Many gamers recognize the name Captain Falcon, but far fewer know where this character is from. Captain Falcon's creator, Takaya Imamura, explains what happened to this character and the franchise from which he hails, F-Zero. According to Imamura, the franchise isn't dead just yet, it is just difficult to bring back in a convincing way. Apparently, Nintendo feels that it needs to bring something new to the table if it is going to bring back this classic, and that's something that it has struggled to do for almost two decades now.
F-Zero is a racing game that features futuristic vehicles and over the top drivers. Captain Falcon was one of the main protagonists, and thanks to his inclusion in Super Smash Bros. has become something of a mascot for the franchise. While many players remember F-Zero fondly and would love to see another game set in this world, there hasn't been a console entry since 2003's F-Zero GX
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Imamura describes F-Zero GX as "the ultimate F-Zero," giving this as the main reason why it's so hard to add more to the game. If this 18 year old game already perfected the formula, then what purpose would there be in making a sequel. That said, a lot has changed in the almost twenty years since that game's release, and fans can see a plethora of reasons to bring the franchise back. At the very least, the accessibility of having a current generation version of the game is worth noting.
Imamura recently retired from Nintendo, but his work on iconic titles like The Legend of Zelda and Star Fox hasn't been forgotten. Despite not being at the company anymore, he reassures fans that F-Zero isn't dead. Whether or not that means it will come back sometime in the near future remains to be seen, but there are several ways Nintendo could accomplish this. Aside from just releasing a sequel, even a remake or remaster would likely be warmly received by fans. This August marks the 40th anniversary of the original F-Zero in North America, so now would be a great time to bring it back.
Regardless of whether F-Zero makes a dramatic return, Captain Falcon lives on in many other Nintendo games. Aside from his consistent representation in Super Smash Bros., he has also made small cameos on billboards in Mario Kart and as a costume in Animal Crossing. Hopefully the real deal will come back soon, though.
F-Zero GX is available now on GameCube.