F-Zero GX Gamecube 16x9 480p  

I have to second that opinion. I brought F-Zero home last night and couldn't put it down. I am playing in 480p widescreen on a Sony GWII and I was blown away. The graphics and the smoothness of motion in this game are amazing. This is the best I've seen out of my GC so far. It is absolutely immersive and if you are at all interested in any sort of racing game, this one will have you on the edge of your seat...


After 5 hours of playing, I can't say that I have any disappointments with this title. The difficulty is pretty high once you get through the novice courses (and even some of those will make you want to pull your hair out)... and this isn't one of those games that is hard because the game cheats to make the other opponents better than they should be. It's definitely a game that is all about skill and practice.

The story mode is a cool addition, but it gets very difficult, very fast. The first race was not a problem, the second one is a very cool one-on-one race through a canyon where you have to avoid falling rocks that can be a bit tricky at first, and now I'm stuck on the 3rd one that is just a standard race on a very curvy course. Wheee!

I will say that F-Zero for the SNES was one of my favorite games ever so I may be a bit biased. However, the F-Zero on N64 was a sad disappointment to me and was probably one of my least favorite games on that system... I really think that they got it right this time. It is truly an amazing game.

I can't wait to get this one myself. Only 2 more weeks of waiting and I'll have it. Can't wait to give it a test drive :)

dschroll,

I played the demo at Toys R Us (while I was there picking up The Two Towers yesterday) and I have to admit, it was pretty cool. The controls seemed tight and the graphics were quite nice even on the crappy LCD screen they were using. Have you played the demo? I've placed it on my list of games to consider buying but I still eel like Gran Turismo 4 might trump it. We'll see.

reaper

Hey reaper,
No I haven't played the demo of this game. I've been anxious to, but haven't seen a store that had it on display. Yeah, GT4 will be a pretty sweet game. The thing is though that F-Zero is a completely different game than GT. GT is definitely a sim style game and F-Zero is more arcade. So, I don't think getting one will turn you off the other. I plan on getting both of them anyway. Also, I'm not sure when GT4 is going to come out. For a while it was talked about coming out this winter, but now I've been hearing rumors that it won't come out til next year. I'm not sure. If it does get pushed back til next year, then definitely look more into F-zero to get your racing fix. If you're still unsure though, go to your local rental store and rent it since it's out now. Then you can get first hand knowledge if it's something you'll want to invest your time and money in. You'll also get a chance to see just how beautiful the game looks running at 60fps in 480p and 16:9. I can't wait! :)

i'm gonna be getting it around 2 today after my class

played it yesterday and it was pretty cool

stovetop,

I totally see where you are coming from. I understand that the games have many differences. For some reason, I've never been a huge fan of racing games and tend to lump a bunch of them into the racing category. In fact, I might even lump SSX, Splashdown, GT4, Fzero, and many others into the racing genre simply because the goal of the game is to beat X number of competitors to a certain spot. But I can certainly see how people would purchase many games that are racing games at heart and enjoy them all due to all the differences therein. In fact, I own multiple racing games and am considering buying GT4 and FzeroGX. Just not sure. I might be satisfied trying to beat other thigns to the finish line in GT4 and might prefer a completely different genre instead of racing, like a platformer or FPS.

reaper

I purchased F-Zero GX last night and re-hooked up the Gamecube to my home theater (Infocus 7200 pj and Firehawk 110" screen). Unfortunately, the only cable I had was straight composite for video. I need to order the component cables from Nintendo.

That said, this game is way cool. The scenery is well drawn and flies by at astonishing speeds. What amazes me is that the frame rate never appears to drop below 60 fps. Quite an accomplishment for such a graphically rich game.

I tend to get frustrated with racing games because it is so easy to get beat (especially if the AI is unfair). This game seems different.

I am a FPS fan almost exclusively (e.g. Battlefield 1942 & Unreal Tournament 2003 & Castle Wolfenstein), but don't like FPS on console systems because of the lack of precision compared with the keyboard/mouse combo of the computer. Racing games on consoles are perfect for the handheld controller.

I played the game for about two hours last night and the kids were cheering. I will also say that it looks pretty good even without being 480p. I recommend it.

I was watching some demo movies of the game again last night and I have to wonder, does this game really go fast? It seems to give the appearance that the vehicle is going fast by the textures on the street changing quickly and the precision control to the vehicle. However, if you try not to look at the street and just concentrate on how fast the vehicle is moving in relation to the backdrops changing and the street curving, it seems similar to any other racing game. I am wondering if the sense of speed is just a trick played on the mind. Try playing the game and imagine the street is moving slower and your car is bigger. Are there any levels where the backdrops don't seem so far away and thus move slowly in comparison to your vehicle? What do you guys think? Does it acheive a sense of speed by optical trickery or is it really a super fast racer?

reaper

Reaper, I think this is a SUPER FAST racer. There are levels that you'll be close to other things and they'll be whizzing by you. The road is big and the levels are huge, but you're still moving at top speeds. Give the game a rental to see for yourself.

Good idea. I do have a free rental coupon from BlockBuster lieing around somewhere. Maybe I will give it a rent and see how much I enjoy it.

reaper

TCB, I definitely recommend ordering those component cables as soon as you can if you play much gamecube. I just got mine a couple weeks ago in anticipation of F-Zero and I have to say I have been blown away. Last night my wife and I tried F-Zero and also Soul Calibur in progressive scan and then again in standard interlaced mode (but still through the component video cables) and WOW there is a huge difference in clarity. It is simply amazing...

masteropp,
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll order mine as soon as I post this. Rather surprising that they don't sell them in stores, at least none that I've found. X-box sells component cables in stores, but no Gamecube component cables. Oh, well.

Question: Does the Gamecube support 5.1 dolby?

No.....GC only supports analog audio. So, Pro Logic 2 is the best you can get off the Cube. Still sounds great though if you have a PL2 receiver. Lots of games like Metroid Prime and Rogue Leader really take advantage of PL2.

The reason Nintendo doesn't sell the cables in stores is probably because it's expensive to keep all the stores stocked with the cables and they're probably not high in demand cables. This way they can keep track of the cables and order to have more made if they are running low.

I've been playing this game for three days now and am still very impressed. This one is a keeper. Learning (i.e. memorizing) the tracks is essential to winning races. Man the graphics fly.

I just played the game for the first time yesterday. This game rocks. The graphics are stunning and the speed is intense, especially in first person mode. I especially like the designs of the tracks/courses, which presents so much eye candy. I can't wait to nab this game as I know I'll be determined to play it all the way through and unlock everything.

You're going to be playing for a long time!!!

This game is tough as nails. I can't remember a game this tough in recent memory. I think it even puts Super Monkey Ball to shame as far as challenge!.

J

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http://jincman.typepad.com/

This is actually very welcome news. I probably didn't give it a sufficient chance but I bought the N64 version of F-Zero and was underwhelmed. I've been a Wipeout fan since being blown away by the first version. Could anyone who is familiar with both compare this F-Zero GX game to the current Wipeout Fusion or any other game in that series?

damn you people! I wasn't planning on getting this game, but now, after reading all this gushing on how great it is, I'm adding it to the top of my xmas list for sure. I was a HUGE fan of the snes original, and if it's anything like that with better graphics and sound then sign me up!

Well, I've played both F-Zero and Wipeout. I was also a huge fan of the Wipeout series when it came out as well. I must say that F-Zero GX just blows it away in terms of speed. GX has to be the fastest racer I've ever played.

This game is very addicting as well. I've given up playing many other games since I've had it and I can't seem to stop playing it. It's really good and should definitely be at the top of any Cube owners list.

F-Zero GX is a great game, especially when played from my Sanyo-PLV 60HT projector casting an image 14 feet diagonal in progressive mode (component cables are easy to get, just type in Nintendo Component Cable/purchase in google and you will find many places that offer for way less than what I payed {50+} late last year)

FZGX is a hard game, however it is about time that you have to put more effort in to a racing game on the GC

also, it is unfortunate that GC is not digital sound, how hard would it have been to have added a Toslink (optical) out? sure, price would probably have been higher but whatever...well at least some of the games support PL2

Best wishes,

Beau

...ARGUABLY the LUCKIEST member in this entire forum!!!

Hey TCB did you ever get those component cables for your GameCube and hooked them up to your Infocus 7200? How's the difference? I was thinking of buying the Infocus 5700 SPECIFICALLY *just* for this game!!!! And I hear that the 7200 and 5700 are virtually the same projector. TCB can you comment on brightness, black level, contrast, color and sharpness of your Infocus 7200 while playing F-Zero GX? I hear the 5700 is a fantastic pj but some people appear to be unhappy with its severe brightness and say the picture can get rather noisy. Is this true?

FZero-GX, wow, what can you say other than JAW DROPPING? And then you actually get INCREDIBLY tight and responsive controls. Sega and Nintendos's FIRST CO-LAB and it imo completely DESTROYS any/all "futuristic" racing games. Damn it even has a GARAGE to create your own cars! It even has a decal system to create your own decals and put them on your custom cars.

The speed will BLOW YOUR MIND! No doubt about it, it's THE fastest and most frantic racing game EVER!

This game is hard, yep, thank god, I'm tired of cookie cutter easy games on all platforms! But this game rewards you, not out of frustration, but out of MASTERY! This game is all about SKILL and understanding you don't just hold down 1 button and race the course, you need to use ALL your diving skills.

BEST FZERO GAME TO DATE!! PERIOD! Sorry, it's not an opinion, it's a fact. Oh and I am jiggy with the music as well, damn thank you Sega/Nintendo, this game just ROCKS!

I agree, awesome game. one of my favorites. I love the richness of the colors.

Wow . . . do you like this game? I'm not sure from the post above!? :D

How far have you gotten in the game? After many hours of play . . . I just managed to open the Diamond Cup. To me . . . this is a very hard game. I am convinced that I will never see the AX Cup without a cheat device. Oh well.

F-Zero is still a great showpiece game on my home theater, but man the game is tough. I actually got to Chapter 9 on the story mode but haven't beaten Chapter 9 yet. I honestly don't think I will since on the race track there are no guard rails and the track loops and turns a ton, but maybe someday I'll feel compelled to play it until I do so. I also unlocked the diamond cup and those tracks are most cool, but I'm with Misterme in probably never seeing the AX tracks/cars without cheating. Overall I absolutely love the game and think it's the best futuristic race car game out there, but hopefully next time Nintendo won't make some of the missions practically impossible.

Can you guys, who've just posted after me, comment on what kind of display you have the game running on? Front projector? RPTV? Brand? Size?

I have it running on a Sony 34XBR800(34" widescreen direct view). Running in progressive scan and widescreen this game looks stellar.