I would buy this game if I could.
I can understand how opinions could vary on this game, considering there isn't a story mode or a campaign to tie these courses together. It mainly relies on the gameplay loop being entertaining enough to keep players interested.
But I cannot express how much more fun this game is than I was initially expecting it to be since I haven't found much interest in the other 99-player games made during the Switch generation.
But the amount of content, the variety of customizable items you can get, and the legitimately really great online play and balancing make for a really addicting game to play.
Some might not consider this a mainline F-Zero game, but with the amount of engagement I have seen with this game, I would legitimately be surprised if no new F-Zero came of this.

A really fun and surprisingly more substantial game than i was expecting. Unlike Tetris 99, every mode in this game is free and there are always active events that you can participate in, in addition to the default 99 mode. There's even an offline practice mode and some customization options for you car, which doesn't really affect game-play at all but is cool nonetheless.

The actual game-play in 99 mode is very hectic and most of the time it doesn't feel like you have too much control over what's going on, but somehow I still found it fun, and if that's not your style there are other game-modes offered in the events section such as classic races. The UI design in my opinion is way better than Tetris 99, and one really cool detail I'd like to mention is that there are a ton of references to and usages of classic F-ZERO art, which I found really cool.

This game definitely goes above whatever expectations I had for a free F-ZERO game and is an awesome and much needed bonus reason to actually pay for Nintendo Switch online.

With the new addition of private lobbies, I'm raising my rating for this game up a point. It's actually kind of insane that we now have a new F-Zero game with an actual non-99-player multiplayer mode, and it's still free to play! At this point, I think it's safe to call F-Zero 99 a full-fledged game, all its own, and that's so damn exciting.

If you weren't interested in this game when it first came out, you should know that this game is a lot more beginner-friendly than you may expect. And if you were interested in this game for a bit but fell out, the addition of private lobbies makes this the perfect time to revisit the game. Play this freaking game, people

For what it represent, on paper F-Zero 99 should have been a disappointing release: fans of the series have begged Nintendo for a new game or even a port of older titles for decades, just to get the "Tetris 99" version of what many consider the weakest title of the franchises.... a title that may potentially be shut down in the future, considering the limited runs of similar Switch projects.

But after playing it.... you get it! This is a great addition for any Switch player.
It takes the adrenaline inducing energy and speed, and the risk-reward boos system... and puts 98 other players into the circuit, creating a exelerating multyplayer experience that I feel surpasses the chaos of past 99 titles.

Being a free-to-play experience means that it is pretty limited in its scope. The various modes and tracks go on rotation, it's doesn't add a lot of variety in customization and overall designs, and I kinda wish more pilots where playable (I know we got the main 4 from the OG F-zero, but it would be cool to see some X newcomers recreated in the SNES design, Like Mighty Gazelle, Jody Summers or Black Shadow).

Bu the costant additions of modes and circuits, alongside the costant stream of online players makes it an always enjoyable experience.

If this will not be a side mode in a future F-Zero, I will feel betrayed. Icredible udea and realization.

This review's been a bit of a long time coming, but here it is at last. I meant to push this one out sooner but then the devs decided to give us more content across multiple unexpected occasions, those bastards. Jesting aside I had progressed fairly far into my review of this one, the day before the update to add Classic was pushed. So I delayed a bit to give my thoughts more time to settle... and then they decided to add Frozen Knight League after that, too. AND then they went ahead to add secret tracks after that! All this combined with working a new job giving me some varying amounts of free time, this review just naturally took longer to make as I had more content to consider, segments of a review to rewrite, and not always a ton of time to get all that done. But we're here now! F-Zero 99, a long awaited revival for this beloved waiting franchise. And apparently a divisive one at that?

I'll be honest, I'm really sad I had the surprise of this one spoiled ahead of time by a leak that said we'd be getting an F-Zero battle royale game. Yet even from this offset I was really hyped for the idea; F-Zero has always been a large-scale death race, it is actually perfect for a battle royale entry. If nothing else it certainly fits better than Mario, Pac-Man, arguably Tetris too (not to speak ill on any of those games) so retrospectively I'm surprised few people brought up the idea until it happened out of nowhere. Alas, from what I've seen the divide on this one comes from people who've only/primarily played the 3D games- X and GX -against those who are fans of the original 2D style. If my last review of the SNES original didn't paint me as being in that latter camp then I'll say it again, I really love the 2D F-Zero style even if I haven't spent the most time with the GBA titles; so it mainly comes back to the SNES original which is no doubt due to a fair bit of nostalgia bias too. Regardless, I think a return to the series roots for this entry was a fair enough decision and quite possibly one the better choice over using a 3D-era game too. For reasons I'll get into a bit later, but I will say upfront that I don't think this game would've been worse off for using X or GX as a template instead of the 1990 game. How is this game as it is though? Let's finally delve into that.

As everyone knows by know, F-Zero 99 is a reinterpretation of the original F-Zero game as a 99-player battle royale of sorts. 99 pilots enter in a bid to finish 1st, or settle for finishing at all in some cases; simple as can be. How it goes about this is giving us all of the original F-Zero tracks to race upon, with the courses widened and otherwise minimally modified to make the races less of a clusterfuck as they otherwise would be. If this sounds very easy, then it's really really not, but the same can definitely be said of the original F-Zero too. Except now it has a major feature I felt it lacked, multiplayer. In fact it's pretty much now an exclusively multiplayer experience, fitting with the whole battle royale style. Whilst tutorials are done against CPUs and will fill-up any empty lobby slots when the open entry period is left to run-down, the true meat of any singleplayer content is in the returning practice mode which rightfully has ALL of the tracks as an option now. But for the most part, you will be playing the multiplayer modes and I feel the game is far more fun in this format. Don't get me wrong I still adore the original F-Zero (it was my previously published review as mentioned) but the challenge in that game is either nonexistant or you having to steal wins against cheating CPUs who won't die even if a nuke drops, whilst in 99 the playing field is actually even at base-level; what will truly set pilots apart here are their individual skill level and familiarity with both their vehicle and the course being raced on. You know, as it should be? And it's really hard to find a particular fault in this aspect of the game by itself, as all four of the vehicles are perfectly viable and able to get 1st place wins with if you know what you're doing. It helps as well that they all offer different styles of play, so you can try out all four and see which one of them fits you the best.

Despite basically being the original F-Zero, it still stars some changes of its own. For one, the original boost system is replaced by what we've had in basically every game since X. Rather than earning boost charges each lap, you can boost at any time by using your vehicle's power meter. Whilst a simple and much appreciated change it does make the game more different by itself, most notably the Golden Fox goes from being really bad to actually usable (and debatably the best vehicle in the game now) and changing how you can approach certain courses and their shortcuts. This does mean that Mute City III is basically nothing but Mute City I with a different palette and noob trap mines however, since you can very easily take the boost shortcut from the first lap. Still, the system is very well implemented and much appreciated even if I still quite like the original boost charge mechanic too. The bigger change is the addition of supersparks and the skyway, which fits the 99 format perfectly: Dropped by other racers or from colliding with the big boy golden bumpers, supersparks fill-up a meter of their own just below your machine's power that allows you to use the skyway when filled all the way. The skyway is basically a personal(ish) road above the road that you can travel on for a limited time by using your collected sparks, giving you some extra boost pads to which altogether really lets you cut ahead of the competition and makes for some really great comebacks. What makes this perfect to me is that the duration of the skyway is based on your proximity to the player currently in first, making it more of a thought process as to when you should use it rather than becoming "press the button to win". When and where you should use it varies by the specific course you're racing on, where on the course you're situation, how far from the lead of the pack you are, how many other racers are also using the skyway... you could definitely ignore all that and just use it as soon as you get it of course but I really like having to think about when to use my super special power-up in a game like this, either reaping the rewards or sitting in regret as I instead crash out stupidly after it ends. Additionally, the spin attack seen in future F-Zero games makes a return here although without sacrificing your speed as it so often does. It serves as an equally effective offensive and defensive maneuver here considering the side-swipe wasn't added, which I think works out for the better given the more simple designs of this game compared to what came later. Side-swipes are also far more devastating attacks to be on the receiving end of which would be particularly potent in a battle royale game with 99 players... the spin attack was a perfect addition and fits fantastically, letting you defend yourself when your power is critically low or taking out a pesky bumper (and maybe sneaking a KO on a player who got too greedy with their boosts).

The changes to the system make the game much better suited to the battle royale format and give it an inviting feel to those unfamiliar with F-Zero, without completely neglecting the need for skill. This is where I think using the SNES original as a template was the perfect decision: In the 3D F-Zero games and especially in GX, there's quite a bit of player-applied tech that ranges from situationally useful to basically required at certain difficulty levels. Combine this with the less forgiving track design the deeper into the game you get and it would honestly be a terrible introduction to people who are only now being given the chance to try and F-Zero game. This series has always had a bit of a competitive focus with thrilling high-tier difficulty being what makes many of us love it as much as we do, and this can include the original game for sure. But when we delve into player-applied tech... the SNES F-Zero only really has boosting into a wall for a rebound, mashing the acceleration button whilst turning corners, or using up/down on the D-Pad when airborne (though this is something the game outright tells you about). You can also play the game perfectly fine without using such techniques despite being given an easier time on certain tracks when knowing how to use them, compared to the much higher skill ceiling demanded in the 3D games. For as much as I would love to be able to play GX online with 29 other players, I think they made the right move in giving us a reimagining of the first game. It's not only easier for them to develop content for and easier to make work with the 99-player format but the more evened skill-level of the game overall makes it easy for players both new and old to pick it up, hop into some games, and have a good time with one another. Veterans will quite naturally have an advantage but this game is so easy to pick-up and play that newcomers who end up enjoying the core gameplay should catch up before long, or hell even just enjoy comfortably playing at their own pace. Battle royales are naturally a bit competitive but something like this can certainly be enjoyed casually, which F-Zero 99 offers through a handful of alternative gameplay modes beyond hopping into a single-race.

Getting it out of the way first, there's Team Battle. Racers are split between differently coloured teams and race to get the most points for their team, the one with the most collective points at the end wins. It's a fun distraction the first few times but a month or so into the game I quickly started to skip chances to play it, so pretty much after I got the profile cosmetics you can unlock from this mode. It can be fun given it's still F-Zero but this particular format is not too much my thing I guess. What is right up my alley are the Grand Prix events, as well as Mini Prix events by extension; the Grand Prix comes in three flavours of Knight, Queen, and King leagues just like the original F-Zero game. And the courses you play on are the same as in the original, except the further into the races you go the higher you must play to continue the grand prix and progress to the next track. 99 players on the first track, down to a measly 20 on the final track! This is an incredibly fun game mode that really puts your skills to the test, with mechanics such as gaining power meter extensions/restorations from scoring a KO coming properly in clutch when you get the hang of them considering the additional power carries over to future races in that event. It can be difficulty to get a super high power meter, but it really does make the difference given it allows you to play more aggressively and utilize boots more frequently compared to other players with less power meter. You can still make it all the way to finishing a grand prix without this though, although to get top-3 (let alone be the overall winner) it becomes a lot more essential in order to keep-up with the competition. With how you earn entries for grand prix events just by playing the game normally, it makes the mode a properly fun and rewarding test of your track knowledge and racing skills when they come around. It's such a simple idea much like the rest of the game itself, but it ends up creating something incredibly thrilling and enjoyable.

...but that's not all! Because as I was writing this review, we had a new update to include an extra game mode: Classic. This returns the boost system to how it was in the original SNES game (rip Golden Fox mains) whilst also shrinking tracks back down to their original sizes and limiting lobbies to 20 players. They even go so far as to modify the camera angle to make it feel more like the original game, too. As someone who has obsessed over the SNES F-Zero this mode was practically made for me and I was so giddy when it first game out, but even looking back on it now I still absolutely love getting the chance to play it whenever it comes up. The 99 format works perfectly for this game and yet the original game just made into a multiplayer experience works just as well, being a real testament to how this franchise has always fit the mold for a battle royale format. With this update also came 'lucky ranks', a once-per-day gameplay system that gradually awards you parts for unique profile backgrounds exclusively obtained through this mode. Essentially, you get up to five of these a day and they equate to randomly chosen racing ranks or can sometimes be a randomly chosen vehicle. Match up as many as you can to get bonus EXP and bounty chips that eventually award you a background. It's a neat little addition that doesn't ask much of you, really just keep playing the game and you'll get stuff that way. Typically you can get a background from this mode every five/six days, depending on a few factors (including how often you play the game of course). I do think it can be a little punishing for players who consistently rank in certain areas though, as in order to get more from the lucky ranks you need to be landing in a wide number of positions which can mean intentionally tanking races at certain points. I've never done as such myself, but on days with particularly bad runs I have certainly gotten more consecutive lucky ranks than on days I've been at my best off the bat. In this regard it makes the system open to players of all skill levels and I do like that, I can't get much upset at the system's flaws either as it is random cosmetic fluff at the end of the day. Nothing you won't get within a period of time regardless of how good or bad you play; as long as you are playing and finish at least five races per day, you'll get bounty chips to acquire a profile background. It's harmless for the most part.

And then as I was ready to wrap the review again, they went and added the limited-time Frozen Knight League event. Starting in mid-December and concluding mid-January, all Knight League tracks were given special snowed-over variants that slightly modified the courses; new graphics, of course, but also some layout changes that primarily came in the form of adding slip zones to crucial points of the courses. From completing certain tasks by playing on these tracks in regular 99 races and by competing in the special Frozen Knight League Grand Prix, you could earn special cosmetic items for your profile as well as the much-coveted snowy blue boost that not only changes the boost colour and changes the default engine emission from orange to blue but also gives your machine a little snowy effect each time you use the spin attack. Rewards you could gain from just playing the game and having fun with it, making them feel like proper rewards and not something to grind painstaking hours for. I think I got all the special rewards in three or so days? It was quite early into the event, but I still loved my time with the specially modified tracks whilst they were there. AND then this leads into what is currently the latest update (I'm going to scream if they jump my review again with yet another update, I swear)... two major features were added, the easiest to address being private lobbies. It's what it says on the tin, you can play in games with friends without having to rely on a dice roll to see if you get in the same public lobby. There are some slight progression nerfs presumably to stop people cheesing with a second account, but that's fine. I have no use for private lobby mode anyways but it's something I did feel the game was lacking, so it's a much appreciated addition.

The star addition of this update has been secret tracks, however. When playing a 99 race, there's a chance of one of the course vote options instead being a glitched-out "???" selection that randomly flashes between the existing course previews. This is what I thought was their way of preserving Frozen Knight League tracks as I was initially taken to a secret track that looked like the frosted Death Wind variant, except when I got into the race I quickly heard the music was different... and then saw the layout was utilizing elements of the White Land tracks mixed into the Death Wind I layout: "White Winds" as it has since been dubbed fans. There are currently four secret tracks in the game and I don't want to spoil the other three even if most people who've played this game no doubt know the secret tracks by now, but holy SHIT am I all for these being in the game! ...whilst fans have quite quickly cracked the timing on when a lobby will be given a secret track option, making them very easy to scout-out now, they are still incredibly exciting to find and race upon. Remixing existing tracks into something a little less familiar and quite a bit more challenging, this is one of the best additions the game has received beyond the rollout of all the original courses (which concluded early into the game's life anyways). Whilst many of us have been hoping for the 'BS F-Zero' tracks to make a return in this game, and quite less optimistically hoping for future F-Zero tracks to be remade in this mode-seven style, this is a clever and efficient way of filling the void of new tracks by utilizing existing assets to create something different and entertaining. My main gripe with these tracks are how they can be a fair bit unforgiving to new players considering they like to mix-in elements from tracks that are reserved to grand prix events, tracks the game is knowingly calling 'pro tracks' when they show-up in a separate rotational mode. As an avid F-Zero player I'm all for seeing these tracks done the way they are but thinking about how it might look to the perspective of a newcomer... yeah these tracks must seem quite unfair? Especially if they haven't yet wandered into the Grand Prix events to unlock the base tracks for practice, let alone experience them once. Still, I think secret tracks are a healthy addition to this game on the whole and I seriously hope we get more of them if don't end up getting entirely new tracks instead. Or hell, give us both! Please?

Whilst my initial draft of this review had left me cautiously optimistic but unwilling to believe Nintendo's commitment to supporting this game long-term. But we're here SIX MONTHS later and they're still giving it attention with excellent additions such as Frozen Knight League and secret tracks injecting fresh life to the bloodstream of the game, when I was originally believing they'd pull the plug not too long after they released the King League in full. This game has made me so happy, bringing new attention to F-Zero and getting new fans into the mix after this franchise experienced a near-20 year hiatus that very few people believed it would ever escape. It's made me really happy to see the series come back in any form, and having a game that means so much to me be meaningfully remade into a format that I am now absolutely obsessed with and can enjoy in multiplayer form- the way F-Zero always should've been -is incredible. I have my biases in giving this game a 4.5/5 and I will openly admit to it, I just can't help myself though. This is how you take a classic game and remix it into something new yet familiar for audiences of all kinds, THIS is how you do a free-to-play done right: F-Zero 99 is a fun time that rewards you for simply playing the game at your own pace. In a world full of $70 crap that still has mobile game microtransactions shoved in, this has been a much welcomed change of pace and so it's no surprise this has quickly become a game I've sunk hours upon hours into. Provided they continue to update this game the way they have been, I'll gladly give this game another log when it's first year anniversary comes around this September.

Whew... that's a lotta words. My next F-Zero review, hopefully coming out soon, will certainly be a lot shorter since there isn't much to say on it. But it is our last stop in SNES realm for the time being. There's some other games I have to catch-up on with logs coming in due course, too, one of them hopefully being tomorrow. The last of my 2023 review, and another free-to-play I have accidentally formed an obsessive relationship with. Until then, hope you enjoyed this massive wall of fangirl text!