F-Zero X is the sequel to a great futuristic racer released way back near the launch of the SNES, and it is worthy of the title it bears and even more worthy of the gamer's expectations. This game jumps leaps and bounds over its predecessor, improving on key points and aspects, which makes this game that much better than F-Zero on the SNES. And in Japan, with the N64DD, which has a release of a level editor/creator for F-ZERO X, this game seems to be the ultimate racing experience, even for the most cynical gamers who don't take that much interest in racing titles.

F-Zero X is a game that is about futuristic racing vehicles that are capable of speeds in excess of 1500 mph. All the vehicle models look different in ways, but they handle almost the same. Of course they all have their own statistics as in speed, handling, and acceleration, but, all in all, they have similar controls. Not that this is a bad thing, it just takes away from the possible replay value.

The basis of gameplay is pretty straightforward, much like the last one. You race through winding courses for a total of 3 laps (In the regular 1P mode, that is.), and after the first lap, you are able to access the turbo boosters, which propels your vehicle faster for a short amount of time. Unlike the first F-Zero, you can use the turbo boost as many times as you want to, providing you have energy left in your energy meter. When you use a boost, it takes away part of your energy meter. The energy meter is your "life", so to speak, and once that meter runs out, your car is destroyed and you lose the race. Your meter can only be lowered by hitting walls, using speed boosts, hitting or being hit by other racers, or the roulette machine accessible in the multiplayer races. In F-Zero for the SNES, you only acquired 1 speed boost after every lap completed after the first one, so the new method seems to be more risqué and fun, allowing for higher speeds and other cool things. Also, another thing that has changed since the first game is the walls. No longer are the walls lined with electricity, which tended to "suck" your vehicle in and start shocking the heck outta you. This game would really be hard if they had that in this game, since you lose energy using the turbo boosts.

This time around, there is a wide and varied field of characters to choose from, along with more tracks. There is sure to be a character there that fits your fancy, and, if you want tradition, there are even the 4 original pilots from the first game. Blue Falcon, driven by Captain Falcon; Golden Fox; Green Mongoose; and Fire Stingray, driven by Samurai Goroh. To get the other racers, you have to do/beat certain events and things in order to unlock the drivers and other stages. When you start to race a certain stage, you might want to adjust your car's settings in accordance to the stage's design. If you're racing a course that is entirely straight, move the bar all the way to the right to raise your max speed significantly but lower your acceleration, or vice versa.

There are a couple more races to choose from this time. There is even one called the Joker Cup, were the stage is decided at random. This is a dangerous thing to do, since you won't know what setting to put your car on, and you could possibly make a grave mistake. This is just another fun thing about this game, along with the roulette machine. In multiplayer, when one of the players die, providing that you have 3 or more players, the person that died can access a poker-like machine. With the right combination of symbols, it will cause some or all of the players alive to suffer dearly and die from hitting the edge of the wall with even the slightest of force.

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