Summary
TheF-Zerobattle royale gamebecame an unexpected hit, as the dormant IP getting a resurgence in a massive multiplayer setting made for a fresh re-introduction to Nintendo’s niche racing series. While there were a number of fans who were disappointed thatF-Zerowasn’t getting a new full release game, others were glad the series made a comeback at all, especially after two decades of no new games in the franchise.F-Zerohas continued its unexpected comeback with various updates on the Nintendo Switch Online service, including a new update forF-Zero 99.
The new update was shadowdropped at the start of October, updating the game toversion 1.5.0. In this new update forF-Zero 99, five new tracks from the Ace League ofBS F-Zero Grand Prix, one ofNintendo’s forgotten SNES games, have been added to the course lineup. These tracks are Mute City IV, Sand Storm I, Big Blue II, Sandstorm II, and Silence II, and all of them have been adjusted toF-Zero 99’s mechanics. Players who manage to complete the league will receive a decal with the motif of theBS F-ZeroGrand Prix machine.
BS F-Zerowas released throughthe Japan-only Super Famicom Satellaview peripheral, meaning that its content had never reached Western shores before. Players will get the chance to try out content from the game for the first time, officially, viaF-Zero 99. Nintendo also plans on holding a one-year anniversary to celebrate the release ofF-Zero 99, where 12 anniversary badges, backdrops, and emotes have been added. This one-year anniversary event will be held for a limited time.
This wasn’t the only thing that was added to Nintendo’s subscription service, asNintendo added twoF-ZeroGame Boy Advance games to the NSO servicethe same day as this update went live. These two classic games wereF-Zero GP Legend, a tie-in to the 2003 anime of the same name, and the Japan-only F-Zero Climax, which is notable for having a course editor mode. It was also the last everF-Zerogame to be produced before 2023’sF-Zero 99. Many fans believe that Nintendo might be testing the waters for a new big budgetF-Zeromainline game, though this is still mostly wishful thinking.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console launched in 2017, capable of being played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh coming in 2021.
