Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins

Quite a monumental time for the Wii U VC as Europe gets it's first 60Hz title - hopefully the first of many - so that we are now finally on even footing with other regions, good on you Nintendo and good on 'you' the player for asking/complaining/demanding via Miiverse, it clearly reaps rewards. Anyway enough from me and on with the game!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

F-Zero


 
Price: GB £5.49, EU €5.99 (£0.30/€0.30 until 22/03/13)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Released: 1992
System: SNES

Not only was this the first racing game available from Nintendo for the SNES but it could well be the single most important release in the genre they have ever released, let us not forget that the technology involved in creating the wonderful pseudo-3D effect - Mode 7 - which was pioneered in this very game actually helped in giving rise to the now also legendary Super Mario Kart which I'm sure everyone is more than thankful for. But much more than that, F-Zero is in many ways a simply stunning racer within its own rights, it's such a finely-tuned futuristic racing masterpiece that it should come as little surprise than anything else that has attempted to immitate it over the years has never really come close, indeed this original game is still proving rather compelling to play all over again today on the Wii U as it not only offers the definitive version for those who fondly remember the title, but it also makes it available to a new generation plus its been given a new lease of life thanks to Miiverse integration.

For those unaware you get to choose from one out of four spectacular anti-gravity racing vehicles - this is set in the year 2560 afterall - which include the now legendary Blue Falcon, Fire Stingray, Golden Fox and Wild Goose, each of which have their own individual stats which affect how the craft handles, you hold down the 'B' button to accelerate, 'A' when you get a boost after each lap - you can hold up to three - while the shoulder buttons allow you to 'shift from left to right which is often used to give enhanced cornering ability while pushing down on the d-pad will let you gain more air after hitting a ramp. A selection of racing leagues are available to you which are rather regally named Knight, Queen and King adding to that three standard levels of difficulty ranging from Beginner, standard to Expert plus Master if you manage to completely clear every track on all of them, so clearly there is plenty to keep you occupied in the Grand Prix mode but if you just want to try out a track or go for a best time then there is also Practice Mode available too.

Essentially that's it but when you consider that this is a rather demanding game for its time and when you experience the sheer brilliance of the track design you will surely start to appreciate it's depth for yourself especially when you find yourself having to master the art of 'shield recovery' being that your ship has a health bar which can only be replenished by driving through a special lane for a short time once a lap, it can be tricky trying to judge when you actually might need it as it will be rapidly depleted if you frquently crash into either the walls or other racers plus if it reaches empty then your craft explodes, losing you a valuable life. Equally as valuable in this version though is of course the ability to save your game at any point which can be very useful if you happen to be doing well in a race and wish to save your position in case of any sudden mistake, it's also worth noting that like with all Wii U VC games you can fully customise the controls so if they aren't quite to your liking then this is easily remedied.

Clearly the visuals are a decent selling point with this title as the 3D effect used throughout are nothing short of amazing when you consider that they were all achieved at the start of a new 16-Bit consoles life, it's a true testament to the technology of the time that it still looks rather amazing even by todays standards, there really is nothing else quite like it on any other machine. Of course lets not sell the audio short for it's in many ways the very soul of this title, every piece of music is expertly composed from the frantically futuristic sound of Mute City to the boldness of the Big Blue, even the hauntingly desolate tone of Port Town is something to behold especially when you compare it to the epic score composed for Fire Field which is frenetic in contrast, it really is hard to find such a diverse collection of music composed for a racing game such as this, even the sound effects are spectacular including the infamous craft explosion that is surely etched into the memory of all who have played the game.

Though it may lack the refinements made in it's N64 sequel, the original F-Zero represents the start of a brave new racing sub-genre, one that is now popular because of its success, truly it offers everything you could possibly want from such a game; at least from a single-player perspective and while a two-player competitive mode would have been amazing it's understandable that Nintendo really did do their best with this title at the time which clearly shows when you experience just how well it's designed or how smoothly it controls. If you have yet to play this monumental title for yourself, then now is surely the time to do so as thanks to having 60Hz support the game has never looked better and with the addition of Miiverse support you can enjoy sharing your experience with other anti-gravity racers across the world, posting a new best time on Mute City has never been more satisfying. So what are you waiting for? Show your moves!   

Verdict : F-Zero is fast, fluid, frenetic fun that's almost unparalleled and only rivalled by its sequels.


That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!