There is a Maximus Cup this weekend in Tetris 99 on Nintendo Switch. The 41st Maximus Cup is for the Switch game F-ZERO 99. By getting 100 points, you can unlock a F-ZERO 99 theme which includes sounds and a background.
The side quest, as ever, is to try and win. unfortunately, i didn't manage to make it to the top 10 at all during this cup. in the first couple of games i managed to get into the top 20, with the first game being especially difficult. but other than that, i wasn't able to score too highly.
For Switch Funday i went back to F-Zero 99. it had received two updates since i last played it. these updates added more content to the game like new tracks as well as some small tweaks.
The thing that surprised me the most is how much better everyone got at the game. in the first video, https://youtu.be/8aoxu1RiYEQ, from the launch weekend, there wasn't as much attacking as there was in this video. people also seemed more familiar with tracks, making fewer mistakes and using the super boost much more efficiently.
The new tracks that have been added to the game do, mostly, feel a little more difficult with tighter cornering and more corners. they are still visually cool to look at and the race to get on the track is still fun. but the track with the magnets at the edge, Port Town 2 i think, was not fun at all as i was constantly finding them and being damaged and slowed down.
But the biggest surprise was that after a month since release, it did feel like less people were playing F-Zero 99. I had seen this with other "99" games on the Switch like Pac-Man 99, but even Tetris 99 feels like there are plenty of people playing. trying out the Pro Race mode, it felt like 2/3 of the racers were A.I and about the same for the second Grand Prix i tried. Thankfully the F-Zero 99 game mode seemed mostly full of human racers. but it will be interesting to see if this continues to be popular and what Nintendo continues to add to the game. will they do paid DLC like Tetris 99 or will they continue to add content via patches in a similar way to their other big titles like Splatoon 3.
For Switch Funday i played the newly released F-Zero 99, a free game for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. It takes the gameplay of F-Zero and adds the online multiplayer chaos of Nintendo's 99 series. I haven't played an F-ZERO game since the GameCube so i was excited to give this a go.
This was my first time playing the game so we start with the tutorial, and it's a great tutorial too. the game also doesn't drop you straight into racing against 98 other racers. there's a race against 24 others, then a race against 49 others, and finally you're given a race against 98 others. So by the time i raced in F-Zero 99, i felt prepared. the only thing i didn't know were the tracks themselves.
These tracks have been carefully adjusted with a new starting track that funnels all 99 drivers onto the main race track. this is used in the races and the Team Battles, too. The super boost track is mostly fine tho i did have one or two occasions where i triggered it but i wasn't near it so it felt like i was moved weirdly on to it. there were also some occasions where it ended in an awkward place. Much like the Bullet Bill in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, also on Switch, sometimes the boost lasted a long time and others it felt too short.
No adjustments have been made for the battle mode. this mode has all drivers split into two colored teams. points are earned by crossing the start/finish line each lap but you can also earn points for hitting/spinning into other racers and KOing them. But in all modes, there's a lowest position you can be before being eliminated. each lap there's a message, the admittedly could be bigger and clearer, saying what the lowest position you can be to continue. In Grand Prix races, this is what ended my race. i got to the 4th race out of 5 in the Grand Prix mode, but i needed to finish in the top 20 by the end to get to the 5th and final race and i couldn't manage it.
Overall, i had a great time with F-Zero 99. the game has a great tutorial and adds little pressure on you to finish high. if you don't finish high, you still earn points towards your overall level. even tho i didn't finish the Grand Prix, what i earned is still put onto a leaderboard. i would recommend this game to old fans of F-Zero but also to anyone who has F-Zero 99 via a Nintendo Switch Online Subscription. Just be aware that these 99 games typically rely on skill. this game does have a couple of ways it helps keep everyone together, but ultimately those who are better at it will typically always finish up front.
