Review: F-Zero GX - daytrum

Publisher: Nintendo

Ages: seven and up.

Parental Advisory: Vehicular bumping

For virtual pilots who like to race by the seats of their pants, Nintendo's F-Zero GX lets these players hurtle through space at mind-boggling speeds. This energetic and entertaining game lets players see who is the fastest speedster in the universe and offers a good combination of speed and combat maneuvers.

Players compete against 29 contestants on five different courses in Grand Prix competitions. There are some 30 vehicles to choose from, each with their own handling and boost, power and other ratings. Before entering a Grand Prix, players select the difficulty level and the cup they'd like to win-all to earn F-Zero Tickets that may be used to purchase goods from the F-Zero Shop.

In Time Attack Mode, players try to beat the best lap time, best total time and maximum speed on any course of their choosing. They can also race against ghost racers for the fastest times. In Vs. Battle Mode, up to four may race simultaneously on a split screen. Players may choose from any of the courses and machines available in the Grand Prix and customize races by tweaking various settings.

In Customize Mode, players can modify their machines in the garage, design a new emblem with the Emblem Editor or buy new machines, custom parts and items in the F-Zero Shop. The game is very challenging with strong computer competition at the higher levels, and players will find that they have to memorize courses in order to succeed and even make it through a course. The graphics looks great, but there are other games out there that feature more detail in their environments and vehicles.

F-Zero GX is an excellent race game that is challenging and compelling. While the game can frustrate casual players, those who get into these games will enjoy lots of fun racing.

10/28/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff

More GameCube Reviews