"One of the best racers on the N64"

F Zero X was released by Nintendo in the summer of 1998. Many fans of the series and magazine writers alike wondered if this sequel would live up to expectations. I’m happy to report that it not only met the expectations, but it surpassed them by combining new features (i.e. multi-tiered tracks and random tracks), many new vehicles (called machines in the game), and original track design (“The Hand” is sheer brilliance) and gameplay that retains the feel of the original SNES classic.

Graphics-10/10- Simply amazing. The game allows up to 30 “machines” to appear on-screen at once, they are all nicely detailed, they are low-polygon models, but they don’t look like it, they all have a distinctive look and feel to them. The game runs all of this at 60 frames per second and is simply amazing to look at. Also, the sense of speed in this game is simply amazing, few games since have matched the speed. Overall, the graphics are excellent and show what the N64 is capable of.

Sound-8/10- The music in this game is excellent, it is mostly remixes of the songs from the first game, but they are done well. The sound effects are good, they vary in quality though, for the most part, they are clear and fit the situation perfectly, but sometimes
don’t match the situation whatsoever, this is the only serious blemish to the sound though.

Control-10/10- The control is flawless, very responsive. Everything can be done easily, including the spinning attack used to kill enemies. Overall, they are perfect, few racing games have better control.

Gameplay-10/10- The game gives you a lot of things to do at the beginning of the game, and even more to unlock A Death Race mode has been added (it’s you against 29 other machines on a special course, the last driver driving is the winner.) A huge amount of new machines have been added to the original line-up, 6 are available at the beginning, many more can be unlocked. Overall, there is a ton of things to do in the game, you won’t get bored for quite a while.

Replay Value-10/10- This game gives you a ton of things to do after you beat the game. One of the best things it offers is the ability to race the random-track-filled X-Cup over and over again. Believe me, the X-Cup is a brilliant idea and is executed perfectly (it is a Cup that builds the tracks randomly.) .

Presentation-10/10- The presentation fits the game perfectly, everything fits the theme of the game, from the machines to the racer photos to the menus, it all fits perfectly.

Overall-10/10- This is one of the N64’s best games and is an excellent sequel to the original game. Everything from the first game was carried over flawlessly and given a monumental facelift. The game combines great graphics, good music, and flawless control to make an unforgettable racing game. This is one game that deserves to be in every N64 owner’s library.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/00, Updated 07/30/00