Hogan Reviews

Well, this is the first and most likely only time I’ll ever be reviewing a game just days after its release, but F-Zero 99 isn’t a complex game, it doesn’t have a long end goal but it is addictive as hell and I want to talk about it! So let’s take a look at a new F-Zero game… at long, long last.

Background:

Someone ranks out before they even reach the track, oh well, quick enough to restart!

F-Zero 99 was “shadow dropped” during Nintendo’s Direct presentation on September 14^th 2023, free to anyone with a Nintendo Online subscription. It’s the first new F-Zero game in just under two decades! I’d started to give up hope… several years ago.

Gameplay:

It’s rare to see a level that isn’t Mute City I or Big Blue…

The game is functionally based on the original SNES F-Zero game, though the controls feel more responsive and there appears to be less… I don’t know how to describe it, feeling that you’re just moving the background with the L and R buttons? Erm, either way, you accelerate, brake, use the shoulder buttons for sharper turns and the trigger button for a spin attack ala later games in the franchise. There is also a boost system like in later games, where you can sacrifice your energy to boost forward after the first lap, but run low on energy without picking any more up during the race and you’ll explode.

What’s new with 99? Well, as the name suggests you’re playing on these tracks with 98 other people at the same time, which just makes me smile. Playing SNES F-Zero with 98 people around the world… Bizarre. Due to this Lap 1 is always a wide open space that slowly filters down to a thinner point that plops everyone down on the regular track just in time to get boost power, always a highlight of the race it being knocked into the air and down on the track surrounded by up-rez’d SNES sprites all over the place. The other key addition is the ability to pick up “Sparks” that dop when two racers hit into each other (or if you hit into special gold vehicles that can appear on the screen) and if you build up the special meter with enough Spark energy then you’ll be floated onto a safe track above the regular one with extra boost pads, allowing you to glide forward a few places. Sounds cheaty but trust me, it rarely makes a difference…

Saves all that steering nonsense!

This being a 99 game it does have a lot of stuff to unlock, like colours, paint schemes, emblems, that sort of thing, so as you play your racer will look more and more unique. You also get points to level up after each track and unlock tickets for Grand Prix events (more on those in a second) On top of all that there’s a Grade system which starts your off on C- and goes up from there and the only way to get more points is to place higher than four randomly picked rivals in a race. Well, I say randomly picked, they’re always the same letter grade as you, just to be fair (or in Grand Prix they’re the two placed above you and below you in the previous race) So unlockables, a numerical level AND a grade? As if I needed that many reasons to keep playing…

The modes on offer (at least as of release!) are to have a race with 98 other people, where you can pick between two easier courses and the course with the most votes gets played on, and a Gran Prix where you spend three tickets to race five times in a row to take the cup, with 20 people automatically eliminated each course, a “Mini Prix” which is the same but costs one ticket and is three courses, and a Team Battle where you’re split into Green and Pink teams and get points for your team by finishing higher and damaging / KO-ing opponents. There’s also a mode that pops up that plays exactly like the regular 99 mode but with harder tracks.

Graphics and Sound:

I wonder why they chose pink and green rather than something more traditional like red and blue?

The graphics are lovely, they still look like the 16-bit classic but the sprites are a bit chunkier and more detailed, and the track themselves look better too (mostly due to being in 16:9 now, I guess). The sound is the still-great SNES music and sound effects, so no complaints from me there, either!

Thoughts Now:

Apologies if your tag appears here, far too much effort to block them all out!

It’s only been a few days and already I’m addicted. If I weren’t also trying to get through Final Fantasy XVI this would be all I’m playing at the moment, and to think that was £45 and this was technically free! If you have NSO I don’t know why you’re not playing this already, but if you aren’t: do it! It’s great fun, even if you’re not very good (I constantly place between 20 – 40, though occasionally explode as well…) A sleeper contender for the Top 10 games list this year, and it’s an F-Zero game! Hooray!