F-Zerois back! After almost two decades of dormancy, Nintendo’s sci-fi racing series has returned with F-Zero 99, a chaotically fun battle royal forNintendo Switch Online. You and 98 other players race down futuristic tracks from the originalSNESgame at ridiculously high speeds. It’s a thrill to play, and knowing some helpful tips and tricks will help you zoom into first place.
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Winning races in F-Zero 99 is no walk in the park, but with some practice, you’ll be speeding past your opponents in no time. Knowing which ship to pick, how to get a boost at the start of the race, and how to make sharp turns are just a few things you should know to climb the ranks.
8Pick The Best Ship For You
There are four ships to choose from in F-Zero 99, each with unique properties tailored to different play styles. Knowing the pros and cons of each will help you decide which is best for you.
Fastest acceleration and recovery. Great boosts.
Lowest max speed and grip.
Second-highest max speed and can take a lot of damage.
Slow recovery and acceleration.
Highest max speed and best at making sharp turns.
Slowest acceleration.
Blue Falcon is great if you’re new to the game since it has no major weaknesses, making it reliable in any scenario. Wild Goose is also an excellent choice for beginners since it’s highly durable and relatively unaffected by collisions, allowing you to take a more damage than other ships.
7Get The Boost At The Start
One of the keys to a successful race is starting strong, so getting the boost at the beginning is essential. A common mistake is pressing B to accelerate when the word “Ready” appears on the screen. While you will get a boost, your engine will burn out immediately after, slowing you down for a second. Thankfully, there’s a better way.
Press B right before the word “Go” appears on the screen. You’ll take off without slowing down, giving you a major advantage over many other players.
6Slow Down Around Sharp Corners
F-Zero 99 has some ofthe coolest racing tracks of all time, but some are filled with devilishly sharp turns. These corners are a pain since it’s easy to ram into the bumpers on the side of the road and take damage. It may seem counterproductive to slow down in such a fast-paced game, but it’s surprisingly necessary if you want to make those tricky turns.
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Try letting go of B while navigating a sharp corner. This makes turning so much easier since you’ll be moving at a more manageable speed. You can also hold L or R to drift, depending on the direction you’re turning.
5Get Behind The Golden Ship
Every time two ships bump into each other, they drop yellow orbs called Super Sparks. If you collect enough of them, you’re able to hop onto the Skyway, a road in the sky that allows you to speed over the other racers. If you want access to the Skyway quickly, keep your eye out for a big golden ship. They appear periodically throughout the race and drop a ton of Super Sparks when you collide with them.
If you see one of the golden ships, try getting behind it and ramming into it a couple of times. You’ll get way more Super Sparks than spinning into it or hitting it from the side.
4Use The Skyway Strategically
The Skyway is one of the best tools for getting ahead in F-Zero 99, so it’s tempting to use it right away when you have enough Super Sparks. But you may want to hold on for a second because you don’t have to take the Skyway immediately.
Instead, it’s better to wait until you need it. Try using it to bypass sharp turns, get across crowded parts of the track, or during any tricky parts thatalways find a way to frustrate you. If you can navigate a part of the stage without the Skyway, it’s always best to wait.
3Drive Aggressively
Remember the stuff they taught you about road etiquette in driver’s education? you may forget all of that when playing F-Zero 99. The more aggressively you drive, the better your chances of winning. If you press ZL or ZR, you do a spin attack that makes you temporarily invincible and damages any ships you collide with.
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There are even special perks if you manage to knock out another racer. KOs not only refill your Power Meter; they extend it. This even carries over to subsequent races during the Grand Prix. Look out for smoking or flashing ships during the race, and don’t be afraid to take them out.
2Jump To Recharge Your Spin Meter
As much as F-Zero 99 encourages you to drive aggressively, there’s a limit to what you may do. Every time you perform a spin attack, you must wait for a meter to refill before you can do it again. This can take a little while, but there’s a way to recharge it quickly.
Certain racetracks have Jump Plates that launch you into the air for a few seconds, allowing you to pass over obstacles and ships. If that wasn’t enough, your spin meter gets immediately refilled every time you use a Jump Plate. verify to jump whenever your meter needs a recharge so you canwreak havoc to your heart’s content.
1Avoid The Bumpers
Each track in F-Zero 99 has bumpers on either side of the road, and they’re the bane of every racer’s existence. These merciless railings let out a painful shock whenever you touch them. If you hit one at high speeds, you can find yourself bouncing between bumpers like some twisted game of tennis.
To avoid becoming a human ping pong ball, let go of B to stop accelerating. After a second, you’ll regain control of your ship and can hit the gas to try and catch up.
