Play F-Zero GP Legend (Rising Sun) Online

Summary

F-Zero GP Legend (often just called F‑Zero: GP Legend) takes the high‑speed feel of the original SNES racer and upgrades it with a smooth Mode 7‑style scaling effect that makes the GBA’s tracks feel surprisingly three‑dimensional. The controls are tight: A to accelerate, B to brake, the D‑pad for steering, and the shoulder buttons for drifting left or right. Pressing L or R twice launches a side attack against nearby rivals, while a simultaneous press of both shoulders on the second lap triggers a powerful boost, and quick taps of A can also generate a temporary speed surge.

Tracks are littered with jump plates, dash plates, rumble strips and even mine fields, each demanding a different tactical response—press down on the D‑pad while descending from a jump to keep the nose up and avoid damage. The game packs a surprising amount of single‑player content: Grand Prix cups across Bronze to Platinum, a Story mode of mission‑based races, Time Attack with ghost competition, a customizable Training arena, and the precision‑focused Zero Test challenges that rank from C to S. Multiplayer shines through the Link mode, offering both single‑pak races on a single course and full multi‑pak freedom for up to four players.

In Japan, the title was paired with e‑Reader cards that could unlock extra pilots, machines, courses and challenge ghosts, a feature omitted from the Western releases. A promotional demo was even showcased at Joypolis in November 2003, and the game later resurfaced on the Wii U Virtual Console.

Critics generally praised the breadth of modes—especially the story missions—while noting the limited number of racers visible on screen and finding the narrative a bit confusing. Overall, the reception hovered around solid eight‑out‑of‑ten scores, cementing it as a respectable handheld entry in the F‑Zero legacy.

Storyline

In F‑Zero GP Legend (Rising Sun) on the Game Boy Advance, players start with only Rick Wheeler’s story available, but completing his missions unlocks the other pilots’ narratives. Each pilot has a set of five missions that vary widely: you might need to win a race, defeat a particular rival, destroy one or more targets, avoid being passed by one or two enemies, assist an ally in taking the checkered flag, help an ally eliminate a specific opponent, chase down a foe, or simply reach a checkpoint before the timer expires. Successful completion of a mission grants the pilot a cash reward that scales with how well the objectives were met. Two special missions can actually cost the pilot money—one requires paying an entry fee for a coveted race, and the other covers parts and labor to repair a fellow racer’s stalled machine.