The first F-Zero quite literally defined futuristic racing. Mind blowing speed, timeless design and a still iconic soundtrack.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player3+
Description
Futuristic racing game using the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 graphics processor in a pioneering way. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in 1990. Five vehicles with distinct characteristics, Mute City and Big Blue circuits, turbos and mines and increasing speed across master levels. Super Nintendo launch title and genre masterpiece.
F-Zero review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Futuristic circuits unfurled in Mode 7, a sense of dizzying speed and vivid colours: the game invented fast pseudo-3D racing on the console. The fluidity of the scrolling and the brilliance of the settings overflow with energy. This visual direction, pioneering and polished, laid the foundations of the futuristic racing game.
A technical showcase for the SNES, the music propels the high-speed races with supercharged rock-electro themes, from the famous "Mute City" to "Big Blue". Each circuit pulses with a galvanising energy perfectly in tune with the sense of speed. This pioneering sonic identity remains inseparable from the F-Zero legend.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Hurling a machine at unprecedented speeds thanks to the console's background rotation, brushing the walls and holding razor-sharp lines: the sense of speed marked a whole generation. Mastery has to be earned, but every perfect lap delivers a pure rush. A snappy, demanding pioneer, it lays the foundations of a genre and stays exhilarating, pad in hand.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Hurtling your machine at full tilt, grazing the walls and memorizing every corner delivers an instant rush you want to replay right away. Shaving your time, climbing the ranking or surviving the next circuit ramps up the tension race after race. There's not much content, but this quest for the perfect lap stays furiously addictive.
Difficulty
"Punishing"
The original entry and a Mode 7 showcase, it sends the player down tracks that scroll ever faster, without the slightest safety net. Managing the shield-energy, memorizing the tight turns and concentrating every instant separate victory from a crash. Demanding from the upper leagues on yet perfectly clear, it laid the foundations of a saga renowned for its driving rigor.
The original Super Famicom version of F-Zero, released at the Japanese console's 1990 launch and the first mainstream Mode 7 showcase. The SFC cardboard box and spine card mark this source pressing, the most widespread and most affordable of the title. The appeal rests on its founding role for the machine, sought by collectors who want the authentic Japanese iteration rather than a scarcity-driven price.
Is F-Zero still worth playing in 2026?
The first F-Zero set the foundations of the futuristic racing genre as it still stands today. The Mode 7 pseudo 3D remains impressive, the sense of speed is immediate and the track layout demands precise corner reading. The lack of multiplayer has aged, but the time trial is a bottomless pit for record chasers. The soundtrack is one of the most unforgettable in Nintendo's catalogue. Recommended to anyone seeking a pure, sharp racing classic.
