WhileMario Kartmay get the most attention,Nintendohas another critically-acclaimed racing franchise in its roster. But despite positive reviews, theF-Zeroseries has remained dormant since 2004’s Japan-onlyF-Zero Climaxon the Game Boy Advance. Now, 16 years since a newF-Zerogame has released, and it looks like an announcement for anF-ZeroSwitch game may be right around the corner.
Internet sleuths have discovered a private Twitter account with the handle FZeroJP that appears to be associated with an official Nintendo email account. This has led to speculation that Nintendo is preparing to announce a newF-Zerogame for the Switch sooner rather than later. The account name is just a bunch of A’s, which is identical to theSuper Mario35th anniversary Twitter accountthat was discovered recently as well. This could lend credibility to thisF-ZeroTwitter account being legitimate, but it could also be a coordinated hoax, so fans should keep that in mind before getting their hopes up. But if it’s real, it’s an indication that Nintendo may be planning to host a Nintendo Direct soon.
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This isn’t the only evidence that Nintendo plans on having a Nintendo Direct some time in the near future.GameStop’s database was recently updated with new SKUs, which usually happens before an event like a Nintendo Direct. Nothing official has been announced, however, and Nintendo itself has suggested that it may be focusing on announcements for one game at a time as opposed to doing an entire Direct presentation moving forward. Considering how popular Nintendo Directs are, though, hopefully Nintendo doesn’t go that route.
If Nintendo is gearing up to announce a newF-Zerogame for the Switch, the question remains as to who the game’s developer is. It’s possible that it was developed in-house at Nintendo, but it’s also possible that the game was developed by one of the company’s other studios. One distinct possibility is that the newF-Zerogame has been developed by Retro Studios, as it’s never been revealed what the company has been working on sinceDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezeshipped for the Wii U back in 2014.
Rumors have persisted over the years that Retro is making a racing game, though many have claimed that the game is aStar Fox-themed racer. BothF-ZeroandStar Foxhave science-fiction trappings, though, so perhaps that’s where the confusion comes from. In any case, Retro was working onsomethingin the years between it launchingTropical Freezeand taking over thedevelopment ofMetroid Prime 4, so it being behind the rumoredF-ZeroSwitch game would make sense.
Of course, it’s also possible thatRetro Studios' secret project was something else entirely and a completely different team is makingF-Zero. It’s also possible that theF-ZeroSwitch game doesn’t exist at all. So until an official announcement is made, fans should take anyF-Zeronews with a massive grain of salt.
F-Zerois rumored to be in development for the Nintendo Switch.
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