MIXED MEDIA
Nintendo's F-Zero GX is 'fastest racing game'
By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service
Now that the kids are back at school, they'll be none the wiser if mom and dad secretly power up the GameCube for a little fun.
F-Zero GX and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour are two new — and extraordinary — video games for Nintendo's cube-shaped console that should appeal to those young or young at heart.
F-Zero GX
- Platform: Nintendo GameCube
- Web site: www.f-zero.jp
- Rating: T for teen
- Price: $49.99
If speed kills, then F-Zero GX should get a life sentence.
This joint effort between Nintendo and Sega's Amusement Vision studios in Japan is arguably the fastest racing game to date. Game play involves driving futuristic hovercraft at speeds of up to 1,000 mph, and through nearly two dozen colorful environments.
The goal? To become the fastest racer in the universe.
The racing is so fast and intense, players must virtually memorize each track so they can anticipate, then execute the turns before it's too late. These alien speedways are also filled with obstacles, jumps and turbo boost power-ups.
As with past F-Zero games in this series, players must vie for coveted cups as one of 30 or so "pilots." Each vehicle varies in weight, grip, boost capability, and so forth.
Only four racers are available at the onset of the main Grand Prix mode, but the rest are unlocked after successful matches. Cash credits are also awarded from winning races, which can then be used to customize the vehicles.
Players can save their custom coupe to a GameCube memory card (sold separately) and bring it to the arcades to play on the coin-operated F-Zero AX, due to arrive next month.
F-Zero GX is fast, furious and anything but an easy ride. Fortunately, it's a fun-filled one, too.
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
- Platform: Nintendo GameCube
- Web site: www.mario-golf.com
- Rating: E for everyone
- Price: $49.99
It's tough to create a golf game to contend with the likes of EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf or Microsoft Game Studios' Links golf series, so Nintendo pulled out its secret weapons: Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi and Luigi.
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour isn't trying to be a realistic golf simulation as with its aforementioned competition, but it's a fun and relatively deep digital diversion nonetheless.
As many as four players can tee off as or against many of Nintendo's classic characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Peach cannot hit the ball as far as others (about 200 yards) but lifts the ball high. Donkey Kong, on the other hand, can hit the ball farther (about 215 yards) but lacks control.
Some of the modes are straightforward golf games, while others provide unconventional objectives such as hitting the ball toward coins so the golfer can collect more of them than his or her competitor. Other arcade-like additions include piranha plants and Chain Chomps that can take a bite out of the golfer's chances.
One of the game's greatest assets is its intuitive control scheme. Novice and seasoned players will be able to pick up and play with little trouble. There are customizable options for manual or automatic swing modes.
