F-Zero: Maximum Velocity

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 39
  3. Negative: 4 out of 39
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  1. Metaloki
    Oct 10, 2003
    10
    I bought this a long time ago when I first got a GBA and I'm STILL playing this game. It's just that good of a remake.
  2. CalebL.
    Dec 18, 2002
    10
    It's got amaxing graphics, amazing gameplay, and amazing speed. Why get a TV connected console instead of an ac adapter.
  3. dinosauryoshi
    Oct 7, 2014
    8
    When I first got a GBA as a kid this was the first title I got for it, I remember liking it a lot but I'm not sure if I loved it exactly. Going back to it over the past couple of weeks I can see it's a very good game, that makes the most of the GBA's hardware to create an experience that still feels fast and enjoyable, but it isn't without its faults.

    On the presentation side of things    When I first got a GBA as a kid this was the first title I got for it, I remember liking it a lot but I'm not sure if I loved it exactly. Going back to it over the past couple of weeks I can see it's a very good game, that makes the most of the GBA's hardware to create an experience that still feels fast and enjoyable, but it isn't without its faults.

    On the presentation side of things it doesn't feel that much like F-Zero, there are no character models and Captain Falcon is nowhere to be seen (although a ship referencing him does come as an unlockable later on). The music, likely due to the GBA's lack of audio ability, fails to reach the driving levels of the F-Zero X and GX soundtracks and there's rarely more than 2 or 3 racers on the screen at once which is a world away from the hoardes of racers on the aforementioned games. This is all likely due to the GBA's lack of horsepower however.

    Where this game excels is in the most important part, the feel of the racing. The sense of speed is still there, particularly when you use your boost. The cars handle well and taking corners is a joyful challenge. The tracks are surprisingly varied considering the limitations of the mode 7 engine it's built on and there's a decent amount of them once you unlock everything. The game is a little light on vehicles though with only 4 to start with and a few more to unlock. The only complaints I have with the actual gameplay are that I wasn't a fan of the random yellow cars that seem to be driving on the track really slowly for no reason whatsoever other than to annoy you and get in your way and the strange system where to get past a race you have to be in the top certain amount of racers after lap one, and further up each lap until you have to finish in the top 3. If you fail to meet this threshold after any of the laps you automatically lose. There's no table at the end of each race to see how each player is doing and so you have no real rival, you essentially get the same reward for finishing 3rd in every race as you do 1st. The table and being able to smash up your rival to get ahead of him on it was one of the most enjoyable parts of the other F-Zeros I've played for me and their decision to not use this here is a strange on in my eyes.

    On the difficulty front I think it's definitely challenging and the hardest difficulty is only recommended for the really hardcore out there (I got frustrated with it pretty quickly). There's definite rubber-banding going on as always although it seemed a lot less obvious (at least to me) than other racing games I've played from this time.

    Overall this game excels in the feel of the racing, which is essentially the most important part. However it fails in some of the other areas and does things which I didn't entirely enjoy. It's a great game to pick up and have a race at and I'm sure I'll be doing that often with there still not being a newer alternative for portable F-Zeroing many years later. I just wish there were tables after each race, Captain Falcon was actually in the game, and that the cups didn't take longer than my average bus journey.    … Expand
  4. Char
    Jul 25, 2002
    5
    The graphics and gameplay match the original almost perfectly but it's just akward knowing that the blue car in front of you isn't Captain Falcon.
  5. HenXLP
    Aug 4, 2020
    1
    Lässt sich schlecht steuern. Die Physik in diesem Spiel ist echt schrecklich. Nicht den Namen wert, den es trägt...
  6. JRo55
    Jan 26, 2023
    8
    Very solid and under appreciated F-Zero game. The game is addicting once you get used to the controls. Also, the music is great (especially Tenth East Zone)
  7. 5t3in3r5
    May 31, 2015
    10
    This game definitely stays true to the excellence that is the F-Zero series revamped to suit portability. This game is definitely worth a buy if you own a GBA.
  8. Yojimbo2015
    May 6, 2023
    8
    Impressive version of the SNES classic that works well on the Advance. In fact as a one player game, I'd say it's a little better than Mario Kart.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2001
15
#15 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Yahoo!
    70
    Graphically, the Game Boy Advance comfortably does the game justice.
    Read full review
  2. GMR Magazine
    80
    An enhanced port of the classic SNES racer with improved graphics and support for 4 players. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  3. Gaming Maxx
    95
    One of the best racing games on a portable ever.
    Read full review
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