F-Zero High-Resolution Logo
F-Zero (エフゼロ Efu Zero?, F-ZERO) is a futuristic racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was first released in Japan on November 21, 1990, and later in North America on August 13, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992. It is one of the three launch titles for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System alongside Super Mario World and Pilotwings. The title was downloadable over the Nintendo Power peripheral in Japan.[1] It was also released on the Nintendo Super System. The special edition of the game was released on the Super Famicom's Satellaview attachment, followed by a sequel called BSF-Zero 2 Practice.[2] In late 2006, F-Zero became available on the Wii's Virtual Console.[3] Also, for a limited time in 2013, the game was released on the Wii U's eShop for 30 pence (the equivalent of 47 U.S. cents at the time).[4] And in 2019 it was released alongside 19 other SNES games as launch titles for the Nintendo Switch through its Nintendo Switch Online SNES library.
The original SNES release of the game outlines important details on the game including a partial synopsis of the overall story behind the game. The manual also features an 8-page long short comic detailing an inside look at one particular racer, Captain Falcon.[5]
As the first game in the F-Zero series, it was released in Japan as one of the two debut titles for the Super Famicom,[6] However, in the United States, this launch title was accompanied by more games.[7] F-Zero has been praised for its original scenarios and style of gameplay. As a result, the title has influenced numerous other racing games.[8][9][10]
Gameplay[]
F-Zero Super Nintendo Screen Logo
F-Zero features an elimination-style race in which the player is given a certain place to be in each lap (1st place, 2nd place, etc.). The player will be knocked out if the player is not in that place or higher at the end of a lap.
F-Zero Main Menu
Characters[]
Circuits[]
| # | Knight League (Easy) | Queen League (Moderate) | King League (Hard) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mute City I | Mute City II | Mute City III |
| 2 | Big Blue | Port Town | Death Wind II |
| 3 | Sand Ocean | Red Canyon I | Port Town II |
| 4 | Death Wind I | White Land I | Red Canyon II |
| 5 | Silence | White Land II | Fire Field |
Trivia[]
F-Zero seen in The Super Mario Bros. movie.
- This game appears as one of the microgames in the 9-Volt stage in the game WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$.
- An F-Zero jazz album was released on March 25, 1992, in Japan and features twelve songs from the game on a single disc composed by Yumiko Kanki and Naoto Ishida, and arranged by Robert Hill and Michiko Hill.
- This game is also available as one of the playable Masterpieces in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- The name F-Zero is derived from Formula One racing, commonly denoted as F1.
- The box says it's racing from the 26th century and is set in the year 2560.
- In this game, the machines were referred to as "cars", despite the lack of wheels and that they are designed to hover a foot above the tracks. This is corrected in the later games.
- The original box depicted the four pilots on the rear side of the box as comic previews, however, later releases show only screenshots and premises of the game on the rear side of the box.
- In the Virtual Console re-releases of the game, if the players bump into the barriers, the courses no longer dim, mainly to avoid the risk of seizures.
- In The Super Mario Bros. animated movie, an F-Zero poster can barely be seen in Mario's room. The poster appears to be the SNES game's cover artwork (the Blue Falcon can barely be seen).
References[]
- ↑ Nintendo Power (Japanese). Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2006-12-15. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- ↑ BS F-Zero 2 Grand Prix. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-06-19.
- ↑ Vuckovic, Daniel (2006-10-18). First 7 Aussie Virtual Console games revealed. Vooks.net. Retrieved on 2006-10-23.
- ↑ East, Thomas (2013-02-20). F-Zero comes to Wii U this week!. Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-02-24. Retrieved on 2013-03-06.
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/f-zero-usa
- ↑ Sheff, David [1993]. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, First, New York: Random House, Inc., p. 361. ISBN 0-679-40469-4.
- ↑ Parish, Jeremy (2006-11-14). Out to Launch: Wii. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
- ↑ IGN Staff (1998-07-14). F-Zero X. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-07-16. “It [F-Zero] was the first of its kind; the only really successful inheritor (or copier, depending on how you look at it) to date are Psygnosis's Wipeout and Wipeout II for Sony's PlayStation.”
- ↑ Thomas, Lucas (2007-01-26). F-Zero (Virtual Console) review. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ↑ Allen, Matt. SNES WEEK: Day 5. NTSC-uk.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
Videos[]
The Making of F-Zero - The story of the classic F-Zero
| F-Zero | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Games: | F-Zero • BS F-Zero • F-Zero X (Expansion Kit) • Maximum Velocity • GX / AX • GP Legend • Climax • 99 | |