F-Zero has been a dormant franchise for a couple of decades now. In fact, if it weren’t for the obvious appearances that Captain Falcon has been making in Super Smash Bros. games, you could get the impression that Nintendo has forgotten all about the series.
Well, according to a Video Games Chronicle interview with former Nintendo designer Takaya Imamura, it’s not that Nintendo has completely forgotten about the F-Zero franchise, it’s that they’re having a hard time bringing F-Zero back for various business-related reasons.
For example, when asked why F-Zero games need to innovate, while other franchises such as Kirby and Fire Emblem don’t, Imamura thinks that it’s due to “a question of sales”. Kirby and Fire Emblem make enough money that there isn’t a need to innovate much with those games, something that F-Zero doesn’t. There’s also the dilemma that, because the F-Zero series has been dormant for so long, a new game will have to appeal to a new generation of fans along with veterans of the series. Another reason why, according to Imamura, is because “Mario Kart is Nintendo’s most popular racing game, and a new F-Zero would cost a fortune”.
Lastly, in regards to reviving the franchise, Imamura says that “it is easy to revive IPs, but careful consideration is needed to produce them as something that really satisfies customers. Considering the cost, lots of people couldn’t work on franchises like F-Zero because they had more important games coming out. It’s difficult to manage everything with just Nintendo’s internal developers. That said, there are tons of people who want to make Nintendo titles, so if Nintendo has the confidence that they can make Nintendo games, they should pass it on to those people. Just look at how Donkey Kong Country turned out!”
I still find it bizarre that Nintendo can’t allow two racing properties to co-exist, especially when they used to make a lot of different ones for a single console like Mario Kart 64, F-Zero GX, 1080 Snowboarding, Wave Race, Cruisin’ USA, Diddy Kong Racing, etc…
Games were simply cheaper to develop back then. Times have changed
I miss the Yamauchi era.
At least remaster Fzero GX
Give it to Shinen. FAST RMX shows they could do it.
I believe Shin’en has stated they have no interest in working on Nintendo’s IPs and would rather do their own thing.
Reggie did say that the reason why there is no new game in the series because the company hasn’t come up with a new gameplay control elements being developed for a new game. Sometimes it’s really hard to bring franchise back from the dead without any ideas.
F-Zero has been gone for so long that just the revival of the series would be enough to drum up interest. I’d be upset if they suddenly decided to, for example, add weapons to the gameplay. That wouldn’t be F-Zero- that would just be Mario Kart on 350cc but with no respawning if you fall off or get hit. I’ve played recent anti-grav racers that include weapon combat like Pacer and Redout and they just don’t do it for me like F-Zero does.
How DKC turned out???
The franchise hasn’t had a new game in ten years… that’s how it “turned out” in the end.
Tropical freezes is basically Venture Bros at this point, it’s f’n amazing… but its at the end and is ignored by the masses.
While Mario is just like Rick and Morty… it’s everywhere you go, everyone and their goldfish knows of it.
Honestly, I have more faith that F-Zero will get a remake or a remaster before there’s a new Donkey Kong game or a remake of DKC 1-3.
I read the article and he says “I think it’s due to sales.” So even he’s not sure about the main reason and assuming. He’s just thinking of responses to questions like that, to respond.
Bring it back to its roots with a mode 7 scaling style, remastered tunes and stages from the first installment. The fist game was the best IMO
Ignoring that Super Mario Bros Wonder siding along Peach’s 2D game.
Will then yall should had never let Rare go N64 had Diddy Kong Racing akong with MK64. SM64 with Banjo-Kazooie and DK64.GameCube had Wind Waker with Star Fox Adventures. SNES had Super Mario Bros and DKC. It’s pitiful enough us Pikmin fans had to wait nearly a decade for Pikmin 4 but yall can make Tears of Kingdom Zelda and Galaxy 2 immediately.
Sort of was stupid to let Rare go. When Rare was with Nintendo they made games immediately. Unlike Nintendo. Who just makes one game then wait 25 years later to make a sequel, Rare made did like 40% of the software to Nintendo 64.
“yall can make Tears of Kingdom Zelda and Galaxy 2 immediately”
Tears of the Kingdom released over 6 years after Breath of the Wild. Hardly immediate – actually it was the longest wait for a main series Zelda game literally since the series began. And comparing Zelda and Mario – literally Nintendo’s crown jewel IPs – to series like Pikmin and F-Zero – is a bit silly.
Rare’s games are just brand names now. There was no point keeping Rare besides to inherit the IPs. The talent is over there. Kameo is one of the biggest disappointments I’ve ever played in my life.
The only thing that could make F-Zero innovate at this point is VR…
And yet one guy is making a spiritual successor to F-Zero with Aero GPX, by himself with one composer and one artist, through a Kickstarter that raised ~$115,000, and it looks great and feels amazing to play. A huge part of me thinks that completely diminishes the “costs a fortune” argument.
And screw innovation! F-Zero has been dormant for such a long time that to suddenly reinvent it would alienate the fans that have been begging for two decades. All I need from an F-Zero game are insane tracks, super smooth and responsive controls, the 30+ pilots and their machines, and the hard-as-hell difficulty the console games are noted for. I don’t want weapons, I don’t need VR, I just want more of the perfection that GX on the GameCube was.
LMAO
I read that without a coma. That MarioKart’s low sales is why there will never be another FZero. xDDDDDD
The only reason F-Zero gained any backing was because Captain Falcon got in Smash Bros. I hate that Smash gets used as an advertising vehicle for games people don’t care about (especially third parties). Ridley is the best character in it so whatever.
Low sales? Mk8 deluxe is no1 chart years! Must sale milions copies..
This article has allot of sentences that prove my point about things I have been saying for a very long time (over 15 years) what is wrong with Nintendo compared to the early days.
For example he mentions game like Kirby and Fire Emblem don’t need to innovate cause they will sell anyway. Ocarina of time was innovation at the time and a big step forward.Same with Breath of the Wild , Mario 64 but other games are still stuck in there 90s form wich is a shame in my opinion. Also not releasing F-Zero because it has to innovate for some reason sounds stupid. Mario Kart still feels the same to me , so does Street Fighter yet many people play it. Also not releasing it because of Mario Kart???
Another huge issue with Nintendo since Microsoft bought Rare is mentiont here , that they can’t make all these games with just Nintendo’s internal developers. I’m always having trouble buying this statement cause you can eather trust other company’s to do it like they did on the Snes and N64 or higher more people? Maby i’m thinking to easy here but if you sell over a 100 million consoles and loads of original IP games you can’t tell me that you don’t have the money.
All in all I have always been saying that Nintendo got lazy and keeps pumping out the same stuff. There not using a big part of there library , don’t come up with allot of new stuff like they used to and when they do it’s nowhere close as good as the old franchises and allot of that is explained in this article.
I don’t know. Sure its hard to make all these games with some internal workers but again eather get outside company’s in or hire more people with the hundreds of millions you make.
After all the nerds get excited about a new Fzero, they will then play the remaster and it wont be anything great they havent seen before. Half will drop off and the small crowd remaining will be shouting how incredible it is.
I actually think Nintendo is working on a new F-Zero. Mario Kart has nothing to do with any of it and if Fast RMX, Grid, Wipeout and Redout doesn’t show there is interest in the game then I don’t know what to tell you.