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F-Zero Climax

January 01, 1970

F-Zero Climax[a][1] is a racing video game developed by Suzak Inc. and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld console. The game was released in Japan on October 21, 2004 and was the last F-Zero installment for the next 19 years.

F-Zero Climax
Developer(s)Suzak
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Yukata Hirata
Azusa Tajima
Producer(s)Hitoshi Yamagami
Composer(s)Kenji Hikita
SeriesF-Zero
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: October 21, 2004
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Players race in vehicles on numerous courses while navigating past obstacles. While the game is a 2D racer, its Mode 7 graphical effect allows the track to be scaled and rotated around the vehicle to simulate a 3D environment. Climax let players store rewarded speed boosts to use with energy-draining speed boosts. Energy is a reflection of the craft's health, and can be restored by driving over specific areas on the track.

Nintendo World Report and Siliconera lauded the game for its track editor and Survival mode. Nintendo World Report praised the game's extensive Survival and Zero Test challenges, but complained about the Grand Prix's short duration and unbalanced difficulty. While Nintendo World Report and Official Nintendo Magazine thought it was a graphical improvement over preceding 2D F-Zero games, both the former critic and Siliconera lamented over its reused graphics and musical assets.

Gameplay edit

 
Screenshot of F-Zero Climax, showing the player's head-up display and racing craft. Matthew Castle of Official Nintendo Magazine called it "easily the best-looking of the SNES-type [F-Zero] games".[2]

F-Zero Climax is a racing game that plays similarly to its immediate predecessor (F-Zero: GP Legend) and the original F-Zero game.[3] Players select their vehicles[4] and race around fifty-three courses[5] while avoiding obstacles such as ice and bombs.[4] Each racing craft contains air brakes for drifting around tight corners by pressing the L and R shoulder buttons.[6] A vehicle's health and ability to speed boost after the first lap is measured by an energy meter. Boosting in this manner briefly increases the racer's speed while draining their energy. The player is also rewarded with a stored speed boost for each lap completed. However, this may only be used in tandem with the energy-draining boost resulting in a double speed boost.[4] Vehicles can drive over pink plates scattered throughout the track to replenish energy.[6] Players can damage competitors with two attacks: a spin attack that quickly rotates the entire vehicle, or a side attack. The former is new to the 2D F-Zero series. Players can also spin attack during a speed boost to inflict extra damage. The game offers four control scheme presets, and personalized button configurations.[4]

Climax has numerous gameplay modes and options, some of which were carried over from GP Legend.[4] In the Grand Prix mode, the player races against twenty-three opponents[7] through three laps of each track in a cup.[4] Each of the four cups available (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum)[8] has multiple difficulty levels. Track selection per cup may vary based on difficulty level chosen.[5] Time attack let players choose any track to complete it in the shortest time possible. Zero Test is a selectable option in Time Attack where players may complete in thirty-six time trials on a small section of track. Survival consists of mission-based objectives such as navigating courses with depleted health, and racing an opponent on a short guardrail-less track without flying off-course at the finish line by braking. Completing a series of survival challenges unlocks a character biography with a brief episode summary from the TV Tokyo anime series F-Zero: GP Legend.[4] The multiplayer mode is where two to four players can compete simultaneously.[7]

Edit mode allows the creation of tracks. Players can lay track pieces that come in an assortment of sizes and shapes. Each piece has a list of obstacles available. Track pieces are valued at varying points, for example, larger pieces are worth more points. A track may have up to 255 points.[4] Players can participate in races on them, or setup camera angles to spectate artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled racers. Custom tracks can be saved to one of thirty slots for future use and shared with other players via Game Link Cable. The game can also generate a track-specific password that can be inputted on any Climax cartridge for conversion back to the custom track.[7]

Promotion and release edit

Information on F-Zero Climax's existence and title was leaked by Japanese retailers weeks before its official announcement by Nintendo.[3][9] The game was developed by Suzak and published by Nintendo for the GBA handheld console.[4] Yukata Hirata and Azusa Tajima served as directors, Hitoshi Yamagami as producer, and Kenji Hikita as composer.[10] Climax continues to use the Mode 7 graphical effect seen in previous GBA F-Zero games.[6] Mode 7 allows the track to be scaled and rotated around the vehicle to simulate a 3D environment.[11][12] It was originally used as a showcase feature for the Super NES F-Zero game.[13] Like GP Legend before it, Climax is tied into the TV Tokyo anime series.[4] It was originally released exclusively in Japan on October 21, 2004, and sold 5,049 copies during its first three days on sale.[14] The game was re-released on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console on December 16, 2015.[15] On October 30, 2021, an English fan translation patch was released.[16]

Reception edit

Nintendo World Report's Daniel Bloodworth thought the Grand Prix mode, which should be the focus of the game, is "woefully lacking".[4] Bloodworth criticized track length of the first 3 cups; he clocked-in at 20–30 seconds per lap and finished three cups within 20 minutes on standard difficulty. He concluded "combined with the low difficulty and re-used environments and music, it all ends up feeling rather unsatisfying."[4] While the fourth cup is more difficult, Bloodworth was taken back by its sudden spike in difficulty—even when playing every cup on Expert or Master. Also, many of its courses were rehashes from the first F-Zero game and GP Legend.[4] During Siliconera's playtest, they praised Climax's track design and varying levels of difficulty between courses—easier courses are relatively straight compared to later ones which require honed drifting skill. They mentioned the game demanded players to have quick reflexes and master the track layout on difficulties beyond novice since the AI-controlled opponents are unforgiving. Siliconera noted players have to be proficient at both types of speed boosting.[6] Bloodworth explained a properly timed double speed boost can substantially alter the momentum of a race.[4] Compared to GP Legend's controls, Siliconera thought the spin attack "is a neat trick to use, that adds a new element to the game."[6] Bloodworth liked the personalized button configurations, especially since vehicles feel stiffer and the game does not allow players to adjust a vehicle's balance between maximum acceleration and maximum top speed.[4]

Bloodworth said Climax is "probably the most polished of the 2D iterations of this franchise."[17] The game features expanded backgrounds, improved track detail, and a more distinguishable separation between the course and ground below.[4] Siliconera thought Climax could've looked better, but the game "reuses many of the tile sets from GP Legend and Maximum Velocity."[6] Furthermore, Bloodworth was disappointed with the music tracks being mostly rehashes from the original game and F-Zero X[17]—a sentiment Siliconera agreed with.[6] The voice work of the announcer fell short to Bloodworth. He explained the announcer is sometimes helpful, but also report events inappropriately or too frequently.[17]

Siliconera criticized Climax for feeling more like an expansion pack than a sequel. They compared the game's Survival mode to GP Legend's story mode and consider it not as deep, "but the challenges are much tougher."[6] Siliconera thought the track editor and its ability to be shared with other players as the game's greatest feature.[6] Bloodworth concluded Climax has plenty of Survival and Zero Test challenges, and slots to save created courses,[17] but the lackluster Grand Prix holds back the game.[4] Nintendo World Report and Siliconera felt that the game was a likely candidate for localization in regions outside Japan due to GP: Legend's recent nondomestic release,[4][6][17] but this never happened.[18] F-Zero: GP Legend was released in Japan in late 2003, but the US version was delayed into late 2004 to coincide with the anime's release.[19] Climax was the third F-Zero game on the GBA[6] and the last to be released in the franchise before its 19-year hiatus.[20]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Japanese: エフゼロ クライマックス, Hepburn: Efu-zero Kuraimakkusu

References edit

  1. ^ "F-ZERO クライマックス [GBA]". Famitsu. Enterbrain Inc. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  2. ^ Castle, Matthew (September 8, 2013). . Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  3. ^ a b GameSpot Staff (August 4, 2004). "Nintendo reveals new WarioWare Inc". GameSpot. from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Bloodworth, Daniel (November 9, 2004). "Review: F-Zero Climax". Nintendo World Report. p. 1. from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Suzak Inc. (October 21, 2004). F-Zero Climax (Game Boy Advance). Nintendo. Scene: Grand Prix mode / Difficulty selection / Cup selection.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Playtest: F-Zero Climax". Siliconera. from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Gantayat, Anoop (October 21, 2004). "F-Zero Climax Playtest". IGN. from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  8. ^ IGN Cheats. "F-Zero: Climax Cheats". IGN. from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ^ GameSpot Staff (July 23, 2004). "Nintendo to announce new F-Zero". GameSpot. from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  10. ^ Suzak (October 21, 2004). F-Zero Climax (Game Boy Advance). Nintendo. Scene: staff credits.
  11. ^ Parish, Jeremy (September 2007), "The Evolution of 2D", Electronic Gaming Monthly, no. 219, Ziff Davis Media, p. 107, ISSN 1058-918X
  12. ^ Hiranand, Ravi. . 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2006-05-13. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
  13. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (March 8, 2001). "Preview: F-Zero: Maximum Velocity". IGN. from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  14. ^ "集計期間:2004年10月18日～2004年10月24日". Famitsu (in Japanese). November 5, 2004. from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  15. ^ "F-ZERO クライマックス" (in Japanese). Nintendo. from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  16. ^ Doolan, Liam (October 30, 2021). "F-Zero Climax For GBA Now Has A "Complete" Fan-Made Translation Patch". Nintendo Life. from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c d e Bloodworth, Daniel (November 9, 2004). "Review: F-Zero Climax". Nintendo World Report. p. 2. from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  18. ^ Ronaghan, Neal (May 11, 2012). "What the GBA Ambassador Games Could Tell Us About Nintendo's Future". Nintendo World Report. from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  19. ^ IGN Staff (May 11, 2004). "E3 2004: F-Zero GP". IGN. from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  20. ^ Yang, George (September 14, 2023). "F-Zero 99 revives Nintendo's most neglected series as a free battle royale". Digital Trends. from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.

External links edit

  • F-Zero Climax at Nintendo.co.jp (in Japanese)

January 01, 1970
zero, climax, racing, video, game, developed, suzak, published, nintendo, game, advance, handheld, console, game, released, japan, october, 2004, last, zero, installment, next, years, developer, suzakpublisher, nintendodirector, yukata, hirataazusa, tajimaprod. F Zero Climax a 1 is a racing video game developed by Suzak Inc and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance GBA handheld console The game was released in Japan on October 21 2004 and was the last F Zero installment for the next 19 years F Zero ClimaxDeveloper s SuzakPublisher s NintendoDirector s Yukata HirataAzusa TajimaProducer s Hitoshi YamagamiComposer s Kenji HikitaSeriesF ZeroPlatform s Game Boy AdvanceReleaseJP October 21 2004Genre s RacingMode s Single player multiplayer Players race in vehicles on numerous courses while navigating past obstacles While the game is a 2D racer its Mode 7 graphical effect allows the track to be scaled and rotated around the vehicle to simulate a 3D environment Climax let players store rewarded speed boosts to use with energy draining speed boosts Energy is a reflection of the craft s health and can be restored by driving over specific areas on the track Nintendo World Report and Siliconera lauded the game for its track editor and Survival mode Nintendo World Report praised the game s extensive Survival and Zero Test challenges but complained about the Grand Prix s short duration and unbalanced difficulty While Nintendo World Report and Official Nintendo Magazine thought it was a graphical improvement over preceding 2D F Zero games both the former critic and Siliconera lamented over its reused graphics and musical assets Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Promotion and release 3 Reception 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksGameplay edit nbsp Screenshot of F Zero Climax showing the player s head up display and racing craft Matthew Castle of Official Nintendo Magazine called it easily the best looking of the SNES type F Zero games 2 F Zero Climax is a racing game that plays similarly to its immediate predecessor F Zero GP Legend and the original F Zero game 3 Players select their vehicles 4 and race around fifty three courses 5 while avoiding obstacles such as ice and bombs 4 Each racing craft contains air brakes for drifting around tight corners by pressing the L and R shoulder buttons 6 A vehicle s health and ability to speed boost after the first lap is measured by an energy meter Boosting in this manner briefly increases the racer s speed while draining their energy The player is also rewarded with a stored speed boost for each lap completed However this may only be used in tandem with the energy draining boost resulting in a double speed boost 4 Vehicles can drive over pink plates scattered throughout the track to replenish energy 6 Players can damage competitors with two attacks a spin attack that quickly rotates the entire vehicle or a side attack The former is new to the 2D F Zero series Players can also spin attack during a speed boost to inflict extra damage The game offers four control scheme presets and personalized button configurations 4 Climax has numerous gameplay modes and options some of which were carried over from GP Legend 4 In the Grand Prix mode the player races against twenty three opponents 7 through three laps of each track in a cup 4 Each of the four cups available Bronze Silver Gold and Platinum 8 has multiple difficulty levels Track selection per cup may vary based on difficulty level chosen 5 Time attack let players choose any track to complete it in the shortest time possible Zero Test is a selectable option in Time Attack where players may complete in thirty six time trials on a small section of track Survival consists of mission based objectives such as navigating courses with depleted health and racing an opponent on a short guardrail less track without flying off course at the finish line by braking Completing a series of survival challenges unlocks a character biography with a brief episode summary from the TV Tokyo anime series F Zero GP Legend 4 The multiplayer mode is where two to four players can compete simultaneously 7 Edit mode allows the creation of tracks Players can lay track pieces that come in an assortment of sizes and shapes Each piece has a list of obstacles available Track pieces are valued at varying points for example larger pieces are worth more points A track may have up to 255 points 4 Players can participate in races on them or setup camera angles to spectate artificial intelligence AI controlled racers Custom tracks can be saved to one of thirty slots for future use and shared with other players via Game Link Cable The game can also generate a track specific password that can be inputted on any Climax cartridge for conversion back to the custom track 7 Promotion and release editInformation on F Zero Climax s existence and title was leaked by Japanese retailers weeks before its official announcement by Nintendo 3 9 The game was developed by Suzak and published by Nintendo for the GBA handheld console 4 Yukata Hirata and Azusa Tajima served as directors Hitoshi Yamagami as producer and Kenji Hikita as composer 10 Climax continues to use the Mode 7 graphical effect seen in previous GBA F Zero games 6 Mode 7 allows the track to be scaled and rotated around the vehicle to simulate a 3D environment 11 12 It was originally used as a showcase feature for the Super NES F Zero game 13 Like GP Legend before it Climax is tied into the TV Tokyo anime series 4 It was originally released exclusively in Japan on October 21 2004 and sold 5 049 copies during its first three days on sale 14 The game was re released on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console on December 16 2015 15 On October 30 2021 an English fan translation patch was released 16 Reception editNintendo World Report s Daniel Bloodworth thought the Grand Prix mode which should be the focus of the game is woefully lacking 4 Bloodworth criticized track length of the first 3 cups he clocked in at 20 30 seconds per lap and finished three cups within 20 minutes on standard difficulty He concluded combined with the low difficulty and re used environments and music it all ends up feeling rather unsatisfying 4 While the fourth cup is more difficult Bloodworth was taken back by its sudden spike in difficulty even when playing every cup on Expert or Master Also many of its courses were rehashes from the first F Zero game and GP Legend 4 During Siliconera s playtest they praised Climax s track design and varying levels of difficulty between courses easier courses are relatively straight compared to later ones which require honed drifting skill They mentioned the game demanded players to have quick reflexes and master the track layout on difficulties beyond novice since the AI controlled opponents are unforgiving Siliconera noted players have to be proficient at both types of speed boosting 6 Bloodworth explained a properly timed double speed boost can substantially alter the momentum of a race 4 Compared to GP Legend s controls Siliconera thought the spin attack is a neat trick to use that adds a new element to the game 6 Bloodworth liked the personalized button configurations especially since vehicles feel stiffer and the game does not allow players to adjust a vehicle s balance between maximum acceleration and maximum top speed 4 Bloodworth said Climax is probably the most polished of the 2D iterations of this franchise 17 The game features expanded backgrounds improved track detail and a more distinguishable separation between the course and ground below 4 Siliconera thought Climax could ve looked better but the game reuses many of the tile sets from GP Legend and Maximum Velocity 6 Furthermore Bloodworth was disappointed with the music tracks being mostly rehashes from the original game and F Zero X 17 a sentiment Siliconera agreed with 6 The voice work of the announcer fell short to Bloodworth He explained the announcer is sometimes helpful but also report events inappropriately or too frequently 17 Siliconera criticized Climax for feeling more like an expansion pack than a sequel They compared the game s Survival mode to GP Legend s story mode and consider it not as deep but the challenges are much tougher 6 Siliconera thought the track editor and its ability to be shared with other players as the game s greatest feature 6 Bloodworth concluded Climax has plenty of Survival and Zero Test challenges and slots to save created courses 17 but the lackluster Grand Prix holds back the game 4 Nintendo World Report and Siliconera felt that the game was a likely candidate for localization in regions outside Japan due to GP Legend s recent nondomestic release 4 6 17 but this never happened 18 F Zero GP Legend was released in Japan in late 2003 but the US version was delayed into late 2004 to coincide with the anime s release 19 Climax was the third F Zero game on the GBA 6 and the last to be released in the franchise before its 19 year hiatus 20 Notes edit Japanese エフゼロ クライマックス Hepburn Efu zero KuraimakkusuReferences edit F ZERO クライマックス GBA Famitsu Enterbrain Inc Retrieved 2018 07 26 Castle Matthew September 8 2013 History Lesson F Zero Computer and Video Games Archived from the original on 2014 02 22 Retrieved May 24 2014 a b GameSpot Staff August 4 2004 Nintendo reveals new WarioWare Inc GameSpot Archived from the original on March 2 2014 Retrieved May 18 2014 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Bloodworth Daniel November 9 2004 Review F Zero Climax Nintendo World Report p 1 Archived from the original on April 23 2014 Retrieved May 18 2014 a b Suzak Inc October 21 2004 F Zero Climax Game Boy Advance Nintendo Scene Grand Prix mode Difficulty selection Cup selection a b c d e f g h i j k Playtest F Zero Climax Siliconera Archived from the original on November 10 2013 Retrieved May 18 2014 a b c Gantayat Anoop October 21 2004 F Zero Climax Playtest IGN Archived from the original on October 25 2012 Retrieved March 19 2013 IGN Cheats F Zero Climax Cheats IGN Archived from the original on November 10 2012 Retrieved May 18 2014 GameSpot Staff July 23 2004 Nintendo to announce new F Zero GameSpot Archived from the original on September 26 2013 Retrieved May 18 2014 Suzak October 21 2004 F Zero Climax Game Boy Advance Nintendo Scene staff credits Parish Jeremy September 2007 The Evolution of 2D Electronic Gaming Monthly no 219 Ziff Davis Media p 107 ISSN 1058 918X Hiranand Ravi The Essential 50 29 Super Mario Kart 1UP com Archived from the original on 2006 05 13 Retrieved November 30 2007 Gantayat Anoop March 8 2001 Preview F Zero Maximum Velocity IGN Archived from the original on October 24 2012 Retrieved June 11 2014 集計期間 2004年10月18日 2004年10月24日 Famitsu in Japanese November 5 2004 Archived from the original on October 23 2005 Retrieved June 3 2014 F ZERO クライマックス in Japanese Nintendo Archived from the original on December 22 2015 Retrieved December 30 2015 Doolan Liam October 30 2021 F Zero Climax For GBA Now Has A Complete Fan Made Translation Patch Nintendo Life Archived from the original on October 30 2021 Retrieved October 5 2023 a b c d e Bloodworth Daniel November 9 2004 Review F Zero Climax Nintendo World Report p 2 Archived from the original on April 23 2014 Retrieved May 18 2014 Ronaghan Neal May 11 2012 What the GBA Ambassador Games Could Tell Us About Nintendo s Future Nintendo World Report Archived from the original on May 31 2014 Retrieved May 30 2014 IGN Staff May 11 2004 E3 2004 F Zero GP IGN Archived from the original on November 3 2012 Retrieved June 11 2014 Yang George September 14 2023 F Zero 99 revives Nintendo s most neglected series as a free battle royale Digital Trends Archived from the original on September 19 2023 Retrieved September 19 2023 External links editF Zero Climax at Nintendo co jp in Japanese Portal nbsp Video games Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title F Zero Climax amp oldid 1214524448, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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