F-Zero 99 turns the original into an online battle royale for Switch

Originally for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a recent Nintendo Direct announced the surprise rebirth of F-Zero in the form of a free-to-play (ish) battle royale title.

F-Zero 99 for the Nintendo Switch see you take on 98 other ships to compete for glory. In each race, your power meter is used for a temporary boost but also acts as a health level. Hit rivals or the track walls, and it decreases, reach zero and you explode and sit out the rest of the event.

Collecting on-circuit super sparks fulls up a separate gauge, which once complete, allows you to race on the skyway above your fellow competitors for around seven seconds.

With this being a 2023 online multiplayer game, there’s a skill rating which unlocks different cosmetic items, plus scheduled mini prix and grand prix events that require earnt tickets for access. Team events and ‘pro’ tracks are also available on a rotational roster system.

The unmolested version of F-Zero is already included as part of the SNES back catalogue for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

It follows 2019’s successful Tetris 99 variant, it included price and online connectivity ushering players to continue their online memberships – clever. F-Zero 99 is available… right now for no additional fee with an active membership.