Gamecube Impressions Part I: F-Zero GX

Thus begins a mini-series where I recount the two-and-a-half week romance with our new bundle of joy. The Gamecube is the last of its kind: a stand-alone, dedicated gaming console. I mean Nintendo never messed around with DVD movie playback, and why should they have? Any gamer's household will already have a dedicated player. Perhaps their choice to go with proprietary media may have been a hasty one, as it doesn't allow the flexibility for backwards-compatibility like PS2 owners have enjoyed, and Xbox owners will probably see in the future.

In recent months the Gamecube seems to be picking up steam and it's most certainly a result of the price reduction for the Fall. I mean at $99 US, who wouldn't pick one up as a second system, if only to have access to all of the fantastic Nintendo exclusives? They've even resumed production of new Gamecubes after a few months hiatus, which signifies at least another year left in the console's lifespan. I could hazard a guess that half of Nintendo's problem is their dearth of developers. I think they have set their standards and expectations too high and completely misjudged the market, especially after their bumbling around with the N64. I highly recommend this great interview with Nintendo of America Senior VP George Harrison that lays out what went wrong with their approach to selling the Gamecube and the future of Nintendo in North America. We can only wait and see if Nintendo has the market clout it thinks it has to keep the titles coming.

I’d probably tell you that Metroid Prime is the reason that I was really considering the Gamecube, but in complete honesty F-Zero GX was a very close second. The original game revolutionized the genre of futuristic racers, and the addition of gravity-defying tracks and a multitiude of AI characters and opponents in F-Zero X made the series even better. With F-Zero GX, Sega (I can’t believe I’m writing this) has developed a solid title that should be a part of every Gamecube owner’s collection. The graphics are completely jaw-dropping, and the ability for the game to keep you at the edge of your seat track after track is a feat in itself - I was convinced I was travelling at 1200 km/h.

The only down side I can see at this is that sometimes the AI can bee a little too unforgiving. I easily won the Ruby Cup on Novice difficulty, but when trying the other Grand Prix competitions and higher difficulties I found that the best I could do was place in the top 10. It's really tough, and you must learn to tilt through all turns and use your boosters sparingly. Another small thing would be the Tickets system. In theory, the multiple game modes would make it fun to collect more tickets, but sometimes I just want to try out one of the 20+ unlockable vehicles in a VS. Battle without having to complete a Story Mode level or win another Grand Prix. The tickets can also be used to unlock new vehicles, parts to customize your own vehicle, or to unlock more story mode levels. The fact that you need to buy your way into the next Story Mode level is a bit strange, because to me it seems like a waste of tickets that you could be spending on more practical things - like more drivable vehicles.

Story mode - although suspect at first - is actually pretty fun. It's hard to imagine a storyline based around a game which focuses on intense futuristic racing, but then again just look at fighting games where story is usually an afterthought. You play through story mode as Captain Falcon where you must comple missions of increasing difficulty to gain more tickets. There's even an Anime series in Japan based on this game, and you can watch for F-Zero: Falcon Legend which hits the GBA in Japan at the end of November and will be available sometime next year in North America.

F-Zero GX is definitely a solid title and worth getting if you're one of the proud (but misguided?) few that own a Gamecube. Whether you're a fan of the series or not, it's a great racing game that provides a veritable bounty of fast-paced gravity-defying action for solo or head-to-head play. Plus it makes for great downtime with the wife (I don't lose on purpose, I swear).

airplanes are heavy, ships deserve to sink