Hurtle through space at mind-boggling speeds as Captain Falcon and the galaxys best pilots race for glory! Nintendo and SEGA -- both accomplished masters of high-speed fun -- have collaborated to create the fastest, most visually stunning racing game ever. F-Zero GX is the race to end all races, as fearless pilots risk everything to claim the title of the top speedster in the universe.

'F' is for Fantastic Prepare for sensory overload as you tear through spectacular turns and huge drops. In 20 wild courses you will be astounded as a constant stream of lights and futuristic architecture blur past at amazing speeds. The neon lights of Mute City have never looked so good. Not all the locations feature bright lights and big cities. You will also travel to the lush forest of Green Plant, watery vistas of Big Blue and barren wasteland of Sand Ocean. Each is filled with unpredictable twists and turns that will take plenty of steering skill to master. Gawkers beware. If you get caught up in ogling the eye-candy, you will find yourself in last place, or even worse: scrap metal! Hitting walls and mines will deplete your energy. You can attack other racers to force them out of the race. You will have to carefully balance the twin needs of speed and survival, as powerful boosters give you a temporary jolt of speed, but will draw down your shields. Fortunately, pit areas throughout each track will replenish your vehicles energy.

Grand GX Modes New to the F-Zero series, a Story Mode brings this fast-paced world to life like never before. Gripping CG movies chronicle Captain Falcons relentless quest for the championship belt. Multiple objectives ratchet up the challenge -- and fun. Collect energy capsules, dodge falling boulders and even battle a gang of street thugs in a high-speed chase. Skills sharpened by Story Mode challenges will be helpful in the other modes as well. In Grand Prix mode, you select from four cups of five races each. Each course pits you against 29 opponents in a three-lap race. Points are tallied at the end of a cup circuit to determine the winner. Vs. Battle allows two, three or four players to compete in a split- screen race on any unlocked course with any unlocked machines. Even when playing with four players, the action blazes by without a hitch. Choose Time Attack mode to pit yourself against the best time and top speed for each course. If you save your ghost data to a Memory Card, you can race against a transparent re-enactment of your best run. You can view saved races in Replay mode and practice any Grand Prix course in Practice mode. Research Pilot Profiles for all the info you could want on each of the racers. Customize mode let you create and modify your own personal speedster. You can unlock custom parts by completing tasks in the other modes, then mix and match these to fine-tune the speed and handling of your chariot. You can even create your very own emblem with a handy editor tool.

Tracking Transparent tubes, metal grating and paved streets look convincing and have different levels of traction. Backgrounds are richly detailed. You can see far in the distance across these alien worlds. Each gravity-defying course is packed with breathtaking thrills. Cling to the outside of a giant cylinder, launch off huge jumps and make split-second decisions as tracks fork into multiple paths. Lightning, windstorms and other dramatic weather effects add to the tension. Vehicles are represented in the classic angular F-Zero style, but boast a level of detail only possible from the processing powerhouse that is the Nintendo GameCube. For example, Captain Falcon's Blue Falcon has chipped paint, reminders of his many close calls. When boosting, you will see awesome special effects as bolts of electricity burst from your vehicle. Glowing engines and spectacular explosions forcibly remind you that danger and speed go hand in hand.

Arcade Connections When F-Zero AX debuts in arcades around the country, you can use your Memory Card and transfer additional pilots and all kinds of custom parts from the arcade version to the Nintendo GameCube. You can even customize a machine at home, then challenge all comers at the arcade. Sweet! F-Zero GX is the ultimate racer for speed freaks. A galaxys worth of unlockable content provides ample replay value. The intensity of both single and multiplayer races will keep you on the edge of your cockpit seat. (hyz101804)