is a 1990 racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America in August 1991, and in Europe in 1992. F-Zero is the first game in the F-Zero series and was a launch game for the SNES. F-Zero was rereleased for the Virtual Console service on various Nintendo platforms and as part of the Super NES Classic Edition in 2017.

F-Zero takes place in 2560, when multi-billionaires have created a new entertainment based on Formula One races called "F-Zero". The player can choose between one of four characters, each with their own hovercar. The player can race against computer-controlled characters in 15 tracks divided into three leagues.

F-Zero has been acknowledged by critics for setting the standard for the racing genre and the creation of its futuristic subgenre. Critics lauded F-Zero for its fast and challenging gameplay, variety of tracks, and extensive use of the Mode 7 graphics mode. This graphics-rendering technique was an innovative technological achievement at the time that made racing games more realistic, the first of which was F-Zero. It is credited for reinvigorating the genre and inspiring the future creation of numerous racing games.

Gameplay

left|thumb|[[Mode 7 allows the track to be scaled and rotated around the vehicle to simulate a 3D environment.]]

F-Zero is a futuristic racing game in which players compete in a high-speed racing tournament called "F-Zero". There are four F-Zero characters. Each has their own selectable hovercar, and each hovercar has its own unique performance abilities. <!-- The higher the difficulty level selected, the tougher the opponents, and less spare machines the player starts with. any source? --> The multiple courses of Death Wind, Port Town, and Red Canyon have a pathway that is not accessible unless the player is on another iteration of those tracks, which then in turn closes the path previously available. Unlike most F-Zero games, there are three iterations of Mute City that show it in either a day, evening, or night setting with slightly different configurations. In BS F-Zero 2, Mute City IV continued the theme with an early morning setting.

Setting

F-Zero is set in the year 2560, when humanity's multiple encounters with alien life forms had resulted in the expansion of Earth's social framework. This led to commercial, technological and cultural interchanges between planets. The multi-billionaires who earned their wealth through intergalactic trade were mainly satisfied with their lifestyles, although most coveted more entertainment in their lives. This resulted in a new entertainment based on the Formula One races to be founded with vehicles that could hover one foot above the track. These Grand Prix races were soon named "F-Zero" after a rise in popularity of the races. It was also included as one of the initial 20 SNES games for the Nintendo Classics service in September 2019.

Reception

Bibliography

  • F-Zero at Nintendo.com
  • F-Zero at Nintendo.co.jp