Switch version is a Kickstarter stretch goal
- by Ollie Reynolds
Hoo boy, strap yourselves in for this one folks, because it looks like a doozy. Developer Whatnot Games has revealed Star Racer, a retro sci-fi racing game that takes inspiration from F-Zero and Star Fox. If that's not all, it also boasts the musical talent of Grant Kirkhope, famous for his work on classics like Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007.
The game is currently being funded via Kickstarter, with a Switch version earmarked as a stretch goal, so if this one looks like it's up your street, you might want to consider backing it sooner rather than later. At first glance, Star Racer looks very similar to F-Zero (which is not a bad thing in our books), with multiple pixel-art sprite vehicles zooming around elaborate tracks. You can battle with your opponents using a familiar circling ground attack, or you can engage your inner Star Fox and launch an aerial assault.
In addition to the bespoke tracks, Star Racer will also feature an extensive track editor, allowing users to fully customise every aspect of the course, including its layout and hazards. Whatnot Games even goes so far as to say that the "only limitation is imagination", so that sounds pretty cool.
Let's take a look at the game's key features:
- Heart-Pounding Races
- Engage in intense battles across the intergalactic racetrack. Use cunning strategies as you drift, boost, fire, and soar your place to the front of the pack!
- Concrete & Clouds
- Dust the competition through the pavement and the skies! Bring high-octane races to new heights with gravity-defying glides and aerial combat. Blaze across the pavement, soar through the stars and leave your rivals in the stardust.
- Track Editor
- Unleash your creativity with our dynamic track editor. Craft your own challenging circuits, share them with friends, and conquer the most daring designs. The race is in your hands!
- Perilous Hazards
- Watch out for treacherous hazards! Navigate through sizzling lava pits and slippery ice patches that add an extra layer of challenge to every race. Only the most skilled racers will conquer the cosmic obstacles!
- Local Multiplayer
- Grab up to three friends and dive into the multiplayer mayhem! Star Racer supports up to 4 players in local multiplayer, ensuring the party never stops. It's time to see who among your crew is the true cosmic speedster!
- Unique Cars
- Choose from a lineup of distinct, rad vehicles. Each car comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses, adding a strategic layer to the race. Find your perfect match and dominate the competition!
- Featured Tracks by Grant Kirkhope
- Immerse yourself in the pulsating beats of Star Racer with featured tracks by the legendary Grant Kirkhope. The musical genius behind Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye 007, and Mario & Rabbids contributes his signature style to select tracks.
We're going to keep a close eye on this one in the coming weeks; we're not going to lie, we're keeping all of our fingers crossed for a Switch release. Either way, we'll be seeing a lot more of Star Racer when it launches in 2024.
What do you make of Star Racer? Will you be backing the Kickstarter campaign? Let us know your thoughts with a comment down below.
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About Ollie Reynolds
Nintendo Life’s resident horror fanatic, when he’s not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry.
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Comments 31
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- Rykdrew
Wow........niiiiiiiceeeee
need this game NOW
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- DwaynesGames
Nice! However, I don’t support Kickstarters often.
Best of luck to the devs!
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- mrMike
Rad Mix = 99% F-Zero + 1% Star Fox (b/c Star is in the title?).
This is just way too close to the source material for me to support.
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- SkyArcher
100% my game genre, but I really don't like the art style on this one, looks highly inconsistent. Good luck to the devs for the KS!
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- Daniel36
Wow, that is... Inspired!! Kinda wish they went with a more N64 aesthetic on this one, but nice nonetheless.
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- JohnnyMind
Looks overall pretty cool so I'm definitely supporting it on Kickstarter, fingers crossed it reaches the funding goal first and foremost and hopefully the Switch stretch goal, too!
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- danothelegend
Backed, looks fun and it was less than €10 for the early bird pre-order so why not!
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- Ventilator
I met Grant Kirkhope 3 months ago with 5 others from Rare or ex-Rare and got my N64 Games signed.
In total i met over 10 of the people from Rare.
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- gcunit
Making Switch a stretch goal rather than targeting Switch from the outset tells me all I need to know. Good luck with it, but I won't be investing.
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- axelhander
I dig the visuals and kinda wish it's what F-Zero 99 did with its graphics.
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- ChromaticDracula
:: Vince McMahon Fallover Meme ::
Panel 1: Sees F-Zero and Star Fox in the same description
Panel 2: Sees SNES/GBA-inspired graphics
Panel 3: Sees gameplay mashing those two together in a fun way
Panel 4: SEES TRACK EDITOR OMGGGGG
Seriously, can't wait for this! It looks to be executed beautifully.
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- OFFICIALMichi
I’m not even sure I’d say it reminds me of star Fox. Looks cool but I know my husband is gonna be like “we have f zero 99 already”.
Show me more of this star Fox influence and I’m sold. Music is banger.
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- Spider-Kev
Almost every time Switch/Nintendo is a stretch goal, it always gets funded yet the developers rarely fulfill that stretch goal!
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- jake1421
@mrMike I don't think Nintendo need any help defending their IP haha. This looks promising, though not the next-gen F-Zero we need. The track editor would be more appealing if there was online multiplayer.
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- evanac
Aero GPX is the F-Zero tribute I'm personally waiting for but this looks cool enough.
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- mrMike
@jake1421 My comment has nothing to do to with "defending their IP".
With all due respect to the developers, this looks like a Copy-Paste Job with minimal features added after the fact.
Unique Cars: Choose from a lineup of distinct, rad vehicles. Each car comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses, adding a strategic layer to the race. Find your perfect match and dominate the competition!
In my opinion, there's nothing distinct about these "rad vehicles", they look almost identical to the cars in F-Zero. Even the colors are the same. Furthermore, it has the same Boost and Energy strips. Not to be mean, but as a consumer it comes across as distasteful and I have no interest in supporting it.
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- Serpenterror
Looks like a 2D version of WipEout. I'm glad they include a track editor on this, something I would had loved to see on F-Zero 99 but probably won't ever happen in this lifetime.
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- JetForceGemInEye
So much F-Zero-ness. The success of this game could be used as another measuring stick by Nintendo as they weigh whether or not to make a new F-Zero game. "as they weigh" being a bit optimistic perhaps, heehee
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- JetForceGemInEye
@Ventilator I am jelly. Would love to meet any and all of them.
Now, i must say that Robin Beanland liked a twitter comment I posted a few days back re his tweet about Jet Force Gemini coming to N64 Online in December.
#tier2flex
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- Ventilator
@JetForceGemInEye I got my "Jet Force Gemini N64" Cart signed by Rare people who worked on the game 3 months ago in Norway at a retro mess.
Random Rare people are in Norway every year for signing.
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- GrailUK
Sorry, but this looks / sounds like something I have already played. If it has it's own hook, then I'll be back until then, I just think it's a tad cynical.
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- Ratchet916
I mean, it looks alright and I'm so thirsty for a new F-Zero that I'd likely give it a spin if it comes out and seems decent, but... there's literally NO CHANCE this doesn't get hit with a cease and desist by Nintendo. "Inspired by" is laughable, this is a downright modern day clone.
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- commentlife
Making something THIS close to F-ZERO and only targeting Switch as a stretch goal irks me a bit.
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- Kilroy
@gcunit What exactly is this telling you? They look like a brand new dev out of nowhere based on their lack of a footprint on Google. To release a game on Steam is as simple as paying them $100, which at a glance seems to be the only place their game is going if they don't reach the console releases stretch goal. Meanwhile, porting to a different platform other than the native one they're building the game in on PC takes time and resources.
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- Bunkerneath
If Switch is a stretch goal then I am not interested as it means they are not committed enough.
Also only 118 backers so far and hasn't even reached over £4,000 and they want $100,000 for a console port?
Not touching with a barge pole
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- XCWarrior
Saw "Star Fox" and clicked on the story.
Saw "Kickstarter" and all hope died.
Amazed that site still exists after Mighty No 9 alone
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- HalBailman
Oh wow, Perilous Hazards! I would not say that is a feature, and would advice the developers to dump such stupidity. Such a "feature" almost ruined F-Zero GX because the whole point of F-Zero is about sustained speed and racing on the edge. Once you start introducing obstacles, disappearing tracks and chaotic corners (aka: Perilous Hazards!), that flow is lost and the entire race experience is ruined. So you know where you can shove your Perilous Hazards!
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- norwichred
Slightly misleading article. It says Switch version is a stretch goal. You Mean console versions are a stretch goal. You make it sound like it’s coming out on all other formats except for switch.
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- MeloMan
That would be a good retro look graphically for F-Zero. I wish them luck on the kickstarter.. I feel like I would play this.
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- HammerGalladeBro
'Star Racer' Is A Rad Mix Of F-Zero And Star Fox
So, G-Zero.
If you don't know, let me explain. That's the racing competiton Fox and Falco enter in one of the endings of Star Fox Command. That competition is also mentioned in X-Scape/X-Returns/3D Space Tank for the DSiWare.
Given that Octoman from F-Zero makes a cameo appearance in Star Fox Command as an enemy, I'm convinced in my weird mind that F-Zero, Star Fox and X are in the same universe and that G-Zero also exists at the same time as F-Zero.
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- LikelySatan
Looks rad af to me.
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