I've said this before in previous coverages and I will repeat myself for it always rings true. If a developer or an owner of an IP refuse to give the fans what they want, always expect the fans to develop it themselves. Nintendo seems to be the main company to fulfill this as just months ago I covered Ex-Zodiac, a love letter to the classic Star Fox gameplay. Much like Star Fox, the F-Zero series remains one of Nintendo's beloved IPs with an incredibly dedicated fanbase. Without a new game in sight for over two decades, Aero GPX rises from the ashes to give the fans what they want.
The developer, Aaron McDevitt, launched a Kickstarter today which at the time of this writing had already met the halfway mark of its initial goal of $72k. The fans are speaking with their money upon wanting a new F-Zero-style game. To entice players and provide expectations for Aero GPX, a free public demo is currently available on Steam. Being a fan of arcade racing games and having already covered a really cool anti-gravity racer last month in Flashout 3, I wanted to see what to expect from Aero GPX.
Aero GPX begins with the developer humbly thanking the player for trying out what they describe as a demo that's not even considered "pre-alpha." After playing the demo, however, I'd say that there's more content and love put into this "non-pre alpha" demo than most beta builds I've played from other titles. I'm going off-topic here, so let's stay on track (pun intended). In the demo there are five tracks and five vehicles to choose from. Each vehicle is based on iconic anti-gravity vehicles, including your Blue Falcons, your Feisars, and of course your exotic sports hovercars.
The tracks are also different from each other as some are traditional with few gimmicks, while others include 360-degree snake runs, and even flying sections as well. While I wouldn't be surprised to find advanced tech, the game is easy to pick up and learn. Mechanically, it has elements of F-Zero's health and boost system. There's also a little bit of Kirby's Air Ride, due to the camera angle and the frantic combat system as the player spins their vehicles into others.
Aero GPX's funky tunes are composed by MYRONE, further encapturing that late 90s early 2000s console arcade racing feel. While the demo can be finished in less than a half hour, I share a similar sentiment with Victory Heat Rally in that I couldn't stop replaying the content in the demo. With so many demos, kickstarters, and revivals of previous IPs, 2022 proved to be a fantastic year for racing game. Players giving the first taste of Aero GPX should support the Kickstarter as this is already shaping up to be a fun passion project turned into reality.
The Aero GPX demo is now available on Steam here. If you like what you see and what you play, please consider supporting the dev and their Kickstarter here as well!.