We were surprised to find out that some of our crew members had never experienced the thrill of playing Nintendo’s 64-bit racer, F-Zero X. With that in mind, we decided to rectify this oversight and bring together a team of veterans and recruits for a deep dive into this iconic game.
Crew Roster
- Capt. Gavin Lane – F-Zero X veteran, N64 analogue stickler
- Cmdr. Ollie Reynolds – F-Zero X veteran, Big Blue addict
- Ens. Alana Hagues – F-Zero X recruit, “Please sir, can we slow down?”
- Ens. Jim Norman – F-Zero X recruit, Just wants to own a Fire Stingray IRL
Gavin: Greetings, crew. Are we all present and correct?
Ollie: Aye, Captain.
Alana: Ready and willing, sir.
Jim: Is… is this thing on?
Gavin: It’s on, Ensign. Let’s proceed. Now, let’s delve into the world of F-Zero X.
A Journey Back to 1998
Our recruits, Alana and Jim, shared their experiences of finally playing F-Zero X after years of missing out. Alana confessed to the game passing her by due to other gaming priorities, while Jim humorously pointed out that he wasn’t even born when the game first released.
Gavin: Norman, how did you find your first encounter with F-Zero X on NSO?
Jim: I have no excuse for not playing it on NSO in the past two years, sir. For those reading this, yes, I am hanging my head in shame. I do, however, have a pretty good reason for missing it the first time around: I wasn’t born.
Gavin: No need to feel ashamed – that’s why we’re here. And as excuses go, not existing isn’t a bad one. Reynolds, what are your recollections of playing this classic racer?
Ollie: Vividly! I missed it upon its original release, but I picked it up around 2004 or 2005 after becoming hopelessly addicted to F-Zero GX on the GameCube; I had to go back and sample the earlier titles.
Reflecting on the Racing Experience
Our crew discussed their expectations versus reality when it came to playing F-Zero X for the first time. Alana marveled at the precision and speed of the gameplay, while Jim was pleasantly surprised by the thrill ride the game offered.
Gavin: Nintendo EAD stripped back the visuals to enhance the sense of speed. How about the difficulty level, Jim?
Jim: I was all over the place in my first few races. It has a level of precision that I simply wasn’t expecting — the drifting, the collisions, even the corner handling — which certainly took some getting used to.
Alana: The drifting took me ages to nail, for some reason. But my first ‘oh my god’ moment came on Sand Ocean, in the pipe. It was pretty funny. The different course gimmicks certainly kept me on my toes.
I found I liked slightly higher speed with the Blue Falcon. I toyed with acceleration but I almost always did worse with that
Final Verdict and Promotions
After thorough gameplay sessions and discussions, our crew members concluded that F-Zero X is a timeless classic that still holds up today. They shared their favorite moments and some areas for improvement, showcasing their dedication to exploring this retro gem.
Gavin: Congratulations on your promotions, Lieutenants. Our next mission takes us back to the 16-bit era with Donkey Kong Country. Prepare for warp speed!
| Promoted Officer: | Lt. Alana Hagues | Lt. Jim Norman |
|---|---|---|
| Best bit: | Cylinder & half pipe courses | Literally any loop-the-loop |
| Worst bit: | Spinning! | “You got boost power!” [Hmm. – Capt.] |
| Would play again? | Probably, but more likely with friends | Eh, probably not [I can always keep this pip, you know. – Capt.] |