We give you details on exactly how the data card works, what you can do with the memory card, and what it's like to hop inside of the F-Zero AX and do some hands-on.
Also, because Nintendo was kind enough to give us a T-Shirt and duffle bag, we'll give you a look at those too -- just because we can.
There's a lot of images ahead and plenty to learn. So sit back and enjoy the ride.
The GX-AX Link
Since Nintendo announced that there would be two different F-Zero games, one for the GameCube and one for the arcade Triforce board, everyone has been quite excited about how they would interact with each other. Eventually Nintendo revealed you would be able to bring your GCN memory card to the arcade to transfer and unlock things, but only recently did we find out some specific examples of how it works.
For starters, you should be aware that F-Zero AX prints out a special data card with a magnetic strip in it. This stores all of your basic data for the arcade. It in no way directly interacts with F-Zero GX, but you will need it to track your progress in AX; plus, it's just cool to have and show off your stats.
Basically, as you play AX you will have more things stamped on to your card. You get your card stamped when you beat certain courses on different modes, your rank as a pilot increases with your skill, and what ships you've unlocked are documented as well.
Let's get into specifics.
When starting a game in AX, you are awarded your own custom machine and racer. You can also create your own custom machine from your choice of Body, Engine, and Cockpit parts.
As you race, you will earn pilot points. Points, naturally, depend on where you place in the race.
Pilot points will earn you all-new machine parts, some of which can only be earned in AX. Older parts are disposed of when you get newer, more powerful parts.
As you saw on the card, you earn new Pilot Rankings as you go along.
At the end of your game you will earn a password that you can use on Nintendo of Japan's F-Zero website at https://fzero.jp. This will display your ranking to the world. Currently there are no announced plans as to how Nintendo of America will support this feature.
GX-AX: Memory Card + Data Card
If you're going to be one of those fortunate people that owns both the GameCube version and has time to play at the arcades, you will have some special benefits. By reading data from your magnetic strip and swapping information with your progress on the memory card, you will be privy to a number of things. Here's an example:
We start by registering the Twin Noritta in the F-Zero GX garage from one of the four available slots we have.
Next we head over to the F-Zero AX machine, plop in our magnetic data card, and our memory card. Then we load up the Twin Noritta and play Time Attack in AX.
Okay, you get another password. What good does this do you? Well, because all machines perform differently, you're going to want to show off in all of them. This gives you a password for the Twin Norrita on AX Time Attack, which you'd otherwise be unable to do with AX alone.
You can do the same thing with custom cars. Create a vehicle of your liking.
Drop it into AX and freak out bystanders with a giant Mario face on your exhaust.
You get a password for your custom car, too. It will display your basic speed settings on the website.
You can create your own custom rides in F-Zero AX, too. We're not sure how bystanders might feel about you taking your sweet old time on the machine, but it is possible.
You then download these custom, AX-only parts to your GameCube version of GX.
So, the point here is that if you're a really huge Nintendo, Sega, and F-Zero fanatic, you can spend a lot of time getting everything there is.
GX-AX: Memory Card
Let's say you lose your AX data card. Or maybe for some reason you just don't care to bother with one. Apparently Amusement Vision has considered this and these folks will have options, too. Here's a few examples of what you can do:
We start off by registering one of the standard vehicles to our Garage, essentially our memory card, in F-Zero GX. There are four spaces.
Then we run off to the arcades and insert the memory card in the AX arcade machine. This racer, which is otherwise only available in GX, will show up in the list so you can choose it.
Since you are able to put custom-designed emblems on standard machines, you can ride in style.
Naturally you can use your custom-created machines too. Just start by creating it in GX.
Choose your part colors.
And be sure to paste on your custom emblems!
Register it in your GX Garage, and the next step is to transfer it over onto AX by bringing your memory card along.
It's just another way to ride in style. Not only will you be showing off your skills in your custom-made machine, but the way it looks. There are over 8,000 combinations alone just with parts, and the styles are infinite when you throw on your own paint jobs.
Thankfully, Amusement Vision isn't letting AX have all the fun. You'll be able to win standard vehicles exclusively available in AX and race them on your GX tracks.
Check out how nice the AX-only Fenix machine looks on GameCube at the Big Blue course.
When you get the standard AX machines onto the GameCube version, you'll also be able to stick brand new emblems on them to really make them your own.
Only available on GX, you can check out these rad machines in the replay mode, having full control over the camera angles and soundtrack.
Hands-on: F-Zero AX
Author: Fran Mirabella III
Thanks to publishers, I recently had the opportunity to stop by the Sega offices and actually play F-Zero AX. There are only a few test units around, and from what I understood this was the only one in the U.S. The line was far too huge at E3 2003, so we only got an eyes-on look at the machine.
Let me tell you, playing it is a far different experience. F-Zero AX is definitely a different experience than what you get at home. The cabinet, sleek with a blue metallic casing, is meant to bring you a little closer to what it's like being in the hovering futuristic machines you see on screen. The cabinet has been designed to tilt, sway, and rumble according to the action on screen. It's so involving that Sega has created a few fail-safes. First off, safety first: buckle up. Once you get into the races and feel the machine tilting back and forth, you might feel a little sick. Unless you brought your Dramamine, you're going to want to hit the giant red button to the right of the steering wheel to turn the swiveling motion off. For those that panic, as soon as their feet come off of the pedals and hit the flooring on each side of the seat the cabinet will automatically disable motion.
The lesson here is if you press the big red button, you're a major weenie. You're going to be giving your friends an open invitation to mocking you for your cowardly ways. Here's the good news: I didn't have to press the big red button. The motion that goes along with F-Zero AX, as far as I'm concerned, should have to be on for anyone that wants to be a part of the Internet rankings system. I'll explain why in a moment.
You begin F-Zero AX like you would expect. You choose your initials and then you are assigned your own vehicle and character. This is a random process, but I got Mr. EAD out of the gate. I was pretty stoked about that. So I suited the fat man up in a white Star Fox-looking machine and hit one of the medium difficult tracks, Outer Space; I was ambitious.
Before I knew it I was jumping off the line at an incredible rate and zipping around those trademark wormlike tracks that let you circle all the way around them. When you're feeling the motion from it, the experience is substantially augmented. You actually feel the need to use your back and stomach muscles to lean back up. This extra tactile sensation just helps to further immerse you in the experience, and at a rate so fast it's inevitable that your heart rate will increase. There are a few other satisfying moments, such as when you begin smacking the center of the wheel for turbo boosts. A lot of extra concentration and skill is required when the unit is gyrating around, which is why I think those that have top lap times while doing that should be recognized for it on the rankings.
I ended up scoring 8th place out of the 30. I hadn't played the Outer Space track on F-Zero GX, but even if I had it would have done me no good. All of the track designs on F-Zero AX are completely different. It's a whole different ballgame, and it's yet another reason to experience AX.
At the end of my race, it spit out my custom card (seen in the beginning of the feature) which stores all of my AX data so I can play next time I return. All in all, I have to say I wanted another run with it. I'm extremely hopeful they supply major U.S. cities with enough of them, as F-Zero AX is one reason to get back to the arcades, especially since it ties in with your home experiences. There's also four-player link-up at the arcades so you can race head-to-head.
The Finish Line
With the game still heading for release in Japan, there's more to be learned. To tide us over until then, Nintendo hooked us up with an F-Zero duffle bag and a GX-branded T-Shirt. If you're read this far in our feature, we're sure you're a big enough fan of the series that you'll want to take a look at them.
That's all we have on the newest F-Zero for now! When the game ships in the next few weeks in Japan, be sure to check back for much more in-depth coverage.
Let us know what you think of this feature by emailing us at insider_mail@ign.com.