Zero Racers

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Zero Racers
Zero Racers logo.png
Preliminary logo
Developer(s)Nintendo
Publisher(s)Nintendo
SeriesF-Zero
Platform(s)Virtual Boy
ReleaseUnreleased
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player

Zero Racers[a] is an unreleased racing video game that was in development and planned to be published by Nintendo on a scheduled 1996 release date exclusively for the Virtual Boy.[1][2][3] Had it been released prior to cancellation, it would have become the first F-Zero installment to have featured 3D graphics.[4][5] In the game, players can choose between one of four characters, each with their respective hovercar and race against AI-controlled characters in fifteen tracks divided into three leagues.[6] The title was previewed in video game magazines[7] but it was ultimately shelved due to the failure of the Virtual Boy itself, despite being completed for release.

Gameplay[]

Gameplay screenshot of Zero Racers. The Virtual Boy uses a red-and-black color scheme for its games.
See also: F-Zero (video game) § Gameplay

Zero Racers is a futuristic racing game where players compete in a high-speed racing tournament. There are four F-Zero characters that have their own selectable vehicle along with its unique performance abilities.[1][4][5][8] The objective is to beat opponents to the finish while avoiding hazards that damage the players' vehicle. Each machine has a power meter, serving as measurement of the machine's durability; it decreases when the machine collides with the side of the track or another vehicle.[6] Energy is replenished by driving over pit areas placed along the home straight or nearby.[6][8] Gameplay differs with one important point from its predecessor and all F-Zero games released afterwards in that the vehicles race in all three dimensions in tunnels.[4][6]

A race in Zero Racers consists of a set lap number around the track. The player must complete each lap in a successively higher place to avoid disqualification from the race. For each lap completed, the player is rewarded with an approximate speed boost called "Rapid" and a number of points determined by place. An on-screen display is shown to indicate that a boost can be used; however, the player is limited to saving up to three at a time.[6] If a certain number of points are accumulated, an "extra machine" is acquired that gives the player another chance to retry the course.[6]

Zero Racers includes two modes of play. In the Grand Prix mode, the player chooses a league and races against other vehicles through each track in that league while avoiding disqualification. A total of fifteen tracks divided into three leagues are featured in the game.[6] The Practice mode allows the player to practice on courses from the Grand Prix mode.[6]

History[]

Zero Racers was first previewed by Nintendo Power magazine in their July 1996 issue under the name G-Zero and planned for a fall 1996 launch.[4][2] The game later received an in-depth feature article on August of the same year by Nintendo Power under its final name and still planned for a fall 1996 release.[3][6] The title was also previewed in the September 1996 issue of British publication Nintendo Magazine System, but was eventually cancelled due to Nintendo discontinuing the Virtual Boy for being a critical and commercial failure.[1][8][9] The last showcase it received was in the October 1998 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.[10] The only remaining proof of its existence are various screenshots taken by several gaming magazines and gameplay footage, while no prototypes containing a ROM image of the demo has been found to date.[11][12]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Also known as G-Zero.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Unreleased/Cancelled Virtual Boy Games". 1morecastle.com. 1 More Castle. 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Release Forecast: Virtual Boy". Nintendo Power. No. 86. Nintendo of America. July 1996. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  3. ^ a b "Release Forecast: Virtual Boy". Nintendo Power. No. 87. Nintendo of America. August 1996. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  4. ^ a b c d "Pak Watch – The Inside Source on Future Games: G-Zero". Nintendo Power. No. 86. Nintendo of America. July 1996. p. 101. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  5. ^ a b "Informacion Virtual – Bound High!". Club Nintendo (in Spanish). No. 59. Editorial Televisa. 1996. p. 21. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Preview: Zero Racers". Nintendo Power. No. 87. Nintendo of America. August 1996. pp. 40–41. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  7. ^ McFerran, Damien (28 February 2022). "Mythical Virtual Boy F-Zero Spin-Off Was 100% Complete, According To Former NOA Staffer". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Nintendo News Network – Virtual Racing!". Nintendo Magazine System. No. 48. EMAP. September 1996.
  9. ^ Dante (December 19, 2003). "VB-Special: Die Zocks". gamecube-online.net. Gamecube-Online. Archived from the original on 2004-02-16. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  10. ^ "Nintendo 64 Previews: F-Zero X – G-Zero". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 111. Ziff Davis. October 1998. p. 64. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  11. ^ Moore, Jason (2004). "The Lost Big Brother: Virtual Boy". Retrogames. No. 22. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  12. ^ "GZero". Entertainment Software Rating Board. Entertainment Software Association. 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-23.

External links[]

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