F-Zero 99 (Available Today! - 14th September 2023)

[RedShell]

Finally got the damn KO a rival badge:

That was actually more difficult than winning a race.

 

22 hours ago, Glen-i said:

I don't particularly enjoy being the doomsayer when it comes to F-Zero (Just ask the N-E Discord), because despite the fact that I don't enjoy the series, a more diverse range of genres from Ninty is a good thing. (Unless it's open world, that's never good)

But you see this a lot on ResetEra and the like, people shouting "Metroid Prime and Paper Mario are getting Switch remasters, now's the perfect time for F-Zero GX!" And it's bordering on delusion, because GX is nowhere in the same league as far as success goes.

If Nintendo came out and said we don't see the profit potential in remastering GX. People would riot and declare them out of touch, but I'd be in the back thinking "Yeah, I totally get that."

F-Zero GX is in the awkward spot of being a GameCube game, a GameCube game that sold poorly for the GameCube. Because of that, a remaster is quite the risk, and you can't really put it on a hypothetical NSO GameCube app, because GC games would take up far too much space digitally. It's why we see other F-Zero games get re-released digitally constantly, but not GX.

Now of course, never say never, but I don't believe F-Zero 99 is a litmus test for future F-Zero titles, I just think someone pitched the idea, and the higher ups thought "Yeah, this is a cool new idea that F-Zero hasn't done before". It lines up with the reasoning why Ninty haven't done a new entry for so long. They just didn't have any ideas for new ways for it to go, because "F-Zero, but for GameCube" clearly wasn't good enough.

Interesting stuff. As I mentioned before, I had no idea that the F-Zero series had sold so poorly, knowing the reality of the situation now though I'm even more grateful for the existence of F-Zero 99. But yeah, hopefully it will be a success (however the success of a NSO "freebie" is measured) and there will be more to come from this series in the future.

7 hours ago, Helmsly said:

On the one hand I am enjoying this, just as you said it's been a nice surprise. On the other hand, i have no idea how to improve and get better

I'd say ignoring all other players can be a good strategy (well, unless you're trying to KO a rival ) it's easier said than done, but if you can focus as much as possible on the track/racing and less on the absolute mayhem that's going on, then it should lead to a much better position. At which point it naturally becomes less chaotic and is more a matter of just holding your nerve around the CPU obstacles and a few players.
Good timing of the Skyway can help a lot too. Holding on to it until there's a tricky section of a track approaching, or sometimes even until the last couple of turns on the final lap can make a big difference.

[Dcubed]

I think the bigger issue than raw sales is the fact that F-Zero is typically positioned as a bit of a tech showpiece franchise for Nintendo.  Much like its sister series Pilotwings, F-Zero was developed as a tech demo for the SNES' Mode 7 tech, and then used to show off advancements in 3D technology.

With Nintendo moving away from pushing graphics horsepower, and the Switch not exactly being much of a powerhouse itself? F-Zero is in a bit of a bad spot from a creative perspective...  Though that being said? It would certainly be a great fit as a launch title for Nintendo's shiny new Switch successor

Anyway, thoroughly enjoying F-Zero 99 myself.  Though the physics don't really feel quite right here, and it does feel a bit sluggish as a pure F-Zero racer, the sheer chaos of fighting against 98 other racers on the track is always fun.  It's always funny seeing like 20 other racers all explode right as you come to the end of the final lap 

Haven't managed to win a race just yet, but I haven't had much time to play it yet.  I'm sure my time will come soon enough though!

Edited September 18, 2023 by Dcubed

[Jonnas]

I finally gave this a fair shake and... it's absolutely marvelous I think I have a new daily activity, playing this game is so fun! I am very partial to Wild Goose right now.

It's also exciting, the idea that this game is creating a whole new generation of F-Zero games out of the (big) blue. Build that fanbase!

Edited September 19, 2023 by Jonnas

[BowserBasher]

Finally won my first race. I’m enjoying this in short bursts. 30 minute sessions tops. 

[Helmsly]

5 more tracks are being added this Friday 

https://x.com/nintendouk/status/1707307976594436202?s=46&t=iehNkY3lO-uZI9gT75f-rw

[Hero-of-Time]

New update is out today that adds Classic Mode.

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New Additions

Added a new Classic mode. These are 20-player races with the same rules as the Super NES version of F-ZERO.

Classic races are one variety of special event and will be held periodically.

Added Lucky Ranks gameplay. Every time you enter a race, your rank and the machine you used will be recorded.

After entering five races, you can reveal the Lucky Ranks. If your ranks match any of the ranks on the cards—or your machine matches the machine shown—you can receive in-game rewards.

You can reach the Lucky Ranks screen by pressing the L Stick on the main menu.

You can reveal the Lucky Ranks card once per day.

Added backdrops, badges, and borders that can be used to customize Pilot Cards. After meeting the specified conditions, you will be able to use them for customization.

You can check the specified conditions and perform customization by selecting WORKSHOP on the main menu, and then selecting PILOT CARDS.

Other Adjustments and Changes

Made it easier to return to the main menu after crashing out or getting ranked out during MINI PRIX or GRAND PRIX races. (In Ver. 1.0.2 and earlier there were cases where, depending on the timing, it was not possible to leave the race for a little while).

Adjusted the difficulty for the initial startup training to make it easier. A feature to skip training has also been added, making it possible to enter online races with other players right away.

After the first training race has ended, you can skip all remaining training by pressing the Y Button on the main menu. Additionally, from the second race (F-ZERO 25) onward, an option to skip to the next race will display if you crash out or are ranked out.

You cannot return to a training once you have skipped it.

In F-ZERO 99, players who just started the game or are not yet used to the gameplay will now be matched together.

Other Fixes

Fixed issues to make for a more pleasant gaming experience.
Original article [Tue 28th Nov, 2023 02:45 GMT]: Nintendo has announced it will be releasing a new update for its Switch Online battle royale racer F-Zero 99, due out on 29th November.

Speed demons can look forward to new modes and functions as the game is bumped up to Version 1.1.0. The new mode is "Classic Race" where you will be able to enjoy online battles with the same rules as F-Zero on the Super Nintendo.

The same announcement goes into detail about these rules, explaining how the course will use the "same screen ratio" as the classic version of the game (4:3). The number of players is capped at 20, the spin attack and Skyway can't be used, the power meter increase from KOs is also removed and the turbo function has been adjusted.

In this update, Nintendo is also adding "Lucky Cards" that record rankings and machines used across five races. If it all matches up at the end of the five races, you'll unlock extra prizes. Last but not least, Nintendo says it will continue to make "small updates" to F-Zero 99 to enhance the overall experience.

 

[BowserBasher]

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Added a new Classic mode. These are 20-player races with the same rules as the Super NES version of F-ZERO.

Awesome

Quote

Classic races are one variety of special event and will be held periodically.

Of course there would be a catch. I would love to be able to play those whenever rather than waiting and hoping I’m playing when they happen. 

[RedShell]

Had a go at a few classic races. It's a nice addition, I like how the game reverts to a 4:3 aspect ratio for it too. Just a shame that it's single races and not GP format, although you can just keep jumping back into it for the duration of the event anyway so it's not that bad.

It does seem like the amount of active players in this has already taken quite a hit though. Here's hoping Nintendo has even more updates planned for the future to try and keep it going.
I reckon if they added content from BS F-Zero Grand Prix/2 or even the GBA games, that would get player numbers up again.

[darksnowman]

On 01/12/2023 at 5:56 PM, RedShell said:

It does seem like the amount of active players in this has already taken quite a hit though.  

Tried out classic mode too and was wondering where the better players were because I cruised to a 2nd then 1st by ~7 seconds. Or maybe classic is too pedestrian for people in comparison to 99? Not complaining as I was glad to see all those years on the SNES game bring me some joy in this version.

[Hero-of-Time]

A new limited time event has arrived.

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Latest update: Ver. 1.1.5 (Released December 19, 2023)

New Additions
Added Frozen Knight League, a limited-time Knight League where snow falls. All courses that are regularly included in the Knight League (MUTE CITY I, BIG BLUE, SAND OCEAN, DEATH WIND I, and SILENCE) will be blanketed in snow.

The Frozen Knight League event will be held for a limited time only. You can see how much time is remaining in the event by pressing the R Button on the main menu.

Regular Knight League tracks and Knight League Grand Prix cannot be played when the Frozen Knight League event is being held（except for training and practice modes).

Added Boost colors to be used for machine customization as well as backdrops, badges and borders to be used for Pilot Card customization. These can be unlocked when certain conditions are met.

The customization items added for this update can only be obtained during the time when the Frozen Knight League event is live.

You can check specified conditions and progress for each item by pressing the R Button on the main menu.
You can perform customization by selecting WORKSHOP on the main menu, and then selecting MACHINES and PILOT CARDS.

Other Fixes

Fixed an issue that was occurring even after application of the Ver. 1.0.2 update where a specific badge could not be obtained even though conditions had been met. That save data will be fixed and the badge can now be obtained.

Fixed issues to make for a more pleasant gaming experience.

 

[Julius]

Secret tracks and private lobbies have been added to the game!

 

[darksnowman]

Good to see they had something lined up for the end of the winter races. My ask would be that they put the event/GP schedule online, even just the next 24-hour period. Or add it in the NSO phone app because I did find it useful for Splatoon 3 to pick and choose when I'd go on it.

[darksnowman]

Apparently if the F-Zero 99 mode is glitching out, you can vote for ??? to have the chance of competing on a secret track, which is a mashup of two existing tracks. 

Haven't been on the game myself but I still wanted to know what these secret tracks are all about.

[BowserBasher]

A mashup of two existing tracks sounds pretty cool. Maybe they are testing ideas for F-Zero Switch 2 😂 

[darksnowman]

4 minutes ago, BowserBasher said:

A mashup of two existing tracks sounds pretty cool. 

Wonder what sort of hodgepodge Mute City I + Mute City II makes if it isn't Mute City III.

9 minutes ago, BowserBasher said:

Maybe they are testing ideas for F-Zero Switch 2 😂 

The X Cup must still be on their minds.

[BowserBasher]

1 hour ago, darksnowman said:

The X Cup must still be on their minds.

The X Cup is awesome. Just wish it was truly random. 

[darksnowman]

1 hour ago, BowserBasher said:

The X Cup is awesome. Just wish it was truly random. 

Always loved when it through up a track with a jump on a right-angled corner. Most of the CPU, if not all, couldn't handle it and it'd pretty much guarantee you top the podium.

[RedShell]

Anyone managed to play a secret track yet?

I've done loads of races since that update dropped and still haven't encountered any.

[darksnowman]

2 hours ago, RedShell said:

Anyone managed to play a secret track yet?

I've done loads of races since that update dropped and still haven't encountered any.

I've only been on a few times since the update but no sign of any secret tracks for me either.

[RedShell]

Arrrrgh! Why are the secret tracks so secret!?

[darksnowman]

Still no sign of them. Secret to everyone. Maybe you have to be on in the wee small hours or something.

[darksnowman]

Got one. If it means anything, it happened at the moment the schedule moved from one event to the next and I noticed F-Zero 99 mode flicker/glitch once. Would've been gutted if they voted for the other track!

The track looked like Firefield, but it was mashed with Mute City and had extra hazards. Got a "???" badge for it. Scary to be on an all-new track that was taking no prisoners. The music was a cool mashup too. Would be nice if these tracks drop into the normal rotation and become available in practise mode because I don't see any way of getting a good run around them all otherwise.

[darksnowman]

Got another ??? track. This time Death Wind x White Lands—took a snap in the relative safety of the home straight. It was just the Death Wind I loop with an extra bend squeezed in and two sections of White Lands ramps with magnets underneath plus a jump round the corner from the pit lane. Nice mash-up of the two music tracks too. 

[darksnowman]

https://beckabney.com/fzerosecret.html

Came across a site with the times of the upcoming ??? races. Just tested it and it was accurate. Got a Mute City variant with a massive jump section (similar idea to the arrow jump zone in Red Canyon II) where I crashed out by failing to land on the ramps for a much-needed second jump. One floated jump dropped me plum in the gap between the ramps and the track. It's hard to take everything in on these races—need them in practise mode and ??? GPs in the rotation.

[RedShell]

1 hour ago, darksnowman said:

https://beckabney.com/fzerosecret.html

Came across a site with the times of the upcoming ??? races. Just tested it and it was accurate. Got a Mute City variant with a massive jump section (similar idea to the arrow jump zone in Red Canyon II) where I crashed out by failing to land on the ramps for a much-needed second jump. One floated jump dropped me plum in the gap between the ramps and the track. It's hard to take everything in on these races—need them in practise mode and ??? GPs in the rotation.

Nice!
Finally did my first ??? race, cheers for sharing that.

What a seriously clumsy method Nintendo chose to enable these "secret" tracks though.