Zero Racers

Last updated
Zero Racers
Zero Racers logo.png
Preliminary logo
Developer(s) Nintendo
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Series F-Zero
Platform(s) Virtual Boy
ReleaseUnreleased
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player

Zero Racers [lower-alpha 1] is an unreleased racing video game that was in development and planned to be published by Nintendo on a scheduled 1996 release date exclusively for the Virtual Boy. Had it been released prior to cancellation, it would have become the first F-Zero installment to have featured 3D graphics. In the game, players can choose between one of four characters, each with their respective hovercar and race against AI-controlled characters in fifteen tracks divided into three leagues. The title was previewed in video game magazines, erroneously reported to have appeared at E3 1996, but it was ultimately shelved due to the failure of the Virtual Boy itself, despite being completed for release. According to a Nintendo of America employee, the game was complete, having been rated by the ESRB and materials having been made for a physical release.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot of Zero Racers. The Virtual Boy uses a red-and-black color scheme for its games. VB Zero Racers.png
Gameplay screenshot of Zero Racers. The Virtual Boy uses a red-and-black color scheme for its games.

Zero Racers is a futuristic racing game where players compete in a high-speed racing tournament. There are four F-Zero characters that have their own selectable vehicle along with its unique performance abilities. These characters include Captain Falcon, James McCloud, and Jody Summer, the latter two originally intended to debut in this game before cancellation, ultimately being featured in F-Zero X . [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The objective is to beat opponents to the finish while avoiding hazards that damage the players' vehicle. Each machine has a power meter, serving as measurement of the machine's durability; it decreases when the machine collides with the side of the track or another vehicle. [6] Energy is replenished by driving over pit areas placed along the home straight or nearby. [6] [4] Gameplay differs with one important point from its predecessor and all F-Zero games released afterwards in that the vehicles race in all three dimensions in tunnels. [2] [6]

A race in Zero Racers consists of a set lap number around the track. The player must complete each lap in a successively higher place to avoid disqualification from the race. For each lap completed, the player is rewarded with an approximate speed boost called "Rapid" and a number of points determined by place. An on-screen display is shown to indicate that a boost can be used; however, the player is limited to saving up to three at a time. [6] If a certain number of points are accumulated, an "extra machine" is acquired that gives the player another chance to retry the course. [6] Zero Racers includes two modes of play. In the Grand Prix mode, the player chooses a league and races against other vehicles through each track in that league while avoiding disqualification. A total of fifteen tracks divided into three leagues are featured in the game. [6] The Practice mode allows the player to practice on courses from the Grand Prix mode. [6]

History

Zero Racers was first previewed by Nintendo Power magazine in their July 1996 issue under the name G-Zero and planned for a fall 1996 launch. [2] [7] The game later received an in-depth feature article on August of the same year by Nintendo Power under its final name and still planned for a fall 1996 release. [8] [6] The title was also previewed in the September 1996 issue of British publication Nintendo Magazine System , but was eventually cancelled due to Nintendo discontinuing the Virtual Boy for being a critical and commercial failure. [1] [4] [9] The last showcase it received was in the October 1998 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly . [10] The only remaining proof of its existence are various screenshots taken by several gaming magazines and gameplay footage, while no prototypes containing a ROM image of the demo has been found to date. [11] [12] There were reports that it was displayed at E3 1996 that turned out to be false, which caused people to speculate that the game was cancelled in very early development, and all there was were "mocked-up screenshots." [13] According to former Nintendo of America localizer and associate producer Jim Wornell, the game was complete upon cancellation, stating that it had a manual, package, label, and ESRB rating. He also stated that while it is connected to the F-Zero universe, it would not have used the F-Zero title. This was in spite of claims that it was going to be titled F-Zero: Zero Racer. [5] [13] A prospective unofficial release of Zero Racers has been discussed by sources such as Shacknews , Nintendo Life , and The Gamer due to it being a completed game. [14] [13] [15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as G-Zero.

Related Research Articles

<i>F-Zero: Maximum Velocity</i> 2001 video game

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity is a futuristic racing game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan, North America and Europe in 2001. It was the first F-Zero game released on a handheld game console.

<i>Super Mario Kart</i> 1992 video game

Super Mario Kart is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the Mario Kart series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following year in 1993. Selling 8.76 million copies worldwide, the game went on to become the fourth best-selling SNES game of all time. Super Mario Kart was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2009, on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013, and on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2016. Nintendo re-released Super Mario Kart in 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition.

<i>F-Zero</i> (video game) 1990 racing game

F-Zero is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America in August 1991, and in Europe in 1992. F-Zero is the first game in the F-Zero series and was a launch game for the SNES. F-Zero was rereleased for the Virtual Console service on various Nintendo platforms and as part of the Super NES Classic Edition in 2017.

Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic racing simulations and more fantastical arcade-style racing games. Kart racing games emerged in the 1990s as a popular sub-genre of the latter. Racing games may also fall under the category of sports video games.

<i>F-Zero X</i> 1998 video game

F-Zero X is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed and published by Nintendo, it was released in Japan, North America, and Europe in 1998. In 2000, the Expansion Kit was released in Japan, including a track and vehicle editor. The original game was ported in 2004 to the iQue Player in China. It had Virtual Console re-releases on the Wii in 2007 and the Wii U around nine years later. On March 11, 2022, the game was re-released on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, featuring online multiplayer.

<i>Rock n Roll Racing</i> 1993 video game

Rock n' Roll Racing is a vehicular combat-based racing video game developed by Silicon & Synapse and published by Interplay Productions for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993 and the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994. The game prominently features a number of popular heavy metal and rock songs in its soundtrack, hence the game's title. The game was ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In celebration of the company's 30th anniversary, Rock n' Roll Racing was re-released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as part of the Blizzard Arcade Collection in February 2021.

<i>F-Zero GX</i> 2003 video game

F-Zero GX is a 2003 racing video game developed by Amusement Vision and published by Nintendo for the GameCube console. It runs on an enhanced version of the engine used in Super Monkey Ball. F-Zero AX, the arcade counterpart of GX, uses the Triforce arcade system board conceived from a business alliance between Nintendo, Namco and Sega. Published by Sega, it was released alongside GX in 2003.

<i>Kirby Air Ride</i> 2003 video game

Kirby Air Ride is a 2003 racing video game starring Kirby, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube.

<i>F-Zero</i> Video game series

F-Zero is a series of futuristic racing games published by Nintendo, developed by Nintendo EAD and other third-party companies. The first game was released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1990. Its success prompted Nintendo to create sequels on subsequent consoles.

<i>Star Wars Episode I: Racer</i> 1999 video game

Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a 1999 racing video game based on the podracing sequence in the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The game features all of the racers and race course on Tatooine from The Phantom Menace. It adds several new courses, on Tatooine and various planets. It has several single player modes, including a tournament mode. The format of multiplayer mode varies by platform. Jake Lloyd and Lewis MacLeod, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba in The Phantom Menace, reprise their film roles in the game.

<i>Tube Slider</i> 2003 video game

Tube Slider is a 2003 racing video game developed by NDcube and published exclusively in North America by NEC Interchannel for the GameCube. A Japanese release was planned but canceled for unknown reasons. The game takes place on Earth in the middle of the 21st century, where a new sport based around tube sliding was born out of people's desire for speed and competition, after hydrogen-based energy replaced fossil fuels in motorsports. The player can choose between one of eight futuristic formula vehicles, each one varying in terms of performance, and race against computer-controlled opponents across ten tracks divided into three sessions.

<i>Kid Klown in Crazy Chase</i> 1994 video game

Kid Klown in Crazy Chase is a platform video game developed and published by Kemco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in September 1994, Japan on October 21, 1994 and in Europe in 1995. The game features the Kid Klown, the player character who is tasked with rescuing the Princess Honey from the villain Black Jack. Players view gameplay from an isometric perspective as Kid Klown pursues a lit fuse in order to stop it from reaching a spade bomb. The game was re-released for the Game Boy Advance as Crazy Chase and features 11 new levels, four mini-games, and a multi-player mode. The re-release was released in Europe and North America in October 2002, while a release in Japan was planned but ultimately canceled. It was met with mixed reception from critics, who found it to be inferior to other games of its type. The game has a Japan-exclusive sequel Kid Klown in Crazy Chase 2: Love Love Hani Soudatsusen released for the Sony PlayStation in 1996.

<i>F-Zero: GP Legend</i> 2004 racing video game

F-Zero: GP Legend is a futuristic racing video game for the Game Boy Advance handheld. Developed by Suzak Inc., it was released in Japan in 2003 and in Europe and North America in 2004.

<i>Dirt Racer</i> 1995 video game

Dirt Racer is a Europe-exclusive video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed by British studio MotiveTime and released in 1995. This game uses the Super FX powered GSU-1 to provide enhanced graphics.

<i>F-Zero Climax</i> 2004 video game

F-Zero Climax 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.

Fast RMX is a racing video game developed and published by Shin'en Multimedia for the Nintendo Switch. It is the third installment in the Fast series. It was released on March 3, 2017 on the Nintendo eShop as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. The game includes all the courses and downloadable content from the previous game, Fast Racing Neo, in addition to 6 new courses for a total of 30 courses. An additional free update was released on September 13, 2017 which added 6 extra courses, for a total of 36. The game received a physical release limited to 6,000 copies on October 13, 2022.

<i>Fast Racing League</i> 2011 video game

Fast Racing League is a racing game developed and published by German video game developer Shin'en Multimedia and released for Wii as a WiiWare title in May 2011. It is the first installment in the Fast series. Fast Racing League has received two sequels, Fast Racing Neo and Fast RMX.

<i>Bound High!</i> Unreleased action-puzzle video game

Bound High! is an unreleased action-puzzle video game that was in development by Japan System Supply and planned to be published by Nintendo on a scheduled 1996 release date exclusively for the Virtual Boy. In the game, players take control of a transforming robot named Chalvo through a series of levels riddled with hazardous obstacles to avoid across multiple worlds, while destroying or knocking out alien invaders off the area. The project was first conceptualized by designer and programmer Hideyuki Nakanishi, who wrote the idea on paper and placed it within a wall inside the offices of Japan System Supply, with his manager eventually greenlighting its development after seeing it.

<i>Rev Limit</i> Unreleased sim racing video game

Rev Limit is an unreleased sim racing video game that was in development and planned to be published by Seta Corporation in May 1998 for the Nintendo 64. It was also intended to be the first arcade title to use Seta's own Aleck 64 arcade board, and was planned for the 64DD as well. It was one of the earliest original third-party racing titles to be announced for the system. In the game, players compete against either computer-controlled vehicles or other human opponents across several tracks of varying thematic in order to reach first place and advance to the next course.

References

  1. 1 2 "Unreleased/Cancelled Virtual Boy Games". 1morecastle.com. 1 More Castle. 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pak Watch – The Inside Source on Future Games: G-Zero". Nintendo Power . No. 86. Nintendo of America. July 1996. p. 101. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  3. ↑ "Informacion Virtual – Bound High!". Club Nintendo (in Spanish). No. 59. Editorial Televisa. 1996. p. 21. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  4. 1 2 3 "Nintendo News Network – Virtual Racing!". Nintendo Magazine System . No. 48. EMAP. September 1996.
  5. 1 2 LeBlanc, Wesley (February 28, 2022). "Virtual Boy F-Zero Spinoff That Never Released 'Was Done,' According To Former Nintendo Producer". Game Informer . Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Preview: Zero Racers". Nintendo Power . No. 87. Nintendo of America. August 1996. pp. 40–41. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  7. ↑ "Release Forecast: Virtual Boy". Nintendo Power . No. 86. Nintendo of America. July 1996. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  8. ↑ "Release Forecast: Virtual Boy". Nintendo Power . No. 87. Nintendo of America. August 1996. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  9. ↑ Dante (December 19, 2003). "VB-Special: Die Zocks". gamecube-online.net. Gamecube-Online. Archived from the original on 2004-02-16. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  10. ↑ "Nintendo 64 Previews: F-Zero X – G-Zero". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 111. Ziff Davis. October 1998. p. 64. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  11. ↑ Moore, Jason (2004). "The Lost Big Brother: Virtual Boy". Retrogames. No. 22. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  12. ↑ "GZero". Entertainment Software Rating Board . Entertainment Software Association. 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  13. 1 2 3 McFerran, Damien (28 February 2022). "Mythical Virtual Boy F-Zero Spin-Off Was 100% Complete, According To Former NOA Staffer". Nintendo Life . Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  14. ↑ Denzer, TJ (February 28, 2022). "F-Zero almost had a Virtual Boy spin-off named Zero Racers". Shacknews . Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  15. ↑ Murray, Sean (March 1, 2022). "Unreleased Virtual Boy F-Zero Spinoff Zero Racers Was Apparently Complete". The Gamer. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.