Board 8 > Ranking the F-zero GX tracks

(+) Yeah! (+)

Been replaying recently. One I wanted to see if it was still as hard as I remember(still is), and two I've just had an itch to play some F Zero. Replaying has gave me a new perspective on the game, especially because I was playing it when I was 14 years old at the time and loved it then, but now I'm pretty sure I love it even more. The game does a lot of things right, including the tracks, but playing it now I have a better appreciation for the soundtrack. While limited overall in terms of tracks(the music variety) some just absolutely hit at the right time and make the race track that much better.

Anyway I'm still playing through it and will be eventually ranking the tracks and characters. This game is stupid fun, the characters and story are super cheesy in all the right ways.

Anyway just posting to gush about the game. Will eventually rank once I'm done unlocking the hidden GP's.

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Still hasn't been dethroned as the best racing game ever made.

Aeropolis #1! I think it was Dragon Slope that was my favorite course in the game, but there's a small chance I'm misremembering and it was Multiplex. Also assuming this includes the AX courses? Some of those are wild.

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My copy was actually at my parents and I just got it back this past weekend. Need to find the memory card though cause that's where the gold is.

I still remember it taking forever to beat Chapter 7 and 9 on very hard for me. Took a break for awhile and came back to beat chapter 7 randomly. Stopped playing for a year and came back and beat chapter 9 prettt quickly. It was An amazing feeling.

StartTheMachine posted...

Also assuming this includes the AX courses? Some of those are wild.

Of course! I just need to unlock it first. I already have a strong contender for last place, but I want to go through the game again entirely before any final thoughts.

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Pretty much every track ranges from Above Average to "Best Track Ever"

My generic top 3:

Aeropolis Multiplex
Lightning Thunder Road
Big Blue Ordeal

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plasmabeam posted...

Pretty much every track ranges from Above Average to "Best Track Ever"

Hey, Sonic Oval is only average at best.

(Also Slim Line Slits is evil and stupid, but I'll admit that's more just me sucking at the game.)
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Slim Line Slits can go to hell

Big Blue Ordeal GOAT but I really like a lot of the lightning tracks. Also the space elevator is so intense with the constant boosting. But really there aren't many tracks I don't like in that game, they're just so great.

Who do you guys like to use? I used James McCloud until I unlocked the Groovy Taxi

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Lol I love Groovy Taxi too.

I like to use Captain Falcon or Blood falcon.

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I remember using a lot of Mighty Typhoon, and sometimes Sonic Phantom

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Spade + Magic Seagull because his character profile music was so damn good

But I do remember the custom vehicles being OP

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I recently played through this and had the exact reaction you did. I used to really like it, but playing it now I LOVE IT. It's easily one of my top 5 games ever.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEM8tY7SIrzf2-RqfXRJ44oh6vq7GeZ4p

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been a few years since i last cut it on i should do that sometime. would be nice if nintendo actually fucking released it on something :/

anyway big fan of Trident. also most of the Aeropolis and Green Planet tracks
least fan of HalfPipe and Serial Gaps. i actually dont remember Slim Line Slits but if ive forgotten it it cant be good

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slim line slits is just rainbow road, it's all rainbowy and long

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Emeraldegg posted...

Slim Line Slits can go to hell

Yes.

Big Blue Ordeal GOAT but I really like a lot of the lightning tracks. Also the space elevator is so intense with the constant boosting. But really there aren't many tracks I don't like in that game, they're just so great. I am going to guess that a casino palace course takes last place.

Ordeal is amazing, as are all 3 Lightning tracks. Which one is the "space elevator"? Do you mean Aeropolis Dragon Slope?

And both Casino Palace tracks are great, especially the second one.

Who do you guys like to use? I used James McCloud until I unlocked the Groovy Taxi

Octoman until I unlocked Rainbow Phoenix

Radix posted...

anyway big fan of Trident. also most of the Aeropolis and Green Planet tracks

Agreed on all of these, although the AX Cup Aeropolis track is meh.

least fan of HalfPipe and Serial Gaps. i actually dont remember Slim Line Slits but if ive forgotten it it cant be good

Lightning Halfpipe is top-tier. It has a steep learning curve and it's easy to fall off, but once you memorize the track it's godly.

Serial Gaps is solid, not mind-blowing.

Slime Line Slits is the last track in the Diamond Cup. Like the other poster said, it's F-Zero's Rainbow Road and it's brutal. When I beat the Diamond Cup on Master (to unlock the AX Cup), I placed 22nd and only won the cup because I KO'd my rival on Slime Line.


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wg64Z posted...

I recently played through this and had the exact reaction you did. I used to really like it, but playing it now I LOVE IT. It's easily one of my top 5 games ever.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEM8tY7SIrzf2-RqfXRJ44oh6vq7GeZ4p

It's so much more than a racing game. It honestly fells like an action game due to the steep challenge, the ability to crush your enemies, and the atmosphere/design of the tracks.

So intense. I get nervous just watching other people play.

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plasmabeam posted...

Ordeal is amazing, as are all 3 Lightning tracks. Which one is the "space elevator"? Do you mean Aeropolis Dragon Slope?

I looked it up, it was Cosmo Terminal - Trident. The one where it's basically 3 long segments of twisting straight lines that merge infrequently.

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Oh, yeah--Trident is awesome! You can even "jump" from one path to the other if you're feeling wild.

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All right, here's my track ranking:



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I loved F-Zero X and GX back in the day. Haven't played them in forever.

You look at F-Zero though, with it's 30 car races and ability to attack/shunt, and you have to wonder why Nintendo doesn't see an opportunity to go after the battle royale market with this franchise.

Imagine 100+ cars on track at once. Or maybe you do smaller 25 car fields and then auto-merge the remaining players as the race goes on. As the laps continue, add more obstacles, or decrease the size/length of the energy zones, or narrow the track.

You could sell cars, skins, whatever... (not a fan of this but just saying...)

I mean, RIGHT?!?

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For some reason I totally forgot about very hard on the story mode. Here I am thinking this is a bit easier than I remember(Just beat chapter 5 hard).

Going back to previous missions to beat the very hard missions now before moving on.

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Seanchan posted...

I loved F-Zero X and GX back in the day. Haven't played them in forever.

You look at F-Zero though, with it's 30 car races and ability to attack/shunt, and you have to wonder why Nintendo doesn't see an opportunity to go after the battle royale market with this franchise.

Imagine 100+ cars on track at once. Or maybe you do smaller 25 car fields and then auto-merge the remaining players as the race goes on. As the laps continue, add more obstacles, or decrease the size/length of the energy zones, or narrow the track.

You could sell cars, skins, whatever... (not a fan of this but just saying...)

I mean, RIGHT?!?

I assume because every F-Zero other than the first one sold terribly.
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Beating very hard is like one of my personal highlight gaming achievements. **** that **** tbh

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I know what you mean, I did it originally as a kid, so I'm sure I can do it again. Then again I had a bunch of free time as a kid. Hard is kicking my ass a little bit though.

Speaking of very hard though I totally forgot about Rainbow Phoenix. I used him a lot too.

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Ok so very hard on the first 4 werent too bad but chapter 5 is kicking my ass. I forgot how perfect you need to be. I guess I could try snaking to cheese it.

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5 and 7 are fucking brutal on Very Hard.
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Chapter 5 Very Hard was the final one I completed. It's just about raw perfection in your driving. Chapter 7 feels worse from the beginning but after you realize the general strategy of "Make sure to eliminate Blood Falcon and Black Shadow as soon as possible" there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between normal and very hard there.

I actually somehow took longer with Chapter 1 and 8 than I did with 7.

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Is Chapter 5 really one of the harder ones? I only beat four chapters on Very Hard before just giving up, but I managed that one without too much trouble.
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I remember it took me awhile but I don't remember thinking it was impossible. You just can't mess up so you have to memorize the track basically.

Chapter 1 also took me awhile lol.

Yeah it isnt hard per se. It is only 40 seconds long, but you need to be 99 percent perfect. I will say the game does a good job of getting you used to the controls at this point though that I would say anyone could beat it, its just you have to put the time in.

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I remember thinking people over-exaggerated the difficulty of chapter 5 a little bit and thinking there were like four missions harder than it. Chapter 7 very hard though was a fucking nightmare.

Esuriat posted...

Chapter 7 feels worse from the beginning but after you realize the general strategy of "Make sure to eliminate Blood Falcon and Black Shadow as soon as possible" there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between normal and very hard there.

If I ever replay this game, I'll remember this.

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I forget is 5 the one where you can't fall below a certain speed? Or is that the one where you have to constantly boost to get out of the tunnel in time?

And yeah, the premier strategy of 7 is to try and kill black shadow right at the starting line (since you start ahead of him and he passes you in the first second or two) and the course becomes much more winnable.

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Fuck Yeah Tier
Multiplex
Ordeal
Thunder Road

Real Good Stuff Tier
Spiral
Dragon Slope
Meteor Stream
Drift Highway
Lateral Shift
Screw Drive
Cylinder Knot
Aero Dive
Double Branches
Long Pipe

Solid Fun Tier
Cylinder Wave
Undulation
Twist Road
Serial Gaps
Loop Cross
Mobius Ring
Surface Slide

It Exists Tier
Trident
Split Oval
Sonic Oval

Bane of my Existence Tier
Intersection
Half Pipe

Straight-up Bad Tier
Slim-line Slits

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Emeraldegg posted...

I forget is 5 the one where you can't fall below a certain speed? Or is that the one where you have to constantly boost to get out of the tunnel in time?

5 is the tunnel one.

And the more I think about it, the more I think I did actually kill Black Shadow after grinding it out for like 7 hours previously trying to win. I do remember doing something that suddenly made the race much easier, and I think that was it. It's been like 15 years since I last touched this game, but this is rekindling some good memories.

It's amazing that I remember most of these tracks for a game I haven't played since I was a teenager. Now that's good level design. (E: oh and I meant the tracks, not the story mode missions, but I remember those too.)

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1, 5, and 7 Very Hard is agonizing.

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And yes, killing Shadow in the first second is the only way to do this. Here is footage of me beating all the VH story missions if interested:

Time stamped to Story Mode stuff

https://youtu.be/-wDY-kdcPec?t=2319

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And here's from when I streamed all the VH missions. I only saved this one, since it's the big one.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/650447651

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MrSmartGuy posted...

Bane of my Existence Tier
Intersection
Half Pipe

Joke tier list

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Intersection is a really cool course in design, but I just don't like the way it plays at all. The part where you're in the pipe weaving back and forth is really unsatisfying. Then the last 10% of the course, where you're weaving in and out between those same pipes is super difficult, and then they follow it up with a bizarrely shaped curve where it's incredibly easy to lose grip of the track and fly off for no reason.

Then Half Pipe probably kills me more than any other race, which includes Serial Gaps, which is quite a feat.

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I loooove half pipe, not a fan of intersection though, because of that one turn ^ where you can just unexpectedly fall off

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Confession: I never unlocked the AX cup, but not from lack of trying. Of the remainder...

Best evah
Aeropolis - Multiplex

*Chef kiss*
Fire Field - Undulation
Lightning - Thunder Road
Port Town - Aero Dive
Big Blue - Ordeal
Sand Ocean - Lateral Shift
Green Plant - Mobius Ring

Also Really Good
Aeropolis - Dragon Slope
Mute City - Twist Road
Fire Field - Cylinder Knot
Casino Palace - Double Branches

Meh For Me
Port Town - Long Pipe
Casino Palace - Split Oval
Sand Ocean - Surface Slide
Big Blue - Drift Highway
Lightning - Half Pipe
Green Plant - Intersection

Thanks, I Hate It (Not Really But I'm Extremely Bad At Them)
Mute City - Serial Gaps
Phantom Road - Slim-Line Slits
Cosmo Terminal - Trident

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MrSmartGuy posted...

And here's from when I streamed all the VH missions. I only saved this one, since it's the big one.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/650447651

Hey nicely done! The random audio at the end scared the crap out of me haha. Well played.

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Been looking for a reason replay this game for years, finally did thanks to this thread. Went through all the grand prixes in the past couple days.

OK here's my ordered and tiered list.

For the top two tiers, I remember as a kid, sometimes turning the game specifically with one of those tracks in mind, just to enjoy practicing on it. Sometimes you're just in the mood for some Green Plant: Spiral, you know?

Favorites
Phantom Road: Slim-Line Slits (cool looking, chaotic, hard to win without being TOO dangerous)
Outer Space: Meteor Stream (high speed, insanely cool looking)
Lightning: Half Pipe (great concept, looks cool, has thrilling lack of walls without being TOO dangerous)
Aeropolis: Screw Drive (omg you can pretty much hold down the booster button)

Awesome
Lightning: Loop Cross (looks very cool, love all the extremely smooth curves)
Green Plant: Spiral (a wacky unpredictable adventure, love the god rays)
Lightning: Thunder Road (a wacky adventure but maybe too easy)
Sand Ocean: Lateral Shift (great concept, exciting, maybe a little too dangerous)
Port Town: Aero Dive (not sure why I like it so much)

Good
Casino Palace: Split Oval (lots of floor boosties!!)
Fire Field: Undulation (hilarious concept)
Mute City: Serial Gaps (extremely exciting grand prix finale, so hard to win)
Big Blue: Ordeal (pretty exciting grand prix finale, good adventure)
Aeropolis: Dragon Slope (wacky adventure, but has some boring parts)
Port Town: Cylinder Wave (too much memorization of floor boosts, but a pretty good wacky adventure)

It's OK
Fire Field: Cylinder Knot (too much memorization of floor boosts)
Port Town: Long Pipe (good ideas, but kinda repetitive)
Mute City: Twist Road (nice and simple, but maybe too simple)
Big Blue: Drift Highway (nice and simple, but maybe too simple)
Aeropolis: Multiplex (can't remember it very well even after playing it twice)
Sand Ocean: Surface Slide (kinda too long, kinda dull)

Don't Like It That Much
Cosmo Terminal: Trident (so long, so narrow, and basically no walls ever, which means I can't go fast)
Mute City: Sonic Oval (too simple, also it's not in a grand prix)
Green Plant: Mobius Ring (too simple AND a little too long to be so simple)
Casino Palace: Double Branches (SO LONG, and I hate the narrow part with no walls)
Green Plant: Intersection (so long, so repetitive, needs more floor boosts)

I agree that they're all amazing when compared to most racing games though.

Earlier in the thread I made fun of "Phantom Road: Slim-Line Slits", but after playing, I realized I had it confused with story mode's Phantom Road. The story mode one is the rainbow road: very long, no walls at all.

But Slim Line Slits is totally different, it's not long at all, and has plenty of walls. I like it a lot because it feels different everytime, because the narrowness leads to lots of collisions with cars and walls, AND it's kinda hard to utilize some of the regeneration pads, so I have to adapt my boosts a lot more. It also steals that great concept from "Sand Ocean: Lateral Shift" to add some reasonable spicy danger. All of that, AND it's a grand prix finale of the hardest grand prix, make it so exciting, I have a lot of great memories of it.

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Yeah story modes phantom road sucks.

Phantom Road: Slim-Line Slits fucking rocks, plus it has the great soundtrack with it.

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Did anyone ever do snaking in this game?

I never did. Which is weird, because my 2 favorite racing games are F-Zero GX and Mario Kart DS, and I did snake in MKDS. I think maybe the difference is that in F-Zero GX, from what I saw, it looked painful because it seemed way more constant, like you are just wiggling the entire time with no breaks.

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I can do snaking, I'm not good at it, but I can pull it off consistently enough where I would attempt to use it if I felt like it would help.

On another note. Just unlocked master class, and the Emerald Cup is kind of garbage. Save for Halfpipe and Big Blue those first three are not jamming with me.

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Also did anyone else try unlocking every characters movie? I think you just need to beat a cup on master and it unlocks it. I remember doing this as a kid but gave up because I just hated how some characters controlled.

Which is another thing I appreciate. It's also kind of crazy that as far as I can tell each character has their own theme song. Which is way cool, and absolutely not necessary, but makes the cast and the F zero world that much more appealing to learn about.

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Not only do they have their own theme song, a lot of them are great tracks. It's really crazy they put so much effort into something so ridiculously unnecessary, but it makes me appreciate the game all the more.

Mentioned it earlier, but still the best:

https://youtu.be/RDkTws5DLPA


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Yup, did all the movies. Was kinda hard. For a while I was trying to do every interview answer as well, but that got a bit too tedious. All the characters having their own personalities is great.
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Still playing this! Hadn't time to play at all the past week. Gonna get on today and unlock the AX cup.

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famous last words

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