| Introduction
Ever since it's Super FC/NES release in the early
1990's, F-Zero has always been a popular racing series
because of its futuristic theme that sets it apart from
the rest of the crowd. There have been a few releases
of the F-Zero series in the past (including a multiplayer
F-Zero for the Japanese-only BS satellite, and F-Zero
X for the Nintendo 64), but never before has F-Zero
reached a portable system. Now it finally has, in the
form of F-Zero for GameBoy Advance.
GamePlay
F-Zero provides many options of play, with the ability
to unlock more as you progress throughout the game.
The modes are as follows: Grand Prix, Training, Multiple-Cartridge
Versus, 1 Cartridge Versus (up to 4 players), and once
unlocked, Championship.
Grand Prix is the main part of the game; you must
make it through a series of 5 tracks without getting
anything less than 3rd place. There are different series
of tracks you can choose from: Pawn, Knight, and Bishop.
There are also difficulty levels of Beginner, Standard,
Expert. Once you finish the game on these difficulty
levels, you will unlock the Master difficulty level.
Training mode allows you to practice on any course
with or without a computer opponent whose skill level
and vehicle you can select. This is a good way to try
to beat your lap time records, since there are fewer
obstacles in the training mode than in the Grand Prix.
High scores for each track are accessible through the
main menu.
Multi-Cartridge Versus mode will allow you to play
with 3 friends over the link cable, provided that you
each have the cartridge. This mode allows you to choose
tracks, cars, and each GameBoy will play music. This
is a very fun mode to use, since racing with friends
is always more fun than racing against the computer
AI.
One-Cartridge Versus mode is similar to the Multi-Cartridge
mode, except it is very lacking in features. After a
short download to the other GameBoys (about 15-30 seconds),
you can play with up to 3 friends with just one copy
of the game. The catch, however, is that you can only
use one track, all the cars are the same, and there
will only be music on the "host" GameBoy (the
one with the cartridge). Still, this is a nice feature
if your friends aren't willing to buy the game, or if
they want to get a taste of the game before making the
purchase.
Championship mode comes later in the game. This mode
will let you race against a tough preset computer controlled
racer (much like 'ghosts' in Mario Kart). In addition
to racing against them, you can watch a Champion Replay.
This may help you learn some better strategy on how
to defeat your opponents.
Controls
The control is what you would expect from an F-Zero
game. The control is closer to the Super FC/NES version
than the N64 version. The L and R buttons are fully
utilized, making sharp turns possible. The B button
brakes, and the A button accelerates. The controls work
very well. Turns may seem difficult at first, but tapping
the A button multiple times rather than holding it down
around curves makes the control much easier. For some
tips on how to better control your vehicle, press Select
at the title screen for a walkthrough on how to negotiate
tight curves and execute rocket boosts.
Graphics
The graphics are very high quality, and set the standard
for what to expect from future GBA titles. It is easy
to compare this game to the Super FC/NES version, but
in many cases it looks even better. It may be the smaller
screen smoothing things out, or it could just be that
you don't notice any flaws in the graphics when traveling
at such high speeds. The frame rate stays constant,
never dropping below 60 FPS. There is good use of color
in this game, and the track design is quite good. There
are also more details on the track than in the Super
FC/NES versions.
Sound & Music
Before anyone asks, I haven't heard any of the classic
F-Zero tunes in the game yet. However, don't let this
discourage you. The music that's in the game is still
very good. Everything is fast paced and futuristic sounding,
just like the theme of the game. The sounds are also
well done. For example, you can hear your vehicle as
well as the vehicle right behind you that is trying
to take over your position. If you use headphones, you
can get the full stereo effect of this, which is quite
nice. The sounds are all well made and used in appropriate
places, such as power down and rank status warnings.
Final Comments
Overall, this is a very good game, and an absolute
must-own title for F-Zero fans. If you were like me
and always wanted a portable version of F-Zero, your
dream has come true. This is a very well executed portable
version of the game, which is in many ways better than
its Super FC/NES counterpart. Despite the shortcomings
in the one cartridge versus mode (which may just be
a hardware limitation), this game is very recommended.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
F-Zero For Gameboy Advance
