Summary
F-Zerois officially making a comeback, with Nintendo announcing a new battle royale version of the racing game during Thursday’s Nintendo Direct.F-Zero 99will be the latest iteration of Nintendo’s popular multiplayer games, which includeTetris 99,Pac-Man 99, andMario 35. While the decision to makeF-Zero 99instead of a more traditionalF-Zerofull release may be somewhat controversial among the racing game’s fanbase, havingF-Zeroback at all will be welcome.
WhileMario Kartis now the brand fans think of when thinking about Nintendo and racing games, that wasn’t always the case.BeforeSuper Mario Kartwas released in 1992,F-Zeroarrived first on Super Nintendo in 1990. UnlikeMario Kart,F-Zerodelivered lightning-fast gameplay, tight controls, and a futuristic setting. Yet whileF-Zerodid receive sequels, includingF-Zero Xon Nintendo 64 andF-Zero GXon GameCube, the franchise has languished for the past 20 years. It’s now best known as whereSuper Smash Bros.fighter Captain Falcon originates from.
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For the first time in 20 years,F-Zerois receiving a new game for a Nintendo console. IntroducingF-Zero 99, which takes the original concept of 1990’sF-Zeroand adds 98 additional human-driven opponents to the experience. Gameplay isbased on the SNES classic, including a limited fuel gage/health bar that once expended results in the player’s elimination.
It’s worth mentioning that the announcement ofF-Zero 99isn’t without controversy. TheF-Zerofranchise has a passionate fanbase that has been waiting decades for a new racing game in the series. WhileF-Zero 99looks great, it’s not a full new game with a single-player campaign and other features. Perhaps Nintendo is testing to seewhetherF-Zerocan be successful in 2023. Either way, manyF-Zerofans will still be waiting for a full game to eventually be delivered.
These multiplayer games for Nintendo don’t have the longest shelf life.Pac-Man 99is currently scheduled to be delisted in October, less than three years after launch. But for those that jump in early, there’s a lot of fun to be had.F-Zerowill offer a fast-paced yet casual racing experience for Nintendo Switch Online players, and it’ll be available in a matter of hours.
F-Zero 99releases September 14 on Switch.
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