VIRLANNintendo EAD originally created the F-Zero series, a collection of futuristic racing video games. The first game was released in 1990 for the Super Famicom in Japan and subsequently on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in 1991. Its success led to the creation of multiple sequels on various gaming consoles.
The series is renowned for its high-speed racing, distinctive characters and settings, challenging gameplay, and original music. It pushed technological boundaries to become one of the fastest racing games of its time. The original F-Zero title served as an inspiration for the development of games like Daytona USA and the Wipeout series.
Since the release of F-Zero Climax in 2004 in Japan, the series has been dormant. However, certain elements from the series have made appearances in other Nintendo video games, most notably the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart franchises. Previous installments have been emulated on multiple Nintendo consoles through the Virtual Console service. The original F-Zero game is featured among the selected games on the Super NES Classic Edition. Additionally, F-Zero is included as one of the launch titles in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Nintendo Switch Online collection, which was released on September 5, 2019.
In an interview with VGC, Takaya Imamura, the artist behind F-Zero and the designer of Captain Falcon, suggested that Nintendo’s decision to keep the F-Zero franchise dormant may be attributed to the overwhelming success of Mario Kart. Imamura implied that the potential risks associated with reviving F-Zero might not be worthwhile, considering the immense success […]