Line #51 YMMV/FZero


1	''Yeahhhhh! The final lap!''
2	----
3	Works with their own pages:
4	* ''YMMV/FZero1990''
5	* ''YMMV/FZeroX''
6	* ''YMMV/FZeroMaximumVelocity''
7	* ''YMMV/FZeroGX''
8	* ''YMMV/FZeroGPLegend'' (both the anime and the game)
9	* ''YMMV/FZeroClimax''
10	* ''YMMV/FZero99''
11	--------------
12	* AccidentalInnuendo: No folks, X Cup does not refer to ridiculously large breasts.
13	* AdaptationDisplacement: Fans of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' will probably be disappointed to learn that Captain Falcon as depicted in his own games is virtually a different character than the one in the fighting games. While both are badasses in their own right, Falcon in his own series is a straight-laced, no-nonsense kind of guy who is TheComicallySerious at best, while his depiction in ''Smash'' is pure {{camp}}.
14	* {{Adorkable}}: Terry Getter is a nerd of the highest degree; you cannot deny it. He's trying to apply science to romantic matters (there's a girl in his class named Sharon who he's trying to woo via a simulation; you never know, he might get her yet). If it were anyone else, it would be a tad bit creepy, but Digi-Boy somehow makes it oddly cute. He's practically a dead ringer for Steve Urkel from ''Series/FamilyMatters''.
15	* AngstWhatAngst:
16	** For a guy whose homeworld is in shambles due to [[WarIsHell an interplanetary war]] that cost him [[ParentalAbandonment his parents]] and [[EyeScream his left eye]] and forced him to carry the burdens of the Zou on his back, Leon seems to be relatively unfazed, taking it all in stride. No SurvivorGuilt, no nothing.
17	** Mighty Gazelle suffered some of the worst injuries as a result of the great F-Zero accident, to the point where he had to be rebuilt as a cyborg. Yet he's as chipper as ever and enthusiastic about racing, even moreso than as a human thanks to how much more durable he is now, and he's not bothered when Mr. Zero asks him questions about the accident.
18	---> '''Mr. Zero:''' You were in a serious F-ZERO crash, weren't you? \
19	'''Mighty Gazelle:''' It was enough to keep me out of the F-ZERO for a while. [[ThrillSeeker But who can stay away?]]
20	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Let's just go ahead and say the whole series has awesome music, [[AwesomeMusic/FZero because it does]].
21	* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Awesome Levels]]: Cosmo Terminal: Trident in ''GX''. Despite being one the tougher courses in the game, it's very memorable thanks to its unique, atmospheric setting and awesome visuals. It helps that the overall location is only used for one track, in a game where there's at least 3 for most of the other settings.
22	* BadassDecay: Black Shadow gets hit with this stick ''hard'' in ''GX'':
23	** The moment Deathborn appears on the scene, Black Shadow goes from "imposing, nefarious villain" to "shrewd, sniveling wimp". Justified, in that it's ''[[EvilerThanThou Deathborn]]'' (see NightmareFuel below).
24	** This extends to his surprisingly girly laugh shown in prologue to the first chapter of Story Mode, as well as his odd arm waving in the epilogue to Chapter 5.
25	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
26	** Several of the bonus movies in ''GX'' count as this. Dr. Stewart's clip, in particular, is what happens when a bunch of developers get together after a [[MushroomSamba shroom rave]].
27	** The whole [[GainaxEnding final chapter]] of ''GX''s Story Mode has no bearing whatsoever on the plot, creating a rather sudden, nonsensical final conflict despite the previous chapter having already wrapped up everything nicely. [[spoiler:Three ghosts, who were living inside the championship belt for whatever reason, claim to be the Gods of the ''F-Zero'' universe (i.e. the game's developers) and reveal to have been behind everything all along (including Deathborn). Then the Phantom Road racetrack is suddenly conjured up from nowhere as said ghostly beings turn into a literal RacingGhost, and Falcon now has to race against it for his soul. Once Falcon wins, he removes his helmet and just kinda walks off his secret base as if nothing had happened.]]
28	* BreatherBoss: After the hell that is ''GX'' Story Mode Chapter 7, Chapter 8 has you race against only one opponent ([[spoiler:Deathborn]]). He's by no means effortless or an AntiClimaxBoss, but he's a lot more fair than a vindictive full grid of 29 opponents. Of courser, this is only on Normal; on Hard and Very Hard, it's as brain-breakingly hard as the other chapters.
29	* BreatherLevel:
30	** In the original SNES game, White Land 2 isn't too much to handle once you [[GuideDangIt remember to press down]] for the jump on the last leg of the track. Even the hairpin gauntlet is fairly forgiving with damaging floors near the apexes that you may cut across for negligible damage that you'll undo with a dash through the pit lane. Besides that, there is only some icy turns where you may need to back off on the throttle but no land mines, magnetic rails, or even "gravel traps" to slow down you down.
31	** Also in the SNES game, Red Canyon 2 is a breath of fresh air after being bounced around the walls of Death Wind 2 and navigating the narrow treacherous snake of Port Town 2.
32	** The X Cup in ''X'' can sometimes [[RandomlyGeneratedLevels generate]] a course that is perfectly possible for a human player but [[AIBreaker causes the A.I. opponents to fly off to their deaths]], allowing you to take your sweet time finishing the course.
33	** Chapter 5 in ''GX'''s Story Mode can be rather annoying due to its very fast-paced and reflex-heavy nature, but it's also the shortest, most straightforward chapter in a game where the biggest penalty for losing is replaying the chapter again.
34	* BrokenBase:
35	** Even in a series known for its difficulty, there's debate over whether ''F-Zero GX'' (''especially'' the Story Mode) is a satisfying challenge or NintendoHard to an unfair, punishing degree.
36	** Much like in ''VideoGame/MarioKart'', whether snaking in ''GX'' is a valid technique wherein the player is simply using the tools available to them, or constitutes as cheating. It's to the point that the speedrunning community has separate categories to account for it.
37	* CameraScrew: Some machines in ''GX'' have a very odd camera system. Red Gazelle is the most (in)famously known, since Gazelle's camera repositions way slower than the rest of the field. Another notable one is White Cat, whose camera ''always'' sticks itself to the back of the machine, making it trickier to pull off some of the game's advanced techniques because the camera will always follow the machine's orientation at any given point.
38	* CatharsisFactor: Beating any cup on [[HarderThanHard Master difficulty]] is such a gruelling experience, that hearing "[[https://youtu.be/RgpaGq6XTws Hurrah for the Champion]]" kick in as your character does a victory lap across Mute City is an extremely satisfying feeling.
39	* CommonKnowledge: The pilots of the ship that rescues you if you fall off the track in ''GX'' are small blue critters with teardrop-shaped bodies, which has led to some people mistaking them for [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Chao]].
40	* ComplacentGamingSyndrome:
41	** Almost nobody who plays the SNES original uses anything other than the Fire Stingray, due to having the fastest top speed in the game. It helps that, despite having a wider turning radius than the other machines, it's also the grippiest machine in the game, unlike the other three machines which slide out to obnoxious levels on turns.
42	** To a lesser extent, expect to see a lot of high-level play done using the Blood Hawk (in ''X'') and Fat Shark (in ''GX/AX''). They both excel in their respective games due to how they work in conjunction with their game's physics engine.
43	* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad Deathborn]] is the recent champion of the Underworld F-Zero Grand Prix who is also a wanted criminal due to being responsible for the Great Accident, and banishes the people who knew about said incident into the void of space. [[EstablishingCharacterMoment Introduced]] by strangling Black Shadow and threatening to eliminate him if he doesn't win the race, Deathborn then returns to execute Black Shadow with an AgonyBeam when the latter loses the race. It was revealed that he intends to retrieve the Grand Prix belt in order to [[OmnicidalManiac wipe out all life in the galaxy]].
44	* CrazyIsCool:
45	** Zoda, with an emphasis on the "[[AxCrazy crazy]]". He is riding around in a modified missile. We repeat, ''he is riding around in a modified missile''.
46	** He's beaten handily by [[MagiciansAreWizards Spade]], though. His Magic Seagull ''has no doors''. Sure, The Skull's Sonic Phantom has no steering wheel (probably explained by underworld-brand {{Magitek}}), but at least he can actually ''escape from his vehicle''. It's like Spade is giving the entire concept of safe driving a middle finger and then shouting "ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers" (And considering he's characterized in-game as having a love for showing off for the crowd mid-race, this may very well be true.)
47	* DisappointingLastLevel: The final chapter of ''GX''[='=]s story mode is easily forgotten by players due to [[spoiler:abruptly introducing the "Creators" when [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere they had absolutely no buildup in the story]] and Captain Falcon had already beaten the F-Zero Grand Prix for its championship belt and swiped the Underworld championship belt from Deathborn after beating him, combining them both into a golden super-belt.]] Then the race itself is [[spoiler:against a pre-programmed staff ghost that doesn't interact with the player at all. While not an outright AntiClimaxBoss, racing against a glorified record time sucks away a lot of the tension that could've been had against a proper opponent.]]
48	* EnsembleDarkHorse:
49	** Everybody loves the ''AX'' racers, who haven't appeared since the days of ''GX/AX''.
50	*** Of said group, [[TimePolice Phoenix]], [[RebelliousPrincess Princia]], and [[LittleMissBadass Lily]] seem to get the most attention. Considering they were the most heavily advertised characters for ''AX'' alongside Captain Falcon, this may have been an InvokedTrope on the part of the developers.
51	** Samurai Goroh must be one, considering [[AdaptationalBadass the treatment]] [[AdaptationalAttractiveness he received]] [[LovableRogue in the anime]], as well as the serious rivalry he has with Captain Falcon.
52	** If there's any character who comes close to being as recognized as Captain Falcon, it's probably James [=McCloud=], and for [[Franchise/StarFox obvious reasons]].
53	%% Please don't re-add Black Shadow to this entry. As the main villain of the series, he doesn't qualify for the trope.
54	* EvenBetterSequel: ''X'' was the point in the series where everything took off. ''GX'' ramped this up even more: the speed was cranked up to insane levels and the previously one-dimensional characters were fleshed out. Oh, and it was a very polished, very fun game to play. There's a reason that critics lauded it as one of the best racers of its time.
55	* EvilIsCool: Black Shadow certainly counts, particularly for his anime appearance where he was voiced by Creator/NorioWakamoto and for his involvement in the {{memetic\|Mutation}} Falcon Punch scene, as well as his intimidating voice and GX interview segments.
56	* FandomHeresy: Insulting the 3D games ''X'' and ''GX'' and saying the 2D games are better will get you Side Attacked off the road.
57	* FandomRivalry: A one-sided rivalry with ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' due to how ''Mario Kart''[='=]s success has [[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/07/takaya-imamura-f-zero-hasnt-been-revived-because-mario-kart-is-nintendos-most-popular-racing-game caused Nintendo]] to see ''F-Zero'' as redundant as a flagship racing game, magnified when ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' introduced a number of elements that some feel gave Nintendo an excuse to junk ''F-Zero'' once and for all, such as anti-gravity, [=200cc=] mode, and ''F-Zero'' crossover tracks. Nintendo also stated they wouldn't revisit it until they can come up with a new way to revitalize it, which happened with ''VideoGame/FZero99'', an online {{battle royale game}} based on the original game featuring 99 simultaneous players.
58	* FanNickname: "Franchise/{{Batman}} from Hell" for Black Shadow in some circles. Black Batman also works. Given that Mr. EAD is essentially Mario, expect to see nicknames like [[VideoGame/HotelMario Gay]] Mario, Fat Mario, and [=EAD=]io.
59	* {{Fanon}}:
60	** Silver Neelson's first name being Mortimer.
61	** Likewise with Phoenix. His last name is ''not'' Lestrade.
62	** When depicted without his helmet in fan art for either this series or ''Smash Bros.'', there appears to be a preference for using Falcon's appearance from the anime. This might be because Falcon's civilian identity is a recurring member of the supporting cast in the anime (and [[spoiler:Falcon loses his helmet right before his {{memetic\|Mutation}}ally popular DyingMomentOfAwesome]]), thus appearing far more frequently than the two times in the games players get to see Falcon sans helmet (beating a GP on Master Class in ''X'' and at the end of Story Mode in ''GX'').
63	** Despite Goroh's son Dai Goroh (from ''GX/AX'') and wife Lisa Brilliant (from the anime) existing in [[AlternateContinuity different continuities]], fans generally roll with the idea that Lisa is Goroh's wife regardless, and thus the mother of his child. Coincidentally, this happens to add layers to the characters' pre-established relationships, such as when you connect Dai Goroh's Silver Rat being modeled after Antonio Guster's Green Panther to Lisa being Antonio's older sister.
64	* FandomEnragingMisconception: Getting the anime confused with the games:
65	** Black Shadow's organization is called "Black Shadow Group" (as shown by his machine profile), not "Dark Million".
66	** Leon's a cat, not a wolf, and he's not a ''Franchise/StarFox'' ShoutOut. If you want one, take a look at James [=McCloud=].
67	** The Skull, Pico, Bio Rex, Octoman, Gomar, Shioh, Billy, and Baba [[AdaptationalVillainy do not work for Black Shadow]].
68	** There is no "Rick Wheeler", "Lisa Brilliant" or "Mobile Task Force".
69	** Captain Falcon's first name is unconfirmed (as in, not Bart or Andy), and he's not Jody's brother.
70	* FountainOfMemes: The ''X'' announcer:
71	** "You got Boost Power!"
72	** "Yeah, the Final Lap!"
73	** "All Right! First Place!"
74	** "Too bad. You lost your machine."
75	* FriendlyFandoms:
76	** With ''F-Zero'' having been absent from Nintendo platforms since the Platform/GameBoyAdvance until ''VideoGame/FZero99'', fans of ''F-Zero'' had turned to the ''VideoGame/{{FAST Racing\|League}}'' series for their supersonic racing fix, seeing as [[SpiritualAdaptation it's F-Zero in all but name]]. The fact that [[Creator/ShinenMultimedia Shin'en]] acknowledges and plays up these similarities, including hiring Jack Merluzzi, the LargeHamAnnouncer for ''GX/AX'', to serve as the race announcer in ''Neo'' and ''RMX'', helps. By the late 2010s, it got to the point where many fans wanted the studio to outright made an official ''F-Zero'' title.
77	** The fanbase also tends to overlap with that of ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', with both debuting in the early 90s, sharing the same concept of intense speed, and ''GX'' being developed by Creator/{{Sega}}'s AV subsidiary.
78	** With ''Franchise/StarFox'' and ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' due to all three having science fiction themes and being generally considered by fans to be Nintendo's more overlooked franchises. [[note]]That said, Nintendo has always given the other two ''far'' more attention, with both series seeing numerous new entries since the [=GameCube=] and GBA, while ''F-Zero'' didn't see a new title from 2004 until 2023.[[/note]]
79	** ''F-Zero'' fans get along very well with ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' fans, as said franchise is also far better known for its content and characters [[CompanyCrossReferences crossing over in their company's other games]] while maintaining a small, devoted fanbase. Captain Falcon and Morrigan in particular are often compared to one another.
80	** Anyone who likes ''VideoGame/DaytonaUSA'' will likely also be into ''F-Zero''. Sega helping develop ''GX'' would bridge the two together even more.
81	* GameBreaker:
82	** Every 3D title has [[GameplayDerailment some sort of exploit that lets you take a huge advantage]], such as grinding the wall for massive bursts of speed in ''X'' and the notorious snaking technique in ''GX''.
83	** Also, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqCpT3ys9oE Space flying.]] There's a reason sites like [[http://www.mrfixitonline.com/f0/gxladderhome.php Mr. Fixit Online]] have ladders for both Snakers, Flyers, AND non-Snakers.
84	** In ''GX'', putting together a custom machine with the lightest parts in the game creates a racer with god-like handling. Conversely, building together the heaviest parts in the game creates an unsteerable brick -- that also generally goes faster than any other machine in the game.
85	* GameplayDerailment: See directly above. World-record runs of 3D ''F-Zero'' games look NOTHING like how a decent player would play.
86	* GoddamnedBats: The brown bumper cars in the original game. They are meant to simulate backmarker opponents and they have an annoying tendency to disrupt your racing lines and push you into the barriers.
87	* GoodBadBugs:
88	** ''X'' has quite a few physics quirks which can be exploited by certain low-grip machines to gain large speed boosts by railsliding and snaking around corners, which can look like the car is travelling sideways. The Blood Hawk is considered the best machine in the game since its stats and weight make it the best at doing this.
89	** ''GX'' has a few tricks centered around the fact that the developers didn't program machine behavior when it goes above top speed properly--if you hold acceleration when you're above your machine's max speed, it will rapidly decelerate until it reaches that machine's max speed. But if you let go of acceleration while the machine is above its top speed, you lose speed at a much slower and more linear rate. This means that after a certain point in a boost, [[ViolationOfCommonSense you retain more speed if you let go of the acceleration that if you hold it down.]] This trick is known in the community as Momentum Throttling (MT) and is the basis for other advanced techniques, such as Momentum Turbo Sliding (MTS) and Momentum Turbo Rail Sliding (MTRS).
90	** Another ''GX'' physics quirk that's [[DifficultButAwesome very difficult to pull off]] is a trick called Shift Boosting: if you leave the track and immediately come back onto it, you gain a burst of speed because of the game's aerial physics. Unlike a lot of the tricks in this series, this one is one that the developers actually knew about before the game's release and deliberately left in-- [[AscendedGlitch the staff ghost in Sand Ocean Lateral Shift uses this exact trick to get its time.]]
91	** Occasionally, the randomly generated tracks in the X Cup will produce a track that the A.I. racers can't react to. This can cause [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhv2bHNn4A0 most of them to careen off the edge...]] or in some cases, they [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_q8fmr01Ms wipe themselves out entirely in seconds,]] giving you first place on a silver platter. This also happens with some of the courses in the Disk Drive expansion due to the A.I. only being specifically programmed to navigate the tracks present in the base game.
92	* HarsherInHindsight: The final entry of the series for almost two decades was ''F-Zero: Climax''. [[http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/20/dont-get-your-hopes-up-for-f-zero According to a 2013 interview]] with Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto, Nintendo was at loss as to how to go forward with the series and build upon the formula of ''X'' and ''GX'', which are widely seen as the best entries the series has to offer, meaning that for a long time, it felt that the series really ''had'' reached its climax.
93	* HilariousInHindsight:
94	** In the original ''F-Zero'', Dr. Stewart is portrayed as something of a HandsomeLech. In the dub of the anime, Dr. Stewart is voiced by Creator/DanGreen. Keep in mind [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMlwYMqv_L4#t=3m41s a particular set]] of HilariousOuttakes from ''Manga/SamuraiDeeperKyo''.
95	---> '''Kyo:''' "That's what I'm all about: gettin' f***ed."
96	** Super Arrow's bonus movie is entitled "Magnificent Guitar Hero Super Arrow!", and this was years before the actual ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' series.
97	** Look at QQQ, who debuted in 2003. Now compare him to WesternAnimation/WallE (2008).
98	** Nintendo created the original ''F-Zero'' as their opening shot in the 16-bit UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars, [[TechDemoGame demonstrating the then-impressive pseudo-3D Mode 7 graphics]] of the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, which the competing Platform/SegaGenesis couldn't do. Over 10 years later, after Sega had quit making hardware, they collaborated with Nintendo to produce ''F-Zero GX'' for the Platform/NintendoGameCube, which many fans consider to be the best game in the series. Sega really does what Nintendon't!
99	** Remember how [[VideoGame/MarioKart64 N64 Rainbow Road]] was in ''F-Zero X''? Fast-forward to ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'', and the Blue Falcon (and, with the Mii suit, Captain Falcon) can return to Rainbow Road 64!
100	** Jody Summer's name (and misconception of said name) could be funny to those familiar with the protagonist of [[Film/BabyBoy a certain film]] by Creator/JohnSingleton.
101	* IconicCharacterForgottenTitle: Captain Falcon is arguably better known for his appearances in ''Smash Bros.'' than for his home series, to the point that a few even call him an original character there. Even more so in that ''F-Zero'' is one of the few Nintendo franchises ''not'' to get a major ColbertBump from ''Smash'', and that most of the popular elements of Falcon's portrayal in ''Smash'' aren't present in his home series.
102	* ItsHardSoItSucks: The sheer amount of backlash against ''GX''[='=]s Story Mode is ''staggering'', especially Chapter 7 on Very Hard. It's so infamous that it overshadows almost everything else in the game, even though this particular chapter on a particular difficulty only provides one unlock (in particular, a machine in ''AX'').
103	* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: To such a degree this was the main reason the franchise was dormant for almost three entire console generations, with Nintendo refusing to revisit it until they could come up with a new way to revitalize it (which eventually happened with ''VideoGame/FZero99''). Each ''F-Zero'' game did very little to change the gameplay from its predecessor, and while it wasn't as big of an issue for ''AX'' and ''GX'', as they at least polished up the gameplay of ''X'', the problem hit full force in ''GP Legend'' and ''Climax'' which were both heavily criticized for being almost identical to previous games, but based on the anime.
104	* LoveToHate: Between his '''thunderstorm''' of cheese, him being so unapologetically evil, and the vocal stylings of Creator/NorioWakamoto in the anime, Black Shadow is this.
105	* LowTierLetdown: The Golden Fox was this in the original ''F-Zero''. While it has the best acceleration and turn speed, it has the worst traction, worst top speed, and the least HitPoints of any machine, making this machine the worst at dodging sudden obstacles and liable to fall behind other machines. With enough skill, one could make short work of sharp corners with this machine's high turn speed despite the poor traction, but there were not many of these sharp corners in that game for that to matter. Later F-Zero installments that use boosts that are CastFromHitPoints based on a set fraction of a machine's HitPoints made this machine viable since it would quickly recharge its small pool of HitPoints whenever it drives over pit areas, enabling it to boost many times per lap. Machines with stronger armor in games that use boosts that are CastFromHitPoints would have to spend far longer in the pits to recharge their much larger pools of HitPoints in order to boost as often since machines that have better armor and more HitPoints spend more HitPoints in order to boost, giving an armor vs. boosting tradeoff that balanced the machines.
106	* MemeticBadass: "'''[[MegatonPunch FALCON PUNCH!]]'''" Though it mostly applies to the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, it nearly came full circle when Captain Falcon used it in ''GP Legend''. In the words of the ending song of ''GX'', "Thank Heaven he's on the right side or else ''there'd be nowhere to hide''".
107	* MemeticMolester:
108	** Captain Falcon. Try not to think about it too hard. Most likely stems from his Falcon Dive special in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''
109	---> '''"[[BigYes YESZ!]]"'''
110	** Variation with Mr. Zero. He's seen as a {{Memetic\|Molester}} ''{{Ephebophile}}'' [[AccidentalInnuendo due to his interviews]] with Princia Ramode and Lily Flyer, who are respectively ''16'' and '''14'''.
111	--->'''Mr. Zero:''' "You've got a fantastic body [Princia]. How do you keep it so beautiful?"\
112	'''Mr. Zero:''' "What do you [Lily] consider to be your best features?"\
113	'''Mr. Zero:''' "What kind of guys do you like [Lily]?"
114	* MemeticMutation:
115	** "YOU'VE GOT [[NitroBoost BOOST POWER]]!" [[labelnote:Explanation]]The series' SignatureLine, spoken by the announcer in ''X'', ''GX'', and ''AX'' when entering the second lap of the race, which allows the usage of boosting.[[/labelnote]]
116	** '''TOO BAD! YOU LOST YOUR MACHINE.''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]The announcer in ''X'' says this if the player's machine falls off the course or is destroyed.[[/labelnote]]
117	** '''OFF COURSE! RETIRE.''' [[labelnote:Explanation]]The announcer in ''GX'' says this if the player goes out of bounds and falls to their doom, or spontaneously combusts due to contact with environmental objects or [[NoFairCheating anti-cheat measures]]. There is also "BROKEN DOWN! RETIRE" for when the player runs out of energy and crashes, but given that many tracks have ways to fall off, in practice a player is more likely to go off course than suffer proper CriticalExistenceFailure.[[/labelnote]]
118	** Most of the [[Franchise/StarFox other James']] words of wisdom (i.e. "[[YouAreNotAlone Don't ever give up, my son...]]") gets tacked onto James [=McCloud=]. Unlike Leon (see directly below), ''it works''.
119	** Speaking of Leon, expect Wolf and Leon's [[NarmCharm cheesy one-liners]] from ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' to be grouped with this guy (i.e. "I am the great Leon!").
120	** ♫ ┌༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┘ ♪ CAUSE I'M MORMON ♪ └༼ຈل͜ຈ༽┐ ♫ [[labelnote:Explanation]]A mondegreen of the lyrics appearing in the "Theme of Dr. Stewart" from ''GX''. The actual lyrics are "'Cause I'm moving".[[/labelnote]]
121	** Most of Samurai Goroh's lines from his appearance in Chapter 2 of ''GX'', all of which are especially quotable for Fire Stingray players. The most famous being "I can't lose in my Fire Stingray".
122	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
123	** "[[SignatureLine YOU'VE GOT BOOST POWER!]]"
124	** "YEAHHH! THE FINAL LAP!" So pleasing to the ears that it was carried over to ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' for the final lap(s) of its ''F-Zero''-themed DLC tracks.
125	** From ''X'' in particular: "POUR IT ON! YOU'RE WAY OUT IN FRONT!"
126	** "ALRIGHT! FIRST PLACE!"
127	* {{Narm}}: [[NarmCharm Usually of the]] SoBadItsGood [[NarmCharm variety]].
128	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxc1O9FIj2M This video]] shows a good example. As the description puts it, "Black Shadow is dancing around like a moron." Hilarious!
129	** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqkIYyxqVxg credits theme]] of ''GX'''s Story Mode contain some delightfully corny lyrics. One particular gem:
130	---> "''When myopic confusion threatens your lunch, Falcon will be unleashing a Falcon Punch.''"
131	** The FinalBoss of ''GX''[='=]s Story Mode. [[spoiler:It's just a staff ghost.]]
132	** Captain Falcon's theme in ''GX'' is awesome and all, but the meaning of the song can ''very'' easily be twisted into becoming a ChristianRock song, since the lyrics never mention Captain Falcon by name.
133	* NarmCharm:
134	** ''[[WorldOfHam Everybody]]'' in ''GX'' is a {{camp}}y, poorly voice-acted LargeHam with [[MilkingTheGiantCow exaggerated arm movements]] who takes racing [[SeriousBusiness way too seriously]]. It makes cutscenes rather hilarious to watch, and can be seen as the logical conclusion of a world where behaving like Falcon does in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' is the norm (minus the Engrish and fistfighting).
135	** ''X'' features a quirky and hammy as hell announcer, whose delivery of lines such as "YOU GOT BOOST POWER!", "POUR IT ON, YOU'RE WAY OUT IN FRONT!", and "[[HaveANiceDeath TOO BAD! YOU LOST YOUR MACHINE]]" can and ''will'' hammer themselves into your head.
136	* NeverLiveItDown: ''GX'' is notorious for the FakeDifficulty-ridden Story Mode Chapter 7 on Very Hard difficulty, even though the only reward for it is a decent, otherwise-''AX''-exclusive machine and that it's only necessary to complete if one is aiming for OneHundredPercentCompletion; the rest of the game is perfectly playable without ever having to touch that particular chapter-difficulty combo.
137	* NightmareFuel:
138	** The Skull. He's a little bit creepy, and his theme song is rather unnerving. [[NightmareRetardant That said, he's still a pretty nice guy once you get past it.]]
139	** If Deathborn's imposingly hellish appearance, gravelly tones, and sinister theme music don't get to you, his plan to [[spoiler:obtain godhood and destroy all of existence]], coupled with the utter glee in his voice as he explains it in painstaking detail, will probably do the trick.
140	* NightmareRetardant:
141	** Zoda. He's one insane SOB, but his voice in ''GX'' is equal parts {{helium\|Speech}} and NarmCharm.
142	** Used intentionally for Black Shadow's ''GX'' ending video, showing HilariousOuttakes from the prologue of Story Mode. Whether or not this means that the characters of ''F-Zero'' are AnimatedActors is up to you.
143	* RoboShip: Technically speaking, Mighty Gazelle is a part of one. He's a cyborg, his love interest is a human. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Gazelle asks "I hope you don't think she's a cyborg too?"
144	* SacredCow: ''GX'', to the point where it seems like the only thing one is allowed to complain about is Story Mode; saying that any other ''F-Zero'' game is superior tends to result in angry responses.
145	* ScrappyMechanic: In the original SNES game, if your energy meter drops too low (roughly about 20% or less), your machine will go into a "Power Down" state where not only is it in danger of crashing out, but your top speed will also be reduced. This effectively means that once you hit Power Down, unless it happens on the final stretch of the race, you ''need'' to pit in, or risk ranking out due to being slower than your opponents. This was brought back for ''F-Zero 99'', but now Power Down only happens if you have absolutely no energy left.
146	* SequelDifficultyDrop: On the "story mode" front, ''GP Legend''[='=]s is much easier than that of ''GX''. Most of the races have straightforward objectives, with only a few {{Gimmick Level}}s thrown in like "beat this race without working brakes" (most players don't even consider this a problem since releasing the accelerator and banking or blast-turning[[note]]repeatedly tapping the accelerator button while turning[[/note]] can provide enough maneuverability without the need to brake) or "win this race ''or'' help this ally win", and the AI opponents are nowhere near as notorious as ''GX'' Story Mode opponents.
147	* SilentMajority: Whenever someone says anything good about ''F-Zero'', they will most likely talk about ''GX''. Thing is, all prior installments in the series (the original, ''X'', ''Maximum Velocity'') sold more copies than ''GX''. Makes you wonder where those fans of previous games are? That said, most fans will still readily praise the hallmarks of the SNES original and ''X'', even those who favor ''GX'' above all.
148	* {{Starboarding}}: Princia --> ''Samurai Goroh''. [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys And it's canon.]] Yeah, we don't get it either.
149	* StopHavingFunGuys: In regards to snaking.
150	* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
151	** Fans think that "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOnXiT6hlgc Devil's Call in Your Heart]]", the background music of Devil's Forest in ''X'', sounds an awful lot like "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpbpOgUybBM Heartwork]]" by Music/{{Carcass}}.
152	** And the title screen music (the first song in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYyTsEmfKNI this video]]) for the original ''F-Zero'' uses a whole riff from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFal0CC4Cmw&t=3m59s the third impression]] of Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Karn Evil 9".
153	** The intro to Bio Rex's theme from ''GX'' sounds a lot like the ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' theme song.
154	** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzi0DIXpUX4 Big Foot level music]] from ''F-Zero X''[='s=] ''Expansion Kit'' sounds suspiciously like "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw At Doom's Gate]]" from the original ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.
155	* ThatOneAchievement: ''AX'' has three columns of achievement stamps on the player's card, with six rows each representing one course. The stamps in the first column are relatively simple: Finish the corresponding course in first place in a single-player game. The second column requires you to beat each course's target time, which is somewhat challenging but is doable with some practice. The third column requires you to challenge each course's Staff Ghost, essentially the "target time" stamps on steroids. If you don't familiarize yourself with advanced techniques like snaking, you will ''not'' get any of the Staff Ghost stamps. In many arcades that carry the game, it's not uncommon for the Champion Ghost (the ghost of the #1 time on the cabinet's rankings) times to be behind the Staff Ghost times by ''at least 10 seconds'' each.
156	* ThatOneLevel: Considering the series is well known for being difficult, this is no surprise that [[ThatOneLevel/FZero there's an entire page for this]].
157	* ThatOneSidequest: Unlocking the ''AX'' racers. There are two ways to do so: beat every Story Mode mission on Very Hard difficulty or take your memory card to a ''F-Zero AX'' machine (and good luck finding one of those outside of Japan).
158	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: ''GX'''s Story Mode only really gives screentime to around one third of the cast (Captain Falcon himself, Samurai Goroh, Black Shadow, Deathborn, Blood Falcon, Jody Summer and John Tanaka, Silver Neelsen and Michael Chain). Everybody else is relegated to background appearances, or in some cases, like Leon, they don't appear at all.
159	* UglyCute: Several of the extraterrestrial characters qualify.
160	* UnderusedGameMechanic: ''AX'' is the only game in the series to increase the number of laps based on the track length, resulting especially in the very short Aeropolis: Screw Drive and Mute City: Sonic Oval tracks having decently long course times with 6 and 8 laps, respectively. In ''GX'', these tracks are practically over as soon as they start, due to using the usual three-lap rule.
161	* ViewerGenderConfusion: Despite the fact that his name reads--''as clear as day''--Digi-'''Boy''' and he has a distinct, if not high-pitched, voice (he ''is'' a pre-pubescent boy after all), Terry "Digi-Boy" Getter ([[OverlyLongGag did you notice the "Boy"?]]) sometimes receives this.
162	----
163	''[[VideoGame/FZero Too bad!]] [[BrickJoke You lost]] [[ShaggyDogStory your machine.]]''

Context YMMV / FZero