Tuesday was one hell of a day for the Gamecube. Soul Caliber 2 and F-Zero GX both came to America on that day. It is fitting considering they are both the product of the Triforce arcade hardware and a result of Namco, Nintendo and Sega working together.
F-Zero GX is a hell of a game that was a collaboration of Nintendo with the Amusement Vision division of Sega. This is the same team that made Super Monkey Ball and Super Monkey Ball 2.
The first F-Zero game was made partially to show off the graphics scaling capabilities of the 16-Bit Super Nintendo and was one of the first three games made for Nintendo's 16-bit hardware. It set the tone for non-reality racing games to come. If there was no F-Zero there would have never been a Super Mario Kart, a Wipeout 3 and Wipeout Fusion.
The game saw a limited release of a tuned version in Japan for the Super Famicom then a 64-bit full 3d game on the Nintendo 64 and a return to the old skool with F-Zero Maximum Velocity for the GBA. But we NEEDED this game on the Gamecube
This is not just the same game with better graphics. Sega/Nintendo has put together a massively updated game that delivers courses and speed that is was not possible on the old hardware. This game is so fast that it is more a zen religious experience than a normal racing game. It puts you in an advanced mental zen state and keeps you there in a speed induced Nirvana.
It is so fast that I find myself having to stop and take breaks to blink. The concept is relatively simple but the speed that this game operates on will challenge the most experience twitch gamers. This is not an easy game by any stretch of things. This game screws with your head and it will give you either a heart attack or a headache if you are not careful.
The graphics are pure wonderful eye candy with massive tracks, insane speeds and frame rates, glowing dynamic visual effects, and an insane level of details Sega and Nintendo should be damn proud.
The game is a joy to play on the Gamecube controller and the lining fast gameplay and physics are instantly recognizable. The story mode is pretty good and there are lush animated story movie clips to add some marketable flair to the game. In fact Nintendo is working on a F-Zero animated TV show in Japan. The customizable car editor was very slick and you can draw your own logos and textures.
This game makes the Gamecube look damn good. I would rank this game up with Soul Calibur 2 , Legend of Zelda : The Windwaker, Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine for Gamecube games that should not be passed up. I think that Nintendo can survive and thrive if they keep the quality of their software this high.
I plan of getting loads of fun out of this game but I might want to invest in a home heart attack shock-paddles kit and some eye drops to deal with the whole no blinking thing.
I'm STILL playing Wipeout Fusion, so you know I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this game. When the original F-Zero came out, I would have never thought Sega would ever have anything to do with it. Dogs sleeping with cats! Nintendo working with Sega! Craziness.
Also, on your list of "Gamecube games that should not be passed up," I would remove Super Mario Sunshine and replace it with Metroid Prime.
Yeah, SMS was a dud. It wasn't terrible, but it was merely decent at best.
I'm not the biggest Metroid Prime fan either, but I'd definitely put it ahead of SMS.
Hey I love Super Mario Sunshine and I think it is a great chronically underrated game... I will add Metroid Prime
You should try the ol' toothpicks-in-the-eyelids trick...It always seemed to work for Tom & Jerry.
I would definitely add a Super Monkey Ball to the required games. They are both beautiful for different reasons. Micro movment mazzes in the first one and insane ticks in the second. Not to mention the party game aspects!
I particularly enjoy Super Smash Brothers Melee. At least, I enjoy it in Best Buy. I always have to stop and play. I've probably played it 20 times and I still can't tell you what a single button does in that game. They're just there to mash.
As an aside, there's another Jeff! This could get confusing.
Well tonight I am going to write my review of the Gamecube. I was not crazy about Super Smash Brothers Melee.
Yeah, I liked the first Smash Brothers better, but I think that was just because I was in college at the time -- rallying at least three other trash-talking players at moment's notice was so much easier back then. Any Nintendo fan has to love Melee's opening FMV, though.
If there is no other players in the room there is no point in playing Super Smash Brothers Melee. Damn shame there is no online game play.
Hey, what's all this about SMB, SMS, Metroid, SSBM... I thought these are comments about the review?! And hey, how about that game F-Zero?!!
Friggin awesome. There are some cry babies over at Gamespy whining that the game is too hard. I say there is just enough difficulty to get you involved, and enough challenge to keep you playing for a long long time.
I sit there wide eyed as in a trance, my hover craft speeding out over the grated track. I'm mesmerized by the sheer speed of particle effects and neon lights I'm blasting past towards an ever closer moment of glory as I cross the finish line... woohoo!! =)
Definitely one of Gamecube's finest moments.
I've only played F-Zero GX for a couple of minutes in Best Buy, but it was certainly a blast! I loved the original SNES game (still do, for that matter), and the new one was incredible for the few minutes I played it. My wife is giving me a Gamecube for my birthday in a month or so, and F-Zero GX is high on my list of must-haves. (Zelda is first on my list. *Dang* I wish I could get it with the OOT bonus disc. eBay may be my best bet there.)