It's a good day when I get to talk about F-Zero.
I feel like I only get the chance a few times a year at most, but this Nintendo series has been dormant for far too long, and deserves a relaunch. Former producer (and now Yakuza franchise developer) Toshihiro Nagoshi thinks so too.
Speaking to Red Bull France, Nagoshi explained that he "wouldn't mind" working on F-Zero again. Here's the full quote, as translated by Nintendo Everything:
“Mmm… Putting aside the odds of it happening, I must admit I have a lot of affection for F-Zero GX. If the opportunity were to present itself, I wouldn’t mind. And in that case, I’d like to make it a challenging game. I believe that if Nintendo just wants a racing game that is ‘fun and accessible’, they already have Mario Kart for that purpose.”
You can tell he's clearly thought about this before the question was asked. Nagoshi has a vision for the franchise: one that involves a bit more technicality, and creates its own niche. It's amazing how Nintendo will trot F-Zero out every now and then like a mascot, but won't give it another go.
It's also not an impossible situation; to see Nagoshi working on F-Zero one day. Nintendo frequently taps other studios to work on big franchises, especially long-dormant ones (see Platinum and Star Fox, among many others). I think we'll see F-Zero make some sort of return eventually, and I hope passionate ex-developers like Nagoshi are involved.
Toshiro Nagoshi [Red Bull France via Nintendo Everything]
