As it stands FAST Racing League is an excellent addition to the anti-gravity racing sub-genre and one that can stand proud as a true rival to F-Zero while retaining enough elements of its own that make it an excellent alternative well worthy of purchase.
I'm surprised this wasn't rated higher. FAST - Racing League is probably one of the best WiiWare Games I've ever played, what more can I say, the only issue I have here is the controls, but you get used to it over time.
The graphics are amazing for the Wii system, let alone for a downloadable title, but of course graphics aren't everything. Even still, Shin'en manages to deliver. There is a pretty decent amount of content here when it comes to courses, cars, and modes, but their real achievement is in the gameplay. Rather then relying on luck in order to get the weapon you need to blast your opponents out of the way, you rely solely on skill and adaptability. The boost/jump system is simple to understand, but hard to master, and it's worth it when you find yourself ripping past opponents after hours of practice.
I've read some of the mixed reviews, so I thought I'd offer my two cents. First off this is a solid game. Good graphics, good controls (I prefer using a classic controller), good level design (12 tracks), decent music, three difficulty settings and enough bonus challenges to keep the average gamer busy. The best thing about this game is the switching between white and black to get boosts. If you see a black boost strip, turn black and watch your racer blaze at fast speeds. It goes the same with white strips. There are also magnetic white or black ceiling strips which can be used as convenient short cuts. Each time you turn either black or white it costs you one point of energy. If you use a manual boost it costs you five points of energy. You start each track with five points of energy and you can gain up to ten by finding energy cells which are spread across every track strategically. Finding the perfect balance between changing colors and using a manual boost can be challenging and requires some tactical thinking. Be warned that this is a challenging game, but practice makes perfect. The only negatives for me were that the computer doesn't make very many mistakes when you race against it, so if you get behind it is extremely difficult to catch up, especially at higher difficulties. And there is no online racing mode which would have been awesome, but you can play the game with four player split screen. Still, the game was well worth the ten bucks I spent.
This is a fantastic smooth futuristic racer which totally blew me away. Shin'en has done it again! This may look and play a lot like f-zero or wipe-out without weapons, but it has its own special features to make it feel different. Energy cells are placed all around the track. Racing into one of these will allow you to switch your racer from white to black. When racing over long black or white speed panels you then switch on the d-pad to the right color to get the boost. In the same style there are ramps to master and its possible now and then to fling to the ceiling when obstacles are blocking the way which also gives a nice little boost. You can also press on the d-pad for a super boost when collected 5 cells. The game offers a tutorial mode to get you into the swing of things so don't worry you will soon master these tricks.. The game consists of 3 leagues set on different planets, a total of 12 tracks(maybe more unlockables) raced in 3 classes + time attack with cpu racers + a bunch of challenges and multiplayer. There are 7 other competitors in the race and it all runs very smoothly in around 60 fps. The tracks are fun with s lot of twisting and turning and loops. The graphics are really good and I like the spectacular animation when you fly of the track or crash into obstacles. Multiplayer we have with up to 4 player with cpu racers . 2 player runs in a smooth 30 fps or a variable which makes the framerate even smoother but more inconsistent, 3-4 player is also rather smooth. This is a game worth buying and if you like racers like f-zero this is a must. Sadly the game doesn't support online racing, then this would have been a solid tenner.
FAST Racing League is a pretty great game. Combine the speed of F-Zero with the color changing mechanic from Ikaruga and then you have a pretty great game. The game have amazing graphics and a pretty decent soundtrack, the cars look cool and the courses are fairly difficult. It kinda reminds me of Star Wars: Episode One Racer. If you are tired of Mario Kart Wii and wants something more like F-Zero, FAST Racing League is the best you can get. 8/10
This is a good racing game with a few noteworthy failings: 1. Racing does not look or feel very fast, slower than the original F-Zero. While the game does not create the illusion of high speed it does require lightning reflexes or some track memorization because of blind turns, hills, and the white/black strips. 2. Vehicles are poorly balanced. Switching vehicles I went from dead last in every race to 1st/2nd in every race. My friend made the same choice (thinking acceleration would be good for learning) and had the same experience. 3. The collect orbs system is a nuisance that dominates gameplay and removes the risk/reward of F-Zero boosts. CONCLUSION: Fast is a decent game in its own right, but if you look at it as the next F-Zero it is a terrible, terrible step in all the wrong directions.
When I first started playing this game, I was absolutely blown away. I couldn't believe what they could fit into a Wiiware title. Sure it doesn't have the track or car variety that Wipeout has, nor does it have weapons, but it runs extremely well with great graphics, and the whole light/dark switching mechanic works a lot better than I expected. HOWEVER, this game is brutally hard. Insanely, ridiculously hard. I could win the beginning few races almost every single time, but then I got to a point where I couldn't even come close. I can't remember exactly what race it was, but I tried many many times, and never even cracked top 3. I played maybe 8 or 9 hours of this game and had a blast, but the difficulty being as insane as it is, I got bored and frustrated. Shin'en did an utterly amazing job, and I'm glad they have my money so they can make more like this. However, the ultimate test of how great a game is is this: Do I want to play it right now? That answer, sadly, is no way.
SummaryIn the year 2112, the masses are fascinated by extreme high-speed races. The latest antigravity racing technology introduced phase-shifting. Perfectly phase-matching tracks and racing machines is the key to survival. Prepare yourself for a whole new racing experience at breakneck speeds. Push your skills to the limit to win races and bea...