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[Drinky Crow]

Okay, someone explain to me the appeal of F-Zero GX, here. I picked this up about a week ago, and finished first in the first three cups on the easy setting. After that, it takes some sort of crazy difficulty leap that I seem to have almost no control over.

This is a very hard game to dislike on a superficial level: the visuals and track designs, some small amount of pop-up aside, are fuckin' gorgeous, and the butt rock riffs on classic F-Zero tunage are a perfect accompaniment. There are loads of modes, crafts, pilots, parts, and unlockables. It's a game that, once you pop it in the ol' Gamecube, screams, "you got your 50 bucks worth, motherfucker!", and even more so when you only paid $10 for it used.

That said, I can never really escape the sensation that I'm playing one of those racing "games" from the Sixties, where you moved a plastic car from side to side over an unspooling ribbon of paper with a road attractively sketched onto it. The opponents seem to have no AI to speak of; there's just a bunch of crafts arbitrarily bungie corded to you and who pass or fall behind you based on some number you have no real influence over. I can hit every boost, drift or slide through every turn, and never touch a wall, yet a few of 'em will still spontaneously leap ahead of me at very predictable points in the track. There's no real sensation of real depth and detail to the tracks themselves; they just feel like unwinding ribbons, and there's no sense of the "grip" I got from F-Zero and F-Zero X. I hate to be so inarticulate on this point, but everything feels so floaty, like all I'm doing is pushing left and right at predetermined times, without any of the tension or reaction needed from other racing games. The tracks just seem so pretty and so utterly inconsequential.

I'm just not having fun, even though my audiovisual senses tell me that the whole thing should seriously rock. I got to Chapter 6 in Story Mode last night, and I couldn't be buggered to continue; the whole affair felt Pavlovian rather than engaging. Am I missing something, here?

 

[Teddman]

I agree with you for the most part. Somehow, it makes a big difference in the arcade where you have the sit-down cabinet and awesome steering wheel. I played that a lot, but never bothered to buy the GameCube version.

 

[Mama Smurf]

No AI? Having played games like Mario Kart or any of the many which have cars following a set path, F-Zero's AI is a godsend.

I don't know if it feels more floaty as such...but I definitely prefer the N64 version for some reason and maybe we're talking along the same lines.

 

[Mjunter]

Yeah..you're definitely missing something. Honestly, its not that hard to admit that you won't get into every perceived great game. Just say you couldn't get into it, move on and find some other games that is more your thing. It worked for me and Halo.

 

[Deku Tree]

The opponents seem to have no AI to speak of; there's just a bunch of crafts arbitrarily bungie corded to you and who pass or fall behind you based on some number you have no real influence over. I can hit every bosst, drift or slide through every turn, and never touch a wall, yet a few of 'em will still spontaneously leap ahead of me at very predictable points in the track.

Your impressions of the AI are really inaccurate. If you know how to go fast enough you can really own the AI, e.g. there is no rubber band or "bungie cord" like you suggest. I haven't played GX in months, but I could beat the AI by 30+ seconds on some tracks by 1 minute + IIRC.

 

[snapty00]

My problem with the game was that my eyes kept mixing up the backgrounds with the tracks, so I'd look at a distant background thinking that I could go there and end up ramming into a wall...or something like that.

 

[Drinky Crow]

What would that "something" be?

Like I said, the audiovisual experience is enough to make me want to like it.

 

[Kon Tiki]

Did you try a higher difficulty?

 

[Drinky Crow]

Yeah, and I'm getting stomped, even though I'm not hitting any opponents or the walls and nailing all the boosts. I can race one track perfectly and finish 1st, and on the next I race just as well and finish 18th. There's no freakin' consistency.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

It's the age old issue of "Diff'rent Strokes fo' Diff'rent Folks".

Play something else I guess :\.

 

[Alex]

I think it's really good stuff on an audio/visual level, and the ammount of content is fantastic, but I think it's a little too insane for me, plus it just doesn't "feel" right for my tastes. Plus, I suck at it, really, really badly.

But, I suck at racers, and I suck hard. Midnight Club 2 was the only one I ever really put a huge dent in (barring Mario Karts), and though that practicly cost me my sanity, it was much more my bag, and I had fun with it when I wasn't swearing, I guess.

Off topic kinda, but I really wish Nintendo would lay the content trip they've put on certain titles like Smash Bros., F-Zero, Pikmin 2, etc on Mario Kart. Double Dash had such great mechanics, and the co-op racing was fantastic. But it was all too easy, over very quickly, and all the battle modes sucked.

 

[Kon Tiki]

Yeah, and I'm getting stomped, even though I'm not hitting any opponents or the walls and nailing all the boosts. I can race one track perfectly and finish 1st, and on the next I race just as well and finish 18th. There's no freakin' consistency.

Try hitting them. There is an offensive type of gameplay style you might like.

 

[6.8]

I got the game 2 weeks ago, just did the 2nd cup on the 2nd diff. level for the first time and took the first place in the championship. It was noticably harder when I got pounded on all sides, destabilizing me, but then again the races were a bit closers than on novice. It wasn't hard, though I can imagine that it must be hell at the highest difficulty level.

 

[Drinky Crow]

It's the age old issue of "Diff'rent Strokes fo' Diff'rent Folks".

Play something else I guess :\.

I'm gonna ban the next person who coughs up that lame excuse. I wanna know how to play the game the way it's supposed to be played, since the game itself is making it tough to figure that out. Do I need to start ramming people? Am I expected to learn "snaking"? If so, I'll pass and then say that not only isn't it my bag, it's a pretty sloppy racing game overall. If it isn't one of those two, then it's probably a good game and I'm just missing something which I can hopefully learn.

Society: "hitting them" seems to slow my ass down, which seems a bit anathema to racing well. I dunno. I'll give it a shot.

 

[snapty00]

What machine are you using? I always used that pink one that goes so fast, and I tuned it for maximum speed.

EDIT: Maximum speed, not acceleration.

 

[Mama Smurf]

If you're actually racing it perfectly, the AI won't beat you. I mean, you've been playing a week, there's no way you can be taking every corner exactly right yet.

Plus the vehicle you're using makes a lot of difference (and how you set it up). A vehicle which might be perfect for a track one race won't necessarily be for the next.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

I didn't get it too. Played GX for maybe 5 hours max and ... "over it".

as far as gameplay in a driving game goes; the last time I've actually sat down and played a game for keeps

is PSone Ridge Racer 2 or 3 (months and months)
Wipeout XL (ages - I really liked killing the fuckers on the track. Probably the one game that got racing killing right)
burnout 2 (lasted me 2 week)
PGR (4 weeks)
Rallisport (4 weeks)

 

[Warm Machine]

Drinky...you got it spot on. The game is weak. There is simply no race just a bunch of swarming opponents who seems as though they are artificially sped up and slowed down. They may as well not even be on the track for all they amount to the game. F-Zero GX is all about track memorization and hitting and timing each and every boost until you power your way to the finish.

It is a 60fps visual feast but an empty shell of a game.

Try Tube Slider is you want a decent futuristic racer on the GC.

 

[Drinky Crow]

I haven't run into a difficult corner in ANY of the first three cups. I played and beat the crap out of F-ZERO, F-ZERO MV, and F-ZERO X, plus I still have pretty good shooter reflexes, especially when it comes to dodging. Sliding/drifting is pretty brain dead, and a quick look at the course map tells you what to do when. It's a little harder avoiding craft, although you get a tiny boost when they nail you from behind (which I don't count).

I'm using the White Cat and the Blue Falcon based on my preference at the moment. I up acceleration for curvy tracks and top speed for oval types. I should be able to win with any craft, though.

 

[Chrono]

I don't "get" F-Zero GX too but I made it a rule to just play games for fun, and if I don't like a particular game, I'll just stop playing it.

The hype could be so big some times that I wonder if I'm missing something or that I should give the game more time. But really, if I'm not having fun then that must be it. For F-Zero GX I just suck at the game like Alex and I don't like it enough to improve myself. The same thing happened with REmake. I might go back to play it (REmake) and try RE: Zero too but right now it's all about Ico for me.

 

[Deku Tree]

If you're actually racing it perfectly, the AI won't beat you. I mean, you've been playing a week, there's no way you can be taking every corner exactly right yet.

Yeah, I think you have to really practice taking the turns on each track in the right way. Not hitting the walls is less important than maintaining your speed.

And you don't have to learn how to snake to beat all the grad prix modes. You just have to practice alot. You don't even need to use custom cars. Although, picking the right custom car (like say the Frost Lynx-G4) can make the grand prix modes seem alot easier (really).

The reason the races seem inconsistent is because of the AI and the attack part of racing. The AI is actually really good (I think) because it does different things every time you race. Say, for example, that one of your faster opponents (say Black Shadow) gets knocked out of the race by another AI racer then it will totally reorganize the outcome of the race.

 

[Drinky Crow]

Hm, that sounds reasonable. I haven't mucked with the custom car shop at all, either.

Still not big on having to attack, though; in that case, it really isn't my thing, although I shan't blame the game design.

 

[snapty00]

I can't really stand the custom cars. I found the premade ones to be for more tolerable.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

It's a lame phrase, and I apologize for using it, but it's hardly an excuse.

Many of your fellow human beings have actually enjoyed the game without needing to find something more to it. I get what you're saying, but if it's problems overshadow any fun you could be having, you're just not liking it, and that most likely won't change at the point your into it.

Though, there are about 40 vehicles to choose from, and a ton of courses, so maybe you just need to keep plugging along.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

I can't really stand the custom cars. I found the premade ones to be for more tolerable.

Yeah, I found them pretty worthless for my use.

 

[Justin Bailey]

I never attacked at first (which I think is how most other gamers play), but now I think that is the key to the game. I remember some tournament champ saying how he was the only one that attacked people so he was able to stomp all over everyone.

The Z spin is a little hard to get used to, but giving someone a nice little side swipe when you pass can help quite a bit, just don't miss.

 

[The Shadow]

I really don't get it either. Now that I've had a chance to play it more, it really hasn't changed my mind. I've completed novice and I'm working on the last class on normal. I'm not really having very much fun with it myself. I received it on the 16th but I already took pictures to put it up on eBay (or sell it here if anyone wants it cheap).

 

[slayn]

I was always big on attacking my rivals.

the first race I would see who was in first and think about whether or not they are difficult to race against. Some cars, like black shadow, will just do better in the hands of the AI.

F-zero for me was less about finishing first each race (generally I just tried to be in the top 5) and more about strategically working the AI to get the crappier AI cars to place well. This isn't like mario kart where the highest ranking cpu car is basically guaranteed to get 1st or 2nd. If you can manipulate it so that a crappy AI takes first, they can easily place dead lasto n the next race with no intervention from yourself.

 

[epmode]

novice and normal are far too easy. try the harder difficulties in the main race modes. once you can't easily beat the cpu, it forces you to play aggressively, which really opens the game up. frustrating at first, but winning on master mode is one of those great videogame challenges.

 

[Baron Aloha]

You have to change the way you are playing. If you just race you will lose. Try knocking your main rivals off the sides of the course. If you can manage to knock out 2 per race you will end up winning. Even if you don't come in first in each race you'll end up winning the whole shebang because you will have gotten the most points.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Fzero X is overall a better experience than Fzero GX, simply because the track design is better, in my opinion. That said, GX isn't a terribly entry into the Fzero series, it's actually quite good. Personally, I haven't found the game too hard, but I've been playing Fzero X constantly since its release.

The ramp up in difficultly is actually quite similar to what happens in Fzero X.

I guess the real "disappointment" with GX is that it's essentially a Fzero X with prettier graphics, slightly worse track design (if X is a 10, GX is a 8, maybe) and you can choose who to unlock rather than doing it by beating circuit difficulty.

Also, I found that the AI is better than FzeroX and X had really good AI. Cars feel alot different from their X versions, so that might be part of what's throwing you off. Lighter cars feel REALLY light and heavier cars really feel the hit in acceleration.

My real complaint about GX is NOT ENOUGH BUTTROCK. CAPT. FALCON'S THEME ISN'T COCK ROCK???!! NO, instead we get LAME PUNK TRASH SHIT.

Capt. Falcon NEEDS the cockrock. Look at those shining golden nipples of doom.

 

[epmode]

NOT ENOUGH BUTTROCK.

incorrect.

guilty gear is one of my favorite videogame soundtracks, so it's not like i'm anti-buttrock, but going from the smoove/stylish snes soundtrack to silly guitar rock was a huge mistake. gx was a step in the right direction, but the pilot themes were much better than the stage themes. too bad you couldn't race to them.

 

[Warm Machine]

With any game, if the simple act of the most base level of play isn't entertaining it doesn't matter how much shit goes on top of it.

With Sega Rally for example the car just feels fun to drive. Hell, if Sega Rally consisted of a straight road and had the same car physics it still would have been a fun experience. Wave Race is another example. That game could have just been an open ocean and the physics of the vehicle in the water and that would have been enough to pull entertainment out of.

I don't care what you put on top of the base control of F-Zero, the core experience just wasn't entertaining for me.

For an FPS example of this same concept...you could take Goldeneye, fix the player in spot inside of a room and only have him be able to rotate from that postion and fire his gun in the same way the full game allows then have enemies slowly fill the room and that core experience would be more satisfying than the same experience in Nightfire. It just feels better shooting people and watching their reactions in Goldeneye than Nightfire.

I'd love to see someone combine the control and competition of Tube Slider with the visual beauty of F-Zero.

 

[Brandon F]

It took me a few days and severe cursing to finally 'get' F-Zero GX myself. I abhored the experience at first, wrote scathing impressions of the AI and gameplay immediately and nearly resigned myself to defeat; but as much as I hate to admit it, there did come a time when the experience just sort of clicked, my skills increased, new cars filtered in that helped propel my skill extension and the addiction took over.

It's hard to really provide 'How to enjoy Fzero GX!' instructions given the twitch nature of the beast. Conditioning and experience is ultimately the two factors that will make you into an afficionado. Already you are losing motivation, but I'll try to provide some tips. Though it's been nearly a year since I completed the game, so I'm pretty out of touch myself and am reciting from memories that are becoming hazy.

Aggressive driving is a huge factor. Think Burnout 3 really. I have beaten every stage in Expert difficulty, all story modes in Very Hard, unlocked the famed AX tracks, etc... without EVER resorting to Snaking and such...hell I never could even figure out how to properly pull it off. So don't be thinking about that. The game is eminently playable out of the box.

Basically, you'll always want to be honing your bump skills. Taking opponents out of the race is one of the more difficult aspects of play to refine, but one of the most integral(particularly on the harder difficulties). Use that X-button as much as possible. It's extremely satisfying when mastered, but a bumpy road to learn. It's very easy to lose your cool or position when trying to nail an oncoming swift. Don't focus too much on the spin move, it isn't bad for crowd control(I switched it off the Z-button to B myself...you never need to brake in this game) but it's rather weak with most of the cars, and only only a select few have enough weight to make a dent with it. But it has situational properties outside of pure destrcution.(Knocking groups into the drink if u get confortable enough with it). But again X-button is of more importance, far more powerful and destructive...but requires accuracy and timing. Learn it, abuse it....

Finding a craft that suits you well is also key, the default 4 didn't really help condition me to the pacing all that well. Later on you can build your own cars that really rip around the tracks with great precision, but learning the nuances of each is vital. You really shouldn't ever be bumping into any walls much like a Rally game. You have a handling on the advanced turn functions right? L and R do much more than simply 'lean'. When taking a big corner while holding one trigger down and veering closer to the wall, adding pressure to both will significantly enhance corner grinds and keep you afloat. If you know an insane turn approaches, one that might demand a brake to survive, begin with the -opposite- turn trigger, and applying pressure to the other just as you begin the hairpin will put you into insane drift mode practically whipping you around that corner keeping momentum and speed. (Learning which corners require which drift types depends greatly on the selected car abilities) Eventually you will feel it.

Play mad amounts of the story mode. It can be very frustrating(and occasionnally cheap) but it's a learning tool that really helped me out in the Grand Prix.

Once you finally get the touch, you will likely want to reassess your AI statement. They aren't rubberbanded to you, they are competent racers. You get a few stragglers, a few dominators, and a slew of competent B-students that are clumped in a tight group vying for vistory themselves. I can't comment on Easy difficulty, since I haven't played it at that level much. But as you move up the ranks, they race extremely aggressively. They attack each other, they rarely if ever finish in the same ranks, they don't magically gain or lose speed to compensate for your position; if they are knocked back, they have to earn their way up the ladder again. I can't defend Story mode, because they definately cheat there, but not Grand Prix. I was very impressed with the way the game handled the AI particularly on Expert when you really get intimate rivalries with certain racers...you notice certain nuances.

Long and boring...but again it's a touch game to teach. It can be very aggravating before the hook sets in, but don't give up. You will be missing out on a very intense and satisfying racer. Practice, unlock, experiment.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Indeed. The music was a real letdown.

I thought the game was a lot harder than X personally. To the point where it stopped being enjoyable in fact.

We all know the F-Zero series won't come into its own until we have 30 racers online though.

 

[Link316]

I couldn't get into GX either despite X being my favorite racer, which I still play every now and then, the attacking in GX doesn't feel right compared to X and everything feels too loose, also GX being developed by Sega imo contributed to alot the hype

 

[TheQueen'sOwn]

This is, beyond a doubt, one of the best games on Gamecube. I finally got the AX tracks (by beating all the cups on master class + after I got all of them, I beat AX cup on master class), finished story mode on Hard, and I'm working on getting all the character endings right now. A very solid game!

 

[thomaser]

For me, F-Zero GX is one of very few games that I can get so heavily into that I can play it subconsciously. F-Zero X and Tetris are also like that. It just clicks like nothing else, and is a fantastic experience. It's a perfect blend of intuitive controls, sense of speed and urgency, and forward-thinking strategy (regarding your competitors and who you need to knock out). When I get it right, the whole thing becomes a big ego-booster, where I can sit and "play" it perfectly with my subconscious, while my conscious self grins furiously at how clever and dexterous I am. Or something like that

It does take a little while to get to that point, though... you need to really learn to handle the craft, and that may take far longer time than you think since there are so many nuances in the controls. Eventually you'll get an instinctive notion of how to approach things based on the weight of your craft, your speed and the acceleration/max-speed-settings, and then it opens up tremendously. The only places this great feeling gets a bit wonky is inside tubes, but those don't appear very often.

 

[king zell]

best racer this gen IMO

maybe musi was not that much

 

[Gorgie]

For me, what really helped me beat expert, and master difficulty levels for all cups is the art of boosting. It's not enough just to hit all the dash arrows on a track, and take smooth corners, on the 2nd and 3rd laps, if you're not boosting where it will be advantages, it makes the game much harder. To me, finding where on tracks to use my boost, and how much enery I should leave in reserve for a last second boost to the finish, or incase the AI gets aggresive really makes the game come onto its own.

Try boosting right when hitting a jump, you'll sail into a top spot pretty fast. Always boost in a energy recharging strip. Boost on straightways, and after taking tight turns to really gain postion.

Really, to get over the jump in difficutly, boost, boost, BOOST!

 

[Brandon F]

^
Good point. Proper boosting is huge.

 

[Alex]

My strategy is simple: Use all of my boost within seconds of starting the second lap, crash into walls, and if given the chance: fly over an edge into oblivion

 

[Brandon F]

That strategy can be surprisingly effective Alex. The rivals will NEVER see it coming!

 

[Ranger X]

I don't know how to explain it but i had a feel that is similar to yours Drinky.
I loved the first F-Zero damn it was great!! After that, i liked F-Zero X but there was "something" missing i don't know.
Now this F-Zero GC i've been completely bored. Maybe i'm just tired of this serie but i think it's more like the serie having lost it's soul or something.

 

[Korranator]

F Zero GX gave me motion sickness. I couldn't play it if I wanted to.

 

[Mejilan]

This game does NOT have rubber band AI as some here accuse. In that, it succeeds admirably. The game isn't JUST about racing. As someone mentioned prior, picking (or crafting) the right car is absolutely key on the later levels. You may THINK you're playing perfectly now, but hitting boosts and not hitting walls is not nearly as important as knowing when to choose to manually boost and when not to, when to go for a vehicle more aligned with acceleration or speed, etc. That said, winning in 1st place every time isn't crucial either. If you can take out 2 or 3 rivals every race, you can still win the circuit even if you bomb a couple of courses. That's a big part of the game as well, especially on higher levels.

I highly recommend you NOT play on Easy, as it isn't a very good indicator of how the game can and should be played.

Edit - also... using the triggers to not only help adjust your turning but also giving you fine control over your craft is very key. There are a crazy amount of tricks (not just snaking) that can be done.... there's a web site somewhere that provides text descriptions/instructions and even video examples of the more advanced techniques available.

 

[Azih]

Where the Hell is that link to the mp3 rant about F-Zero Story Mode Chapter 6? that was one funny segment.

 

[Crazymoogle]

I loved the first F-Zero damn it was great!! After that, i liked F-Zero X but there was "something" missing i don't know.
Now this F-Zero GC i've been completely bored. Maybe i'm just tired of this serie but i think it's more like the serie having lost it's soul or something.

That's pretty much how it is for me. GX is unfathomably difficult and it the gameplay is just missing that something to make me want to perservere through it. Contrary to the FZ-X fanatics here, I thought the GX soundtrack was amazing (Let it be said - "Respect to Result Theme of F-ZERO" is the best FZ remix ever), but overall I keep the game only as the best game this gen to test 16:9 and 480p with.

The best racing game I've played this gen, and the only one that gives me that "zen" feeling that thomaser mentioned, is Ridge Racer V.

 

[MetatronM]

Society: "hitting them" seems to slow my ass down, which seems a bit anathema to racing well. I dunno. I'll give it a shot.

Attacking the other drivers is a HUGE help. You just have to learn how to do it efficiently and maintain speed and control while doing it. Don't use the spin attack, though, use the side attack.

On Master Difficulty, it's almost essential to get good at knocking out your closest rivals in order to keep a lead in the standings.

When you get good at it, there's just something really gratifying about knocking your top rival of the track in the final round of a cup circuit to solidify your victory. I went from hating attacking to absolutely loving and abusing it.

 

[dog$]

Here's one part of GX I don't get: Snaking.

I've read faq's, I've asked other boards, and I have never come across a thorough explanation of what you have to press to get this to happen.

I understand that you need to use the shoulder-button slides repeatedly to get something to happen. I can sit on a track and press L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R while accelerating all day and nothing happens.

So could someone please take five minutes to present a painfully obvious or childlike set of complete instructions on how to goddamned snake.