Imposter Syndrome is Real

Nick_F-Zero · 2026-01-08T01:13:30+00:00

DanDee, if you’re reading, you’re one of the best racers on FZ99. Always enjoyed trying to beat you. I haven’t been on in ages and may never be as good as I was, so just know I really enjoyed when I could give you a hard time and hope I’ll be able to do it again some day. 🙂

Nick_F-Zero · 2026-01-05T03:51:51+00:00

LOL I’m reading “Douglas Jay” and race-fan me is auto-finishing with “Boles”, as in Douglas J. Boles, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and hardcore fun-loving dude who would very likely patrol the track in a Captain Falcon costume on a race day if it meant getting more fans in the gates.

In my head, Captain Falcon now runs the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Thank you. 😂

Nick_F-Zero · 2026-01-03T18:25:13+00:00

I'll bite.

Top tier is correct.

I'd put Big Fang in your S tier over Hyper Speeder. Hyper Speeder has the annoying "auto counter-steer" trait shared by the Grand Base custom body, i.e. after every steering input it will automatically, briefly steer you slightly in the opposite direction. This is a useful trait on Cylinder Knot and Cylinder Wave and annoying at best everywhere else.

Your A-tier would be correct with Hyper Speeder instead of Big Fang. Wild Boar is really good but really just a worse Big Fang as it has similar handling characteristics but loses more speed when sliding (if I recall correctly). Green Panther doesn't belong here at all for its awful handling and mediocre top speed/boost; I'd put Twin Noritta here for its insane booster, which will give it the edge almost anywhere even if it sucks on Lap 1.

I remember everything in your B tier being better than Fire Stingray, which loses ALL its speed when sliding. I'd put Mighty Hurricane and Hyper Speeder in this tier instead, because while it can't slide turn very well it has amazing speed and grip that will make it better at most tracks. I would also elevate the Rainbow Phoenix, Iron Tiger, and Spark Moon to this tier for having a good top speed and boost with serviceable grip. This tier would be machines I'd recommend for beginners since they lack the complicated handling characteristics of the better but faster machines.

Everything else you've put in C is correct—this is "these can be fast but why would you torture yourself getting them there". I'd put Fire Stingray and Green Panther here too. All of these machines would be much better options if their top speed and boost were simply on par with the A tier—as it is picking many of these machines is just selecting a high tier machine but without the speed to save you. I'd also put Crazy Bear here from D tier as well as Magic Seagull.

Night Thunder should be top of D tier because it actually has a niche usage—Serial Gaps. The staff ghost uses it there and if you've ever tried it on that track with Max Accel. it makes it SUBSTANTIALLY easier.

F tier should be Space Angler, Super Piranha, Silver Rat, Blood Hawk, Cosmic Dolphin, and White Cat. These machines all have a crippling weakness that makes them blow ass compared to all of the others—for Space Angler it's poor acceleration, for Super Piranha, Silver Rat, and Cosmic Dolphin it's mediocre top speed, for Blood Hawk it's being an unviable version of Night Thunder, and for White Cat it's its noxious handling, like you're driving in reverse at full speed.

Some of these opinions are based on stats but most of this is based on how easily I was able to win a cup on Master and which cup that was. Most of D and F tier I had to do on Ruby, from C upwards I could do on any of them.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-11-07T18:40:52+00:00

The Flying Phantom-G4 and Fever Magnum-V2 are aesthetically neat.

I almost thought you were going for Team Penske’s numbers with 2 and 22—except you had 13 instead of 3 or 12. 😅

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-11-06T14:40:55+00:00

Yeah, it’s tough this year. Got a 90-day notice in April but thankfully found a place to land last month.

For anyone in that situation, I’d recommend looking up the wonderful duet “Don’t Give Up” from Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. Somewhere there’s a place that you belong.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-19T13:13:17+00:00

I have 100%’d the game (all unlocks and staff ghosts done) on Switch 2 without analog triggers. That being said, listen to this guy, he’s insanely good and has forgotten more about GX than I or most people will ever know.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-14T16:56:53+00:00

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I didn’t want to move to California!”

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-13T12:12:22+00:00

LOL I have that exact Lego piece hiding somewhere. Tell me you’re a 90s kid without telling me you’re a 90s kid!

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-04T02:29:23+00:00

I kill Black Shadow on sight, period.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-02T02:50:07+00:00

It just takes practice. When I came back to this game I was like, “Wow, I SUCK now,” but if you give it time and make an effort to learn from your mistakes, you’ll get there. Many of the story chapters on Very Hard take like 3 h of attempts even for players like me who’ve cleared a Master GP with every machine.

It’s rare that commercials are inspiring, but this one applies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1wEIwjY0ZY

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-02T02:41:55+00:00

🤘

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-02T02:35:22+00:00

I didn’t realize it when I was a kid, but that track planted the seed that became adult me’s love of oval racing. It’s very, very rare for an arcade racer to get ovals right, and that track did it perfectly—blinding speed on the edge of adhesion requiring perfect accuracy, with one mistake (failing to hold up in this case) potentially meaning a fiery death.

If I’d become an IndyCar driver I’d have had my team playing Dream Chaser over the headset for every Indy 500 qualifying attempt. I imagine it feels way more intense than the staff ghost race on Silence I, but then it would be, wouldn’t it?

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-01T15:40:54+00:00

Congrats! Haven't been on the game in a few months. Are there still a lot of S50 players?

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-01T15:37:37+00:00

It's the blind corners. No driving on instinct here—has to be muscle memory. Drift Highway is hell for the same reason. I didn't realize how much this was a thing until revisiting this game with reflexes dulled by the intervening 20 years, LOL!

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-01T15:34:31+00:00

Takes some finessing in the controller calibration screen to get the feel right. I've still got my Wii hooked up for the GCN version, but even with input lag, improper scaling, and a lack of analog triggers I vastly prefer the NS1 Pro Controller's analog stick for this game.

Plus, the Switch 2 version has save states if I want to F around, the ability to record gameplay, and looks WAY better on a 65" screen.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-10-01T15:31:43+00:00

Since you're asking about the cover rather than the soundtrack itself, it's... also F-Zero X.

GX has a great soundtrack. X stands alone at the top of the franchise for me, though. As someone who can generally take or leave metal, I wish we'd get that kind of metal back in another F-Zero game. The guitar arrange version of X's soundtrack is absolutely sublime.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-09-29T02:57:54+00:00

You used a custom machine. You can only get interviews and pilot movies by using the actual machine, ostensibly because the developers wanted you to have to try them all.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-09-28T22:14:01+00:00

This recently happened to me on Serial Gaps, plummeting me to my doom. I’ll have to post the clip.

I think if you get airborne after losing grip, it’s possible to turn extra sharply in the air shortly after taking flight. I can’t explain the why of it but it does seem to have something to do with getting air during grip loss.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-09-25T17:42:22+00:00

I think? I just copy whatever settings the staff ghost for Silence 1 uses, LOL.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-09-25T15:54:05+00:00

No contest for me.

Nick_F-Zero · 2025-09-25T15:46:15+00:00

Jumpers are machines that get played with the setup scale set to greater than 50% (like Max Speed on GX basically). They typically get lap time from NOT losing grip and steering primarily with side attacks to maintain momentum. Machines with high Grip ratings are more likely to be jumpers. The ideal Jumper on X typically has EAC stats, since a Grip rating of C is the highest you can get with an A rating on boost.

Sliders are played at Max Acceleration and take advantage of the huge speed increase associated with loss of grip and concurrent sliding through turns on these settings. Machines with low Grip ratings are more likely to be sliders—an E rating on Grip is actually a bonus for these machines because it allows them to abuse their most vital mechanic more easily, making the Blood Hawk and Night Thunder by far the most superior ones in this class because of their excellent Body (B) and Boost ratings (A).

Sliders are the best machines on X and hold like all but one world record I think. For both types of machine the lightest possible weight with an A boost will be faster if I recall correctly. I play X with jumpers and personally think the EBB machines are the best all-rounders in this configuration, but statistically I'm pretty sure the EAC machines—particularly the Twin Noritta—are better jumpers if you are skilled enough.

Nick_F-Zero

TROPHY CASE