Cup feature creates new track combinations each time the game is played. Many reviewers liked the fast action, large number of tracks and vehicles, creative track designs, and smooth performance. However, some critics said the game's graphics were not very detailed. The game was released on the iQue Player in 2004. It later appeared on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007, the Wii U, and the Nintendo Classics service in 2022, which included online multiplayer features.
Gameplay
F-Zero X is a fast-paced futuristic racing video game where 30 competitors race on high-altitude circuits inside plasma-powered hovercars in an intergalactic Grand Prix. The game takes place after the original tournament was discontinued for several years because the sport was very dangerous. F-Zero X begins after the Grand Prix is brought back with new rules and regulations under the same name as the video game. The tracks include hills, loops, tunnels, corkscrews, and pipes. Players can drift into turns without losing speed by using the control stick and trigger button. The game introduces 26 vehicles and includes the 4 from the original F-Zero game. Each vehicle has performance abilities influenced by its size and weight, and it has grip, boost, and durability traits rated from A to E (best to worst). Before a race, players can adjust a vehicle’s balance between maximum acceleration and maximum top speed.
Each machine has an energy meter that shows its health. The meter decreases when the machine hits another racer or the side of the track. This meter also lets players manually boost, usually starting with the second lap of a race. Energy can be restored by driving over recharge strips placed around the track. The game allows players to attack other racers with side or spin attacks. Dash plates on the track give a speed boost without using energy. Some courses have obstacles that slow players down and traps that launch vehicles into the air, reducing their energy. If a player has a "spare machine" (like an extra life), they can restart the race if they fall off the track or run out of energy. Players earn an extra spare machine for every 5 opponents they eliminate.
F-Zero X has five gameplay modes: GP (Grand Prix) Race, Practice, Time Attack, Death Race, and VS Battle. In GP Race, players race against 29 opponents through 3 laps on each track in a cup. Players earn points based on their finishing position, and the winner of the cup is the player with the most total points. Each cup has four difficulty levels: Novice, Standard, Expert, and Master. Higher difficulty levels mean tougher opponents and fewer spare machines. The three initial cups (Jack, Queen, and King) increase in difficulty and each has 6 tracks. Players can later unlock the Joker Cup with 6 tracks, followed by the X Cup. The X Cup has 6 randomly generated tracks each time it is played, and these tracks do not include loops, varying greatly in complexity.
Practice mode lets players test any track with opponents. Time Attack lets players choose a track and complete a 3-lap race as quickly as possible. Transparent replays of Time Attack runs allow players to race against ghost racers recorded by the player or game developers. Up to 3 ghost racers can be raced against at once, but only 1 can be saved per track. Death Race challenges players to eliminate all 29 opponents as quickly as possible on a special course. There is no difficulty level or set number of laps, but boost is available immediately. VS Battle is a multiplayer mode where 2 to 4 players race in a 3-lap race. Unused slots can be controlled by artificial intelligence. If enabled, a slot machine appears for players who drop out early. Players can reduce the energy of other racers by matching symbols on the slot machine.
Development and release
It is not possible to measure the speed of cars in F-Zero X, but the game’s vehicles may reach about 1,000 kilometers per hour. This could make it the fastest racing game ever made for a home system.
In mid-1996, during the development of Mario Kart 64, Shigeru Miyamoto announced plans for a sequel to F-Zero for the Nintendo 64. The project was initially called "F-Zero 64" and was revealed by Famitsu magazine in mid-1997. Tadashi Sugiyama and Shigeru Miyamoto worked as director and producer, respectively. Taro Bando and Hajime Wakai created the music. Several programmers from Wave Race 64, including the lead programmer, joined the team. Nintendo EAD developed the game, which follows the original F-Zero (1990) and is the first F-Zero game with 3D graphics. It was first shown publicly at the Nintendo Space World event on November 20, 1997. IGN reported that the game was 60% complete and ran smoothly at 60 frames per second. To achieve this speed, developers reduced background details, textures, and the number of shapes on vehicles as they moved. They noted that the game’s tracks often hid background limitations by using large, curved designs. Fog effects helped hide gaps between the sky and ground.
Character voices, including the announcer and Mr. Zero, were provided by Jim Wornell and Kayomi McDonald. Wornell based Mr. Zero’s voice on the announcer from Ridge Racer. The soundtrack includes music from the original game. Due to the size of the game cartridge, developers used optimizations, such as a smaller, single-channel soundtrack and real-time stereo effects. Some music was included on two soundtrack CDs. The F-Zero X Original Soundtrack was released on September 18, 1998, with 29 tracks. A guitar version of the soundtrack, called the F-Zero X Guitar Arrange Edition, was released on January 27, 1999, with 10 tracks.
F-Zero X was released in Japan on July 14, 1998. Its North American release was delayed three months because Nintendo wanted to space out the release of its games. It was released in North America on October 27, in Europe on November 6, and in China for the iQue Player on February 25, 2004. The game was later re-released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console in 2007 and around 2016, respectively. It was Europe’s 100th Wii Virtual Console game. A 2022 re-release for the Nintendo Classics service added a 2- to 4-player online multiplayer mode.
The 64DD is a device for the Nintendo 64, released only in Japan. It was designed to allow cartridge games to use inexpensive 64-megabyte floppy disks for expansions. The F-Zero X Expansion Kit is the only expansion disk for the 64DD, released in Japan on April 21, 2000. It added 12 new tracks across two cups, a machine creator, a course editor, and new stereo soundtracks. Players could also create a custom "Edit Cup." The disk could save up to 100 tracks and 3 ghost data entries per course. IGN highlighted the course editor as the Expansion Kit’s strongest feature because it used a similar tool for the original game’s circuits. The machine creator allowed players to design vehicles using parts from the game, adjusting settings and performance. The course editor let players create detailed tracks using a cursor to draw curves, hills, and add features like half-pipes and slip zones. Players could test their creations anytime.
The Expansion Kit required the original game cartridge, which had special programming to detect the 64DD and expansion disk. This allowed for future disk-based features, such as track editors or updates, but no more expansions were made. The 64DD’s limited success in Japan meant the Expansion Kit was not used outside the country.
Reception
F-Zero X received mostly positive reviews from critics. It has an average score of 87.61% from 15 reviews on GameRankings and a metascore of 85 on Metacritic. Many reviewers praised the game’s fast-paced gameplay, the large number of tracks and vehicles, the ability to keep a steady frame rate with up to 30 racers on screen at once, and the design of the tracks. However, some critics pointed out that the graphics lacked detail. Peer Schneider of IGN called the gameplay "god-like" and said it was extremely fast, comparing it favorably to its predecessor, Wave Race 64, for having "perfectly fine-tuned controls" and a new racing style. F-Zero X won the Game of the Month award for November 1998 from Electronic Gaming Monthly. One editor noted that "the graphics may be simple, but they are smooth and the action is fast." Next Generation described the game as enjoyable, highlighting its music, which was composed by the same person who created the original F-Zero soundtrack, and its addictive Grand Prix races.
Allgame said the graphics were not as detailed as usual for Nintendo. GameSpot criticized the vehicles for having low polygon counts, calling them "particularly uninspiring," and noted that the tracks had limited detail, giving them a "basic" appearance. Although the game’s optimizations were strict, critics praised the consistent 60 frames per second, which some believed made up for the lack of graphical detail. The Electric Playground said the high frame rate improved the game’s feel, making it seem like the vehicles were "bursting through the sound barrier." According to GameSpot, F-Zero X was the first racing game to run at 60 frames per second with up to 30 vehicles on screen at once. To maintain this frame rate, the game sacrificed some details in the vehicles, textures, and tracks.
Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the music, calling it "really good" with "excellent remixes" of older F-Zero tunes. However, CVG described the music as "dreadful." The Electric Playground said the music matched the game’s speed but noted that "I wouldn’t buy this music to listen to." GameSpot’s later review gave the game a score of 6.5/10, calling it "the black sheep of the series" compared to other F-Zero games in terms of visuals and technical quality. IGN described it as an improved version of the original game but noted that its look was "generic." Peer Schneider said the game focused more on gameplay than on showing off graphics or sound. In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine ranked it as the 39th-greatest Nintendo game.
Nintendo sold 383,642 copies of F-Zero X in North America and 97,684 copies in Japan. In its first week of sale in Japan, 56,457 copies were sold, but sales dropped to about one-fifth of that in the following week, possibly because the Nintendo 64 had a small fanbase there. F-Zero X was named a finalist for "Console Racing Game of the Year" at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.