# F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
**F-Zero: Maximum Velocity** (known in Japan as F-Zero for Game Boy Advance, Ｆ－ＺＥＲＯ ＦＯＲ ＧＡＭＥＢＯＹ ＡＤＶＡＮＣＥ) is a futuristic racing game developed by NDcube and published by [Nintendo](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo) for the [Game Boy Advance](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-boy-advance) in 2001, and the first handheld entry in the F-Zero series.[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) • [2](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/afzj/index.html) It was a launch title for the handheld in Japan, released on March 21, 2001 at a suggested retail price of 4,800 yen, and it revived the Mode 7 style of the original Super Nintendo F-Zero rather than following the 3D approach of F-Zero X.[2](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/afzj/index.html) • [1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | March 21, 2001 (Japan), a Game Boy Advance launch title; suggested retail price 4,800 yen[2](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/afzj/index.html) |
| Developer / publisher | NDcube (developer), Nintendo (publisher)[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) |
| Setting | Roughly 25 years after the original F-Zero, with a new generation of pilots and no returning characters such as Captain Falcon[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) |
| Structure | Four cups of five tracks each; the fourth cup unlocks after completing the first three on expert difficulty[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) |
| Race format | Five laps per race, with elimination if the player falls below a set position each lap[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) |
| Reception | Metacritic score of 86 from 19 critics; IGN rated it 90, praising the four-player option[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/f-zero-maximum-velocity/critic-reviews/) |
| Sales | About 1.05 million copies[4](https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/F-Zero) |
## Gameplay
The game returns to the engine style of the Super Nintendo original: a Mode 7 pseudo-3D presentation in which a 2D track is scaled and rotated to simulate depth, with jump panels, dash arrows, and one boost per lap completed.[5](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gba/468549-f-zero-maximum-velocity/reviews/100945) Each race runs five laps, and a driver who falls below a cutoff position on any lap is eliminated, so a single mistake can end a race.[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity)
**Controls and difficulty.** Holding the left or right shoulder button leans the machine into turns, and the game rewards a throttle-tapping technique on corners rather than holding full acceleration, because machines take damage from wall collisions and can be destroyed.[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity)
**Machines.** Each vehicle has distinct stats for top speed, acceleration, boost, turn balance, flying ability on jump plates, and boost maintenance.[6](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gba/468549-f-zero-maximum-velocity/faqs/12579) For example, Lord Cyber's Sly Joker tops out at a normal speed of 436 km/h and a boosted speed of 591 km/h.[7](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/F-Zero%3A_Maximum_Velocity/Machines)
## Setting
The game is set roughly 25 years after the original F-Zero, after the original roster of pilots has retired, and it features an entirely new cast of racers and machines.[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity)
## Modes and multiplayer
The game contains five playable game modes, including Grand Prix play.[8](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gba/468549-f-zero-maximum-velocity/faqs/13650) Multiplayer supports up to four players, both with each player using a own cartridge over Game Link cables and with a single-cartridge mode in which the track selection is limited to one course, Silence, with no race music.[9](https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/3814/f-zero-maximum-velocity-game-boy-advance) IGN's review singled out the four-player option as the element that made the game shine.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/f-zero-maximum-velocity/critic-reviews/)
## Reception
Critical reception was strong. Metacritic assigned a score of 86 based on 19 critic reviews, with 18 positive and one mixed, and GameRankings recorded an average of 84 percent.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/game/f-zero-maximum-velocity/critic-reviews/) GameSpot called it a challenging yet addictive racer with speed to spare, and noted that the visuals could make players instinctively jerk the handheld around while playing.[10](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/f-zero-maximum-velocity-review/1900-2770369/) Nintendo Life later scored the game 8 out of 10, calling it a great technical showcase whose high difficulty and skill demands could be off-putting.[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) The game sold about 1.05 million copies.[4](https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/F-Zero)
## Later releases
The game was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console and as one of the ten Game Boy Advance titles in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program.[1](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity) On March 29, 2024 it debuted on [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch) through the Game Boy Advance library of [Nintendo Switch Online](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch-online) + Expansion Pack, which also restored its multiplayer support.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF1niV0rW3c) Two sequels followed on the same handheld, F-Zero: GP Legend (2003) and the Japan-exclusive F-Zero Climax (2004).[12](https://as.com/meristation/noticias/nintendo-switch-online-recibe-dos-grandes-juegos-de-game-boy-advance-incluyendo-uno-que-nunca-salio-de-japon-n/)
## References
1. [F-Zero Maximum Velocity Review (GBA), Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/f-zero-maximum-velocity)
2. [Ｆ－ＺＥＲＯ ＦＯＲ ＧＡＭＥＢＯＹ ＡＤＶＡＮＣＥ, Nintendo](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/afzj/index.html)
3. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/f-zero-maximum-velocity/critic-reviews/)
4. [F-Zero, Video Game Sales Wiki](https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/F-Zero)
5. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity Review, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gba/468549-f-zero-maximum-velocity/reviews/100945)
6. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity Vehicle FAQ, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gba/468549-f-zero-maximum-velocity/faqs/12579)
7. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity/Machines, StrategyWiki](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/F-Zero%3A_Maximum_Velocity/Machines)
8. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity Strategy Guide, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gba/468549-f-zero-maximum-velocity/faqs/13650)
9. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity Review, Nintendo World Report](https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/3814/f-zero-maximum-velocity-game-boy-advance)
10. [F-Zero: Maximum Velocity Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/f-zero-maximum-velocity-review/1900-2770369/)
11. [Game Boy Advance – March 2024 Game Update – Nintendo Switch Online, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF1niV0rW3c)
12. [Nintendo Switch Online recibe dos grandes juegos de Game Boy Advance, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/noticias/nintendo-switch-online-recibe-dos-grandes-juegos-de-game-boy-advance-incluyendo-uno-que-nunca-salio-de-japon-n/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual Nintendo-platform game titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license