F-Zero artist, Takaya Imamura, offers his perspective on the video game. Learn more about the circumstances that contributed to the lack of updates for the series, Imamura's hopes for new games, and an overview of F-Zero's current state.
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Takaya Imamura Shared Insights About F-Zero's Status in Nintendo
Sales as the Key Factor
The creator of Captain Falcon and F-Zero, Takaya Imamura, has provided his opinions on the state of the Star Fox and F-Zero brands. In an interview with VGC, Imamura disclosed that financial considerations and Mario Kart's enormous popularity were the primary factors in prioritizing other games over this beloved series. Imamura also highlighted the difficulties of resource management within the corporation and shed some light on the viewpoints of Shigeru Miyamoto, another significant Nintendo figure.
Nintendo has often stated that they would only create new installments of specific series if they could present new ideas. When VGC asked Imamura why this technique did not extend to F-Zero and Star Fox, he cited sales as the key reason. He added that despite his love for Star Fox, Shigeru Miyamoto, who oversees Nintendo as a whole, could only devote a little amount of work to those particular games.
The Dominance of Mario Kart
Imamura emphasized that focus on F-Zero was overshadowed mainly by Mario Kart due to its commercial success. Mario Kart's position as Nintendo's most-played racing game made it challenging for F-Zero to garner interest. Imamura stated that creating a new F-Zero game would be expensive and less viable than other initiatives. Due to a shortage of internal resources, it appeared logical to prioritize Mario Kart, which is more financially successful and well-known.
Imamura also cited Nintendo's limited human resources as another factor in the deprioritization of F-Zero. It was apparently challenging to devote resources to lesser known franchises like F-Zero when the company's internal developers already had so many projects in the works. However, Imamura voiced trust in the talents and enthusiasm of external developers who wish to work on Nintendo projects, noting the success of Donkey Kong Country as an example.
F-Zero's Legacy and Recent Addition to Nintendo Switch Online
The first F-Zero game was launched on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), signaling the start of the futuristic racing series. It would follow up with a few more games, like F-Zero X and F-Zero GX, but there has not been a new installment in the franchise since 2004. F-Zero was introduced to the Nintendo Switch Online Library in March 2022, allowing fans to enjoy the exhilarating racing experience and relive the memories connected with the series.
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VGC Interview With Takaya Imamura
