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[DownGrader]

So, my friend just reported there he found an F-Zero AX arcade machine in one of seaside cities in Russia (the country I live in), which is as rare as it sounds. Needless to say, I am planning to go on vacation here in few months.

I do not have F-Zero GX yet, but I'm looking forward to use the AX cabinet to unlock content in a home console version. So, let me ask some questions:

1. Do I need F-Zero GX save file on my GameCube memory card, or it is possible to create one right away on arcade cabinet? Of course I can use pirated copy of F-Zero GX just to create a save file to be fully sure, but it would not be right - it would be piracy and, well, cheating of some sort.
2. Is there any region compatibility problems? My Wii is PAL one, just like my other GameCube games, and I bet the arcade cabinet was imported from US (that's how Russian arcades usually acqure classic machines).

 

[Übermatik]

Is AX supposed to be rare or something? I've seen 3 in my life, all fairly close to me. (2 in arcades, one in an airport).

 

[DownGrader]

Is AX supposed to be rare or something? I've seen 3 in my life, all fairly close to me. (2 in arcades, one in an airport).

It's rare to see any decent arcade machine in Russia ever. Especially now, when arcades got filled with cheap Korean (I suppose?) cabinets and arcade adaptations of smartphone games.

 

[big_z]

you can unlock the AX content without the arcade. you just have to get good at the game.

 

[TheMoon]

1. Do I need F-Zero GX save file on my GameCube memory card, or it is possible to create one right away on arcade cabinet? Of course I can use pirated copy of F-Zero GX just to create a save file to be fully sure, but it would not be right - it would be piracy and, well, cheating of some sort.
2. Is there any region compatibility problems? My Wii is PAL one, just like my other GameCube games, and I bet the arcade cabinet was imported from US (that's how Russian arcades usually acqure classic machines).

->

F-Zero GX Connectivity

A Nintendo GameCube memory card can be plugged directly into the F-Zero AX cabinet to download and/or upload special data. If the memory card has F-Zero GX data on it, it is possible to access and use the custom vehicles contained there. Nevertheless, players can to use these arcade cabinets to unlock permanent access to multiple features in F-Zero GX; the fifth and last cup called the "AX Cup", a number of new custom machine parts and ten new vehicles. This is easier said than done, as AX cabinets are quite rare; according to a fan-compiled F-Zero AX Locations database, less than twenty are Confirmed to be available in the North America region. However, more Were Manufactured for America and are simply MIA, Thus the chance of a new dicovery, and its content can instead be unlocked in F-Zero GX, allthough with extreme difficulty.
http://fzero.wikia.com/wiki/F-Zero_AX

 

[Deft Beck]

It's important to note that the entirety of AX is on the GX disc. You need a cheat device to access it, though.

 

[DownGrader]

->

Hmm. But what about different regions?

you can unlock the AX content without the arcade. you just have to get good at the game.

I know, but I want to check it out before I break the controller, in the most legit way possible.

 

[Azure Phoenix]

you can unlock the AX content without the arcade. you just have to get good at the game.

Not all content, there were 15 custom vehicles parts you could only get from connecting your memory card to an AX machine or download station. The problem is they were tied to events and the license card (which I believe came with JP copies of GX), so the TC won't be able to obtain those parts at this point anyway.

As for the question at hand, because of the way the Gamecube memory cards need to be formatted specifically for either Japanese or US/EU save data if that AX cabinet is a JP one you'll need a JP save of GX. If it is a US cabinet a JP save won't work, US ones will, not sure about EU saves. Also note that 3rd party memory cards won't be recognised.

 

[DownGrader]

As for the question at hand, because of the way the Gamecube memory cards need to be formatted specifically for either Japanese or US/EU save data if that AX cabinet is a JP one you'll need a JP save of GX. If it is a US cabinet a JP save won't work, US ones will, not sure about EU saves.

Was there even a EU cabinet?

 

[Azure Phoenix]

Was there even a EU cabinet?

No there wasn't, I know a couple existed in the UK at one point but I believe they were US imports. Sadly by the time I took a trip to the arcade that had one it was gone, so I never could find out if PAL saves work.

 

[Pikma]

I still can't believe I stayed at the Circus Circus hotel in Las Vegas for a week last spring without ever knowing they had a fucking Arcade area with fucking F-ZERO AX. I felt so dumb when I first read about it.

 

[TheMoon]

nvm

 

[chronic_archaic]

I was so excited when they managed to get Triforce board arcade games running on Wii. I wanted to play this so bad and when I just had it booted up on my Wii it was incredible. I remember talking to a friend in school about going up to Canada to play the game (closest location to where we lived)

 

[LamerDeluxe]

I've seen one on holiday in Spain, but as with most arcade machines there, it was in terrible shape, such a shame.

I've read somewhere here on GAF that the AX version is included on the GX disc, you unlock it with a cheat device somehow.

 

[big_z]

I know, but I want to check it out before I break the controller, in the most legit way possible.

if youre struggling go into the options and do the stick test. my controller couldn't do the full motion for forwards and it made the fire tunnel impossible to beat. switched to a new controller and the game became easier.

 

[RoryDropkick]

I remember going to my local arcade and playing this quite often about 10-12 years ago. I still have my data card around here somewhere.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

I've seen one on holiday in Spain, but as with most arcade machines there, it was in terrible shape, such a shame.

I've read somewhere here on GAF that the AX version is included on the GX disc, you unlock it with a cheat device somehow.

Which city of Spain?

 

[ec0ec0]

If you play AX before GX, keep in mind that AX is not completely representative of what you'll find in GX. Both games have different physics, and there's some crucial diferences between them. GX is the one with the awesome handling with many possibilities.

p.s. don't ever jump into GX without asking for advice first !!

 

[Throwaway123456789]

If you play AX before GX, keep in mind that AX is not completely representative of what you'll find in GX. Both games have different physics, and there's some crucial diferences between them. GX is the one with the awesome handling with many possibilities.

p.s. don't ever jump into GX without asking for advice first !!

PS: Don't listen to this guy. Go into GX completely blind and let the heavens repair your vision!

 

[Madao]

to all those saying you can unlock AX with a cheat device in GX, that's not quite the same as the real F-Zero AX. the biggest difference is that AX itself has different physics and the AX you unlock in GX uses the same GX physics.
it seems both versions contain AX menus and stuff like that but it's not the same and the only way to play AX is with the machine or using an AX iso.

as far as the memory card stuff with GX goes, all you can do is unlock the Red Custom parts and the AX racers in a GX save without having to beat the challenges in GX. it's just a shortcut to stuff you can unlock in GX normally.
the Gold Custom parts (the promotional ones that were given away once 11 years ago in japan only) are unobtainable unless you use a cheat device

 

[Rolodzeo]

Which city of Spain?

I live in Spain, in A Coruña, and I remember that some years ago there was a couple of F-Zero AX cabinets in the city, in an arcade near the Riazor beach. They were in very bad condition, but I recall playing a few races with them. Last time I checked they were gone though

 

[Persona7]

I still can't believe I stayed at the Circus Circus hotel in Las Vegas for a week last spring without ever knowing they had a fucking Arcade area with fucking F-ZERO AX. I felt so dumb when I first read about it.

It is still there? wow

 

[Peltz]

to all those saying you can unlock AX with a cheat device in GX, that's not quite the same as the real F-Zero AX. the biggest difference is that AX itself has different physics and the AX you unlock in GX uses the same GX physics.
it seems both versions contain AX menus and stuff like that but it's not the same and the only way to play AX is with the machine or using an AX iso.

as far as the memory card stuff with GX goes, all you can do is unlock the Red Custom parts and the AX racers in a GX save without having to beat the challenges in GX. it's just a shortcut to stuff you can unlock in GX normally.
the Gold Custom parts (the promotional ones that were given away once 11 years ago in japan only) are unobtainable unless you use a cheat device

Madao always reliably comes to F-Zero threads to impart his wisdom. I appreciate that.

How does one play an ISO of the real F-Zero AX? On GCN hardware? In Dolphin?

I doubt I'll ever play it myself, even in ISO form. Hopefully, I get a chance to sit at a real AX machine someday.

 

[ec0ec0]

PS: Don't listen to this guy. Go into GX completely blind and let the heavens repair your vision!

I respectfully disagree. You shoudn't expect a new player figuring out this game just by playing. Most player's definitely didn't when GX was released, and they had an extremely frustating experience with the game. Those player's would have had a significantly different experience if they had asked for advice. Nowadays the internet is huge, so it's easy to get detailed answers of even a game like GX.

To sum up, GX in particular gets a lot better after learning about a couple of things.

 

[RoryDropkick]

I still can't believe I stayed at the Circus Circus hotel in Las Vegas for a week last spring without ever knowing they had a fucking Arcade area with fucking F-ZERO AX. I felt so dumb when I first read about it.

Wait, the motorized ones are still there? I played those about 10 years ago when I was there for a EB Games vendors conference.

 

[ec0ec0]

I live in Spain, in A Coruña, and I remember that some years ago there was a couple of F-Zero AX cabinets in the city, in an arcade near the Riazor beach. They were in very bad condition, but I recall playing a few races with them. Last time I checked they were gone though

You wouldn't believe how excited i was getting while reading this... until i got to the end ;_; i'm an A Coruña right now. RIP me.

 

[canocha]

Which city of Spain?

I also saw one in Spain (just ouside Seville) in a sort of "open mall" (edit: this was a few years ago)

I knew i had a picture!

August 2008

 

[Throwaway123456789]

I respectfully disagree. You shoudn't expect a new player figuring out this game just by playing. Most player's definitely didn't when GX was released, and they had an extremely frustating experience with the game. Those player's would have had a significantly different experience if they had asked for advice. Nowadays the internet is huge, so it's easy to get detailed answers of even a game like GX.

To sum up, GX in particular gets a lot better after learning about a couple of things.

Where is this "most players had an extremely frustrating experience" coming from? Why would people that play it for the first time have it any worse than when me and you did? I loved the game from the first second and had no trouble playing it, even with no prior experience with F-Zero other than hating the SNES game.

 

[danwu]

That's incredible there's an F-Zero AX machine in Russia !

 

[DownGrader]

That's incredible there's an F-Zero AX machine in Russia !

Yeah! With both arcade machine games and Nintendo games being niche here, it's definitely a miracle.

 

[LamerDeluxe]

Which city of Spain?

IIRC it was Playa de Ingles, on the island Gran Canaria.

 

[ec0ec0]

Where is this "most players had an extremely frustrating experience" coming from? Why would people that play it for the first time have it any worse than when me and you did? I loved the game from the first second and had no trouble playing it, even with no prior experience with F-Zero other than hating the SNES game.

I describe what i have seen xD I'm extremely tired of reading comments mentioning how difficult GX was or how someone gave up on this story mode mission or the other (on normal difficulty even...). From what i have seen, many people gave up on story mode, didn't unlock the AX cup (meaning that they weren't able to reach/beat master mode), and you can guess what most players thought of the staff ghost... lol

Another problem that people had is that they didn't recognize which ships where the best to use, as figuring that out was a rather overwhelming task. The game had like 40 ships (although most players weren't able to unlock more than 30) and the in game stats "lied", so you actually had to try each ship one by one and try to figure out their "true" stats.

Then there's also the fact that most players had a very basic understanding of the handling system, as all they knew was what was mentioned on the game manual. When people had problems with a stage, they probably simply replayed it over and over, instead of going to training mode and trying to mess around with the game to see if there was more to the handling system than what they knew. I mean, learning things like quick turning, or that, when you lose your grip, you can easily regain it by quickly releasing and pressing again the "a" button, etc... those things would have made the game way easier for a lot of people.

I don't know, maybe i shoudn't have said that he should ask before even touching the game, but that's the safest way of being sure that the game won't ever turn into a frustating experience for him, as he would already be aware of all the stuff that people didn't know at launch.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

I live in Spain, in A Coruña, and I remember that some years ago there was a couple of F-Zero AX cabinets in the city, in an arcade near the Riazor beach. They were in very bad condition, but I recall playing a few races with them. Last time I checked they were gone though

I also saw one in Spain (just ouside Seville) in a sort of "open mall" (edit: this was a few years ago)

I knew i had a picture!

August 2008

IIRC it was Playa de Ingles, on the island Gran Canaria.

Thanks guys.
Never saw one here in Valencia.