Racing games are cool. There is just something exhilarating about zooming around a virtual track at ridiculous speeds. A great racing game will get the heart racing and the blood pumping. It will also test your reaction time. F-ZERO is definitely one of those games.
F-ZERO revolutionized the whole genre when it released in 1990. It set the bar higher for what a racing game could be. F-ZERO was just on another level. The visuals were superb. The gameplay was fast and responsive. Today it is still viewed as a trailblazer and all-time classic. What made this futuristic racer so good? Let’s get into it…
Ready. Go!!
Controls
One of the best things about F-ZERO is the controls. They are so tight and responsive. Accelerating and decelerating is a breeze and the steering feels really, really clean. You are in total control of your futuristic space sled. Good thing too…because some of the tracks in this game feature some pretty hairy turns and tight stretches. As difficult as certain sections of tracks are…it never feels cheap (although the AI bumps can be annoying). The controls are that good. Each new lap feels like an opportunity to improve.
Music
F-ZERO is known for its soundtrack. Rightfully so. The tunes are excellent. Each music track fits the corresponding level/track perfectly. The high-octane, futuristic beats add a layer of urgency to the gameplay that very few games have been able to replicate. F-ZERO would not be F-ZERO without the music. F-ZERO would not feel as ‘fast’ without the music. This game’s soundtrack is easily one of the best ever made.
Graphics
Another thing F-ZERO is known for is its groundbreaking graphics. The ‘Mode 7’ graphics allowed the developers to scale and rotate backgrounds. The result was a rotating track with a background off in the distance. Today that may not seem so crazy…but back in the day it was a big deal (especially when watching a race replay). The pseudo-3D effect was incredible. The graphics created a realistic racing perspective that helped move the whole racing game genre forward.
F-ZERO is a stellar example of a pure, speed-driven racing game. The controls were tight, the music was incredible and the graphics were groundbreaking. The gameplay was relatively simple…but all the different elements worked together so well. You really felt like you were flying around the track at 500 km/h. Pretty impressive for a game that is almost 30 years old.
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