The Way I See It: The Case for a New F-Zero

The Way I See It is a category of pieces that represent my personal opinions or reasoning on subjects I enjoy or have a lot to say about. Though I attempt to build these write-ups on on well-researched and verified information where relevant, as a general statement, I do not speak with absolute authority on any given matter covered. Thank you for your time.

(Apologies for any goofy formatting; It seems as though Blogger has broken a little more since I've last been around. This write-up is one I made back in either late 2017 or early 2018 for my.ign before it was shut down. Since that avenue has been closed off for posts and I have more free time on my hands now, I've decided to go back and try to preserve what I can until I put together new content. To those interested in this sort of thing, I hope you enjoy the following write-up in the mean time.)

Throughout their ventures in the world of Video Games, Nintendo's been known for their innovation, masterful game-design, lovable characters, and memorable franchises. Unfortunately, as time's gone on, some of these beloved series have seen fewer and fewer software releases for some reason or another. Whether because of the incompatibility of their principle concept with modern sensibilities, waning consumer interest, or something else altogether, fans can only look back at these games and wonder if they'll ever see another iteration again.

F-Zero is a notable example.

Today, I wanted to explore what I think is an interesting case for the release of another title in the F-Zero franchise sometime this console generation. Depending on how Nintendo would want to proceed with the game, there's a window of opportunity that would not only serve to satisfy the interests of a loyally waiting fanbase, but also answer an interesting question that's recently been raised by another franchise.

But before we go any further, let's start by looking back at why F-Zero's been left dormant for so long. 

A History of Decline

Many fans recognize F-Zero as a special part of their personal history as gamers, whether it be through a specific title they enjoy or the franchise overall. That's why there was an outpour of dismay when Miyamoto said: "since the first episode on SNES many games have been made but the series has evolved very little. I thought people had grown weary of it."

This quote comes from an interview with the French publication Game Kult back in 2012 and is part of his response to the question of why there hadn't been a new title released since 2004. Folks hung their heads low at Miyamoto's answer and insisted that his statement was unreasonable. What could lead him to think that people had grown weary of the franchise?

Well, the numbers don't lie. F-Zero's been in a steady sales decline since its inception.

If these numbers are even remotely accurate, it looks like F-Zero doesn't have much of a money maker to shake.

Though beloved by those who'd given it a chance, the F-Zero series has had a fairly meager player base throughout its life, and the release of each successive title has indicated an ever-waning interest in new releases by even those who'd picked up a predecessor.

Fortunately, Miyamoto isn't one to look at a game and dismiss it on basis of sales numbers alone. Instead, he sees the failure of the series to pick up interest as being the result of limited growth in the design across releases. Unfortunately, he's also indicated that he has yet to come across a solution to this pivotal issue.

In 2013, during an interview with IGN's own former editor, Richard George, Miyamoto said: "I think where I struggle is that I don’t really have a good idea for what’s new that we could bring to F-Zero that would really turn it into a great game again. Certainly I can see how people looking at Mario Kart 8 could see, through the anti-gravity, a connection to F-Zero. But I don’t know, at this point, what direction we could go in with a new F-Zero."

Overall, it seems fairly clear that Nintendo's been particularly careful about what they want to do moving forward on the matter. Although a vocal minority clamors for the return of the franchise, the low sales and limited evolution of the F-Zero experience seems to have brought us to where we are today: even less sure about the future of the series than ever before.

Anyway, now that some preface is on the table, let's get back to the topic at hand. 

An Interesting Opportunity

I believe that there's a pretty functional case for the release of a new title in the F-Zero series this console generation, and the most notable reason for this potential is actually quite indirect.

Unlike F-Zero, Mario Kart has proven itself as a widely beloved and ever growing franchise. A racing game in kind, the lighthearted, arcade experience has seen a home on every Nintendo console and handheld since the SNES and Gameboy Advance respectively. You know. Excluding the Virtual Boy. 

It's the recent launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch in particular where our opportunity lies.

Years later, I wonder if the Switch could inspire a suitable solution?

Though it IS a re-release, it's worth noting that Nintendo typically only puts out a single game in the Mario Kart franchise per console. With the inception of good online play, this kind release schedule is more sensible than ever. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also represents an unprecedented amount of content for a single title in its franchise, including all DLC from its Wii U iteration in the base package alongside further additions and improvements.

What would Nintendo do moving forward regarding this title?

Continued additions and support for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would be great to maintain an ongoing online community throughout the Switch's lifespan, but the amount already available means that it's unlikely a standard sequel can compete with its predecessor in terms of value from the get go. Any  more content might further set an unreasonable standard of expectation for future titles in the franchise. Leaving MK8 Deluxe as is and releasing a sequel in a few years instead is also difficult for another reason: An additional Mario Kart on the same console would serve to segment the online community and diminish the longevity of both titles overall.

That's where F-Zero could come in.

Releasing a new title in the F-Zero franchise with robust local and online functionality and novelties that make it unique when set beside its peer would give the Switch its first truly exclusive First-party racer, bring back a franchise that's long been dormant, and subvert the potential problems that might come with introducing a second Mario Kart to the console.

This could be a reasonable space for F-Zero to fill, but what of Miyamoto's worries about moving the series forward? That surely would take precedent with him. Has a solution been reached regarding the stagnation of the principle experience?

Well, in a 2015 interview, Miyamoto said: "We see a lot of other designers who are kind of making more traditional racing-style games, so we try to focus on something that feels a little bit more gamey. So maybe if we create a new type of controller interface and we find that controller interface is particularly suited for F-Zero, then maybe we’ll do something again with it in the future."

Some have taken this as a statement that indicates a will for blind innovation. That Miyamoto's idea of a solution is to use the franchise to shoe-horn some future gimmick instead of building a more traditional experience.

I think that it's actually the other way around.

It seems to me as though Miyamoto isn't trying to make F-Zero to sell some hardware novelty, but waiting for the hardware to provide an input method that inspires the evolution he thinks the game needs. He wants to build a title that is exemplified by this hypothetical new setup and serves as a strong foundation for the future of the series. He wants to make another F-Zero when an idea presents itself, and he believes that that idea may potentially come about when a new control system is made in the future. 

Of course, we can't know for sure if this particular issue has been put to rest until a new game is announced, but it is worth noting that the Joy-con and hybrid nature of Nintendo's latest console provide for the most versatile methods of input they've designed yet. There's still the possibility that the novelties presented by these developments aren't different enough to lend themselves to a new idea that Miyamoto deems fitting, but I think that there's still room for evolution in other areas and that the space that'll be left open towards the latter half of the Switch's life-cycle stands as a reasonably strong opening for a return of the series in any capacity if Nintendo is willing to take advantage of it.

Time will tell.

Closing

There's no guarantee that a new F-Zero game will be coming out, and I don’t see any outward indication that one is in active development, but I believe the current circumstances afford Nintendo an interesting opportunity to fill in the racing game niche sometime in the future.

Of course, timing is important, so I don’t think we’re likely to see an F-Zero game very soon regardless. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has released fairly recently and needs some room to breathe, and there are a fair number of recent futuristic racers on the market with Fast RMX, Red Out, and Wipeout Omega Collection. It’d be great to see a Nintendo spin on those kinds of racers, and I hope that they find a way to make it happen in the next few years.