The Untold Secrets Behind the Mysterious Hiatus of a Beloved Nintendo Series

A former Nintendo employee recently revealed why there has not been a new F-Zero game in nearly two decades. The original F-Zero game, released in 1990 for the Super NES, captivated gamers with its innovative "Mode 7" pseudo-3D graphics and imaginative futuristic setting. This paved the way for a whole new genre of futuristic racing games, such as Wipeout and Star Wars Episode 1: Racer. The F-Zero series takes place in the distant year of 2560, where Earth's encounters with aliens led to the creation of a high-stakes sport where competitors race hyperfast hovercrafts across intergalactic landscapes.

Since its debut, four sequels to F-Zero have been released on various Nintendo consoles. Additionally, an anime adaptation was produced in the mid-2000s, and the franchise's main character, Captain Falcon, has become a recognizable figure in the Super Smash Bros. series due to his infamous "Falcon Punch" move. However, outside of Japan, no new F-Zero game has been released since 2004's F-Zero GP Legend for the Game Boy Advance, and there have been no new releases at all after F-Zero Climax in the same year.

Years later, Takaya Imamura, a former Nintendo employee and renowned artist for F-Zero, shared his insights on various aspects of his career in an interview with VGC. Imamura shed light on the reason behind the absence of F-Zero from the gaming landscape for the past 19 years, expressing his belief that Nintendo has intentionally refrained from releasing new installments to avoid competition with their immensely popular racing game, Mario Kart. Imamura emphasized that creating a new F-Zero game would incur significant costs, given the overwhelming success of Mario Kart.

While there may not be a new F-Zero game in development for Nintendo, there are rumors circulating about a potential remaster of one of the previous installments for the Switch. Next Level Games, known for their work on Luigi's Mansion and Mario Strikers, has been mentioned as the studio behind the remaster of F-Zero GX. Despite the claims made by a reliable Nintendo leaker, there has been no official announcement regarding this update.

In recent years, prominent figures such as former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime have suggested that Nintendo could potentially revive the dormant F-Zero franchise as early as 2023. However, Imamura, another notable individual, believes this is unlikely due to the success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Imamura explains that Nintendo is cautious about releasing two major racing titles for the Switch, as it may divide the market. As a result, it may be a considerable amount of time before fans can experience the thrilling world of F-Zero once again.

Source: VGC