This FAQ is universal, for all versions. The only changes made to the
international versions are English text replacing the little Japanese
there is, and two changed racer names (MM Gazelle became Mighty
Gazelle, and Arbin Gordon was changed to The Skull).
See the Closing section for the version history (updates).
This FAQ can always be found at www.gamefaqs.com, www.nintendojo.com,
www.n64cc.com, www.n64gazetta.com, and my FTP, ftp://24.3.23.250/.
This is my first FAQ, so bear with me. I may write ones for Blazing
Dragons and Dark Savior, since they have none at this time and really
need them.
________
Contents
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I. Overview
II. Controls
III. Game Modes
IV. Translations
V. Cars and Tracks
VI. Secrets/Tricks
VII. Strategies
VIII. Closing
___________
I. Overview
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F-Zero X is the sequel to F-Zero, a racing game released for the Super
Famicom in Japan in 1990 and the SNES in the rest of the world in 1991.
It is a futuristic racing game with 30 cars and 24 tracks (plus a
random track generator). There are no conventional weapons present,
but rather direct physical attacks that take less luck and more skill
to pull off. In fact, unlike other racing games, F-Zero X is entirely
skill-based, with the only random factor being the optional VS slots.
The game has gotten very good reviews, from "just short of great" to
"100 out of 100".
Graphically, F-Zero X isn't as detailed as other current-generation
games, but rather sacrifices detail for smooth framerate and speed.
The game runs at 60 frames per second, even in the four player mode,
with very little slowdown. Even when it does slow, it goes at about
50fps, which is much faster than the typical 24-30fps of most games.
The backgrounds aren't very detailed, but that is very minor, as taking
your eyes off the road is NOT recommended. There is no clipping, and
popup is minimal. In the X Cup, you may see some of the track being
drawn in ahead of you, but it never impedes on the gameplay. You
really need to race 1500 km/h at 60fps to know why the trade of detail
for speed was indeed a good one.
The sounds are in stereo, but the music is unfortunately in mono. This
is to save cartridge space (the game is already 128Mbits/16MB) as the
music is streamed from the cartridge much like Shadows of the Empire.
This saves valuable processor time, thus allowing more of the N64's
reality co-processor to focus on the game itself. Most of the music is
of the hard rock variety, which many people say has "very little
American appeal". I know I like it. There are some remixes of music
from the original F-Zero, such as Mute City and Big Blue.
For a long time now, Nintendo has been planning a 64DD upgrade disk for
F-Zero X with a track editor and possibly some more Nintendo-made
tracks. In the games credits, two "DD Programmers" were listed, and
the track editor has been shown to industry insiders, along with screen
shots shown in some magazines and web sites. However, with the 64DD's
future in serious jeopardy, it is unknown whether or not this disk will
ever be released. If the 64DD is released in Japan, it is unknown
whether or not the Japanese F-Zero X expansion disk will be compatible
with the US version of F-Zero X. One thing is certain, however, and
that is that the Japanese 64DD will be compatible with the American
N64, as the only difference between the two systems is the plastic rail
between the cartridge and the system. Whether or not the Japanese DD
will be compatible with PAL and SECAM N64s has yet to be seen.
The original F-Zero sequel, G-Zero (aka Zero Racers), was planned for
the Virtual Boy, but scrapped when the VB went down. An alternate
version of the original, F-Zero Grand Prix, is available until March
1999 on Japan's St. Giga Satellaview system. It has 5 new tracks (Mute
City IV, Big Blue II, Sand Storm I, Silence II, and Sand Storm II) and
4 different cars (Blue Thunder, Luna Bomber, Green Amazone, and Fire
Scorpion).
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II. Controls
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Control Stick Controls the car
A Accelerate, stop slots
B Boost (after first lap, uses energy), start slots
C-Down Brake
Z,R Shift weight (good for heavy turns)
ZZ,RR Side attack, aka Bump attack
R+ZZ,Z+RR Spin attack (hold one button and press the other twice)
Start Pause
L Switch lead indicator on/off (yellow time under the
green lap time, shows distance between you and the
racer in first, or the racer in second if you're in
first)
C-Up Look behind
C-Right Change view
C-Left Switch between lap indicator/map in 3 and 4 player
modes
_______________
III. Game Modes
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GP Race:
Race one cup (6 tracks) against 29 opponents. After each track, every
racer gets a certain number of points depending on how well they do.
The point distribution is as follows:
Any racer that crashes out gets no points. The racer with the most
points at the end of 6 tracks wins.
When you crash out or restart a race, you lose a car. You get 6 cars
in the Novice difficulty level, 5 in Standard, 4 in Expert, and 3 in
Master. Once all of your cars are gone, the game is over.
Time Attack:
Race any track by yourself to try to get a great time. The top 3 times
and best lap are saved, along with the car used to get them. You can
race against a ghost of yourself, or a programmer's ghost if you do
well enough.
Death Race:
On a special loop track, see how fast you can take out the 29 other
racers. Simple, yet fun.
VS Battle:
2, 3, or 4 player racing. Unlike most multiplayer games, the second
player is on the lower left, and the third player is on the upper
right.
Practice:
Play any track you've opened for as long as you'd like. The best lap
is saved, and unlike other modes, boosts can be used on the first lap.
Options:
See below for the translations of the game's changeable settings.
________________
IV. Translations
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Title screen:
If you turn it on without a controller plugged in, it says that there
is no controller plugged in. Duh.
Options:
VS Computer Opponents (On/Off, default on)
VS Slots (On/Off, default off)
VS Handicap (Off/+1/+2, default off, gives slower players a boost)
Sound Mode (Stereo/Mono/Headphones, default Stereo)
Clear All Data
Time trial mode:
Ghost On and Ghost Off are on the top of the track select screen.
Press up and down to turn the ghost on and off. There can be a third
option, Course Ghost, under Ghost Off if your best time is good enough
to earn the right to race the course ghost.
Car select:
After you select your car, the body, boost, and grip ratings are listed
again in Japanese. The top is body, then boost, and grip is on the
bottom. The meter on the top right changes the balance between
acceleration and top speed. Acceleration is on the left, and top speed
is on the right. Beginners should be more on the acceleration side,
and advanced players will find their own best setting for each course.
VS Results:
The word "Player" is before the player numbers.
Menus:
Continue (not in Retire menu, obviously)
Retry (loose 1 car in GP mode)
Change speed settings (loose 1 car in GP mode)
Change Car (not in GP mode)
Change Track (not in GP mode or Death Race)
Quit
__________________
V. Cars and Tracks
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An X is earned whenever you place first on a new difficulty level.
When three X's are earned, a new row of cars opens. The Joker Cup
opens when the other three cups are completed on the Standard
difficulty setting, and the X Cup opens when the other four are
completed on the Expert level. Opening the X Cup also opens the Master
difficulty level, which will challenge even the most experienced racers
for years to come, and a new title screen appears. When all cups are
completed on the Master setting (that will take you some time, I assure
you), a third title screen is opened. Each cup has 6 tracks, totaling
24, except for the X Cup, which generates tracks randomly.
Cars:
Japanese names are in parentheses. Car ratings are in Body, Boost,
Grip form, followed by the weight in KG.
Name Driver Ratings
Blue Falcon Captain Falcon B C B 1260
Golden Fox Dr. Stewart D A D 1420
Wild Goose Pico B B C 1620
Fire Stingray Samurai Goroh A D B 1960
White Cat Jody Summer C C A 1150
Red Gazelle Mighty Gazelle (MM Gazelle) E A C 1330
Iron Tiger Baba B D A 1780
Deep Claw Octman B B C 990
Crazy Bear Dr. Clash A B E 2220
Great Star Mr. EAD E A D 1870
Big Fang Bio Rex B D A 1520
Mad Wolf Billy B B C 1490
Night Thunder Silver Neelsen B A E 1530
Twin Noritta Gomar & Shioh E A C 780
Wonder Wasp John Tanaka D A D 900
Queen Meteor Mrs. Arrow E B B 1140
Hell Hawk Blood Falcon B A E 1170
Astro Robin Jack Levin B D A 1050
Little Wyvern James McCloud E B B 1390
Death Anchor Zoda E A C 1620
Wild Boar Michael Chain A C C 2110
King Meteor Super Arrow E B B 860
Super Piranha Kate Alen B C B 1010
Mighty Hurricane Roger Buster E B B 1780
Space Angler Leon C C A 910
Mighty Typhoon Draq C A D 950
Hyper Speeder Beastman C C A 1460
Green Panther Antonio Guster A B D 2060
Black Bull Black Shadow A E A 2340
Sonic Phantom The Skull (Arbin Gordon) C A D 1010
Tracks:
Jack Cup:
Mute City
Silence
Sand Ocean
Devil's Forest
Big Blue
Port Town
Queen Cup:
Sector Alpha
Red Canyon
Devil's Forest 2
Mute City 2
Big Blue 2
White Land
King Cup:
Fire Field
Silence 2
Sector Beta
Red Canyon 2
White Land 2
Mute City 3
Joker Cup:
Rainbow Road
Devil's Forest 3
Space Plant
Sand Ocean 2
Port Town 2
Big Hand
X Cup:
X
Nicknames:
Since the race results screen was in Japanese, some import players have
come up with nicknames for certain racers to remember who their main
rivals are. Even though the game is now in English, it's still fun.
If you have another nickname, be sure to send it to me, and I may put
it in a future release.
Name Nickname(s)
Pico Picochu
Mr. EAD Mario
My Fat Italian Uncle (DuneBu360@aol.com)
Silver Neelsen Father Christmas
Zoda Borg
The Skull (Arbin Gordon) Castlevania
__________________
VI. Secrets/Tricks
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Open all:
To open all cars and tracks, press L,Z,R,C-Up,C-Down,C-Left,C-Right on
the mode select screen. You'll hear a sound if you do it right. Think
hard before you do this; earning them feels much better...
Compact cars:
Press L,R, and the four C buttons simultaneously at the car select
screen to shrink the cars slightly.
Rotate cars:
On the car settings screen, use the C buttons to rotate the car.
Change colors:
Use Z and R to change the colors of your car on the car settings
screen.
Vehicle editor:
There are rumors circulating about a hidden vehicle editor. As of now,
these have not been proven, so they are just that, only rumors. If
anyone knows *exactly* how this is opened, let me know and I'll include
it, with your name.
VS Slots:
Not really a secret or trick, but I didn't know where else to put it.
The VS slots contain the announcer, all of the faces of the racers in
play, skulls, and Xs. If you get three of any racer, it depletes their
energy by one half. If you get three skulls, it takes away all of the
energy from all of the players. Three X's take away most of the energy
from the race leader. I don't know what three announcers do, but I'm
going to keep looking. If you know, be sure to email me and I'll
credit you.
_______________
VII. Strategies
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General:
If you start holding the accelerator just as the announcer says "Go!",
you will have a better start.
For deep turns, letting go of the accelerator is always good. Braking
is seldom necessary, but don't forget that your brakes are there.
Don't overturn at high speeds. You'll lose your grip. Move the stick
over slowly, not sharply.
Always try to attack someone who's doing better than you in the overall
standings. If you can take them out of the race, your chances of
winning can improve greatly!
If you lose your control of the car, let go of the accelerator very
briefly.
Try to spin into large groups of cars. Spinning slows you down, so
don't spin to get cars in front of you.
When there's no side to the track, try to knock other cars off with the
side attack.
Just like the original F-Zero, a bump from behind gives you a nice
boost of speed, and costs very little energy. This can go the other
way as well, so don't hit someone else from behind.
While you're in the air, going down gives you speed, but the air gives
less resistance than the track. Try to go diagonally forward and down.
Remember to straighten yourself out before landing.
When you're on the energy refill area, using boosts won't cost you
energy, and you'll regain it just as fast. Boost at least once in
them, and if it's near the end on the final lap, boost like hell.
You may need to retire when you have an undesirable position if you're
trying to get first. Just remember that you have limited cars.
If you don't get first on the first race, simply quit and start over.
It's quick, and won't cost you a car.
Mute City:
Overturning can be a problem here, so be careful. Try to hit the right
sides of the boosters. Between the start of the second lap and the
energy refill on that lap, boost continuously. Between that refill and
the next, budget your boosts to keep your speed up. Between the third
lap's refill and the end, boost continuously.
Silence:
Put the speed meter way over to the right. There are lots of speed
boosts and no turns. Just remember to hold up on the stick when you go
by the energy recharge zone, or you may fly off the track.
Sand Ocean:
While in the tunnels, try to stay on the bottom of them so that you
come out straight. That will also make you cover less distance,
thereby making your lap time less. Swing to the sides to pass other
cars, though. Don't forget the booster near the end of the second
tunnel.
Devil's Forest:
After deeply turning to avoid the rough, boost out.
Big Blue:
The boosts on the pipe make all the difference. The first is on the
top right, then the next is to the left, then straight, then left, and
all the rest are on the top right.
Port Town:
Use Z and R with the turns. Boost when you land from the big jump. Be
sure to hit the boost between the recharge lanes, unless you're really
low on energy.
Sector Alpha:
Be sure to hit the two boosters, and be aggressive! There are lots of
good places to attack here.
Red Canyon:
Be aggressive on the turns. Many people will crowd together, just
waiting for a side attack. Don't miss the boosters, except for those
in the recharge lanes if you're low on energy. Be careful on those
jumps!
Devil's Forest 2:
If you hit a booster before a turn and someone else doesn't, they can
be perfect prey for a spin. All of the boosters are important.
Conserve your boost, since it is easy to get carried away and blow
yourself up.
Mute City 2:
Try to hit all of the jumps, and watch out for others in the turns. If
you're in a narrow area, you may want to slow down so that you won't
hit someone ahead of you and boost them.
Big Blue 2:
The railless areas near the beginning are a great place to knock others
off with a bump. Just be careful with the turns, especially the one
after the energy recharge.
White Land:
Right after the rough is another great place to knock others off, and
the part after the boost is a great, long, narrow stretch of railless
pushing space. Just watch yourself. Be careful not to overjump in the
jumping area. Press up on the stick to point yourself down so you
don't miss the next jump.
Fire Field:
Try to clear the zig-zag area with the jump, and boost in the air if
possible. Don't miss the booster, stay out of the rough, and be sure
to straighten yourself out after the ramp near the end.
Silence 2:
After you hit the first boost, move away from the wall. Do the same
with the second. Since everyone else is near the wall, they will all
hit each other, and you may see a great spin opportunity on one of your
great rivals. Avoid the rough, and use Z and R to make deep turns when
necessary. On the railless corkscrew, a well placed spin could knock
out some rivals, but don't forget your own safety.
Sector Beta:
You may need to enter the rough to avoid the pack, but don't miss the
boost. The landing part after the jump and on the first loop is a
great place for rival disposal. Boost on the loop, but be very careful
of the railless turn ahead. After the second loop is another railless
area, with mines that may throw you off the track.
If you hit the first mine, you can get a nice speed boost, since it
throws you into the air. This does take some power away, so it might
not be a good idea on the second and third laps, as you'll most likely
be spending all of your energy on boosts. Contributed by Nicholas
Trotta.
Red Canyon 2:
This track is narrow. Always watch out for cars in front of you, and
attack when given the chance. Do NOT boost too much in the first area
with the walls on the sides, as you could fly right off the track. In
fact, due to the narrowness of the track, heavy boosting is not
advised, especially with low-body cars. Don't miss either of the boost
zones. If you hit a wall while in a boost zone, that's okay.
White Land 2:
The halfpipe. Very dangerous. A good side attack can knock many off
the track, including yourself. Watch the boosts, because you can't
recover from rocketing off the edge. If you miss a turn and fly up,
brake with C-Down and turn deep. The white, lined area near the end is
a great place to boost.
Mute City 3:
You won't find a turn less than 90° here. After hitting a jump, be
prepared to turn deep in the air. On the railless straightaway, get
ready for an upcoming railless turn, that could be difficult for you if
you boost. With practice, though, you should be able to make it even
at a high speed.
Rainbow Road:
Very much like that of Mario Kart 64, only at about 30x the speed.
There are plenty of trackless areas, so be careful. Try to hit all of
the energy and none of the mines while boosting like a maniac. If you
hit the drop in the beginning on lap 2 or 3 at high speeds, you may fly
into the air. Point yourself down and get back on the track. You'll
have a nice boost of your already great speed, thrusting you ahead
several places.
At the start of the first lap, try driving off the track at the large
dip, then pulling up and landing on the track at the bottom of the dip.
This can be difficult, but it can be done with practice. Contributed by
Nicholas Trotta.
Devil's Forest 3:
A very short track, with four railless places for dropping rivals who
were close behind you in the last race.
Space Plant:
If Big Blue's pipe wasn't enough for you, here's an even harder one.
The area before the pipe should pose no problem. The pipe itself has
no boosters, so try to stay on top, and on the pipe. You can fall off,
remember. Be sure to get all of the recharge, and be prepared to jump
after it. If your speed is high, you could jump near the beginning of
laps two and three, so be prepared to point yourself to land on solid
ground.
Sand Ocean 2:
Don't let this track's bumpy nature throw you off. Stay on the track,
hit the boosts, and turn deep when you have to. This isn't one of the
more difficult courses.
Port Town 2:
A recreation of the original F-Zero's Port Town II. This is a real
test of all your basic racing skills. Don't miss any recharge area.
You *might* need to brake for some turns. Nearly every turn will be
deep.
Big Hand:
Nearly the whole course is railless, so be very, very careful. Don't
try to turn on the ice, or you may fall off. Make turns after clearing
it. Since this is the last track, staying on won't be easy, so stay
alert.
_____________
VIII. Closing
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Contributors:
Nicholas Trotta ntrotta@engin.umich.edu
Everyone who emailed me about the 3 X's in VS slots
Version history:
1.3: Added Course Ghost to translations and Time Attack description.
Added the following reader contributions: Sector Beta mine
speed boost, Rainbow Road first lap speed boost, and 3 X's in
multiplayer slots. Added a new nickname.
1.2: New ASCII art at top. Nice, eh? With that huge X, you can
play your own little version of Denryu with the "I" cursor! :)
Width corrected for easier Notepad viewing. N64 Gazetta was
added to the sites carrying the FAQ (we've all been there,
right?). The Overview section was reworked a bit to include
graphics, sound, and 64DD info. Added some of what the VS
Slots do in the Secrets/Tricks section, but I haven't yet
figured them all out. Numerous spelling errors fixed. Added
American racer names. Replaced tabs with spaces.
1.1: Added alternate name for G-Zero (Zero Racers), Game Modes
section, stage strategies, new general strategies, the vehicle
editor rumor, info on getting the third title screen, and the
Nicknames section. All nicknames are from me, except for Mr.
EAD's Mario, which is common. If you have any, send them in!
Nintendojo and N64CC are now added to the sites carrying the
FAQ (thanks!). This is now a "FAQ/Guide" due to the larger
amount of strategies, as opposed to the old version's straight
info. It's now 225% as big as the original!
1.0: First release.
That's it for the F-Zero X FAQ. If you have any quesitons, would like
something added, want to contribute something (you will of course be
noted for doing so), or if you'd like to see FAQs for Blazing Dragons
and Dark Savior, e-mail me at megamanx@iname.com. And hey, check out
my Metal Gear Solid Boss Guide!
F-Zero X is a trademark of Nintendo. Copyright 1998 Nintendo.
This FAQ is copyright 1998 Michael Kelehan. Distribution is permitted
(in fact, it's encouraged) as long as this FAQ is unedited and in its
entirety. Don't sell it.
