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Ok GAF lets battle it out. Which franchise is better F-Zero or Wipeout

Pick yours


Results are only viewable after voting.

cartesian

Member
WipEout by a country mile.

Yes, I have played both.

On the lower speed classes, WipEout can indeed be a bit slow and floaty, but it's great fun on the highest speed classes. The speed difference between the two isn't as dramatic on the highest speed, although F-Zero is still faster.

I'm going to be lambasted for saying it, but yes, I do agree that F-Zero feels faster but more simplistic in handling and physics (e.g. Compensating for momentum). It's much tigher and I can see why some would prefer that. Conversely, I prefer the sense of controlling a floating ship travelling at speed.

I also don't like the art or design of F-Zero. A few F-Zero fans are angry that WipEout fans are pointing to music and aesthetics but they do make a difference. The experience of barrel rolling on Sol to the Prodigy is enhanced by the pumping music and beautiful style. If design didn't matter, F-Zero could be stripped of its art, music and setting, and instead merely depict abstract cuboid blocks racing around plain rendered circuits and apparently lose none of its essence in the process. But I don't agree with that. Aesthetics are part of the experience too.

And nobody buys a Mute City album. But Aphex Twin, Kraftwerk, Prodigy... are real. I'm a huge fan of the European style of WipEout. The Japanese style of F-Zero is, to my eyes, corny and childish.

But I do prefer the gameplay as well. I just wanted to touch on the aesthetic factors.
 
I'm pretty sure I've played, and own, every released game in both series. So let's see:

F-Zero has super tight control, amazing track design, and in its best entries, 30 cars in the race, and an unparalleled sense of speed. OMG. And it has perhaps the best (single player) racing game of all time in GX.

Wipeout has weapons, a very rewarding control learning curve ("floaty" but hardly imprecise), very nice track design, and in its best entries - actual fucking multiplayer.

I'm gonna go ahead and give Nintendo the "get your shit together" award for failing to delivery the dream for coming up on 20 years. I'm not even asking for 30-player multiplayer. All I want is 2-4 player multiplayer Grand Prix with the rest of the 30 car roster filled out with CPU cars. And even in a multi-cabinet F-Zero AX setup, you couldn't do that. You could only play 4-player head-to-head, which is a waste. And I just fucking know that Sega wanted to do it, and Nintendo wouldn't have it.

So there you go. Wipeout wins by default. And I say that as a lonely cave gamer who almost never plays online. And yet I still want multiplayer F-Zero. Fuck you, Nintendo.
 

Metal-Geo

Member
I love this thread.

There are more WipeOut games to love than F-Zero games... But there's not a single WipeOut game I love more than F-Zero GX.

Every time I start thinking of F-Zero GX, my heart starts racing.
Every time I start thinking of F-Zero AX... I get horny.
 
blue_falcon_from_f_zero_gx_by_merry255-damvpny.gif
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
Not a fan of either, but I've owned a few incarnations of both and have to go with F-Zero. I don't like the feel of Wipeout.
 
All Nintendo need to do is hit up Bluepoint and have em remaster GX with online play. They can't even give the F-Zero fans that. It's pathetic.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Both are good games, but theres only one Wipeout.
 

OmegaZero

Member
Overall I would say Wipeout if it weren't for the fact that F-Zero GX exists. That game was truly lightning in a disc. The razor-sharp handling, liquid framerate, amazing track design and that arcade-cheese charm that oozed out of every orfice of the music and characters all contributed to a sublime package that - to this day - has no equal. I sacrificed an entire teenage summer to the anti-grav speed-demon gods of yore with no regrets, and even now Captain Falcon remains my most played Smash Bros character.

That being said, shame on those certain posters who state that Wipeout is greatly lacking in "gameplay" compared to F-Zero. Just because you don't like the handling model doesn't suddenly mean the game/series becomes simplistic tripe, it's merely different in a way that may not be immediately appreciable. On the basis of gameplay variety, it can actually be soundly argued that Wipeout has more to offer in general, between the standard racing modes, the fantastic zone mode, and of course the combat modes in which you can utilize a variety of weaponry to decimate your opponents as you please. Some may argue that such things detract from the "purity" of what a racing game is and scoff at their screen, extending their pinky as they daintily sip from an engraved teacup and I can agree to an extent. But christ, these games are fun as hell so does it really matter? You're merely attempting to trace the shortest line around a looping track in the end, which sounds pretty lame until you experience the white-knuckle tension of being in 1st while "YOU GOT BOOST POWER" thunders in your ears or that jealous sap behind you launches a volley of homing missiles at your tender and exposed exhaust ports.

In the end, both series are good fun, with absolutely fantastic entries in each. I greatly implore those in this thread that haven't fully experienced both to toss out all your preconceptions about Sony, Nintendo, and whatnot and just sit down with an open mind and give each series a chance.

As for my final verdict, I'll throw in my lot with F-Zero. Nostalgia may be a hell of a drug, but my recent playthrough of GX just confirms that it wasn't just fantastic for its time (and that my reflexes certainly aren't as zippy as they used to be). That isn't to say Wipeout as a whole is worse, it's just that GX is that great.
 

Soapbox Killer

Grand Nagus
At it's best Wipeout is a outstanding racing game with an awesome soundtrack with great track variety.


F-Zero GX is one of the greatest games I have ever played in any genre.
 

Shaneus

Member
Wouldn't it be better to compare F-Zero to, say, Rollcage rather than Wipeout, especially if people are taking controls into consideration?

Gravity (or lack thereof) plays a much bigger part in Wipeout, so comparing how each series handles when the two feel completely different is moot... then it just becomes about preference. Perhaps it's better to compare F-Zero to Rollcage and Wipeout to, maybe Wave Race? At least in terms of controls/handling/"feel"/"gameplay".

Wipeout was the coolest shit ever. It practically distilled every great aspect of a whole generation. The awesome music and the superb graphical design paired with timeless gameplay.

Meanwhile F-zero is a franchise that even Nintendo doesn't care about.
Don't forget, Sony gave Studio Liverpool the boot :/
 
Our hero, F-Zero.

There's no element of randomness with the items. The driving is tight (this comes down to user preference, but I prefer the F-Zero's handling mechanics over Wipeout's heft that its ships have). Most of all, F-Zero's system of tying your ship's health and boost energy to the same meter is an ingenious risk vs. reward mechanic I wish more racing games would use.

I have to admit, Zone mode in Wipeout is brilliant too and oozes style. I'd like to see F-Zero Incorporate that as a seperate mode.

To note, Fast Racing RMX's hero mode (on the Nintendo Switch) feels like a hybrid of both games, featuring hefty ships ala Wipeout, and uses F-Zero's boost energy system.
 
F-zero including the SNES and GBA games. Love the series for the sense of speed and tight control and fun characters.

I will go a bit contrarian to other responses and say one of the things I really don't like about Wipeout is the look. Really kind of sterilized futuristic shiny look. Never did anything for me. The game play is fine but enjoy F-zero much more.
 
Wipeout is a bit like Crash Bandicoot and CTR in that they're pretty average but because PlayStation only gamers can't play FZero, Mario or Mario Kart they're suddenly amazing and completely over rated.

Yeah, that's complete horseshit, thanks.

All the Wipeout games have horrible floaty driving controls.

It loses by default for anyone that values, you know, good gameplay in their video games.

This is some actual nonsense. One of the rare instances where 'git gud' truly applies.
 

trikster40

Member
My vote is for WipeOut. I got sold on it on PS1 and could just never get into F-Zero. Love the choice of gifs in the OP, think it's obvious which one OP likes as the choice of gifs isn't even equal.
 

Petrae

Member
F-Zero wins, in my book, and it ain't even close. To me, F-Zero is a far more accessible series for players of all skill levels. WipEout takes time to get into for new players.

Adding weapons also cheapens the racing experience a bit, making WipEout feel more like a future-stylized version of Mario Kart than a more dedicated racing game. While F-Zero X and F-Zero GX do add vehicle attacks, these are more close-quarters combat and don't alter the entire race like WipEout's weapons do.

Not that the WipEout games are bad, of course. They're quite good. I just prefer a purer racing experience instead of worrying about my skill getting overridden by weapons.
 

DSix

Banned
I've played both Wipeout and F-Zero a lot.

The best is F-Zero GX by very far. No contest. I literally couldn't enjoy Wipeout anymore after that.
 
Both games feel so different in the handling model too, preference has to play a huge part. After getting used to the feeling of gravity, weight, moment and such in Wipeout, F zero feels a little silly, like​ the controls are tight sure, but acceleration and turning don't feel realistic in the slightest.


I'd imagine if Fzero is what you know, Wipeout​ feels heavy, and a bit cumbersome.
 

Waggles

Member
F-zero has a world. Context.

Wipeout is just shiny.


If Ninty gave the responsibility to a competent dev, F-zero could blow Wipeout out of the water.
 

FinalAres

Member
Both games feel so different in the handling model too, preference has to play a huge part. After getting used to the feeling of gravity, weight, moment and such in Wipeout, F zero feels a little silly, like​the controls are tight sure, but acceleration and turning don't feel realistic in the slightest.
As someone who is very definitely in the side of "why are we comparing a b grade Nintendo franchise to a classic game series" I don't think it's fair to criticise a flying car racing game set in the future as being unrealistic.
 

Deku Tree

Member
I like F-Zero GX the best but the story mode in GX was trash and F-Zero is dead and wipeout is about to come out with a 4K remaster so at least Sony is supporting futuristic racer fans.
 
F-zero including the SNES and GBA games. Love the series for the sense of speed and tight control and fun characters.

I will go a bit contrarian to other responses and say one of the things I really don't like about Wipeout is the look. Really kind of sterilized futuristic shiny look. Never did anything for me. The game play is fine but enjoy F-zero much more.


Its a mix between minimalism and clutter. The art and OST is what really makes Wipeout stand out from the others in the genre.
 
As someone who is very definitely in the side of "why are we comparing a b grade Nintendo franchise to a classic game series" I don't think it's fair to criticise a flying car racing game set in the future as being unrealistic.

Nah just different design principles. Fzero isn't worse because the controls are so instantaneous, I just don't prefer the feel. I feel like speed and momentum are earned in Wipeout in a much more taxing manner than Fzero.
 
F-Zero is like baby's first AG racer. WipEout's aesthetic, music, lore, and gameplay are a lot more... Mature.

Also there's something to be said about the frankly biased choice of gifs in OPs post.
 
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