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* SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments:
** Captain Falcon's immortal HeroicSacrifice and takedown of Black Shadow in the final episode. Easily the most famous part of the series, [[JustHereForGodzilla and the only reason most have even heard of the anime]].
--->'''Captain Falcon:''' '''''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyr2qzeLMTY FALCON PUUUUUNCH!]]'''''
** Which is immediately preceded by an equally epic speech from the captain himself, setting the tone for his DyingMomentOfAwesome.
--->'''Captain Falcon:''' Black Shadow! Looks like we're [[SeeYouInHell going to hell]] [[TakingYouWithMe together]]! \\
(''the Blue Falcon and Black Bull are swept up by [[GoingCritical the chain reaction caused by the Dark Reactor destabilizing]]'') \\
'''Ryu:''' Captain Falcon! \\
'''Captain Falcon:''' [[LegacyCharacter The name "Captain Falcon"]] [[DareToBeBadass is a title given to those worthy of it]]. [[labelnote:alt.]][[MeaningfulEcho "Only the one who surpasses/has exceeded Falcon can become Falcon."]][[/labelnote]] Ryu Suzaku... [[TakeUpMySword As of today, you are the new Captain Falcon.]]
** [[EleventhHourSuperpower Ryu finding the inner strength to use the full-power Boost Fire]] also deserves mention, as it's what kicks off the entire sequence leading up to the Falcon Punch. The resulting ThemeMusicPowerUp (see directly below) didn't hurt either.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_SxVtf6Nk0 The Meaning of Truth]], the anime's opening theme by HIRO-X, is considered one of the best things to come from this anime. The fact that it plays during the legendary Falcon Punch scene certainly helps.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ryu Suzaku/Rick Wheeler, big time. To say that the series' decision to focus on a protagonist not named Captain Falcon was controversial would be an understatement. Naturally, some hated him simply on the basis of ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass not being (as badass as) Captain Falcon]]''. Ryu's hot-headed nature and (usually justified and reasonable) angst over [[FishOutOfTemporalWater his past life]] also did not do him many favors, though this was later mitigated for some viewers by CharacterDevelopment, a string of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome moments]], and [[spoiler:eventually becoming Captain Falcon himself]]. Though for others, this only served to [[ReplacementScrappy make him more hated]]. Complicating matters is how Ryu also tends to be [[{{Misblamed}} unfairly used as a scapegoat]] for all the undesirable differences the anime-verse had with the games-verse.
* BrokenBase: How much one likes this anime seems to be inversely proportional to how much one played the games. Many who started with and/or grew up playing the games tend to despise it for its [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks sheer lack of faithfulness to the source material]], while those who were introduced to the series via the anime tend to be more forgiving.
* CommonKnowledge: The [[spoiler:cosmos-wrecking explosion]] that occurs in the series finale came from [[spoiler:[[GoingCritical the destruction of the Dark Reactor]]]], not as the result of Captain Falcon being a MemeticBadass with the sheer power of the Falcon Punch. Of course, [[{{Fanon}} fans prefer their explanation]].
* CompleteMonster: [[DiabolicalMastermind Black Shadow]] is the ruler of [[NebulousEvilOrganization Dark Million]], and the [[SlasherSmile always grinning]] [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] behind every single bad event in the series. Black Shadow, atop facilitating general terrorism and [[BadBoss abusing underlings]] as a course of habit, has gone to every length imaginable to prevent [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow creates the homicidal criminal Zoda and sends him off to homicidal rampages--at one point powering up Zoda to annihilate all of Mute City--and kidnaps Ryu's girlfriend Haruka to brainwash her into his pet assassin, Miss Killer, trying to use her to kill her own boyfriend. Black Shadow [[TakenForGranite carbonizes]] Miss Killer when she finally breaks free of Black Shadow's spell, and gleefully torments Ryu with her petrified body. Black Shadow, in the finale, reveals his glorious dream that his every waking moment has been dedicated to: Using his Dark Matter Reactor, Black Shadow throws the entire galaxy into death and destruction, to precede [[OmnicidalManiac him]] creating a new Big Bang to [[DepopulationBomb annihilate the old universe]] and [[InTheirOwnImage create a new one of pure evil on top of it]].
* DesignatedVillain: Octoman's treatment in the anime is downright painful. While the majority of AdaptationalVillainy among the cast was gratuitous and forced, Octoman was written in a way that he simply ''couldn't'' be a villain without completely rewriting his character... which they didn't, changing nothing about him other than making him a crook. True, he is portrayed as a JustifiedCriminal and gets a ThrowTheDogABone episode, but this just raises the question of why they bothered with the AdaptationalVillainy at all and makes his punching bag moments (down to making him the butt of the series' final joke) seem even less justified, especially when you consider that Leon (who ''was'' completely rewritten to the point of being InNameOnly) was also made a JustifiedCriminal and isn't demonized for it at all.
* DorkAge: Unlike ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' and ''[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa Kirby]]'' (the latter of which it had to directly compete with), the ''F-Zero'' anime was ''not'' warmly received. The two games based off it failed to match ''GX''[='s=] sales ''combined'' and ''Climax'' in particular sold poorly enough that [[NoExportForYou its international release was halted]], the anime's second season never came, the dub was CutShort, and [[FranchiseKiller the franchise was thrown into an indefinite hiatus]]. The ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series treats ''GX'' as the latest entry, with the ''Falcon Densetsu/GP Legend'' line only getting a paltry mention in the chronicle in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]''.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: '''Samurai Goroh.''' An interesting example in that, while he was already a popular character in the games, the anime decided to do away with his more buffoonish traits and ButtMonkey status, reinventing Goroh as a [[AdaptationalBadass more competent]] but [[AdaptationalHeroism ultimately good-natured]] LovableRogue who serves as mentor figure to Ryu and credibly demonstrates why he'd be seen as TheRival to Falcon in the source material. Throw in [[AdaptationalAttractiveness a younger, more attractive redesign]] and a gorgeous FemmeFatale for a wife in [[CanonForeigner Lisa Brilliant]], and it's not a stretch to say that this depiction of Goroh helped bolster his game counterpart's reputation much like ''Smash'' did for Falcon.
* FoeYay: Ryu has so much of this with both Zoda and Miss Killer. ''So much''. [[spoiler:To twist the knife further, it's later revealed that Miss Killer's true identity is that of Misaki Haruka: his girlfriend from the past who was ''also'' [[HumanPopsicle put into cold sleep]].]]
* GameBreaker: ''GP Legend'''s RecursiveAdaptation game does not make some sort of obvious effort (such as the escort UFO in the original or spontaneous combustion in ''GX'') to block you from taking massive shortcuts. Making the right jumps will allow you to cut off much more of a given course than the developers intended you to.
* HilariousInHindsight:
** One major plot in the anime involves a masked man and a guy named Suzaku (surnamed in this case) which ends with [[spoiler:the death of the masked man and the guy named Suzaku becoming the next masked man in his place]]. [[Anime/CodeGeass Sound familiar?]]
** Captain Falcon is voiced by Creator/HideyukiTanaka, with one of his best-known roles being Otacon of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' fame. Fast forward to 2008 and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' features a [[EasterEgg codec call]] between Snake and Otacon where the duo [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat relish the opportunity to]] [[CallingYourAttacks shout out Cap's lines for themselves]]. Bonus points in that Otacon gets to "use" the Falcon Kick, thus checking off another box of [[FountainOfMemes Falcon Memery]] for his VA.
* ItWasHisSled: By virtue of being the unholy lovechild of SignatureScene, MemeticMutation, and SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments, Captain Falcon's HeroicSacrifice and delivering a Falcon Punch to Black Shadow in [[GrandFinale the final episode]] is all but spoiled across the entire internet.
* MagnificentBastard: Black Shadow is the bombastically evil mastermind behind Dark Million, and a character ten times as devious and stylish as his video game counterpart. Black Shadow manipulates virtually all the conflict across 50 episodes in his scheme to obtain the Reactor Mights and use them to create a universe of evil, a dream Black Shadow has dedicated himself to fulfilling with every inch of his being. Black Shadow plays heroes and allies alike as pawns while rarely ever getting up from his seat, and nearly curbstomping the heroes every time he does finally step in directly. Black Shadow's manipulations even stretch 150 years in the past, having directly arranged for the creation of both his CoDragons and even numerous fail-safes to stop [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow has planned [[JustAsPlanned for every failure in advance]], always ready with an EvilLaugh and a wicked grin for every apparent setback, and remains in total control of the series up until Captain Falcon is forced to perform a galaxy-shattering HeroicSacrifice to stop him.
* MemeticMutation:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujC7rxFVZ18 The entire Falcon Punch scene.]] To wit:
*** Ryu/Rick's [[SayMyName yelling of Captain Falcon's name]] being [[{{Mondegreen}} misheard as]] "CAPTAIN HOTDOG!", [[RuleOfFunny sometimes on purpose]]. In the same vein, there's "[[ThisLoserIsYou You]] [[TakeThat suck]]", a {{Mondegreen}} of Ryu Suzaku.
*** Black Shadow's FamousLastWords (provided in Japanese by the one and only Creator/NorioWakamoto): "[[DefiantToTheEnd Watashi]] [[VillainousValour wa]] [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil shinan]]! '''''[[LargeHam SHINAN ZOOOOO!!!]]'''''" [[labelnote:Translation]]Simply put, "I will not die!", though the hammy nature of Black Shadow's VillainousBreakdown leads to translators making his final words more long-winded and/or flowery. (ex. "I will not die... NOR WILL MY DREAM!" or "I will note die... YOU WILL!") Also of note is that the line is frequently mispelled as "Watashi wa shinen! SHINENZU!"[[/labelnote]]
*** And of course, the Falcon Punch itself. Even outside of ''Smash'', there's a ''reason'' as to why Captain Falcon is considered a MemeticBadass.
** UsefulNotes/BarackObama in Vietnam! [[labelnote:Explanation]]A peculiar {{Mondegreen}} from the anime's OP that cropped up years after [[ColbertBump the initial surge of interest caused by the Falcon Punch scene]]. The second-to-last line of the refrain to "The Meaning of Truth" is "Mada kotae wa mienai!", but it ended up sounding like "Barack Obama in Vietnam!" to a lot of English speakers.[[/labelnote]]
* MainstreamObscurity: We all know about the anime's Falcon Punch scene, but very few have actually watched the show.
* MoralEventHorizon: Black Shadow's [[spoiler:[[MindScrew screwing with]] and ([[TakenForGranite temporary]]) [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness offing of]] Miss Killer]] is sadistic and twisted considering [[spoiler:[[UndyingLoyalty how devoted she was to him]] (even if she was {{brainwashed|AndCrazy}} to do so). The later reveal of his master plan, [[spoiler:a complete wipe of all life in the universe in order to bring about a new universe of pure evil]], almost comes across as ''less'' heinous by comparison.
* SignatureScene: The famous Falcon Punch scene, of MemeticMutation fame.
* UncertainAudience:
** Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish for adults.
** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdaptationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor of ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
* WatchItForTheMeme: A number of people consider the famous Falcon Punch scene to be the only reason to watch this series.
----
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments:
** Captain Falcon's immortal HeroicSacrifice and takedown of Black Shadow in the final episode. Easily the most famous part of the series, [[JustHereForGodzilla and the only reason most have even heard of the anime]].
--->'''Captain Falcon:''' '''''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyr2qzeLMTY FALCON PUUUUUNCH!]]'''''
** Which is immediately preceded by an equally epic speech from the captain himself, setting the tone for his DyingMomentOfAwesome.
--->'''Captain Falcon:''' Black Shadow! Looks like we're [[SeeYouInHell going to hell]] [[TakingYouWithMe together]]! \\
(''the Blue Falcon and Black Bull are swept up by [[GoingCritical the chain reaction caused by the Dark Reactor destabilizing]]'') \\
'''Ryu:''' Captain Falcon! \\
'''Captain Falcon:''' [[LegacyCharacter The name "Captain Falcon"]] [[DareToBeBadass is a title given to those worthy of it]]. [[labelnote:alt.]][[MeaningfulEcho "Only the one who surpasses/has exceeded Falcon can become Falcon."]][[/labelnote]] Ryu Suzaku... [[TakeUpMySword As of today, you are the new Captain Falcon.]]
** [[EleventhHourSuperpower Ryu finding the inner strength to use the full-power Boost Fire]] also deserves mention, as it's what kicks off the entire sequence leading up to the Falcon Punch. The resulting ThemeMusicPowerUp (see directly below) didn't hurt either.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_SxVtf6Nk0 The Meaning of Truth]], the anime's opening theme by HIRO-X, is considered one of the best things to come from this anime. The fact that it plays during the legendary Falcon Punch scene certainly helps.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ryu Suzaku/Rick Wheeler, big time. To say that the series' decision to focus on a protagonist not named Captain Falcon was controversial would be an understatement. Naturally, some hated him simply on the basis of ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass not being (as badass as) Captain Falcon]]''. Ryu's hot-headed nature and (usually justified and reasonable) angst over [[FishOutOfTemporalWater his past life]] also did not do him many favors, though this was later mitigated for some viewers by CharacterDevelopment, a string of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome moments]], and [[spoiler:eventually becoming Captain Falcon himself]]. Though for others, this only served to [[ReplacementScrappy make him more hated]]. Complicating matters is how Ryu also tends to be [[{{Misblamed}} unfairly used as a scapegoat]] for all the undesirable differences the anime-verse had with the games-verse.
* BrokenBase: How much one likes this anime seems to be inversely proportional to how much one played the games. Many who started with and/or grew up playing the games tend to despise it for its [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks sheer lack of faithfulness to the source material]], while those who were introduced to the series via the anime tend to be more forgiving.
* CommonKnowledge: The [[spoiler:cosmos-wrecking explosion]] that occurs in the series finale came from [[spoiler:[[GoingCritical the destruction of the Dark Reactor]]]], not as the result of Captain Falcon being a MemeticBadass with the sheer power of the Falcon Punch. Of course, [[{{Fanon}} fans prefer their explanation]].
* CompleteMonster: [[DiabolicalMastermind Black Shadow]] is the ruler of [[NebulousEvilOrganization Dark Million]], and the [[SlasherSmile always grinning]] [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] behind every single bad event in the series. Black Shadow, atop facilitating general terrorism and [[BadBoss abusing underlings]] as a course of habit, has gone to every length imaginable to prevent [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow creates the homicidal criminal Zoda and sends him off to homicidal rampages--at one point powering up Zoda to annihilate all of Mute City--and kidnaps Ryu's girlfriend Haruka to brainwash her into his pet assassin, Miss Killer, trying to use her to kill her own boyfriend. Black Shadow [[TakenForGranite carbonizes]] Miss Killer when she finally breaks free of Black Shadow's spell, and gleefully torments Ryu with her petrified body. Black Shadow, in the finale, reveals his glorious dream that his every waking moment has been dedicated to: Using his Dark Matter Reactor, Black Shadow throws the entire galaxy into death and destruction, to precede [[OmnicidalManiac him]] creating a new Big Bang to [[DepopulationBomb annihilate the old universe]] and [[InTheirOwnImage create a new one of pure evil on top of it]].
* DesignatedVillain: Octoman's treatment in the anime is downright painful. While the majority of AdaptationalVillainy among the cast was gratuitous and forced, Octoman was written in a way that he simply ''couldn't'' be a villain without completely rewriting his character... which they didn't, changing nothing about him other than making him a crook. True, he is portrayed as a JustifiedCriminal and gets a ThrowTheDogABone episode, but this just raises the question of why they bothered with the AdaptationalVillainy at all and makes his punching bag moments (down to making him the butt of the series' final joke) seem even less justified, especially when you consider that Leon (who ''was'' completely rewritten to the point of being InNameOnly) was also made a JustifiedCriminal and isn't demonized for it at all.
* DorkAge: Unlike ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' and ''[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa Kirby]]'' (the latter of which it had to directly compete with), the ''F-Zero'' anime was ''not'' warmly received. The two games based off it failed to match ''GX''[='s=] sales ''combined'' and ''Climax'' in particular sold poorly enough that [[NoExportForYou its international release was halted]], the anime's second season never came, the dub was CutShort, and [[FranchiseKiller the franchise was thrown into an indefinite hiatus]]. The ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series treats ''GX'' as the latest entry, with the ''Falcon Densetsu/GP Legend'' line only getting a paltry mention in the chronicle in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]''.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: '''Samurai Goroh.''' An interesting example in that, while he was already a popular character in the games, the anime decided to do away with his more buffoonish traits and ButtMonkey status, reinventing Goroh as a [[AdaptationalBadass more competent]] but [[AdaptationalHeroism ultimately good-natured]] LovableRogue who serves as mentor figure to Ryu and credibly demonstrates why he'd be seen as TheRival to Falcon in the source material. Throw in [[AdaptationalAttractiveness a younger, more attractive redesign]] and a gorgeous FemmeFatale for a wife in [[CanonForeigner Lisa Brilliant]], and it's not a stretch to say that this depiction of Goroh helped bolster his game counterpart's reputation much like ''Smash'' did for Falcon.
* FoeYay: Ryu has so much of this with both Zoda and Miss Killer. ''So much''. [[spoiler:To twist the knife further, it's later revealed that Miss Killer's true identity is that of Misaki Haruka: his girlfriend from the past who was ''also'' [[HumanPopsicle put into cold sleep]].]]
* GameBreaker: ''GP Legend'''s RecursiveAdaptation game does not make some sort of obvious effort (such as the escort UFO in the original or spontaneous combustion in ''GX'') to block you from taking massive shortcuts. Making the right jumps will allow you to cut off much more of a given course than the developers intended you to.
* HilariousInHindsight:
** One major plot in the anime involves a masked man and a guy named Suzaku (surnamed in this case) which ends with [[spoiler:the death of the masked man and the guy named Suzaku becoming the next masked man in his place]]. [[Anime/CodeGeass Sound familiar?]]
** Captain Falcon is voiced by Creator/HideyukiTanaka, with one of his best-known roles being Otacon of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' fame. Fast forward to 2008 and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' features a [[EasterEgg codec call]] between Snake and Otacon where the duo [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat relish the opportunity to]] [[CallingYourAttacks shout out Cap's lines for themselves]]. Bonus points in that Otacon gets to "use" the Falcon Kick, thus checking off another box of [[FountainOfMemes Falcon Memery]] for his VA.
* ItWasHisSled: By virtue of being the unholy lovechild of SignatureScene, MemeticMutation, and SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments, Captain Falcon's HeroicSacrifice and delivering a Falcon Punch to Black Shadow in [[GrandFinale the final episode]] is all but spoiled across the entire internet.
* MagnificentBastard: Black Shadow is the bombastically evil mastermind behind Dark Million, and a character ten times as devious and stylish as his video game counterpart. Black Shadow manipulates virtually all the conflict across 50 episodes in his scheme to obtain the Reactor Mights and use them to create a universe of evil, a dream Black Shadow has dedicated himself to fulfilling with every inch of his being. Black Shadow plays heroes and allies alike as pawns while rarely ever getting up from his seat, and nearly curbstomping the heroes every time he does finally step in directly. Black Shadow's manipulations even stretch 150 years in the past, having directly arranged for the creation of both his CoDragons and even numerous fail-safes to stop [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow has planned [[JustAsPlanned for every failure in advance]], always ready with an EvilLaugh and a wicked grin for every apparent setback, and remains in total control of the series up until Captain Falcon is forced to perform a galaxy-shattering HeroicSacrifice to stop him.
* MemeticMutation:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujC7rxFVZ18 The entire Falcon Punch scene.]] To wit:
*** Ryu/Rick's [[SayMyName yelling of Captain Falcon's name]] being [[{{Mondegreen}} misheard as]] "CAPTAIN HOTDOG!", [[RuleOfFunny sometimes on purpose]]. In the same vein, there's "[[ThisLoserIsYou You]] [[TakeThat suck]]", a {{Mondegreen}} of Ryu Suzaku.
*** Black Shadow's FamousLastWords (provided in Japanese by the one and only Creator/NorioWakamoto): "[[DefiantToTheEnd Watashi]] [[VillainousValour wa]] [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil shinan]]! '''''[[LargeHam SHINAN ZOOOOO!!!]]'''''" [[labelnote:Translation]]Simply put, "I will not die!", though the hammy nature of Black Shadow's VillainousBreakdown leads to translators making his final words more long-winded and/or flowery. (ex. "I will not die... NOR WILL MY DREAM!" or "I will note die... YOU WILL!") Also of note is that the line is frequently mispelled as "Watashi wa shinen! SHINENZU!"[[/labelnote]]
*** And of course, the Falcon Punch itself. Even outside of ''Smash'', there's a ''reason'' as to why Captain Falcon is considered a MemeticBadass.
** UsefulNotes/BarackObama in Vietnam! [[labelnote:Explanation]]A peculiar {{Mondegreen}} from the anime's OP that cropped up years after [[ColbertBump the initial surge of interest caused by the Falcon Punch scene]]. The second-to-last line of the refrain to "The Meaning of Truth" is "Mada kotae wa mienai!", but it ended up sounding like "Barack Obama in Vietnam!" to a lot of English speakers.[[/labelnote]]
* MainstreamObscurity: We all know about the anime's Falcon Punch scene, but very few have actually watched the show.
* MoralEventHorizon: Black Shadow's [[spoiler:[[MindScrew screwing with]] and ([[TakenForGranite temporary]]) [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness offing of]] Miss Killer]] is sadistic and twisted considering [[spoiler:[[UndyingLoyalty how devoted she was to him]] (even if she was {{brainwashed|AndCrazy}} to do so). The later reveal of his master plan, [[spoiler:a complete wipe of all life in the universe in order to bring about a new universe of pure evil]], almost comes across as ''less'' heinous by comparison.
* SignatureScene: The famous Falcon Punch scene, of MemeticMutation fame.
* UncertainAudience:
** Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish for adults.
** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdaptationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor of ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
* WatchItForTheMeme: A number of people consider the famous Falcon Punch scene to be the only reason to watch this series.
----
to:
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments:
** Captain Falcon's immortal HeroicSacrifice and takedown of Black Shadow in the final episode. Easily the most famous part of the series, [[JustHereForGodzilla and the only reason most have even heard of the anime]].
--->'''Captain Falcon:''' '''''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyr2qzeLMTY FALCON PUUUUUNCH!]]'''''
** Which is immediately preceded by an equally epic speech from the captain himself, setting the tone for his DyingMomentOfAwesome.
--->'''Captain Falcon:''' Black Shadow! Looks like we're [[SeeYouInHell going to hell]] [[TakingYouWithMe together]]! \\
(''the Blue Falcon and Black Bull are swept up by [[GoingCritical the chain reaction caused by the Dark Reactor destabilizing]]'') \\
'''Ryu:''' Captain Falcon! \\
'''Captain Falcon:''' [[LegacyCharacter The name "Captain Falcon"]] [[DareToBeBadass is a title given to those worthy of it]]. [[labelnote:alt.]][[MeaningfulEcho "Only the one who surpasses/has exceeded Falcon can become Falcon."]][[/labelnote]] Ryu Suzaku... [[TakeUpMySword As of today, you are the new Captain Falcon.]]
** [[EleventhHourSuperpower Ryu finding the inner strength to use the full-power Boost Fire]] also deserves mention, as it's what kicks off the entire sequence leading up to the Falcon Punch. The resulting ThemeMusicPowerUp (see directly below) didn't hurt either.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_SxVtf6Nk0 The Meaning of Truth]], the anime's opening theme by HIRO-X, is considered one of the best things to come from this anime. The fact that it plays during the legendary Falcon Punch scene certainly helps.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ryu Suzaku/Rick Wheeler, big time. To say that the series' decision to focus on a protagonist not named Captain Falcon was controversial would be an understatement. Naturally, some hated him simply on the basis of ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass not being (as badass as) Captain Falcon]]''. Ryu's hot-headed nature and (usually justified and reasonable) angst over [[FishOutOfTemporalWater his past life]] also did not do him many favors, though this was later mitigated for some viewers by CharacterDevelopment, a string of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome moments]], and [[spoiler:eventually becoming Captain Falcon himself]]. Though for others, this only served to [[ReplacementScrappy make him more hated]]. Complicating matters is how Ryu also tends to be [[{{Misblamed}} unfairly used as a scapegoat]] for all the undesirable differences the anime-verse had with the games-verse.
* BrokenBase: How much one likes this anime seems to be inversely proportional to how much one played the games. Many who started with and/or grew up playing the games tend to despise it for its [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks sheer lack of faithfulness to the source material]], while those who were introduced to the series via the anime tend to be more forgiving.
* CommonKnowledge: The [[spoiler:cosmos-wrecking explosion]] that occurs in the series finale came from [[spoiler:[[GoingCritical the destruction of the Dark Reactor]]]], not as the result of Captain Falcon being a MemeticBadass with the sheer power of the Falcon Punch. Of course, [[{{Fanon}} fans prefer their explanation]].
* CompleteMonster: [[DiabolicalMastermind Black Shadow]] is the ruler of [[NebulousEvilOrganization Dark Million]], and the [[SlasherSmile always grinning]] [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] behind every single bad event in the series. Black Shadow, atop facilitating general terrorism and [[BadBoss abusing underlings]] as a course of habit, has gone to every length imaginable to prevent [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow creates the homicidal criminal Zoda and sends him off to homicidal rampages--at one point powering up Zoda to annihilate all of Mute City--and kidnaps Ryu's girlfriend Haruka to brainwash her into his pet assassin, Miss Killer, trying to use her to kill her own boyfriend. Black Shadow [[TakenForGranite carbonizes]] Miss Killer when she finally breaks free of Black Shadow's spell, and gleefully torments Ryu with her petrified body. Black Shadow, in the finale, reveals his glorious dream that his every waking moment has been dedicated to: Using his Dark Matter Reactor, Black Shadow throws the entire galaxy into death and destruction, to precede [[OmnicidalManiac him]] creating a new Big Bang to [[DepopulationBomb annihilate the old universe]] and [[InTheirOwnImage create a new one of pure evil on top of it]].
* DesignatedVillain: Octoman's treatment in the anime is downright painful. While the majority of AdaptationalVillainy among the cast was gratuitous and forced, Octoman was written in a way that he simply ''couldn't'' be a villain without completely rewriting his character... which they didn't, changing nothing about him other than making him a crook. True, he is portrayed as a JustifiedCriminal and gets a ThrowTheDogABone episode, but this just raises the question of why they bothered with the AdaptationalVillainy at all and makes his punching bag moments (down to making him the butt of the series' final joke) seem even less justified, especially when you consider that Leon (who ''was'' completely rewritten to the point of being InNameOnly) was also made a JustifiedCriminal and isn't demonized for it at all.
* DorkAge: Unlike ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' and ''[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa Kirby]]'' (the latter of which it had to directly compete with), the ''F-Zero'' anime was ''not'' warmly received. The two games based off it failed to match ''GX''[='s=] sales ''combined'' and ''Climax'' in particular sold poorly enough that [[NoExportForYou its international release was halted]], the anime's second season never came, the dub was CutShort, and [[FranchiseKiller the franchise was thrown into an indefinite hiatus]]. The ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series treats ''GX'' as the latest entry, with the ''Falcon Densetsu/GP Legend'' line only getting a paltry mention in the chronicle in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]''.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: '''Samurai Goroh.''' An interesting example in that, while he was already a popular character in the games, the anime decided to do away with his more buffoonish traits and ButtMonkey status, reinventing Goroh as a [[AdaptationalBadass more competent]] but [[AdaptationalHeroism ultimately good-natured]] LovableRogue who serves as mentor figure to Ryu and credibly demonstrates why he'd be seen as TheRival to Falcon in the source material. Throw in [[AdaptationalAttractiveness a younger, more attractive redesign]] and a gorgeous FemmeFatale for a wife in [[CanonForeigner Lisa Brilliant]], and it's not a stretch to say that this depiction of Goroh helped bolster his game counterpart's reputation much like ''Smash'' did for Falcon.
* FoeYay: Ryu has so much of this with both Zoda and Miss Killer. ''So much''. [[spoiler:To twist the knife further, it's later revealed that Miss Killer's true identity is that of Misaki Haruka: his girlfriend from the past who was ''also'' [[HumanPopsicle put into cold sleep]].]]
* GameBreaker: ''GP Legend'''s RecursiveAdaptation game does not make some sort of obvious effort (such as the escort UFO in the original or spontaneous combustion in ''GX'') to block you from taking massive shortcuts. Making the right jumps will allow you to cut off much more of a given course than the developers intended you to.
* HilariousInHindsight:
** One major plot in the anime involves a masked man and a guy named Suzaku (surnamed in this case) which ends with [[spoiler:the death of the masked man and the guy named Suzaku becoming the next masked man in his place]]. [[Anime/CodeGeass Sound familiar?]]
** Captain Falcon is voiced by Creator/HideyukiTanaka, with one of his best-known roles being Otacon of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' fame. Fast forward to 2008 and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' features a [[EasterEgg codec call]] between Snake and Otacon where the duo [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat relish the opportunity to]] [[CallingYourAttacks shout out Cap's lines for themselves]]. Bonus points in that Otacon gets to "use" the Falcon Kick, thus checking off another box of [[FountainOfMemes Falcon Memery]] for his VA.
* ItWasHisSled: By virtue of being the unholy lovechild of SignatureScene, MemeticMutation, and SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments, Captain Falcon's HeroicSacrifice and delivering a Falcon Punch to Black Shadow in [[GrandFinale the final episode]] is all but spoiled across the entire internet.
* MagnificentBastard: Black Shadow is the bombastically evil mastermind behind Dark Million, and a character ten times as devious and stylish as his video game counterpart. Black Shadow manipulates virtually all the conflict across 50 episodes in his scheme to obtain the Reactor Mights and use them to create a universe of evil, a dream Black Shadow has dedicated himself to fulfilling with every inch of his being. Black Shadow plays heroes and allies alike as pawns while rarely ever getting up from his seat, and nearly curbstomping the heroes every time he does finally step in directly. Black Shadow's manipulations even stretch 150 years in the past, having directly arranged for the creation of both his CoDragons and even numerous fail-safes to stop [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow has planned [[JustAsPlanned for every failure in advance]], always ready with an EvilLaugh and a wicked grin for every apparent setback, and remains in total control of the series up until Captain Falcon is forced to perform a galaxy-shattering HeroicSacrifice to stop him.
* MemeticMutation:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujC7rxFVZ18 The entire Falcon Punch scene.]] To wit:
*** Ryu/Rick's [[SayMyName yelling of Captain Falcon's name]] being [[{{Mondegreen}} misheard as]] "CAPTAIN HOTDOG!", [[RuleOfFunny sometimes on purpose]]. In the same vein, there's "[[ThisLoserIsYou You]] [[TakeThat suck]]", a {{Mondegreen}} of Ryu Suzaku.
*** Black Shadow's FamousLastWords (provided in Japanese by the one and only Creator/NorioWakamoto): "[[DefiantToTheEnd Watashi]] [[VillainousValour wa]] [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil shinan]]! '''''[[LargeHam SHINAN ZOOOOO!!!]]'''''" [[labelnote:Translation]]Simply put, "I will not die!", though the hammy nature of Black Shadow's VillainousBreakdown leads to translators making his final words more long-winded and/or flowery. (ex. "I will not die... NOR WILL MY DREAM!" or "I will note die... YOU WILL!") Also of note is that the line is frequently mispelled as "Watashi wa shinen! SHINENZU!"[[/labelnote]]
*** And of course, the Falcon Punch itself. Even outside of ''Smash'', there's a ''reason'' as to why Captain Falcon is considered a MemeticBadass.
** UsefulNotes/BarackObama in Vietnam! [[labelnote:Explanation]]A peculiar {{Mondegreen}} from the anime's OP that cropped up years after [[ColbertBump the initial surge of interest caused by the Falcon Punch scene]]. The second-to-last line of the refrain to "The Meaning of Truth" is "Mada kotae wa mienai!", but it ended up sounding like "Barack Obama in Vietnam!" to a lot of English speakers.[[/labelnote]]
* MainstreamObscurity: We all know about the anime's Falcon Punch scene, but very few have actually watched the show.
* MoralEventHorizon: Black Shadow's [[spoiler:[[MindScrew screwing with]] and ([[TakenForGranite temporary]]) [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness offing of]] Miss Killer]] is sadistic and twisted considering [[spoiler:[[UndyingLoyalty how devoted she was to him]] (even if she was {{brainwashed|AndCrazy}} to do so). The later reveal of his master plan, [[spoiler:a complete wipe of all life in the universe in order to bring about a new universe of pure evil]], almost comes across as ''less'' heinous by comparison.
* SignatureScene: The famous Falcon Punch scene, of MemeticMutation fame.
* UncertainAudience:
** Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish for adults.
** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdaptationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor of ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
* WatchItForTheMeme: A number of people consider the famous Falcon Punch scene to be the only reason to watch this series.
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** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdapationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
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** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdapationDecay [[AdaptationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor of ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
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* UncertainAudience: Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish for adults.
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* UncertainAudience: UncertainAudience:
** Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish foradults.adults.
** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdapationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
** Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish for
** It didn't fare well with Nintendo fans either: The more hardcore ones ended up hating it for [[AdapationDecay playing too loose with the source material]], but ''F-Zero'''s relative obscurity as a Nintendo franchise meant the fans who would have forgiven the changes usually passed it up in favor ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' and ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.
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* UncertainAudience: Generally the anime was considered too edgy for kids (as it's about undercover vigilantes fighting crime and the criminals are cold-blooded murderers) but the character and story flow was considered too childish for adults.
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'''Captain Falcon:''' [[LegacyCharacter The name "Captain Falcon"]] [[DareToBeBadass is a title given to those worthy of it]]. Ryu Suzaku... [[TakeUpMySword As of today, you are the new Captain Falcon.]]
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'''Captain Falcon:''' [[LegacyCharacter The name "Captain Falcon"]] [[DareToBeBadass is a title given to those worthy of it]]. [[labelnote:alt.]][[MeaningfulEcho "Only the one who surpasses/has exceeded Falcon can become Falcon."]][[/labelnote]] Ryu Suzaku... [[TakeUpMySword As of today, you are the new Captain Falcon.]]
