Relevancy of the F-Zero Franchise Undermined By Mario Kart, Admits Former Dev 

In an interview with VGC, Takaya Imamura, the artist behind F-Zero and the designer of Captain Falcon, suggested that Nintendo’s decision to keep the F-Zero franchise dormant may be attributed to the overwhelming success of Mario Kart.

Imamura implied that the potential risks associated with reviving F-Zero might not be worthwhile, considering the immense success of Mario Kart, which has sold nearly 50 million copies for the Nintendo Switch as of November 2022.

Imamura shared his perspective When asked why certain Nintendo games like Star Fox receive more attention than F-Zero.

“I think it’s because Mario Kart is Nintendo’s most popular racing game, and a new F-Zero would cost a fortune,” he said.

“My impression is that [Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto] is very affectionate about Star Fox.”

F-Zero has been put on the wayside by Nintendo

Since its original release in 1990, the F-Zero franchise has seen several installments, with the last one being F-Zero Climax in 2004. It has been nearly two decades since fans saw a new entry in the series, despite Nintendo’s efforts to revitalize other older franchises through remakes like Super Mario RPG or sequels like Luigi’s Mansion 3.

However, Nintendo hasn’t wholly neglected F-Zero. Ironically, they incorporated F-Zero-themed DLC into Mario Kart 8, showcasing their acknowledgment of the classic racing game. Additionally, last year, Nintendo made the N64 game F-Zero X available on the Nintendo Switch Online library.

The F-Zero franchise is a series of futuristic racing video games developed by Nintendo. The games are set in a high-speed racing universe and feature hovercars called “F-Zero machines.” The gameplay typically involves racing against opponents on various tracks, focusing on fast-paced action and precision maneuvering.

The franchise is known for its high difficulty level and intense gameplay mechanics. The original F-Zero game was released in 1990 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and has since seen several sequels and spin-offs on different Nintendo consoles.

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