F-Zero GX - Opinions

Although I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur of racing games, I have played a large number of titles spanning the full range of sim to kart racer, all of which I've been able to enjoy in some capacity. There's just something visceral about optimizing your racing line, overtaking your opponents, and simply going fast; so lucky for me, F-Zero GX provides all of this and more.

I must hesitate in saying that F-Zero GX has become my *favorite* racing game (nostalgia prevents me from doing so), but I'll readily admit that it very well might be the best one I've yet played. The racing itself isn't just fast, it's the fastest I've ever seen, and the technical skill required to go even faster seems nearly unattainable for me. There's rarely a moment where you just ease into a turn and hold the gas; you're often alternating between several buttons, and sometimes even attempting to let off the gas, drift through a tight corner, and slam a rival off the map simultaneously. Gameplay is fast-twitch but also strategic, as the careful management of your energy is frequently juxtaposed against frenetic clashes for personal space on a narrow bridge without walls. Mistakes can be very punishing, but occasionally, taking out that second place contender is equally rewarding, tempting you to actually risk one of your precious racing vehicles in exchange for a secured cup win.

The game gets brutally hard, to a point far beyond what I'm willing to conquer. Instead, it shall sit among the pantheon of games I'll never master (looking at you Dustforce). Even still, I did accomplish more than I expected going into this playthrough, spending a solid 5 extra hours on the game simply because it's just that fun to play, difficulty withheld. And if that isn't the whole point of racing games — to capture the adrenaline-heavy excitement that comes with competing in a race — then F-Zero GX has surely convinced me otherwise.