Written by: J.H. Longman
In almost every review or comment you will see on the internet, relating to FAST Racing Neo, you will see they have all liken the game to Nintendo’s very own F-Zero, an iconic series that has been missing from Nintendo’s line-up since the last game, F-Zero Climax came out on the Game Boy Advanced in 2004. And there is a reason why the game is often spoken in the same approving tones and compared to the racing series that brought us Captain Falcon, and it is because the game is as good as those from F-Zero and more than that, it’s quite literally the closest game to F-Zero that we are going to get, unless Nintendo hear our pleas and ensure the Captain will return for an all new adventure of races on the NX.
Fast Racing Neo is an arcade-style racing game and sequel to FAST Racing League, a 2011 WiiWare game and to say you go fast is quite possibly the understatement of the year. Even just a single glance away from your Gamepad or TV screen could cost you your first place position and send you straight into last. You want to win, pay attention, play very close attention because the flames will blow you up, landing wrong, will result in your demise. But it’s okay, you can die an infinite amount of times during the race, death is not an option, but just be aware when you respawn you will have a lot of ground to make up to reclaim your lost position, so it’s a good thing you can go very fast!
And yet, even when cruising or boosting at breakneck speeds, there is still plenty of time to take in the stunning sights whilst keeping an eye out for for the upcoming corners and therefore making it around the next bend without taking too much of your paintwork off, when you grind up against the side, is a lot easier and you won’t have to take your ride in to the repair shop after every race. One mechanic I really enjoyed on this was changing phases, changing the colour of my neon engine from blue to orange in a moment’s notice and using the colour change to speed along even further when driving across the orange or blue speed zones. And it gets even better because the fun can be shared in both multiplayer, up to four players, or online against seven other players all eager to finish in first.
There are plenty of cups to participate in, and should you play it enough times that the game has stopped posing you a problem and the speed leaves you feel like you are crusing at a leisurely snail’s pace, then you can always take a turn at Hero Mode, that magical mode where the need for speed is greater and it’s time to busto ut some Kenny Loggins – Highway to the Dangerzone because things are going to get a whole lot faster and your manual boost now serves as a shield meter as well. Finishing in first place has just got a whole lot more challenging.
And in the speed of light, we’ve raced right to my list of Pros & Cons:
The PROS:
-It’s an indie game that really gets to have its turn in the spotlight and acquire some attention, especially from those in the F-Zero sound base.
-The music choices for each level are both reminiscent of the musical musings you’d hear in a discotheque, whilst also brilliantly complementing the racetracks your zooming along.
-Plenty of replay value.
-A gaming experience like nothing we’ve had from a racing game in quite some time.
-Online and in-home multiplayer.
The CONS:
-For some sweet rides, it’s a shame you can’t customise their colourings or pattern to better reflect your own personality.
-Where the game feels like an F-Zero game, or even WipEout, it felt like it failed to establish its own personality. Like it failed to say: “I may be like those games, but first and foremost I am my own game!”
With manual boost engaged, FAST Racing Neo charges straight to a score of 8.4/10.0 quick-fire neon colour changes. If you’re a speed freak, after a game that will have you tearing across the finishing line at a speed Mario Kart 8 can’t touch, even in 200cc then FAST Racing Zero is the indie racing game for you. And at the very least, it is a game worth keeping an eye on, we’ve seen where it has come from and with Neo we can just about see where it is going, either way, as long as Fast Racing keeps making its way to the eShop, racing will be a whole lot more interesting.
You never know, if a petition gets started, and enough signatures are able to be collected, with Nintendo on the dlc train, maybe they will convince Shin’en Multimedia to either allow them to add some F-Zero to it, in the form of a track, or ship, or just have Captain Falcon will drop by to say hello abd “Show your moves!” Although it would be a lot more fun if he would actually stick around in a whole new, high octane racing game meant to thrill and amaze us, although he seems more interested in appearing in Smash to appear in his own game. Apparently beating up Kirby is far more important, actually that is pretty important and just think, come December the 15th even Cloud Strife will be able to get a turn to beat up the little twerp. He’ll show you his moves Captain Falcon.
But as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are those entirely of my own musings and it is strongly encouraged for you to make your own.
