F-Zero GX: Advanced Attack Strategies

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F-Zero GX: Advanced Attack Strategies

Written by DetErest

Racing	Attacking
Strategies	Strategies
Advanced Strategies	Advanced Strategies

On the higher difficulty levels of Grand Prix mode, the racing gets pretty aggressive. I was originally using machines like the White Cat and Hyper Speeder, while racing my ass off to win on Master difficulty. The first 3 cups went well, but I just couldn't manage to conquer the Diamond cup on the Master Class. It was then that I decided to employ a different strategy to winning...

Let's get one thing straight - Going out onto the track and wildly trying to attack every machine in your path will either send you to an early grave, or put you WAY behind in the ranks at the end of the race. You need to first learn proper Racing Strategies, learn how to control a machine in all kinds of tight spots while traveling at incredibly fast speeds, AND memorize the courses in order succeed on the Master class. So you'll probably also want to check out the Advanced Racing Strategies page.

I knew I was already good F-Zero driver... But I couldn't get any further with my racing abilities, and needed to start learning some cheap and dirty tricks in order to compete with the insanely aggressive opponents of the Master class. So, I turned to the dark side of the force to help me on my path to victory... I quickly adapted to these evil tactics, and destroyed anyone and everyone who stood between me and the championship.

Just keep in mind that you shouldn't go out of your way to kill an opponent. I just destroy the machines that have a lot of points, plus other unlucky machines in my path. Also, some courses aren't very good for attacking, which is why you can't just attack your way to the finish line without racing techniques. The best cups for attacking are the Ruby Cup, Diamond Cup, and AX Cup.

It can take some players a while to nail down the timing of an attack. To practice your skills, you can head to mission 4 of story mode. This mission is all about attacking, so you're forced to knock the opposition off the road. Attacking as you slowly approach is the easiest way to side attack with X, but if you can learn how to boost and attack an opponent just as you speed by them, you'll be a dreaded attacker. Be sure to read the basic Attack Strategies first before continuing below...

The first lap will usually be your best chance to destroy opposing machines. Everyone is bunched together at the start, so your targets aren't spread very far apart. And since no one has boost power during the first lap, your victims won't be able to escape easily.
In this screenshot, I've smoked the Dark Schneider right off the bat.

Narrow sections of track can be good spots for attacks, since machines are confined to small spaces. Attacking here can be a bit dangerous, since any machines you attack can bounce off walls and hit you. But on the flip side, they can also bounce off walls and take out other machines as well. In the narrow tunnel of Sand Ocean - Surface Slide, I've been able to attack one machine, and have the burned out wreck bounce off the walls like a pinball, and take out two other racers. Three birds, one stone.

Machines in clusters are excellent targets. You can boost through a group of racers, and repeatedly attack as you plow your way through. Destroying one machine is usually certain, but you can often be lucky enough to pick off more as you blast into them.

The Z attack normally sends your machine spinning sideways. But by using only a slight left or right tap of the control stick, it's possible to make your racer spin in a straight line. This is useful for tight areas of track when you know you have speeding enemies on your tail. If you're feeling extra nasty, you can barely avoid a dash arrow, then pull off this trick right in front of the dash arrow so opponents will blast right into your spinning machine and take incredible damage.

Just an addition to the straight line Z attack mentioned above... If you can manage to boost then pull off this maneuver, you'll be able to smash into the back of enemy machines, which will almost always send them flying completely off the track. On a straightaway, line yourself right up behind another machine. Boost, then pull off a straight spin for a surprise attack.

You can actually use the Z attack to take you around tight corners... If you boost and then hit sideways with Z, you can make a sharp turn by using the L or R button. In addition to taking a tight turn, you'll also be able to smash anyone who's unlucky enough to be in your way.

While attempting to finish the Diamond Cup on the Master Class, I was using the Hyper Speeder and the White Cat. But unfortunately, I was constantly being beaten by the Black Bull. I decided to switch machines, and see if aggressive tactics would make a difference... By using the Black Bull, I annihilated the competition, and bashed my way to victory with this deadly battle cruiser.

The Blue Falcon was a machine that I just couldn't seem to win with on Master Difficulty. It's a well balanced vehicle, but with a fairly low top speed and average boost it can be hard to keep up with faster machines. But by using a different playing style to destroy all the other contenders, I was able to capture the championship with the Blue Falcon.

Michael Chain's machine is another vehicle that can withstand a pounding on the Master Class. It's a very heavy machine (2110 kg), with an 'A' rated body. Its weight makes it capable of reaching very high speeds, and when its strong heavy body smashes into other machines, they usually fly right off the course.

While trying to earn each of the Master class 'reward' ending videos, the Wild Boar easily crushed rival racers. I only missed out on 20 possible points in this run (480/500), proving that the Wild Boar has what it takes to bring home the big prize. In addition to doing very well in the standings, I managed to destroy 34 other racers.

Machines of Choice

Every F-Zero machine can destroy other machines. But if your racer has a weak body, it'll take damage easily, and won't be nearly as effective for attacking other machines. Here are a few racers that tend to do well attack wise...

Black Bull: The master of disaster... If you can learn to handle this heavy beast, you'll surely be a force to be reckoned with. The Black Bull has excellent grip, but being one of the game's heaviest machines, it tends to take wide corners. It's heavy weight gives it a high top speed, and it has lots of ramming power. It's only downfall is a poor booster, but the speed more than makes up for this shortcoming.
Body: A | Boost: E | Grip: A

Big Fang: A machine that's not to light, and not to heavy. It has a good weight for a high top speed, but it's not too heavy for easy handling. The excellent grip also helps, and the good body makes it easy to smash opposing machines. Just like the Black Bull, it lacks a decent boost, but the speed of this racer overpowers the weak boost.
Body: B | Boost: D | Grip: A

Wild Boar: A solid body makes the Wild Boar an excellent attacker. As was mentioned above, it also has a very high max speed. It's boost and grip are decent, so it doesn't have any major downfalls. However, the 'C' rated grip isn't great for such a heavy machine, but it could be worse. It might take you a bit of practice before you can ace a course with this machine, but once you master the handling of it, it's a great racer.
Body: A | Boost: C | Grip: C

Spark Moon: Even though this machine has good grip, some players might find it a bit slippery. With practice though, the Spark Moon is an excellent machine for this bashing and crashing strategy. I've earned my personal best score for kills with this racer, and since it's a well balanced machine, it can do wonders. Spark Moon can be unlocked by completing mission 2 of story mode on Very Hard.
Body: B | Boost: C | Grip: B

Course Breakdown
Some courses offer many chances to destroy other machines, while other tracks are considerably more dangerous. Here's my overview for how each course rates for executing rival racers...

RUBY CUP

MUTE CITY - Twist Road
This course is very fast and short, so there's not a whole lot of room for messing around here. One botched attack could send you into a wall, which will pretty much screw you over for points on the higher difficulties. Still though, you can cut into the turns, and attack machines as they try and pass.
I can usually score 3 to 6 kills here.

CASINO PALACE - Split Oval
Just like the first course, you can't make many mistakes here and still win. The series of dash arrows near the start are an excellent spot for clipping opponents though. As you hit the dash arrows, you can cut inward with repeated attacks, and destroy machines as they pass in clusters. The straightaway after the final turn is another good spot to score kills, since racers usually travel in predictable straight lines, just asking to be destroyed.
On this track I can often destroy 4 to 8 machines.

SAND OCEAN - Surface Slide
An awesome track for attacking. Surface Slide is a long enough course, so there's lots of opportunities for attacks. If you happen to bump into a wall or two, you should still be able to catch up so long as you don't make too many mistakes.
The very first turn is wide, providing a few good chances to cut in and attack. After the jump, the narrow section of track and the tunnel force machines into confined spaces, making them even easier to hit. Just be careful one of your victims doesn't bounce off a wall and collide with your machine.
After the tight S curve, the big wide turns are other good places for attacks.
Since there are so many good attack opportunities, I can score as many as 15 kills on this course.

LIGHTNING - Loop Cross
This track is incredibly dangerous, but also presents you with many attack areas. Since a lot of the track is looped and upside-down, a poorly judged attack can easily send you off course. If you've mastered the art of attacking, you'll love it here. If you're just getting into it, you might want to play it safe instead.
The straightaway at the beginning is a good spot for attacking. Following the turn after the pit zone, there are a few more straightaways.
Just like Surface Slide, I've scored 15 kills on this one track.

AEROPOLIS - Multiplex
Multiplex is a long enough course, so there's plenty of time for attacking. Practically every corner can be an attack zone. The looped straightaway with the dash arrows creates a lot of speed, so it's also a good spot for attacking.
It's not nearly as good as the two previous courses, but I have destroyed 10 machines here.

SAPPHIRE CUP

BIG BLUE - Drift Highway
Not a very good track for attacking at all. Since it's so incredibly fast and short, you'll want to focus your attention on racing here. Of course, you can try and attack if you have an excellent opportunity, but don't go for a high bodycount here. A couple mistakes will pretty much guarantee a poor rank on the harder difficulty levels.

PORT TOWN - Aero Dive
A much better attack course than the previous ones. As always, the straightaways provide good opportunities for attacking. You can also attack on the wide turns as machines try to pass. The straightaway after the jump is also a good spot for attacks.

GREEN PLANT - Mobius Ring
Both the straightaways and curves here make this another good attack track... Just be careful around the awkward pit zone areas, because you can easily screw yourself over by attacking on those awkward angles.

PORT TOWN - Long Pipe
Another bad track for attacking. There are a few areas for attacking, but since you're speeding inside a round pipe, you probably won't want to risk flying out of control by attacking here. If you've fine tuned your attacking skills, you can destroy machines along the series of dash arrows inside the pipes. The straightaway before the pit zone and after the starting line is the only really solid attack spot.

MUTE CITY - Serial Gaps
A really fast and dangerous course, especially with the really tight turns. You can attack as you corner though, in hopes of clipping nearby machines. This is another track where you'll really want to focus on your racing instead of attacking. Kill anyone who's in the wrong place at the wrong time, but mainly blast your way towards the finish line.

EMERALD CUP

FIRE FIELD - Cylinder Knot
You can attack here, but it can be difficult since opponents can be on any side of the rounded track. Rookie attackers probably won't feel comfortable attacking here, but as you get used to it, you can score a few kills here.

GREEN PLANT - Intersection
Since most of this course takes place inside a tube, you won't get a load of attack opportunities. But the dash arrows around the pipes can be used as attack areas if you've mastered the art of attacking. As you dash from side to side, you can attack, and clip anyone who tries to blast by you. Also, the area of track right before the finish line is a good spot for attacks, but you need to be quick and efficient.

CASINO PALACE - Double Branches
A very lengthy course means you spend a lot of time around your opponents. Lots of chances for attacking here, but just make sure you don't fly off course on some of the dangerous areas.

LIGHTNING - Half Pipe
Another very dangerous course with plenty of opportunities for attack. You'll want to know this course very well before you start attacking here. After some practice, I've found that I can score many of kills here.

BIG BLUE- Ordeal
Not the worst course for attacking, but certainly not the best. You probably won't want to do a lot of attacking here, except when you're presented with good opportunities.

DIAMOND CUP

COSMO TERMINAL - Trident
One of the best courses for attacking, but it's also the most dangerous. One wrong move, and you're dead. But if you've mastered the deadly art of attacking, you should be able to rack up impressive numbers here. I kill everyone as I pass them. They have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. They're practically asking to be knocked off the track...

SAND OCEAN - Lateral Shift
Lots of good attack spots here, except you really need to watch out for the 'dead ends' that send you flying off the track. Once you've memorized the turns of this track, it's possible to score a decent number of kills on this course.

FIRE FIELD - Undulation
This track is wide enough, and it has no guardrails. So it's another great attack course. Just make sure you're not too close to the edge when you attack. Don't try and ram other racers on the bumpy parts of track, as you'll likely send your own machine out of control. The rest of the track is fine though, so long as you've got your timing down.

AEROPOLIS - Dragon Slope
I can't seem to score a whole load of kills here, but I usually get a few. It's a pretty fast and twisty track, so you'll probably want to stick to racing, and only attack when you have a good opportunity.

PHANTOM ROAD - Slime Line Slits
A dangerous track with many narrow areas. I personally don't usually do a lot of attacking here, but chances do present themselves. It's probably not a good idea to go nuts attacking here, and only attack when an opportunity presents itself.

AX CUP

AEROPOLIS - Screw Drive
A short and speedy track means there's not a whole lot of time to spend attacking. Still though since there aren't many hazards to watch out for, it makes it possible to score a few kills here.

OUTER SPACE - Meteor Stream
Most of this course is pretty wide, so machines tend to spread apart, making themselves harder to hit. I've found the areas with the dash arrows are good spots to eliminate the competition, as well as any other time you're passing by an opposing machine.

PORT TOWN - Cylinder Wave
Not a good course for attacking at all. On the bigger parts of the cylinder, the track becomes flatter, which makes it easier to attack. I don't recommend trying to pull off a lot of attacks here though.

LIGHTNING - Thunder Road
Hoo baby! Plenty of kills can be scored on this track. It's a fairly long course, which means you'll spend a lot of time among the other racers. And since there are a few different pit zones, you'll be able to spend a lot of time boosting through and attacking other machines at high speeds.

GREEN PLANT - Spiral
This course is long, which should mean that it has lots of opportunities for attack... But since it's so twisty, it can be hard to line up other machines for elimination. There are a few pit zones just like on Thunder Road, so you'll be able to recharge your booster for high speed assaults. It's possible to score a lot of kills here, provided you're familiar with navigating the somewhat awkward track.