 New
system launches are always a time of anticipation and excitement.
The games that are available at a system's launch often set the
tone for the system's future and are subject to more scrutiny than later games.
This is especially true of first party titles and third party
exclusives. Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur identify the Dreamcast
launch. N64 launched with Super Mario 64 and PilotWings. PlayStation arrived
with Toshinden and Ridge Racer. Most recently,
the PlayStation 2 launched with Tekken Tag Tournament and Madden
NFL 2001. Now, a new launch is upon us with the newest
incarnation of the GameBoy and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity is a first party
launch title with a history of it's own.
The F-Zero series is
generally credited with the introduction or popularity of the
futuristic racer genre. Games like Extreme G, Wipeout, Rollcage and a
host of others follow in F-Zero's footsteps. Many gamers remember the
original SNES F-Zero fondly, and the N64 sequel was an overlooked gem.
GameBoy Advance receives its very own member of the series
Visually, Maximum
Velocity is very similar to the SNES F-Zero. It
uses sprites as vehicles on a 2D moving background. The sense of speed
is very well done, without a hint of slowdown. Vehicles
and levels are easy to see, and the overall visual scheme is slick.
Displays are of such
size that they are clear and easy to read without interfering with the
track and car graphics.
 The
sound on Maximum
Velocity is similar to the SNES games, but seems a little higher in
quality. Music is a blend of techno and synth rock. Some tunes are
forgettable and others are fairly smooth. The sound effects are much like
the SNES version, which is to say, pretty good. Nintendo
has also made good use of the surround sound capability of GameBoy
Advance. You can hear drivers in different
positions around you, a very neat effect that can help you in blocking
potential passers. As with all GameBoy Advance games, the sound is much
better through a good set of headphones rather than the unit's
built-in speakers.
Maximum
Velocity has 3
basic modes of play: Grand Prix, Training and Championship. Grand Prix
has 4 circuits comprised of 5 tracks and there are 4 levels of
difficulty. Training allows you to pick your competition, track, and
set everything up to your customized design. Championship is timed
racing against a track ghost. The game also features 2 multiplayer
modes. Two to four players (and the computer) can race the same model car on
one track if there is only one cartridge and 4 linked GBAs. If all the
players have the cart, then all the tracks and cars that the players
have earned are available for racing. Racing
against human opponents is very entertaining, and there is no lag once the race has been
loaded.
 F-Zero:
Maximum Velocity takes the
smart track design of its predecessors and expands on it with a
slightly altered play style. Drivers are still given a turbo boost for
each lap completed, but Maximum
Velocity adds the blast turn. A blast turn occurs
when the throttle is pulsed, and it is used to counteract the force of
momentum through a turn. Blast turns are useful, because this F-Zero
is much more focused on drift driving and all of the cars have weaker
traction than in past versions. Maximum Velocity also
features several races that let the
cars catch some air.
F-Zero: Maximum
Velocity is not an innovative game. It is, however, a great looking and
playing game. It has enough track and difficulty settings for the
beginner and expert, and it has a great multiplayer mode. Overall,
it's a good
addition to the GameBoy Advance library and a excellent launch game.
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