The SNES classic is back with all new vehicles and tracks, not to mention 4-player support.
When the Super NES launched in the U.S. during the fall of 1991, one of the very few titles available at launch was F-Zero, a futuristic hovercraft racing game like no one had ever seen before. Since then Nintendo has brought out F-Zero X on the N64, but many complained it lacked the fun factor of the original. Lucky for us the company saw fit to release F-Zero Maximum Velocity alongside the Game Boy Advance and it looks and plays very similar to its SNES brethren. Not only that, but it supports up to four players with the link cable! Can’t ask for much more than that.
F-Zero Maximum Velocity takes place 25 years after the first game. Due to a high degree of space piracy, many of the best space pilots began to settle down in neutral territories. Without the constant exploring, these high-priced pilots needed another source of income, which introduced many of them to the high stakes of F-Zero.
If you have played the original F-Zero then you will be right at home with this version since the gameplay is virtually identical. You press A for gas, B for brake, and the L and R buttons allow you to take corners sharper. After the first lap of the 5-lap race you will receive a boost. You can hold up to three of these at any one time, but they will not carry over to the next race so it’s a good idea to use them up. You can activate the turbo boost by pressing the L and R buttons simultaneously. The boost will last for several seconds and can easily be the difference between winning and losing. Besides having to worry about the other racers, each track will pose its own unique threats and challenges. The usual ramps and speed arrows make a return, as do the ice hazards and mines. Rough terrain will slow your hovercraft down to a crawl if you’re not careful. As you begin to win the various races you’ll also have to contend with lapping slower vehicles that have nothing better to do then to try and ram into you. Of course, if your energy bar runs out you’ll simply blow up. To keep that from happening you’ll want to take advantage of the pit area where your energy cells are replenished.
The game plays just like the SNES version, except the control is noticeably loose. Your hovercraft doesn’t corner nearly as well so the best way to compensate for this is to constantly tap the A button as you navigate the dangerous turns. This can make it difficult to use the shoulder buttons though, so unlike in the SNES version, I hardly use them.
Graphically the game looks marginally better than its 16-bit predecessor. It does seem to move quicker, but the overall look of the tracks and backgrounds isn’t much better. Likewise, the sound and music is a mixed bag. There are some truly great tunes in this game, but the trademark mute city and title screen music has been nixed. The game does use the stereo separation to a great extent, especially when passing or being passed by other vehicles.
F-Zero Maximum Velocity’s greatest feature is its multiplayer game modes. You are able to play with just one game pak, but if you do this only one track and one type of vehicle is selectable. It’s still good that Nintendo implemented this option since it does give players a taste of what it’s like to play the full-blown multiplayer mode. What you really need to do is convince your buddies to buy a GBA, a copy of this game and some link cables. The game is a blast to play in multiplayer mode. One of the really cool features is that their names will appear above their vehicles when you get near them, so you know whom you’re about to pass. The game runs flawlessly in multiplayer mode, which is a good thing since the competition is sure to heat up with four of you going head to head. You can also exchange statistics between cartridges, which is another small but cool feature.
With all new tracks and vehicles, good graphics, and fantastic multiplayer support F-Zero Maximum Velocity is a great launch title to pick up. The one player mode can get old rather quickly, but Nintendo has put in plenty of challenging tracks to keep you busy. Even though the tracks are all new, I still couldn’t shake the feeling of “been there done that” because it’s so similar to the first game. Had the developers implemented some new play mechanics the game would have scored even higher.
