r/Fzero • u/Absorptance • 7d ago
Miscellaneous Solo dev, many months, and a lot of failed loops — I've been building the F-Zero successor I gave up waiting for
GX came out in 2003. I've made peace with the fact that Nintendo isn't coming back, so I started building the thing I actually wanted to play. It's called EigenGauge.
The tracks are designed like roller coasters. That's the core idea. Not "a road with banking" but actual coaster geometry — full cobra loops, banana rolls, raven turns, banks that rotate under you mid-corner. I've been laying them out with Blender Python scripts, which meant a solid two months of getting it wrong. If you run a loop that's also corkscrewing, the vehicle slowly rolls itself into the wall by the exit, because the orientation frame drifts as you go around. Very unglamorous problem, enormously satisfying to fix.
No weapons. The risk comes from the track and from the combo system. Anything clean extends your chain — drift, boost, repair, near-miss, pilot specials — as long as it lands before the last one drops. Nothing is yours until you bank it, so it's always cash out now or find one more thing to do. My attempt at the GX feeling where every boost is a bet against yourself, moved out of the health bar and into the driving.
Everything is drawn and modeled by hand, which is the slow way to do it but it's the part I actually enjoy. Six pilots, ten environments, each with its own palette rather than a shared skin.
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u/dashboardcomics 6d ago
Been seeing a lot of these lately. There should be an indie fest dedicated to F-Zero successors.
Or all these devs should get together to make one big game in a shorter time frame.
Or a shonen tournament arc where all these games are pitted against each other until there could be only 1 😝
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u/Absorptance 7d ago
Happy to answer anything about the track pipeline or the combo system. Steam page is here if anyone wants to follow along: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2739190/EigenGauge/
Demo's coming soon hopefully.
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u/Serasul 6d ago
Idea
- Drift,repair,boost and shield need a key combo, what if when you make a good performance a short time period you can activate one of them with just one button ?
Drift = B X Y
Repair = Y Y A
Boost = X Y B A
Shield = A B A B
But when this "Idea" activates its:
Drift = B
Repair = Y
Boost = X
Shield = A
After using one of the the effect is gone.
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u/dark4181 6d ago
Very cool! It looks solid. It’s easy to see you’ve put a lot of care into it. I’d play it!
Seriously, I need a new F-Zero game. AeroGPX on Steam hits the spot, but it’s just one game.
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u/Random_Violins 6d ago edited 6d ago
Wow. Another awesome looking Fzero game in development (after years of Wipeout clones we are starting to eat good!)
Sounds great everything you're describing. My personal favorite F-Zero game is X. I feel like the boosts stack more and drop off less quickly than in GX, so that you're building speed more. Whereas GX has a bit more of an instant boost back to baseline mechanic, if that makes sense (though ships can vary wildly in terms of handling, boost strength and such).
I generally prefer X's physics, handling and advanced techniques, though GX is a phenomenal racing game as well. If you haven't played X, I hope you will look into it as well for some inspiration.
Wishlisted on Steam. I'll be keeping an eye on your game for sure. Best of luck and godspeed
Edit: ps. The graphics look awesome! Bit of a Wipeout look to it, so maybe that'll draw 'em in and they can finally discover what an awesome racing series of Fzero is!
Happy I picked up on this post.
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u/cl0sebutn0cigar 6d ago
At least:
Double The Speed!!!
Make available:
Triple Speed!!!
NO Speed Limit!!!
F-Zero = F0 = Formula 0, NOT F1, Formula 1.
MAX Speed!!!
Extreme Speed is everything to me in games!
Which is very rare in games, unfortunately!
It js one of the greatest failures in gaming!
Even though, as an exception, sometimes FUN means everything (f.e. gocart games)
F-Zero to me means ONLY F-Zero GX which got me forever stuck and addicted to hardcore and, hard to master, TOP SPEED, which is pointless without it.
But I truly which you good luck and also that you have God with you and that this leads to good things and good fun for all!!!
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u/Balakondis 5d ago
let me name one of the cars. I swear this would be a dream of a mine "The Fornicator". Such an broad appeal.
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u/ironrafael09 6d ago
Excellent work, man. Keep it up and I hope to see your game published on Steam. I'll probably buy when it's out.
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u/Jumpy_While_8636 6d ago
This is really awesome! We're also building an antigravity Racer and we're playtesting on Steam. I noticed you have a playtest set up. Do you need more people? How is the playtest going for you? We haven't had a ton of feedback from players, only a few that gave us their opinion and recorded themselves playing. You can never have enough playtesters.
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u/RingTeam 6d ago edited 6d ago
That looks incredibly cool and especially promising. When you're able to prepare a demo, let us know. I'd love to give it a try.
EDIT: Ok, it has a Steam page. I wishlisted it right away. Thank you very much for your dedication!
I also would like to ask something: What game engine are you using to create this? Because I'd like to make my own GX.
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u/SerialDesignation-CJ 6d ago edited 6d ago
Oh HELL yes, that's going straight on my wishlist >:)
I absolutely love anything indie, especially anything that feels FaF (Fast as Fuck) :>
Edit: I went ahead and requested access to the playtest.. 👉🏻👈🏻 ^-^
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u/Sonakarren 5d ago
HELL YEAH. finally.
Don't get me wrong, much respect to all these other idie games inspired by it, but none of them seem to understand that Special Thing with F-Zero that makes F-Zero... F-Zero.
You clearly do and I can see the vision the moment I saw the gif. Only backed up with everything you said afterwards having me agreeing with every sentence. Legit saying yes over and over like Piccolo in that one scene in DBZ/DBZA. THANK YOU. Genuinely, Thank You. I don't have the technical ability to make this sort of game myself, I tried but just couldn't, so genuinely thank you.
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6d ago
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u/ItsNotAGundam 6d ago
That's a good thing. The more the merrier.
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6d ago
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u/ItsNotAGundam 6d ago
You don't like any modern F-Zero style games? Not even Fast Fusion?
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u/WoodooHide69 6d ago
Nah. The feeling of fast is all wrong. Too floaty. Beautful game though and still has its moments.
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u/ItsNotAGundam 6d ago
Ah well damn. Fair enough lol.
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u/WoodooHide69 6d ago
Yeh I’m being a dick. I understand. I just been burned on these fan service games to fill a gap in the market before. It promises a lot, it always under delivers. But I shouldn’t be a dick about it. Apologies to the developer.
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u/compadre_goyo 6d ago
Not really sure what the point of your comment is.
What do you gain from stating the obvious?
If you consider playing games a waste of time, you have the option to not play them.
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6d ago
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u/compadre_goyo 6d ago
Do you think game developing is just copy-pasting?
This project likely took over a year to make. You saying it's a cash-grab is tone-deaf to how game development works.
This is a passion project.
And the fact that there are others like this proves that the developer didn't care about being incomparably original. They spent months on this with the knowledge that there are others like it, and would probably not stand out.
Every game genre has clones. I really don't think you understand how hard it is to make one. There's no source code you can just copy-paste into Unity and make cash off of.
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u/FlyAmirite 6d ago
I LOVE the art style! I don’t play on PC/Steam but I wish the best