Nintendo is much more than Mario, Zelda, and Fire Emblem. With many legendary franchises, many of them forgotten, they have a catalog with which they would have no need to return to any of their heavyweights in the next decade without repeating a single franchise. That is the depth of Nintendo’s catalog. Something they remind us of today with the announcement of their upcoming releases for Nintendo Switch Online.
Because Nintendo has announced that the next two titles coming to Nintendo Switch Online are F-Zero: GP Legend and F-Zero Climax. Included in the service on October 11, exclusively for those who pay for the Expansion Pack, these are two very interesting additions as they are the last two F-Zero games released to date outside of online experiments by Nintendo. Both for Game Boy Advance, GP Legend was released in Europe and North America in 2004, but Climax appeared exclusively in Japan on October 21, 2004, making this the first time we can play it.
In turn, Nintendo has taken the opportunity to announce the additional content coming to F-Zero 99 with version 1.50. Adding a new league, the Ace Cup, five new tracks, an expanded practice mode, and new customization options for the ship, the game continues to expand over time. It’s not a replacement for a new F-Zero, but it does quell the cravings.
Does this mean that there could be an F-Zero in development by Nintendo? It doesn’t seem likely. Or not because of the release of these games. While November 21, 2025, marks the 35th anniversary of the franchise, nothing suggests that there is a possibility of a new installment in the series. Not when Nintendo has shown very little interest in anniversary celebrations, or has even hinted at what their future plans might be through other moves in re-releases or updates.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for F-Zero to return. Next year marks its 35th anniversary. Nintendo Switch 2 opens the door to many things. Who knows. In the meantime, we have a great update for F-Zero 99 and can enjoy the last two major games of the franchise, one of which we never got to enjoy in the West, so that even if we never get a new F-Zero, we can continue to enjoy the franchise as it was.
