Just realized f-zero 99 has analogue controls with the stick. That’s why the d-pad felt so awkward. I’m starting to really get into it.
It’s more authentic than I originally thought.
2 Likes
So I’ve spent some time with F-Zero 99 over the past few days (about eight hours and over 200 races according to the stats) and I have a feeling I’ll be playing it for a long time.
Even though there have been other battle royale games released on the Switch in recent years, those were titles in mega franchises — Tetris, Mario and Pac-Man. Did anyone seriously think F-Zero would be resurrected after almost two decades dormant, let alone in this format?
First impressions were positive as the aesthetic of 99 is glorious and like @Peltz says even the menu is on point:
But none of that presentation would matter at all if the game did not play just right. Well, it plays brilliantly. The graphics and soundtrack of the original sing alongside mechanics borrowed from X, the most fundamental of which is a boost tied to your health. It is also possible to spin attack the other pilots and KO them, or at least derail their races. The risk/reward gameplay is better than it has ever been. No joke.
I have not experienced any issues with lag (on Wi-Fi) and, quite frankly, this is a remarkable feat given the nature of the game. Even Tetris 99 lags at times…
Nintendo’s best series is back!!!
3 Likes
The Grand Prix events (the ones that have 5 consecutive races) feel like a proper F-Zero online game. I just wish they weren’t limited to specific times of day.
I barely qualified the last round and got 10th place when I finished the entire Grand Prix. The strict requirements to finish in a minimum place to advance get like a true white-knuckle f-zero experience since I was almost elimited and had to risk my booster several times near empty to stay. Balancing needing to be in the top 20 to continue while boosting around the track with tons of chaos going on with like… one pixel of health is everything I love about the series.
The other modes feel like practice rounds compared to that one.
I’m currently away from home. I’m getting a Switch shipped to me so I can play this.
Also
Great news. Gotta be honest here… I completely misjudged how good this game would be when I first tried it.
Even though it’s online only, I now think this is almost as a real F-Zero game.
It’s everything you could want from an online multiplayer F-Zero, except that it only has 4 vehicle types and recycled tracks.
I sincerely hope that this is a proof of concept for them for what a full fledged F-Zero could be with modern graphics, new tracks, a full roster of vehicles, a story mode, and maybe some track and vehicle editors. The chaos of racing with 98 other players feels like a natural evolution beyond what F-Zero X introduced with its large amount of CPU controlled characters on each track.
If they ever make a full fledged title, maybe they will dial it down slightly to 30-40 players or so at once. But all the ingredients are here. This works. The mechanics (including the ability to come back with getting KOs or using the skyway) are all very well thought out and balanced.
I’m impressed with what they accomplished here. It’s become my go-to game to play whenever I have a chance to sit down and enjoy a video game.
1 Like
I’ve given it a go (FZ99)
It’s fine. It does what it’s supposed to well. I haven’t won a race, came tenth or something (still in bottom rank) but I can see the strategy of getting near the front and timing the skyway jumps to avoid too much chaos etc. The randomness makes the risk of having low energy in the last lap larger than in real F-Zero however.
I guess I’m just not interested in another game collecting tickets and levels and rankings.
And yeah as to the premise of the thread, was never as huge a fan of the original with the flat tracks.
3 Likes
I am so bad at 99.
I love the fat money car 
Which car is that?!
Slick finish on Death Wind last night:
2 Likes
The big fat golden bumper car that appears occasionally. You can bump into it to get a bunch of those little golden orbs and build your golden skyway bar.
My closest was a 4th place finish. Still haven’t won a race.
I’ve tested it, I really doesn’t like the sensitivity of the steering, D-pad or joy. I mean this is literally broken at this point.
Too bad, it seemed fun.
I’m hoping my Switch Pro Controller helps me improve. Currently I can’t find a good controller and/or button layout that makes it easy for me to do the spin attack.
It’s definitely meant to be controlled with the analogue stick. It feels closest to F-Zero X in mechanics, but slower.
I find the dpad controls are very close to F-ZERO SNES. Although I have to admit I’ve not gone back to check!
I would avoid doing so if I were you if you want F-Zero 99 to still feel tight. The original controls much better with a D-Pad
I’m now playing using a SNES Mini controller connected to a GBros adapter plugged into my Switch (so: a wired connection) and I’m much better. So I guess there must have been some lag previously with my Frankenstein controller setup.
I also mapped spin to Y button as this setup won’t let me soon using L+R.
I’m now much more competitive! Front of the pack.
Next up the other mechanics like boosting and KO and skyway.
Chasing down a Japanese Fox:
It’s not over till it’s over…
3 Likes
Awesome perseverance!
I’m now using a wired Pro Controller. Better than my previous setup. I really like the rumble and the slightly stiffer dpad helps.
I couldn’t help myself and did try the original F-Zero again. Surprisingly I can’t really feel any meaningful difference in 99 - all my muscle memory for driving these courses has come back.
The biggest difference to me has been going to a wired controller. Everything feely very slippery and laggy wireless.