Yea, until recently, I though GX was the best game in the series. But now I realize that F-Zero X is a superior game, and quite possibly the greatest racing game ever made.
GX handled a bit smoother, but X felt more exciting with its punishing physics, airborn controls, very refined grip, boost mechanics, and really sharp turns at times.
For those that don’t know, the boost in X sort of stacks if you don’t slow down. So hitting boost markers and using your own boost without hitting anything or decelerating makes you go faster and faster after each boost, even after each boost ends. You just need to hold that level of speed without slowing down until you trigger your next boost. Of course that drains your life, so you’re basically about to explode if you’re shooting for first place in the hard modes.
GX was very different from what I can surmise. Each boost just hits a top speed, then you return to your default speed. There is a lot less “risk vs reward” gameplay. With that said, it’s still freaking phenomenal and nearly black magic with how good it feels to play. But you can win without boosting because the AI basically avoids boosting until you do. It’s all using some flawed rubber-band logic.
But if you deeply invest in X and clear out at least Expert mode (which is where the game feels fairly balanced and exciting) then immediately go to GX, you can feel the drop in quality.
And this is coming from a guy who has said that GX is the best racing game ever… I was wrong.