F-Zero GX. What a piece of crap?

[Sylentwulf]

Boy, does this game suck. I've had it for about 2-3 months now, and I keep trying to go back to it, but the difficulty level is just screwed up.

Story mode - Normal, I beat the first one easily enough, second level against goroh - I've tried it 10-15 times on normal setting, including some perfect runs using all of my turbo at the end, and he STILL blows past me.

Grand Prix - You crash, you lose. OK, that sucks pretty bad, but look at all the unlockables! Oh, wait, you have to be good at story mode, and a master at grand prix, and have an F-Zero AX arcade machine locally. Yeah, that's real friggin cool.

The best part is just letting my 5 year olds play against each other, even though there's no way they can handle any of the tracks by a mile.

[Crush Crawfish]

I Personally think that F-zero Gx is a fun game, but I definitely agree about it being TOO FREAKIN" HARD!!!!!! There's the kind of difficulty that inspires you to keep going, and then there's the difficulty that makes you want to kill without remorse. F-zero Gx is the latter. If you feel like killing without remorse, try gungrave for the PS2. So Much Shooting.... :evil:

[Querjek]

Samurai Goroh... yeah, I think it's hard too. I managed to get by him because he ran into 4 rocks at the end :) I can't beat the next level (Casino race).

[Sotenga]

I've beaten chapter 4 of Story Mode, but only because I'm too poor to afford Chapter 5. :P

I like it myself, but where the hell are you going to find a F-Zero AX machine anyway, unless you live in a big city? And the difficulty is insane... damn you, AV. I said the same thing about both Super Monkey Balls, and I'm going to say it here: there are some challenges that I perceive to be impossible unless I'm using a cheat device of some sort. I was shocked when I managed to beat the Ruby Cup on Expert, and I'm currently working on the Sapphire Cup on the same difficulty level. I hate to bring about hackneyed expressions, but it certainly is a task "easier said than done." :o

Of course, out of all genres, Racing games are the ones I suck the most at. x_x

[whoisKeel]

got this game for real cheap at gamerush a few weeks ago, and i've already stopped playing it. it took me 3 days to beat serial gaps for the first time on NOVICE. i've now beaten the first two cups on novice and standard, but i think that's about as far as i'm gonna get. i too am stuck on casio track in story mode.

btw, you don't need an ax machine to unlock the ax tracks...i think you just have to beat the 4 cups on master (the last cup is unlockable). so that's 2 unlockable cups i will never see.

[WiseSalesman]

Difficulty level notwithstanding, I just don't like the game. I don't think it's any fun to play at all. More like just....boring.

[EndlessChris]

I love F-Zero GX. It's a pretty hard game but practice makes perfect. I kind of appreciate the difficulty because it sets it apart from other racing games, where you can beat most of the tracks in a day. I will admit I do get pretty peeved at some of the glitches that force you to fly off the track for no reason at all, especially during the last leg of the 3rd lap so you have to start all over. Anyways, once you start customizing racers, the Grand Prix gets a lot easier. And Story Mode is still awesome despite the difficulty. I'm stuck on the 7th stage (I think the final one) and it's driving me nuts.

All in all though, insanely awesome game. I'm surprised Sega didn't screw this up.

[Querjek]

Has anyone here played this game early in the morning before ating anything? I played that one track where you're on the outside of a loop and the surroundings are on fire... boy, I felt really sick after turning a couple of times. I couldn't tell what was the top and bottom of the horizon!

[ubersaurus]

I love GX. It's hard, yes, but not so hard that it can't be overcome. Goroh is such an easy chapter though...clearly you aren't using your boost at the right time, because with the right timing, you can blast right past him no problem.

Grand Prix can be hard with stock machines, but go with some of the custom made ones...Acro-Lynx G4 is fantastic for grand prix, I beat all the cups on all the difficulties with that thing (and a couple others).

Story mode can be a pain though when it comes to unlocking the AX racers. I've gotten about all but 4 and decided I'm gonna just wait for the PBCs to get the last ones. Those are some cool cars though....Rainbow Pheonix rocks the world.

The game requires you to have a really light touch and some major patience, as well as knowing when and where to boost. To be honest, I got so used to playing this game that when double dash came out, I couldn't help but think about how slow and sluggish the go-karts were LOL

[Cmosfm]

My pawn shop has like, 5 copies of this at 14.99 each, theyve been there forever. I kinda figured it must suck!

[davidbrit2]

I kind of like it, but it's for a couple of very specific reasons.

1. I liked Wipeout
2. I've mastered making love to the analog stick thanks to Monkey Ball
3. The game was only $19.99 at Kay Bee for some reason ;-)

I don't play F-Zero nearly as habitually as other stuff, but it still gets its fair use.

[Red Warrior]

It's a shame such an incredible game gets put down simply because it takes a little practice... ok... ALOT of practice. But it's certainly not impossible. Heck, my friend can even beat some of the cups on expert... and her friend can beat a few on master... WITHOUT using a custom vehicle. This game is entirely possible if you just keep practicing. The different theme songs for each driver, the large number of different vehicles, custom vehicles, 26 different tracks, a story mode... this is one of the best games ever as far as I'm concerned. I wish Nintendo and Sega would team up to do more games.

The custom vehicle thing is cool, but I haven't really messed with it a while lot. I can't make a car that I like. The only one I use is the Blue Falcon, and that's pretty much what I stick with no matter what. I've managed to successfully beat all 5 cups on all difficulty levels with the Falcon... so it works for me.

Anyone managed to beat Chapter 7 of the Story Mode on VERY HARD? That's the only thing I haven't accomplished in this game yet... and I'm almost convinced it's impossible. I've literally played that race 200 times... and have yet to figure it out. Unbelievable challenge. And I thought it was hard enough on NORMAL and HARD.

Oh and by the way... Chapter 7 isn't the last chapter. There's actually 9.

[ubersaurus]

Chapter 7, as far as I can tell, the only advice people have is to kill Black Bull at the very start, and then try to kill Blood Falcon later in the race. If you take them two down, then you've got a much better chance of winning, but that race is still mostly luck.

If you see GX for 15 bucks, why the hell haven't you bought it yet?

[Red Warrior]

That's kinda what I figured. The closest I ever came to finishing first was when I managed to knock Black Bull outta the race at the start. I came in 3rd after that. Closest I've been able to get without knocking him out is 5th. Probably THE hardest challenge I've ever faced in a video game.

[hydr0x]

mh hard? i dunno, i went to a friend of mine a few weeks ago and i wanted to play it a bit, never had before, he was in the last cup (or whatever, he said that is the hardest mode) and i played the whole cup and got 9th overall. considering i played the game for the first time at all (without doing ANY training race before) i can't agree with the game being to hard, sure, that one track was a pain in the ass, i just couldn't do that one corner right, but overall it was not that hard

[GaijinPunch]

2. I've mastered making love to the analog stick thanks to Monkey Ball


I wouldn't say that to people that don't know what Monkey Ball is. :)

[maxlords]

Or to people that have seen the arcade machine's controller....you do know it's a bananna shaped controller right? *shivers at THAT thought*

[Cantaloup]

I really like F-Zero GX, and I'm not a fan of racing games. The difficulty at times can be frustrating, and sometimes I'd need to take a break from it for a little while. But it keeps challenging you to get better, and that kept me coming back for more. Not only do you need to memorize the tracks (locations of turns, boost pads and pit areas) and plan strategy (do you want to try knocking out the lead racer now, or is it too risky on this track?), but you need to choose (or build) a racer that fits your style, learn how to use it to maximum advantage on each track (max speed vs. acceleration), then master driving the thing. Often I thought to myself "I will NEVER be able to do this!" But I was able to complete story mode (though I still have some missions to do on hard and very hard) and all the Grand Prix cups (including the AX Cup) on Master. I was even able to beat a few staff ghosts (talk about hard!).

I also like the fact that when you get stuck in one mode, you can try another, which can help you in turn by allowing you to buy new stuff in the shop. For example, if you're having a problem getting enough tickets to buy new racer parts in Grand Prix, you can try Time Attack instead.

[davidbrit2]

2. I've mastered making love to the analog stick thanks to Monkey Ball


I wouldn't say that to people that don't know what Monkey Ball is. :)

Ha ha. Duly noted.

And Maxlords, yeah, I love that arcade cabinet. It's almost worth going to Gameworks to play just that. Too bad they didn't release an arcade style home controller.

[PapaStu]

2. I've mastered making love to the analog stick thanks to Monkey Ball


I wouldn't say that to people that don't know what Monkey Ball is. :)

Ha ha. Duly noted.

And Maxlords, yeah, I love that arcade cabinet. It's almost worth going to Gameworks to play just that. Too bad they didn't release an arcade style home controller.

I think only becuase Sega envisioned to many people making love to the controler the way you do when you master the Monkey. That or someone walking in and seeing you grab and thrust this thing around between your legs got the Legal dept very very scared @_@

[Mayhem]

What a load of wimps ;)

Games not allowed to be hard anymore heh? Ah... the only truly hair tearing moments are trying to beat some of the Story mode on Very Hard. Everything else wasn't that difficult for me. Thankfully I got all the AX racers from a friend who took my memory card to Japan to use in the AX arcade machines there.

It just requires some skill, some knowledge on how everyone works and some practice on each track... though Muty City Gaps did claim a few lives off me before I nailed it...

[Oobgarm]

What a load of wimps ;)

Games not allowed to be hard anymore heh? Ah... the only truly hair tearing moments are trying to beat some of the Story mode on Very Hard. Everything else wasn't that difficult for me. Thankfully I got all the AX racers from a friend who took my memory card to Japan to use in the AX arcade machines there.

It just requires some skill, some knowledge on how everyone works and some practice on each track... though Muty City Gaps did claim a few lives off me before I nailed it...

I was going to write a long diatribe about how good GX is, but Mayhem put it rather succinctly.

The game as a whole isn't hard--but there are a few sticking points once you get to the higher difficulty levels that can(and will) make you more frustrated than you've ever been with a videogame. The aforementioned Casino and Gran Prix story races are incredibly tough. This game makes you EARN the unlockables.

Rare has made their games tough for years, especially if you intend on unlocking everyhing the game has to offer. Just look at Blast Corps and Goldeneye. Getting Platinum medals in BC is damn near impossible, and obtaining some of the cheats in Goledeneye require absolute perfection.

Have we been spoiled by games that are too easy?

[farfel]

the difficulty level is just screwed up. Story mode - Normal, I beat the first one easily enough, second level against goroh - I've tried it 10-15 times on normal setting, including some perfect runs using all of my turbo at the end, and he STILL blows past me.

I made the same complaint in the "Why would someone buy a savecard with the game tracks already unlocked?" It's too hard... that's why!

Still think Fzero GX is a great game though.

[Mayhem]

The race against Goroh is probably the easiest of the 9 stories. Did Normal first time, took a few goes to figure out the patterns on Hard, but then did Very Hard on my second go at it. Practice, practice and application of what you learned :)

[Ed Oscuro]

Wut da crap? Classic gamers complaining that a game is too hard?? Now I've heard everything! :P

Though if it is really hard, I'd expect it to be fun enough that I'd still want to play it. Heh. I've got to update myself on the series past the original SNES game =P

[Raedon]

It's just to hard for us American gamers..

[farfel]

Wut da crap? Classic gamers complaining that a game is too hard?? Now I've heard everything! :P

We're annoyed that we spent $50 for a game but can only access 75% of the tracks. It's like being ripped off.

[downfall]

Yeah it's a hard game.

That's what makes it fun to me though. It's not a hard game because of the control, or the graphics, or anything other than the fact that it's just a challenging game. I absolutely hate games that are hard because of things that could be done differently (ie. pitiful control), but games like this (Super Monkey Ball, Contra: Shattered Soldier, R-Type Final) are the games I absolutely love to play.

Easy to pick up, very difficult to Master. That's just the way it should be.

[dmhawkmoon]

Okay, complaining about the difficulty of story level 7 on the very hard mode is acceptable. Point taken. Everything else.... Stop being a pussy. A skilled gamer can consistently do almost anything else in that game. I know because I personally am capable of it. I love the game and I managed to figure most of it out. You have to be a good player. Why do people have to complete a game to enjoy it though? Why do you have to assume that a game is shit just because you lack skills? It seems really self centered to me.

Would you say that chess is a cheap game because you can't beat someone? Would you call the grandmaster of the world a cheater? It's the same kind of thing. Yeah okay, F-Zero has more element of chance to it, but if you sit me down in front of that game and tell me to beat anything other than story mode 7, I'll have it done within the hour almost guaranteed. Go ponder over that....

[Nature Boy]

I personally think of 'hard' in two different senses when it comes to games. Either they're hard because of control issues or they're hard because of what is being asked to do.

IMO, F-Zero X is the latter, not the former.

It's a pretty intimidating game though, that's for sure. It might've been nice if you could've chosen a difficulty level but I wouldn't say the lack of that option hurts the game much if at all.

[spoon]

This reminds me of Nascar. Whenever I play this with friends, they get frustrated because they can't keep up with me and the com. Unless it is a track like Daytona or Talladega where you can keep it wide open. Nascar games take skill. Unless you drive backwards (Which still takes skill to make some great crashes).

I think F-Zero takes a bit more practice and skill than other racers. That is why most people go ape over Mario Kart.

[ubersaurus]

The race against Goroh is probably the easiest of the 9 stories. Did Normal first time, took a few goes to figure out the patterns on Hard, but then did Very Hard on my second go at it. Practice, practice and application of what you learned :)

I dunno, chapter 6 is a cinch once you get the track down. I had an easier time there then I did with Goroh...too bad the car you unlock on chapter 6 isn't as cool as the one in chapter 2 :P

Seriously though, GX isn't that hard. It's a skill game. Complaining about never getting to see those extra things...those are just that-extras. You earn them. You paid for 15 tracks and a story mode, what you can earn is 26 tracks, 41 racers, 3 levels to story mode, and a slew of parts to build your own racer. And if it's really too hard for you, then just wait for Push Button Codes*, or use an action replay.

The only two current PBCs is to unlock the Sounds of Big Blue and Sounds of Mute City alternate songs-Mute City's is only unlockable with that PBC.

[davidbrit2]

I think F-Zero takes a bit more practice and skill than other racers. That is why most people go ape over Mario Kart.

Funny, I find Mario Kart Double Dash to be much more infuriating than FZero GX. The control is really sloppy, the computer AI is extremely cheap, and thus luck is all too necessary. FZero is ruthless, but at least it's pleasantly consistent.

[farfel]

Someone mentioned Nascar.

When I bought NASCAR Heat 1 & 2, I had immediate access to ALL the tracks. Yes, even the hard ones like Bristol. IMHO Fzero GX should have been the same. I paid for ALL the tracks but didn't get them. I only got 75% and that's wrong IMHO.

[Spoony Bard]

What can you unlock through the AX arcade link? There are two machines in an awesome arcade an hour south of here, and I'll take any excuse to visit (usually its for fighting game tournaments though).

[ubersaurus]

Someone mentioned Nascar.

When I bought NASCAR Heat 1 & 2, I had immediate access to ALL the tracks. Yes, even the hard ones like Bristol. IMHO Fzero GX should have been the same. I paid for ALL the tracks but didn't get them. I only got 75% and that's wrong IMHO.

If you want em so bad, then go earn em. It's not like it's THAT hard. I did it in a couple of weeks.

By your argument, I paid for all the levels in pilotwings 64, but it's horrible that I had to earn my way to them. x_x

Through the AX link you can unlock the AX racers and the AX tracks without having to go through the GX game modes. It's actually easier to get the tracks in-game, but some of the racers are definitely easier with the AX machine*coughchapter7*

[Mayhem]

To unlock (and then go buy) the AX tracks you can either:

Beat all four cups on Master OR
Race on each track in F-Zero AX arcade machine

To unlock each AX racer you can either:

Beat one of the story mode chapters on Very Hard (you get the 10th driver for beating all 9 on Hard) OR
Win a race with that driver on the AX arcade machine

By the time I handed my card over to my friend, I had all the tracks unlocked already. I just needed a few of the racers because Story Mode is rock (cough chapter 7!).

[spoon]

Someone mentioned Nascar.

When I bought NASCAR Heat 1 & 2, I had immediate access to ALL the tracks. Yes, even the hard ones like Bristol. IMHO Fzero GX should have been the same. I paid for ALL the tracks but didn't get them. I only got 75% and that's wrong IMHO.

I mentioned Nascar games because of the difficulty level and learning curve. Heat one and two have all of the tracks and such open because those games have crap for extras. The newer Nascar Thunder games have tons of extra.I have yet to open them all, as some are damn hard.

Ubersaurus made a good point about having to earn the levels in Pilotwings 64.

[SoulBlazer]

I feel kinda both ways on this. I like games that have hidden stuff, but for those of us who just can not seem to unlock all of them for whatever reason (I.E., we suck!) there SHOULD be a code we can enter that will unlock all of it for us.

I also have the same problem with F-Zero and I know I'll NEVER unlock everything.

[Ed Oscuro]

If we take the "stuff shouldn't be unlockable, it should always be available!" argument to the extreme, why then you should have access to the best armor and weapons in your favorite dungeon crawler before you start the first dungeon! That, of course, makes no sense, but I thought I'd throw out a really extreme (off-genre) example out there

The real issue with unlockables is that it's a pain for casual gamers to go and earn stuff that they "paid" for. On the other hand, the majority of gamers seem to want and expect unlockables. It's not as if we're in the days of battery-less cartridges that you have to play all the way through to see a cheesy ending graphic that's only a few hundred bytes in size. While I sympathize to some degree with the folks who complain about having to spend too much time to get stuff they've paid for, no amount of complaining is going to change things. It's cheap, tried-and-true method of adding replay value and content to a game that the player has already beaten. View it as the industry being in a sorry state and accepting of lacunae from its developers (w00t for first time using a new word! btw, it's roughly "sloth") creative or as a blessed escape from the rut of games you had to play repeatedly to get a single ending out of.

In Chrono Trigger, most folks don't bother to get all the endings, but few complain that the space needed on the cartridge for endings would've been better utilized elsewhere.

F-Zero GX can be excused somewhat for having levels as unlockables (having parts as unlockables is a good idea, no contest here) isn't quite the same as in other racing sims because it does have a story to follow, but all the same it isn't consistent conceptually with the reasoning behind letting a player only visit dungeons up to a certain point in an RPG. You would be able to visit all those tracks in real life just as real life Nascar drivers are familiar with the tracks, which alone seems to warrant all this noise and screeching over unlockables in racing titles.

I don't mind having to unlock new tracks (much), since it helps me hone my piloting skillz, and it's far too easy to lose focus on beating one map at a time and just looking at selecting levels in terms of eye candy. However, for those who just want to have a multiplayer race all the maps really should be available, perhaps with the exception of a few secret ones (Goldeneye's special Multiplayer maps come to mind -- that game's locked/always available maps seemed to be rather well balanced).

[BenT]

My main problem with this game is that I can't easily tell what I'm doing wrong, so it's hard to know what I need to do to improve.

I had a similar issue with F-Zero X, but not to the extent I do in GX.

I really don't care for how the F-Zero franchise has gone since the classic original. :|

[anagrama]

When I bought NASCAR Heat 1 & 2, I had immediate access to ALL the tracks. Yes, even the hard ones like Bristol. IMHO Fzero GX should have been the same. I paid for ALL the tracks but didn't get them. I only got 75% and that's wrong IMHO.

Conversely, if everything is available immediately, I'm sure there would be people who'd complain "Waah! I spent ages completing everything and there's no bonus for doing so. What a rip-off!"

Sheesh, just play the thing a bit more. You know, to get your money's worth and to actually improve...