While many Nintendo franchises are already well represented on Switch, fans still await a modern rendition of perhaps the biggest racing franchise from the Big N outside Mario Kart, F-Zero. While the aforementioned kart racer brings loads of fun, it doesn’t quite have the flashy, futuristic themes or thrilling speeds to satisfy some F-Zero fans.
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The F-Zero series has a lot of great titles, but which game is the best of the best?
Given that we haven’t seen a new console racer featuring Captain Falcon and friends since GameCube’s GX in ’03, it would seem we’re due. Thankfully, there do exist some titles from both Nintendo and third parties that carry much of the same spirit and feel of this thrilling sci-fi racer. With this list, we’ll scour the Switch library and its hundreds of games and pick out some of the best games likely to satisfy F-Zero fans.
Updated on December 4, 2023, by Stephen LaGioia: Even years after its launch, the F-Zero content on Switch has remained next to nil. Much to the joy of old-school fans, however, Nintendo has dipped their toes back into the futuristic racing scene in the form of a 99-player Battle Royale retooling of F-Zero for SNES. This comes by way of the paid Switch online service, however, and while fun, the content is rather slim.
The experience is more of a chaotic combat racing skirmish than a racer, though it does whet the appetite and spurs the imagination regarding the potential for a new F-Zero on Switch. In the meantime, though, we’ve fine-tuned and built upon this list of the best similar entries for the console.
14 ’80s Overdrive
Unapologetically nostalgic, ’80s Overdrives is true to its name by adhering to the flat, pixelated racers of early gaming history. Just like its visuals, the game’s physics stay true to 8-bit racing, with some tight, mechanical controls. To further “drive” this theme home, you can enjoy various synth and retrowave scores, which certainly help paint the picture.
But while the presentation is crude and minimal, the content is plentiful and appealing. You can delve into a full-fledged career mode, or test your speed and skills via time attack, with a handful of distinct retro supercars. While it’s a bit rough around the edges, its crude but speedy vibe — and retro flair — should satiate some of the F-Zerofaithful.
13 Team Sonic Racing
It turns out that Sonic doesn’t just go fast while on foot, but also when taking the wheel of his custom sports cars. Often considered the Mario Kart to Sega’s lovable blue mascot Sonic, this 2019 kart racer shares some overlap with F-Zero’s appreciation for vibrant, chaotic racers with an arcade bent. You can experiment with different power-ups and over a dozen distinct characters, each with their own traits and abilities.
Sonic’s propeller-tailed sidekick, for instance, can traverse rough surfaces without losing speed. The game also stands out for its emphasis on co-op racing, which F-Zero 99team battle players should be familiar with. With over 20 colorful tracks and a gripping online mode, Team Sonic Racing has no shortage of thrilling gameplay to burn through.
12 Burnout Paradise Remastered
Criterion Games hit the ground running with its appealing blend of combat, arcade, and (vague flashes of) sim racing via their popular Burnout series. But they didn’t stop there. They also helped pioneer the now-mainstream open-world racer Burnout Paradise, which games like Forza Horizon took even further.
What’s impressive, however, is that the original release dates back well over a decade, and so it’s very much stood the test of time. The game has you roam a web of streets, either alone or in the presence of other drivers, as you seek out various events to compete in. Knocking these out will improve your rank and help you gain access to new features.
The robust remaster from 2018 is a great demonstration of just how ahead of its time Burnout Paradise was and is. The re-release displays the rich, bustling Paradise City in a far higher resolution, refreshes the online service, and tacks on most of the DLC. The result is an exhilarating, immersive social racer.
11 Hotshot Racing
This arcade-style romp from Sumo Digital charmingly harkens back to the mid-90s; when the blocky PlayStation racing games reigned supreme. Along with its polygonal graphics, the game purposely embraces a fairly crude physics system with a floaty, loose driving mechanic.
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This encourages you to drift liberally and take on sharp turns in wild fashion, staying on the edge of losing control at all times. But there’s more depth than meets the eye here, as the game boasts an intense multiplayer mode, a diverse campaign, and roughly 30 blocky cars to try out. Its high speeds and frantic, unpredictable nature should be alluring to many F-Zero fans.
10 Xenon Racer
Like most futuristic racers not named F-Zero or Wipeout, this game from Italian studio 3DClouds has zipped under the radar since its early 2019 release. And while some have remarked on its fairly generic motifs, it’s still a solid alternative for those seeking their F-Zero fix on the Switch.
Players have noted that after overcoming a fairly steep learning curve, Xenon Racerprovides a flashy, rewarding, and thrilling ride as you fly and drift through seven world locations set in 2030.
9 Gear.Club Unlimited
For those who stress horsepower and flashiness, the Unity engine is one that tends to be viewed as somewhat stripped down compared to juggernauts like Unreal Engine 4. Yet, you wouldn’t know it with this Switch-exclusive racer by Eden Games. Released in late 2018, Gear.Club Unlimited demonstrates that a sleek, exhilarating racing experience is turf that isn’t exclusive to Microsoft and Sony.
While it’s not without its flaws, it makes up for the occasional blemishes in its slew of fun content. You’ve got a whopping 400 races to partake in, tons of customizable cars to collect, and even a four-player split-screen mode.
8 MotoGP 19
Despite it stressing realism over sci-fi flashiness, this recent installment in the long-running MotoGP series offers a similar, yet distinct racing experience with frantic speeds. Like F-Zero, this motorcycle sim from Milestone S.R.I. offers an intense, fast-paced ride that’s easy to enjoy.
As this franchise quietly cruised along for nearly two decades, it’s seen a number of graphical and gameplay improvements, and shines through in this Switch rendition. Although reviews have been mixed, citing some performance issues compared to other consoles, it’s still one of the more robust, realistic racers you can play on the console. Mechanical refinements and smarter AI make MotoGP 19 a gripping, edge-of-your-seat racer.
7 Music Racer
As it happens, one of the most recently released titles on our list is one that’s characteristically “retro.” Basically, take the concepts of F-Zero, fuse it with Guitar Hero, and decorate it with a Tron, retro-80s overlay, and you’d probably have Music Racer. This is a vibrant, psychedelic virtual trip that blends fast driving with rhythm and techno music.
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Despite the entrancing neon visuals, you’ll have to stay sharp as you maneuver through tracks and hit musical notes on cue. It’s relatively simple, but at a low price for Switch, it makes for a worthy virtual ride.
6 Rise: Race The Future
This game from VD-dev is still one of the most visually impressive racers to hit the Switch. The realistic textures and particle effects hook you into the game, while its array of diverse content keeps you coming back. Its blend of simulation, sci-fi, and arcade-style chaos produces a balanced experience that should entice many racing fans.
Rough dirt roads convey a gritty realism, while the game’s focus on speeding through water tracks grants a sense of fantasy that’s easy to get lost in. With 64 challenges, eight championships, and ghost-racing time trials, Rise: Race the Futureoffers tons to engage in.
5 Horizon Chase Turbo
One of the more underrated and overlooked games on the Switch is a racer that fuses retro themes with modern-day polish and speed. Brazilian devs Aquiris Game Studio provides a neat little throwback to the NES-style racer with Horizon Chase; one that’s reminiscent of old-school F-Zero with its flat graphics and swift, tight mechanics.
While it looks basic, dodging and weaving through tons of opponents is no easy task, especially since you’ll have to deal with popping boosts, fueling up, and nabbing tokens. Countless tracks representing real-world locales ensure you’ll be spending lots of time cruising in this one.
This 2019 successor to Horizon Chase – World Tourfrom ’15 ups the ante even more with additional cars and tracks, as well as a couch co-op feature. Meanwhile, the even more robust Horizon Chase 2further stresses local and online multiplayer, adding even more hours of chaotic fun to the formula.
4 Redout
F-Zero fans looking for a truly similar experience looking to fill the void should look no further than this ’16 racer by 34BigThings.
Gamers have remarked that Redout verges on “clone” status with how closely it resembles the Captain Falcon racer, but as they say – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And there’s certainly enough of that familiar, unbroken high-speed racing for fans to enjoy. This anti-grav racer is about as “futuristic” as it gets, taking place in 2560.
While the physical edition has become extremely rare, Switch gamers can still score this robust racer digitally at the Nintendo eShop for $39.99.
3 GRIP: Combat Racing
Fans of F-Zero tend to be drawn to Nintendo’s classic racing series because of its lightning speeds and rapid-fire action. This chaotic romp from 2018 definitely holds these qualities, with its unique, speedy vehicles and amusing wall-driving feature.
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Caged Element’s multiplatform racer has received high acclaim almost across the board for its solid mechanics, thrilling pacing, and tons of satisfying actions at your disposal. Aside from wall-riding, you can perform wild stunts, wallop opponents with weapons, and zip through lavish tracks at up to 767mph.
2 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
While it makes for a fairly obvious choice, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe nonetheless proves a worthy mention for F-Zero fans seeking a similarly fun and rich racer. Though MK is somewhat known as the more passive, “chill” version of the intense F-Zero, this latest sequel is the series at its flashiest and most appealing.
With exciting ramp-laden courses like Sunshine Airport and Rainbow Road, there’s much for Falcon fans to be enticed with. You’ve even got the added 200cc, which dials up the speed to franticlevels that manage to at least get close to F-Zero.
1 Fast RMX
Factoring in its themes, mechanics, entry-level price, and content, it’s tough to find a better alternative for F-Zero players than this Switch launch title. There’s a ton of enjoyable content to burn through here at a budget price, with its slew of anti-gravity vehicles and 30 distinct tracks. You’ve additionally got local, split-screen, and online multiplayer to keep the thrills going.
It’s also one of the more impressive-looking games on Switch, with its crisp 1080p resolution and smooth 60FPS that complement the ultra-fast speeds of your futuristic cars.
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