Nintendo Switch fans have just been treated to the return of a beloved franchise. If you’re a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscriber, then you can soon access Game Boy Advance titles F-ZERO – GP Legend and F-ZERO Climax as part of your membership. Both games will be available to download and play for Expansion Pack subscribers on October 11. Climax is particularly significant, because it’s the first time the game has been released outside of Japan. The launch of the aforementioned F-ZERO games coupled with the release of F-ZERO 99 in 2023 makes me hopeful that Nintendo will eventually bring a brand new F-ZERO game to the Switch, or maybe the Switch 2 when it launches in 2025.
As for the latest Switch Online releases, F-ZERO – GP Legend made its debut back in 2003, while sequel F-ZERO Cimax launched a year later in 2004.
Both games feature the same visual style as the classic SNES entry, including a Mode 7-style graphical effect for rotating courses.
The games feature more than 70 courses combined, as well as multiple game modes such as Grand Prix, Time Attack and even multiplayer.
F-ZERO Climax also has a course creator function, letting users spend points in order to create tracks with various obstacles.
Climax also has the distinction of being the final F-ZERO game released before Nintendo resurrected the franchise for F-ZERO 99.
Fingers crossed Nintendo is working on a new entry, or maybe a port of the superb F-ZERO GX for modern platforms.
As a reminder, Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s equivalent to Sony’s PS Plus subscription service.
With a Switch Online subscription, Nintendo Switch owners can access online multiplayer in supported games.
The standard tier also provides access to lots of classic retro games from the NES, SNES and original Game Boy.
That’s on top of exclusive games like the aforementioned F-ZERO 99 and Tetris 99, which are multiplayer, last-person standing variants of the classic titles.
Switch owners willing to spend a little extra cash can subscribe to the Expansion Pack tier, which features games from the SEGA Mega Drive, N64 and Game Boy Advance, as well as DLC for releases such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 3.
Standard Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions start at £3.49 a month, while Expansion Pack memberships are available for £34.99 annually.
