F-Zero X
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| F-Zero X | |
| Missing image Fzeroxbox.jpg F-Zero X box cover | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release date(s) | September 30, 1998 |
| Genre | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everybody (E) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
N64_F-Zero_X.jpg
F-Zero X, released for Nintendo 64, is the third (second in North America) in the F-Zero series of racing games made by Nintendo.
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Gameplay
Cups and vehicles
The game features 30 vehicles, including the four from the original F-Zero. Six are available from the start and more can be unlocked as the player completes the cups. There are five cups, each with a name based on card games: the Jack, Queen, King, Joker and X Cups. X cup becomes available once the player has beaten all the other cups in expert mode (or if appropriate cheat codes are entered). The X Cup is unique in that all of its courses are randomly generated. While this added infinite variety to the game, it was hampered by the program's somewhat limited definition of "random": some of its tracks are quite literally plain ovals, requiring little-to-no skill to win, while others offered such convoluted hairpin turns that the unwary player (and CPU competitors) could find themselves "retiring" into the atmosphere on a frequent basis.
Modes
The game includes several modes, including:
- GP race
- Death race
- Time Trial
- Practice
- Multiplayer
Full records of time trial and death race times are stored on the game cartridge.
Graphics engine
F-Zero X runs at 60 frames per second, which is unusually fast for a Nintendo 64 game. This was made possible by disabling the normal Z-buffering of the N64, instead using an alternative drawing scheme that results in the occasional visual glitch or car seen through a track.
Music and sound
The F-Zero series is notable for a rock/electronic soundtrack, and to carry on this idea on the N64 the normal sound processor was bypassed: around 10% of the processor is allocated just to background music.
The soundtrack was released on CD on January 27, 1999 in a "Guitar Arrange Edition" featuring live electric guitar arrangements of 10 of the game's music tracks.
Expansion kit
An eXpansion kit was released for the 64DD, a removable hard drive add-on that plugged into the bottom of the N64. This disk includes new cups, a couple of new cars, a track editor, and a car editor. The new cars can be applied to any of the existing 30 racers, and the racers. New music is also included.
External links
- Chudah's Corner - F-Zero X Guitar Arrange Edition (http://www.chudahs-corner.com/soundtracks/zmcx101.html)ja:F-ZERO X