There are a few Nintendo franchises that stilloddly lie dormant. Were any of these missing franchises to see the light of day, they would likely perform very well, especially given the way theNintendo Switchiscurrently sellingbut alas. One of these franchises that is crying to come back isF-Zero. The futuristic racing series hasn’t received a new console entry since 2003 whenF-Zero GXhit the GameCube, despite calls from rabid fans. After years of absence however, Nintendo fans have been given the faintest glimmer of hope that the franchise could one day return.
Speaking to the FrenchRed Bullwebsite and reported byNintendo Everything,F-Zero GX’sproducer, Toshihiro Nagoshi said that “I must admit I have a lot of affection forF-Zero GX. If the opportunity were to present itself, I wouldn’t mind.”
TheF-Zerofranchise is notorious for its high octane, challenging races, something that should Nagoshi return, he would like to see continue. He said that he’d “like to make it a challenging game.” adding “I believe that if Nintendo just wants a racing game that is ‘fun and accessible’, they already haveMario Kartfor that purpose.”
Since his work onF-Zero GX, Toshihiro Nagoshi has been extremely busy with theYakuzafranchise and its offshoots. Since 2005, Nagoshi has played a pivotal role in all 10 mainlineYakuzatitles (Yakuza 1-7,Yakuza 0andYakuza Kiwami 1 and 2) as well asJudgement. The director has also hinted that the next game in the seriesis already in the worksmeaning he’s not likely to find the time at any point in the near future, should Nintendo come knocking.
Back in 2015, Nintendo stalwart Shigeru Miyamoto made an appearance on YouTube Channel Smosh Games. He stated that Nintendo themselveswould be open to working on a newF-Zerotitle, should they come up with a controller interface that makes sense for it.
So while the signs suggest that it’s unlikely the series will be returning anytime soon, it’s good to see that it’s still getting some love and attention.
