I think the time is right for the return of F-Zero with a full new game. We're in an age where characters help sell games in titles such as Overwatch. F-Zero has a vast and eclectic cast of characters that nearly no other racing game can match, though the games so far have completely failed to deliver on their potential. There's a world in F-Zero that's just waiting to be blown out.
Imagine the next Nintendo Direct. The presentation closes with a mysterious trailer. An upbeat rock song (
something like this) starts playing as we see a massive futuristic stadium from ground level. The ground starts to rumble and hordes of people start rushing the stadium from behind the camera. We cut to an aerial shot as we see hordes of people FLOODING the stadium. Whatever this is must be a big fuckin' deal. Cut to inside the arena as we see Bio Rex posing for a picture with a family, flexing as he has kids on each shoulder. We see quick shots of Dr. Stewart signing autographs and Mighty Gazelle shaking hands with his fans. Suddenly, it's race time as the racers rush to their machines intermixed with quick cuts to the titantron showing their names and nicknames. Captain Falcon is last to the starting line as we cut to black just after the machines rise off the ground. The music drops and we cut to gameplay with an absolutely blistering sense of speed. The UI is more dynamic this time around with the speedometer numbers going fuckin' NUTS as the machine boosts, showing that doing so is pushing this machine to its absolute limits. Suddenly, an unknown vehicle blasts by everyone else. This is our rookie ace pilot and our protagonist in story mode. We then see quick shots of story mode showing dialogue with other racers, vehicle customization, and free 3D on-foot movement around a hub world. Back to the race, our rookie and Captain Falcon are neck and neck at the finish line as Black Shadow looms in the sky behind them. "F-ZERO"
I've been thinking about this a lot recently for whatever reason, like what my ideal F-Zero would be in 2019. F-Zero is the world of a shounen battle game anime like Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh!, where the sport of F-Zero is literally the only thing that matters. And yes, that's silly, but we'll take it seriously because the universe plays it completely straight. Racers would have their own fanbases - you would be able to see kids in the crowd wearing Captain Falcon masks and Bio Rex heads, for example. The racers would be totally idolized by the galaxy and this would help add weight and more dramatic tension to races. In the game's marketing, character specific trailers like in Overwatch or Team Fortress 2 would be vitally important to get fans attached to them as well. Who are these people? Why are they racing? Who do they like and dislike? This information is crucial to develop these characters as people you can get attached to.
I'm envisioning the story mode somewhat like Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain where you'll be able to interact, align with, and antagonize the other characters. And yes, there would be a persistent SSX Tricky-style rival system throughout races. You might be contacted by mafia boss Don Genie to "take care of" Roger Buster and Drax in the next race because they botched a job for him. Doing so would pay well, which would allow you to buy parts and upgrade your machine, but enemies would also be created. Or you could turn the tables on Don Genie by destroying his Fat Shark during the race which would have different consequences. Or maybe Dr. Stewart asks you to donate some cash for his medical research, which would align you with him and he would assist you in the next race. This would be a fully reactive shounen style storyline with the works - best friends, bitter rivals, dastardly betrayals and miraculous victories. The characters are the focus and interaction with them is key. GX gave us the tiniest morsel of this with stuff like the story mode chapter 3 cutscene, but I want so much more.
That's basically what I want from F-Zero (single player at least). The series' vast array of colorful characters should be fully utilized for audience engagement and dramatic stakes. Aside from that I'd probably want similar things as everyone else. Track editing features (with online file sharing), online multiplayer, and the return of death race would all be great features. F-Zero GX should absolutely be the base for gameplay, though the different turning methods could be better explained to the player.
F-Zero has such potential and it pains me to see it neglected. There's so much more to say but I'll leave it at that.
