Finally, F-Zero is on Switch... as a Game Builder Garage creation
We're already starting to get impressive results from Nintendo's game creation suite, Game Builder Garage.
What is there to do when the rights holder of your favourite video game series seems to have little to no interest in crafting a new game in the franchise? You can write petitions, or make as much noise as possible so the media ask about it in interviews... but another answer might be to just, well, build one on your own. Such is the case for one player, who has used Nintendo's new Game Builder Garage to build an F-Zero prototype.
Twitter user ZeldaBoi1 posted a video of the prototype, which is basically a fully-fledged 3D F-Zero track in the style of the SNES original, with some sprites painstakingly recreated using Game Builder Garage's clever toolset. See it running in the embed:
This won't have been easy to do, but it also proves the strength of what Game Builder Garage has on offer. Sadly, there are also limitations. It seems a split-screen mode isn't possible, for instance, as Game Builder Garage only allows for one camera setup per game. It is possible to build multiplayer experiences, but they have to be same-screen in nature.
The F-Zero creation is a solid proof of concept, though, and could easily be built out with other elements in the future to make a more fully-fledged single-player racing experience.
The F-Zero demo is actually a continuation of some similar work from the same user - they appropriately also recreated the look of SNES-era Mario Kart in a playable demo. The same user is even working on a game that recreates the first Legend of Zelda game, but in 3D and from a first-person perspective.
Of course, Nintendo's latest creation game isn't just being used by one person - in fact, perusing twitter hashtags reveals creators building some truly impressive stuff. One Japanese user has even recreated Nintendogs within the game.
There's also classics like an endlessly screaming Toad, recreations of Game & Watch classics, and an early attempt at a 3D Sonic game. Naturally, somebody has also already set about remaking PT. Of course.
All of these are cropping up on a thriving #GameBuilderGarage hashtag on twitter - which is what they have to do, as the game has no sharing features of its own, which seems a huge missed opportunity. You can download this stuff by using the download codes in the linked and embedded tweets from inside Game Builder Garage - and however you get to it, this stuff is cool. Game Builder Garage isn't perhaps as intricate as Media Molecule's Dreams on PlayStation, but it's inspiring incredibly creativity all the same - and we're still only in week one.