Though the cartoon was not successful in North America because of the dubbing from 4Kids Entertainment, it was better received as a game. The differences of this game is that in Japan, Captain Falcon is the main character, while here in America, Rick Wheeler (Ryu Suzaku in Japan) is the game's hero. F-Zero GP Legend distances itself from the canon storyline of the F-Zero series.
Plot. In the year 2201, a new racing championship is born, and it is given the name "F-Zero". It is an intergalactic race, where humans and aliens of different planets compete to take the grand prize money home. However, the story of this game involves eight characters, and each have a goal: Rick Wheeler competes in the race, having a personal vendetta against Zoda. Helping Rick is Captain Falcon, a bounty hunter and racer with a mysterious past. The eight racers in story mode travel throughout different planets to achieve their goals. Meanwhile, Black Shadow has plans to enter the race and destroy Captain Falcon in front of millions of spectators.
The gameplay is very similar to that of Maximum Velocity, and it can be played for four players. In which you and friends could link your GBA's with link cables.
Concept. Players either play in Grand Prix for a fun race in three difficulties. Easy, for those who are new, Normal, for those who have played the game, and Hard, for those who want a greater challenge. You can play as 30 racers, but some of them have to be unlocked throughout different goals such as Story, Grand Prix, and Time Trials.
Design. The game's design is similar to that of the first game and Maximum Velocity, featuring Mode 7 graphics. In story mode, there are motion-comic like sequences which has a lot of similarities to the anime series. There is dialogue, action, and excitement which will make F-Zero fans jump out of their seats.
History. F-Zero GP Legend is based on the anime of the same name that only lasted for 15 episodes in North America due to low ratings, horrible dubbing, and censorship. In Japan it was more successful as it had a much darker tone. In Japan, the series is named F-Zero: The Legend of Falcon, and it is a reboot of the franchise. In the old games, Captain Falcon is named Douglas Jay Falcon, but in the anime, Captain Falcon is a title rather than a name.
Rantings. Some racers, have poor grip, poor speed, and poor physical defense. Blood Falcon, though fast, he has terrible grip and it will take many tries to master him. Black Shadow has great defense, decent grip, but very bad speed. Another one of it's worst features is the inability to show all racers.
Good Aspects. The new characters were ok, and the Dragon Bird has to be one of my most used race cars in the game. The different storylines of every character was ok, yet the more you progress, the harder it gets.
Overall. My final score for this game is an 8 out of 10.