F-Zero
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😊 7.9/10
(Super Famicom - JP, Racing)
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Developed_By:
Nintendo
Published_By:
Nintendo
Released On:
21 Nov 1990
Also available on:
The F-Zero game is set in the year 2560 and takes place in a futuristic racing world. The player chooses one of four available hovercars and then can race with other hovercars in one of two gameplay modes: "Practice" or "Grand Prix". In "Practice" mode, the player competes against one rival on a chosen track, while in "Grand Prix", the player must complete a series of races with multiple competitors.
Gameplay involves navigating the track while avoiding obstacles and other players, all while managing the hovercar's limited Power meter. The Power meter decreases when the hovercar collides with boundaries or opponents, and can be restored by driving into designated repair areas. Tracks feature various traps, such as icefields and landmines, which add to the challenge.
Completing a lap awards the player a "Super Jet", which provides a temporary speed boost that can be activated up to three times. The hovercar's health also earns points, which give the player additional lives when accumulated. However, in the Grand Prix mode, losing a life can occur if the hovercar explodes, falls out of track, or becomes too far behind other racers.
eBay Product ID:
4473 (Japan)
UPC-A:
4902370501254 (Japan)
Media #:
SHVC-FZ (Japan)
Nintendo Media PN:
SHVC-FZ-JPN (Japan)
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Number of Players Supported:
1 Player
Miscellaneous Attributes:
Battery Backed RAM
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
*F-Zero* is a futuristic sci-fi racing game set in the year 2560, where humanity and alien lifeforms compete in high-stakes, anti-gravity tournaments. Players take on the role of elite pilots, such as the bounty hunter Captain Falcon, to drive hovering, super-magnetic machines across dangerous, obstacle-filled tracks suspended high above various planets. To win the Grand Prix, players must master high-speed driving techniques, navigate hazardous terrain, and outmaneuver aggressive rivals.
Story
The Origins of F-Zero
In the latter half of the 20th century, Mankind feared invasion by extraterrestrial spacecraft referred to as UFOs. By the year 2560, Earth's social framework has expanded to cosmic proportions due to countless encounters with alien life forms. Trade, technology transfer, and cultural interchange are now carried out on an interplanetary basis.
Multibillionaires who earned enormous wealth through intergalactic trade yearned for new entertainment to stimulate their rich lifestyles. Their wishes were met by a project based on a simple premise: holding a galactic-scale competition similar to the F-1 races once held on Earth centuries ago.
Rich merchants from cities in the clouds or asteroids with almost uninhabitable environments invested their wealth in the construction of racing circuits. These circuits were located as high up as 300 feet above ground and held in place by anti-gravitational guide beams on both sides of the course.
The racing machines developed for these tracks used the latest in super-magnetic technology. They were designed to travel without wheels, hovering one foot above the course track.
When the first Grand Prix race was held, people were angered at the brutality of the competition. The organizers had placed various obstacles and traps along the raceway. As time passed, people grew used to these dangers and demanded even more excitement, eventually calling the Grand Prix simply "F-ZERO".
Practice Mode Satellite Cities & Courses
In the F-ZERO Grand Prix, 15 courses are located on nine planets spread throughout the universe. The descriptions below are for the seven courses to be found in the PRACTICE mode.
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1. MUTE CITY (Knight League No.1): This is the biggest city on all of the Space Federation Planets. Mute City has prospered from intergalactic trade and boasts a population of more than 200 million. Its original name was Mutant City. The opening race of all three Leagues of the F-ZERO Grand Prix is held here.
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2. BIG BLUE (Knight League No.2): 99% of this planet's surface is covered in water. The final corner of this course has been given a special coating that blocks magnetic fields. Pilots must take care not to slide out of control here.
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3. SAND OCEAN (Knight League No.3): The entire surface here is covered in dunes. In ancient days, primitive animals lived on this planet, however, now only their fossilized remains can be found. This course requires high level driving techniques. Take care in the sharp corners by cleverly deciding on the right line to follow.
The Story of Captain Falcon
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Setting: Mute City, Year 2155.
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Event: F-Zero Knight League, Purse $20,000,000,000.
Captain Falcon, the famous bounty hunter and driver of the Blue Falcon, prepares for the upcoming race while taking care of last-minute bounty business.
After tracking down and defeating Scale Head (Criminal File Number: SJ-502-Z-4423, wanted for murder with a reward of 500,000 Galactic Credits), Falcon is confronted by rival bounty hunter and racer Samurai Goroh. Goroh claims the turf and the bounty, but Falcon escapes with the target, leaving Goroh swearing revenge at the F-Zero race.
Falcon secures another bounty worth $15,000,000 in Mute City before heading directly to the track.
The F-Zero Competitors
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Samurai Goroh: A last-minute entry driving the Fire Stingray.
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Dr. Stuart: The skillful driver of the Golden Fox.
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Pico: A wild-running killer driving the Wild Goose.
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Captain Falcon: The famous bounty hunter driving the Blue Falcon.
Controls
L Button
Shifts weight to the left / Shifts weight, moving center of gravity to left.
R Button
Shifts weight to the right / Shifts weight, moving center of gravity to right.
SELECT Button
Moves cursor / Used for moving the cursor on the selection screen.
START Button
Pause / Use to pause (stop game during play). Also used to adjust settings on the selection screen.
+ Control Pad Up
Points nose of machine up or down during a jump / Points machines nose down, shortening the jump flight distance (When the machine jumps from a jump plate on the race course).
+ Control Pad Down
Points nose of machine up or down during a jump / Points machines nose up, lengthening the jump flight distance (When the machine jumps from a jump plate on the race course).
+ Control Pad Left/Right
Steers machine left or right / Left/Right steering (rudder movement).
X Button
Brake / Functions as a brake.
Y Button
Brake / Functions as a brake.
B Button
Throttle (accelerator) / Throttle (Accelerator)
A Button
Super Jet (Turbo) / Fire the Super Jet by pressing the A Button while the B Button is held down.
How to Play
How to Play the Game
Insert the Game Pak into the SUPER NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM Control Deck and turn the POWER switch ON to display the Title screen. Select your game mode (GRAND PRIX or PRACTICE) using the SELECT Button or Up or Down on the + Control Pad, then accept the selection by pressing the START, A, or B Button.
Grand Prix
Move the cursor to select your machine, or select NO at the bottom of the screen to return to the previous screen. Next, select your League (KNIGHT, QUEEN, or KING) and Class (BEGINNER, STANDARD, or EXPERT) using the SELECT Button or Up or Down on the + Control Pad.
The difficulty levels for Leagues and Classes are structured as follows:
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Easy to Difficult Leagues: KNIGHT, QUEEN, KING
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Easy to Difficult Classes: BEGINNER, STANDARD, EXPERT
Give Up Option
Pressing the START button during play pauses the game and opens the pause menu. Use Left or Right on the + Control Pad to select "YES" or "NO" to Give Up or Continue, and enter your selection with the START Button.
If you select YES and have a spare machine, you can choose between "TRY AGAIN" to restart the current course or "END GAME" to return to the Title screen.
Practice Mode
This mode allows you to practice on seven of the courses from the GRAND PRIX mode. After choosing your machine, select a rival machine (BLUE FALCON, GOLDEN FOX, WILD GOOSE, or FIRE STINGRAY) or select "NO RIVAL" to race alone. The rival's speed increases in the order listed.
Use the SELECT Button or Up or Down on the + Control Pad to choose your course and start the game. After completing five laps, you will view your lap time, total time, and the best five course times. Once finished, you can choose to retry the race, end the game, select a new course, or change your machine or rival.
F-Zero Official Rules
F-ZERO pilots must observe the nine official rules of Grand Prix Racing laid down by the F-ZERO Executive Committee:
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Rule 1: The goal is to complete each course, finishing as one of the top three pilots for all five courses within each League circuit.
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Rule 2: Machines vie for ranking over five laps, and each lap must be completed within a fixed target rank to avoid disqualification.
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Rule 3: If you are disqualified, crash, or retire, you may re-challenge the course only if you have a spare machine (you start the Grand Prix with two spare machines).
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Rule 4: Points are awarded based on your ranking at the end of each lap, and accumulating points earns additional spare machines.
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Rule 5: Super Jet (S-JET) use is prohibited during the first lap. Pilots earn one S-JET use per completed lap, up to a maximum of three accumulated uses.
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Rule 6: Traveling in the opposite direction of traffic is prohibited; a "REVERSE" warning and buzzer will signal you to turn around immediately.
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Rule 7: Extreme short-cutting may be ruled a foul by the official recorder, who may pull your machine back to any position.
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Rule 8: Pit Rows allow machines to restore power from the official car, with the amount of power restored proportional to the time spent in the area.
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Rule 9: If the BLUE FALCON, GOLDEN FOX, WILD GOOSE, or FIRE STINGRAY fall below 20th place at any time, they face immediate disqualification.
Target Rankings per Lap
To avoid disqualification, you must meet the following target ranks at the end of each lap:
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1st LAP: Pass the Goal Line within 15th place.
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2nd LAP: Pass the Goal Line within 10th place.
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3rd LAP: Pass the Goal Line within 7th place.
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4th LAP: Pass the Goal Line within 5th place.
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FINAL LAP: Finish ranked within the top three.
The Points System
During the first four laps of a Grand Prix race, points are awarded based on your rank:
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RANK 1: 900pts
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RANK 2: 600pts
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RANK 3: 400pts
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4th place or below: 200pts
Points awarded for the final lap are as follows:
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1st PLACE: 2500pts
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2nd PLACE: 1500pts
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3rd PLACE: 1000pts
You are awarded an additional spare machine each time your total score reaches 10,000 pts, 20,000 pts, or 30,000 pts. You can keep a maximum of 5 spare machines.
Track Features and Hazards
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Rough: Areas that reduce machine speed and interfere with handling. Using a Super Jet can help maintain speed through light rough, but heavy rough will inevitably slow you down.
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Anti-Gravity Guide Beam: A guard rail that prevents machines from falling off the course, though touching it drains your power meter.
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Land Mines: High-risk hazards that cause a massive drop in your power meter and often lead to a complete loss of control.
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Jump Plate: A springboard that launches your machine into the air, increasing your speed. Improper landings cause a loss of speed, and poor handling airborne can send your machine over the guard rail.
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Down-pull Magnets:
Tips & Maps
RECORDS
This screen displays the best ten times and laps for completed courses from both GRAND PRIX and PRACTICE modes. Records are saved to the Game Pak's battery backed memory and can be erased by pressing the SELECT Button on this screen.
4. DEATH WIND
A narrow and difficult course on a planet with constant fierce winds, where success depends on skillfully using the dash zones. It is designated as Knight League No.4.
5. SILENCE
The final course for the Knight League, located on a soundless planet and consisting almost entirely of right-angled corners. It tests a pilot's cornering judgment and technique.
6. WHITE LAND
An extremely demanding Queen League course covered in crystals, featuring two hairpin corners coated to block magnetic fields and downward pull magnets near its jump plates.
7. PORT TOWN
A technically demanding King League course in a harbor town, featuring left and right pull magnets, forced deceleration zones, tight chicanes, and a wide variety of corners.
LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...
This section provides various driving tips, such as starting with a powerful dash, utilizing jump plates for acceleration, and tilting the machine's nose up when landing to prevent deceleration.
Enemies & Characters
THE BLUE FALCON
This machine has been given a complete, well-balanced tuning by Captain Falcon. Even beginners will be able to skillfully drive the machine after only a little practice.
CAPTAIN FALCON
From Port Town, he is an accomplished F-ZERO pilot and a renowned, talented bounty hunter whose past remains largely unknown.
GOLDEN FOX
Designed with a priority on acceleration and a lightweight body, this machine stands up poorly to impact and requires a high level of skill to handle its difficult cornering.
Dr. STUART
A 31-year-old medical doctor from Mute City who has participated in the F-ZERO Grand Prix since the death of his father, Professor Kevin Stuart.
WILD GOOSE
Designed by a soldier of the Polipoto tribe, this machine is built to withstand very heavy damage and support a highly aggressive racing style.
PICO
An aggressive pilot and rumored hit-man from Death Wind who is believed to be an ex-soldier from the Polipoto Army's Special Fighting Unit.
FIRE STINGRAY
A heavy-bodied machine with the fastest recorded speed of the four main machines, featuring slow acceleration but high stability while cornering.
SAMURAI GOROH
The leader of a renegade band of thieves from Red Canyon who participates in the Grand Prix under an alias with a rumored stolen machine.
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