F-Zero: Maximum Velocity is a 2001 racing game published by Nintendo and the third installment in the F-Zero series. The first of the three games released for Game Boy Advance, the game was co-developed with then-new subsidiary NDcube, foreshadowing a trend of future F-Zero games being given to outside developers.
Maximum Velocity plays similarly to F-Zero (1990), with nearly same controls and gameplay system, but features a new generation of pilots as it takes place 25 years after the original F-Zero race. The new hero is Kent Akechi, a self-appointed descendant of Captain Falcon.
The game would later get a rerelease in 2024 through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack as part of the service's Game Boy Advance library. Like other multiplayer GBA games on the service, it can replicate the Link Cable features, including multiplayer, through online play.
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity contains examples of:
- Bowdlerise: The Western versions modify the ending portraits of Christie and Kumiko
to cover up more of their breasts. - Chess Motifs: The four cups are named after chess pieces, Pawn, Knight, Bishop, and Queen. Strangely, King is absent.
- Classic Cheat Code: To unlock Jet Vermilion, you need to create a new file with a name "T&T", set up the password menu, and enter "V-J4+6V9A-30". Unlocking the machine in the other way exists, but they take much more time.
- Distant Sequel: It takes place 25 years after the last F-Zero race, with none of the pilots returning.
- The Foreign Subtitle: In Japan, it's known as "F-Zero", only adding "for Game Boy Advance" to differentiate itself with F-Zero (1990). The foreign versions do away with this and are given a new subtitle, Maximum Velocity.
- Market-Based Title: The game is known as F-Zero: Maximum Velocity in English and F-Zero for Game Boy Advance in Japan.
- Modular Difficulty: In addition to setting the CPU competence between four levels (Beginner, Standard, Expert, Master), you can also change the number of spare machines between 1, 3, and 5.
- Oddball in the Series: Of all sequels, this is the only game to base the gameplay only on F-Zero (1990), not F-Zero X, with all of its Early-Installment Weirdness like Super Jet and Rank Out system; this was done deliberately by the game's director, Kazunobu Shimizu, who also directed the original SNES title and felt that F-Zero X didn't feel like a true sequel. The other Game Boy Advance games found a middle ground that is closer to F-Zero X. In addition, it features a completely new cast with Captain Falcon reduced to a mention in backstory. The sequels ignored this game and brought the timeline back to the original generation.
- Pre-Rendered Graphics: The racing machines are in pre-rendered graphics. They're also programmed to be zoomed in and out by stretching their sprites, unlike F-Zero (1990) that has separate graphics for each zoom level since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System graphics hardware lacked the ability to scale sprites.
- Revisiting the Roots: This game's system is much closer to the first game, F-Zero (1990), with the Grand Prix rules depending on Rank Out system and the Nitro Boost running on Super Jet.
- Socialization Bonus: When played in multi-player mode with link cables, everyone can use any racing machine if it's unlocked in at least one of the cartridges.
- Soft Reboot: Although the game is in the same continuity with the previous game (whether said game is F-Zero (1990) or F-Zero X isn't clear), it takes place after a 25-year Time Skip with a new generation of characters.
- Super Title 64 Advance: The Japanese title is F-Zero for Game Boy Advance. The English version gave it a new subtitle.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Captain Falcon is replaced by Kent Akechi, who claims to be the son of and wears like him. He also drives Falcon MK-2, a balanced machine like the Blue Falcon. The difference is that Akechi is not available at start.
