F-Zero Climax Hits Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo has just announced two classic GBA racing games from the F-zero series for the Switch Online Expansion Pack!
F-Zero Climax and F-Zero: GP Legend Arrive on Switch OnlineAvailable October 11, 2024

Classic Game Boy Advance racing games, such as F-Zero: GP Legend and the Japan-only F-Zero Climax, are joining the Switch Online Expansion Pack on October 11, as declared by Nintendo today.

The F-Zero franchise is Nintendo's futuristic, high-velocity racing game series that initially debuted in Japan over 30 years ago in 1990. F-Zero is viewed as a significant achievement for the company, having influenced other racing series like SEGA's NASCAR-inspired "Daytona USA" game. The F-Zero series has been lauded for advancing gaming consoles' technology during its time, being seen as one of the fastest racing games released on classic consoles like the SNES.

Similar to Nintendo's Mario Kart series, the F-Zero racing series' gameplay requires the player to cross the finish line while navigating track hazards and competing with other racers' vehicles, called "F-Zero machines." Its main character, Captain Falcon, is a key fighter in Super Smash Bros.

F-Zero: GP Legend debuted in Japan in 2003, followed by a Western launch the next year in 2004. Meanwhile, F-Zero Climax launched in 2004 in Japan and remained region-exclusive until now—being the last F-Zero title for 19 years before the release of the Switch's racing MMO, F-Zero 99, last year. In an interview, F-Zero game designer Takaya Imamura stated that Mario Kart, Nintendo’s leading racing franchise, contributed to the F-Zero series' dormancy for nearly two decades.

Now, as part of the Switch Online Expansion Pack's October 2024 Game Update, subscribers gain access to F-Zero Climax and F-Zero: GP Legend and can compete in various race modes including Grand Prix, story modes, and time trials.

More information on Nintendo Switch Online can be found in our article linked below!