Nintendo has been very consistent with keeping its old games and series relevant over the decades, especially with the release of Switch. Metroid, Pikmin, and even Super Mario RPG were confirmed to return in June’s Nintendo Direct. Yet, one particular franchise that has not seen the light of day in a long time is F-Zero.
Takaya Imamura, a retired veteran who worked at Nintendo for 30 years, also happened to be the designer and artist behind Captain Falcon, shared his thoughts during a VGC interview.
According to the former developer, F-Zero is not making a comeback because it’s a racing series that Nintendo doesn’t need to focus on, given the overwhelming success of Mario Kart. This makes sense, considering that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still the best-selling title on Nintendo Switch after 5+ years.
- Read more: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – All Bonus DLC Tracks
In terms of F-Zero receiving even less attention than other series like Star Fox, Imamura believes it to be tied to Shigeru Miyamoto’s passion.
“I think it’s because Mario Kart is Nintendo’s most popular racing game, and a new F-Zero would cost a fortune. My impression is that Miyamoto-san is very affectionate about Star Fox.”
Takaya Imamura
Imamura went on to note how Miyamoto is always considering the big picture for Nintendo, so this is another potential reason why the company doesn’t spend much time thinking about F-Zero. Furthermore, Nintendo is very picky about the revival of certain IPs, especially when Western studios are involved.
While there aren’t any new F-Zero games to play, fans of the franchise can still enjoy the series via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. There is even a vehicle and special track dedicated to F-Zero in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.