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F-Zero (game)
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This article is a short summary of F-Zero. F-Zero Wiki features a more in-depth article. |
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| エフゼロ Efu Zero | ||||||||||||||
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F-Zero is a futuristic racing game developed by Nintendo EAD and released as a launch title for the SNES in Japan in 1990, in North America in August 1991, and in Europe in June 1992. The game makes extensive use of the system's enhanced graphical capabilities compared to the NES, most notably the "Mode 7" graphics mode for the tracks, giving the game a pseudo-3D appearance without rendering any polygons.
Contents
Blurb
Welcome to the year 2560 -- Welcome to Mode 7™
The future of racing is here! F-ZERO, an inter-galactic Grand Prix, uses machines that weigh more than a ton, reach dash speeds of more than 500km/h and hover a mere twelve inches off the ground! Choose from the heroic Captain Falcon, or the suave, Dr. Stuart. Need more choices? Then try the sly alien, Pico or the not-so-honest Samurai Goroh, and race for inter-galactic fame and fabulous fortune in the F-ZERO Grand Prix!
- Select from four individual F-ZERO racers.
- Three difficulty levels, each with five courses.
- Grand Prix and Practice modes.
- Battery-backed memory saves your records.
Speed is what you need in this futuristic racer.
Speed into the future with F-Zero! Pick one of four proton-powered hover cars—each with its own acceleration curve and design modifications—then race across 15 courses filled with challenges and pitfalls. Strategy plays a big part in this speed fest, so you will need to find shortcuts, elude hazards and snag power-ups if you want to beat the competition. Keep an eye out for sand, land mines, magnets, and other trouble spots, but always be ready to get a boost from a speed or jump plate. You'll need split-second reflexes to control these speed machines of tomorrow, so get ready for an experience that's out of this world!
In this futuristic racer, the key to winning is speed!
Speed into the future with the first installment to the F-Zero™ series.
Operated by their own designated racer, including the celebrated Captain Falcon, pick one of four proton-powered hover cars—each with its own acceleration curve and design modifications.
Strategy will play a big part in this speed fest as you race across 15 courses filled with challenges and pitfalls. Find shortcuts, elude hazards, and snag power-ups if you want to beat the competition. Keep an eye out for sand, land mines, magnets, and other trouble spots, but always be ready for that boost from a speed or jump plate to get ahead. You'll need split-second reflexes to control these speed machines of tomorrow, so get ready for an experience that's out of this world!
In this futuristic racer, the key to winning is speed!
Speed into the future with the first installment to the F-Zero™ series. Operated by their own designated racer, including the celebrated Captain Falcon, pick one of four proton-powered hover cars—each with its own acceleration curve and design modifications. Strategy will play a big part in this speed fest as you race across 15 courses filled with challenges and pitfalls. Find shortcuts, elude hazards, and snag power-ups if you want to beat the competition. Keep an eye out for sand, land mines, magnets, and other trouble spots, but always be ready for that boost from a speed or jump plate to get ahead. You'll need split-second reflexes to control these speed machines of tomorrow, so get ready for an experience that's out of this world!
Gameplay
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This article is a stub. You can help NintendoWiki by expanding it. |
Development
Unlike most of Nintendo's previously-developed titles, for which programming had been outsourced, F-Zero was developed entirely in-house.[1] The game was developed by a total of nine staff members, including main programmer Yasunari Nishida, two additional programmers, other staff members who designed the backgrounds, and producer Shigeru Miyamoto.[1] F-Zero was completed in around a year and a half.[1]
When Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally was shown to Nintendo of America, the game was heavily criticized by the staff, who particularly stated that the vehicle designs weren't "cool" enough and that the game wouldn't sell, a response that infuriated director Kazunobu Shimizu.[1] At the time, Nishida was experimenting with a racing game featuring big-wheeled vehicles that used Mode 7 to rotate the bottom four-fifths of the screen while showing the distant background on the remaining area, which Shimizu decided to turn into a full game after he saw it.[1] The futuristic setting and visual style of F-Zero were largely inspired by Tim Burton's 1989 film Batman, which had been popular during Shimizu's visit to Nintendo of America.[1] The setting also allowed for design decisions that would save resources, such as depicting the vehicles as hovering to eliminate the need to draw animation frames for tires and setting courses high above the ground to avoid the need to create three-dimensional buildings and shadows.[1]
The characters for the game were designed after the game had already been completed.[1] The character that became Captain Falcon was originally designed by artist Takaya Imamura as a potential design for a Super Famicom mascot character. While discussing what to do for the game packaging, Imamura drew a comic in the style of American comic books, and when it was shown to Nintendo of America they suggested featuring the comic in the manual.[1]
Technical details
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Other releases
| List of reissues and re-releases | ||||
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| Title | Cover art | Platform | Release date(s) | Notes |
| F-Zero | Nintendo Super System | NA: 1991[2] | A modified version of the game designed for the Nintendo Super System arcade machine, allowing players to play for a limited time. | |
| F-Zero | SNES (Player's Choice) | NA: 1997 | A re-release of the game as part of the Player's Choice line, sold at a reduced price. | |
| F-Zero | Super Famicom (Nintendo Power) | JP: 1997 | A re-release of the game made available to download onto a special Memory Cassette cartridge through the Nintendo Power service. | |
| F-Zero | Wii (Virtual Console) | NA: November 19, 2006 JP: December 2, 2006 EU/AUS: December 8, 2006 |
A direct port of the original game, released as a digital download on the Wii Shop Channel. | |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | 
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Wii | NA: March 9, 2008 JP: January 31, 2008 EU/AUS: June 26/27, 2008 KOR: April 29, 2010 |
A direct port of the original game is included as a 40 second timed demo in the game's "Masterpieces" menu; the game is made available after Captain Falcon is unlocked in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. The demo starts at the beginning of a race on Mute City 1 course as the Blue Falcon, and returns to the menu after the time has expired. |
| F-Zero | Wii U (Virtual Console) | NA: February 20, 2013 JP: April 27, 2013 EU/AUS: February 21, 2013 |
A direct port of the original game released as a digital download on the Nintendo eShop for Wii U, with added Virtual Console emulator features. The PAL release of this game is the North American 60Hz SNES release, rather than the PAL 50Hz SNES release. | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | 
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Wii U | NA: November 21, 2014 JP: December 6, 2014 EU/AUS: November 28/29, 2014 |
A direct port of the original game is included as a three minute timed demo in the game's "Masterpieces" menu. The demo starts at the beginning of a race on Mute City 1 course as the Blue Falcon, and returns to the menu after the time has expired. |
| amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits | 
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Wii U | NA: April 30, 2015 JP: April 23, 2015 EU: April 30, 2015 AUS: May 1, 2015 |
amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits includes a direct port of F-Zero that allows players to play three-minute timed demos of various scenes in the game. There are seven scenes available for F-Zero. |
| F-Zero | New Nintendo 3DS (Virtual Console) | NA: March 3, 2016 JP: March 4, 2016 EU/AUS: March 17, 2016 |
A direct port of the original game released as a digital download on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS exclusively available for New Nintendo 3DS systems, with added Virtual Console emulator features. The PAL release of this game is the North American 60Hz SNES release, rather than the PAL 50Hz SNES release. | |
| F-Zero | 
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Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Super NES Classic Edition | NA/EU: September 29, 2017 JP: October 5, 2017 AUS: October 30, 2017 |
A direct port of the original game, re-released as one of twenty-one games built onto the system, with added emulator features. The PAL release of the console uses the North American 60Hz SNES release, rather than the PAL 50Hz SNES release. |
| Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online | Nintendo Switch | WW: September 6, 2019 | A direct port of the original game included as one of the titles that can be played through the Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online application, with added emulator features. | |
External links
 F-Zero on other NIWA Wikis: | ||||
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References
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