F-Zero GX Has Aged Like Fine Wine on Switch 2

I've been taking a much-needed holiday this last week, looking after myself at home while catching up on a few games. Having unlocked most things in Mario Kart World, I soon jumped back into an old favourite, F-Zero GX. It's been a long time since I revisited the original version on GameCube, and it's still a banger even now.

Released back in 2003, F-Zero GX was developed in collaboration between Nintendo and Sega's Amusement Vision team. Not familiar? These days, it's known as Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the Like a Dragon/Yakuza team. Building upon the foundations of the N64's F-Zero X, the end result became one of the best racing games of that generation.

Given the Switch 2 launch line-up of other racing games like Mario Kart World, Fast Fusion, and other ports like Ridge Racer, I worried that F-Zero GX would feel past its prime. It's always been a tricky racer due to its sensitive steering, one that requires precision as you drift around corners and often feels like you're wrestling the car. That much hasn't changed just because it's on shiny new hardware, yet the racing remains utterly thrilling.

I particularly like how F-Zero GX heavily encourages foul play, too. There's nothing clean about these races as you watch the 30-person grid spin attack rivals, or slam straight into the side of them. Hell, there's been plenty of races where I actively made it my aim to only eliminate my highlighted 'Rival', who's the person closest to me in the points across each cup.

Slamming into them immediately after getting off the line? Truly beautiful.

Of course, there's nothing stopping these computer-controlled opponents from doing the same, and this creates strategy with your energy bar. It's both your boost gauge and your shield at the same time, meaning depleting this gauge for speed boost can be highly risky as you navigate tight corners. Should you run out and get hit, that's game over and a full retry; there's no Lakitu here to pull you back on track. Well, you could use save states, I suppose, but that wouldn't feel right.

Success comes down to two major factors: balancing your slider between prioritising top speed or acceleration, and learning the track layouts. Trickier circuits aren't in short supply, filled with various anti-gravity twists and turns that can be a little disorienting at first. It takes time, and this may frustrate some people, but putting in the commitment is incredibly rewarding when you snatch victory seconds before the end.

While other options like multiplayer and time trials are available, I'm mostly sticking to the Grand Prix mode with different cups and Story Mode. Playing as Captain Falcon, this nine-chapter story is precisely what you'd expect from a mid-2000s game. Overly dramatic, questionable voice acting, unintentionally funny, plus some uniquely stressful challenges like escaping an exploding building or not dropping below a certain pace, à la Speed. Hardly a masterpiece in storytelling, but it's goofy fun that keeps life interesting.

Visually, its presentation still holds up well. The cutscenes are undeniably looking rough twenty years on, yet F-Zero GX remains a colourfully pleasing racer with some strong environmental designs. GameCube games on Switch 2 are 4:3 aspect ratio by default, so it's great that F-Zero GX always included a native widescreen mode. Just make sure you visit the 'Options' menu in-game.

My only major gripe is that the default control scheme doesn't fit the Switch 2 well, either in handheld mode or with a Pro Controller. I'm not inclined to spend £59 on the Switch 2 GameCube Controller, either. Boosting is activated by the Y button, which is rather awkward when you're already pressing A for acceleration. Thankfully, remapping that to the left shoulder button fixes this. I also swapped side attacks to the right shoulder button, which feels more comfortable.

Here's my current setup for reference.

I'm not intending this to be a full review of this GameCube classic, so I'm not going too in-depth on all the various gameplay aspects. What I will say is that after loading up F-Zero GX on a Monday morning as a curiosity, I didn't expect to still be playing continuously into that same evening. I'll be eagerly unlocking the remaining racers in the coming weeks.

The controls don't feel as smooth as Fast Fusion, yet this futuristic racer is a more rewarding experience that delivers some excitingly frantic action. I don't like that it's gated behind a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, as I'd rather buy it outright. Still, there are enough differences between these games to make both worth checking out on Switch 2. Two decades on, it's still got it.