Play Stunt Race FX Online

Summary

Stunt Race FX (known in Japan as Wild Trax) feels like a cartoon‑ish 3‑D sprint on the Super FX chip, the same hardware that powered Star Fox. You pick from a handful of anthropomorphic rides – a Formula‑One‑styled F‑Type, a sleek Coupe, a hulking 4WD monster‑truck, an unlockable 2WD and even a semi‑trailer in the bonus stage – each sporting eyes for headlights and distinct speed, weight and acceleration curves. The instruction booklets call the cars male, yet the Japanese manual and TV spot give the Coupe a feminine identity, a quirky detail that still makes me smile.

The game throws you into five different modes: three race tracks, an obstacle course, a test‑drive, a time‑attack and a multiplayer showdown. Steering leans on the L/R buttons for sharper turns, a boost button for speed bursts, and collisions visibly dent the vehicles, reinforcing Miyamoto’s push for realistic dynamics – the F‑Type’s rear‑heavy centre of gravity makes it drift dramatically around corners. Early prototypes even featured a three‑wheeled 3WD before the 2WD took its place.

Marketing leaned into the era’s quirks: a North‑American commercial had a police officer scolding the player for “traffic violations,” while a Kellogg’s tie‑in mailed Hot Wheels‑styled F‑Types to Apple Jacks buyers. Critics praised the graphics and control finesse, earning the title scores in the mid‑90s and a spot on several “best SNES” lists, even though some felt the sense of speed never quite matched the chip’s potential.