When Nintendo is brought up, their most popular franchises like Super Mario, Pokemon, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Smash Bros. are inevitably mentioned. However, there are dozens of other series by the studio often left in the dust despite their fanbases. Some of them, like Metroid, Kirby, and Fire Emblem, manage to be popular and consistently successful despite not reaching the same level of fame as the aforementioned series. Others are currently doomed to being relics of an increasingly distant past. F-Zero is one of those series.
Despite having a decent presence in the 1990s as the most notable racing game on the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 aside from Mario Kart, F-Zero took a hit in relevance after the early 2000s. Nowadays, the series is known for its surprising difficulty, Captain Falcon’s memetic appearance in Super Smash Bros., and having fans that beg for a new installment whenever possible. A new F-Zero game is seemingly less likely as time goes by, especially due to some of Shigeru Miyamoto’s comments regarding the series’ potential. If it were to happen though, this hypothetical new F-Zero game should not follow the example of Star Fox Zero, another game made in similar predicaments.
What F-Zero and Star Fox Have in Common
F-Zero and Star Fox have a lot in common, despite their clear differences. Both were created by Miyamoto in the early 1990s at a point where Nintendo dominated pop culture and finally started getting competitors. Fitting for their 1990s introduction, both Star Fox and F-Zero made their debut on the Super Nintendo.
Both games also have heavy science-fiction elements: F-Zero is about races in a futuristic metropolitan city, and Star Fox is about anthropomorphic animals on a combat team that protects a planetary system. While F-Zero was the Super Nintendo’s main alternative to Super Mario Kart, one that was flashier and more fast-paced, Star Fox, is remembered for its advanced graphics. Additionally, both series peaked in the late 90s with their respective Nintendo 64 installments, particularly Star Fox 64. By the turn of the millennium, Fox and Captain Falcon’s Smash Bros. appearances were just as important to their characters as their home series.
Unlike F-Zero, which has been dormant since the GameCube era, Star Fox got a new game in the 2010s. Star Fox Zero was supposed to be a nostalgic throwback that brought the series back to its roots after the last few games made questionable decisions that alienated fans. Unfortunately, while some did enjoy the game, it fell for the same trap as its predecessors.
What made Star Fox Zero a more sour endeavor than the other post-N64 Star Fox games is its disingenuous final results. It was seen by many critics as being too superficially similar to Star Fox 64, and too gimmicky through “experimental” features such as its motion controls. What little identity the game had ended up burdensome. As a result, the game was not as successful as it could have been, and there are currently no plans to continue Star Fox.
A future F-Zero title should avoid these mistakes. Instead of relying on F-Zero X’s set pieces or F-Zero GX’s infamous difficulty, the game should take what is already iconic and memorable about the series and continue where its predecessors left off. Unlike Star Fox, there is not a batch of F-Zero games known for their mediocrity and wildly different mechanics; it can just continue from where it left off. Although it will need to implement new ideas like Miyamoto implied, a new F-Zero would not have one particular game with a legacy to replicate, rather a series of continuously stronger installments to look up to.
A new F-Zero is unlikely, especially as the series’ most iconic elements are being integrated into Mario Kart. If it were to happen, it would need to remember that each F-Zero game succeeded due to applying the core premise to their current era. A retread of F-Zero X or GX would not fare well. Instead, this hypothetical new F-Zero should develop its own identity while remembering what made the series well-received to begin with.
F-Zero X is available now via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.