Fast RMX Review (NSW) – It’s Not F-Zero But it’s Good Enough

While Nintendo has ignored the F-Zero racing franchise for the past few generations, another company has been busy filling that void. Shin’en Multimedia, a name that many Nintendo fans are familiar with, has been crafting its racing series since the Wii—first with Fast Racing League, then with Fast Racing Neo on the Wii U. Now, with the launch of the Nintendo Switch at hand, they’ve released the third game in the series, Fast RMX.

Does it measure up to their previous entry?

Game Name: Fast RMX
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Publisher(s): Shin’en Multimedia
Developer(s): Shin’en Multimedia
Release Date: March 3rd, 2017
Price: $19.99

It’s not F-Zero, but I’ll take it

When Shin’en Multimedia released Fast Racing Neo on the Wii U, I must have played that game more than any other title on the system. For quite some time, I was obsessed with mastering every track and loved having a futuristic racing title on a Nintendo console. Now that Fast RMX is available, I’ve been doing the same thing on Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch.

Thankfully, not much has changed from then to now. It’s still incredibly fast, features a huge assortment of vehicles and tracks, and most importantly, remains a very fun futuristic racer—one that every Nintendo Switch owner should have in their collection. That said, I know many are hoping this game is similar to the F-Zero series. To that, I have to say it isn’t. The Fast Racing series is more akin to the Wipeout series, rather than Nintendo’s long-absent racer.

Fast RMX is easy to pick up but hard to master, and you’ll enjoy every moment of trying. The controls are straightforward: one button for acceleration, the left and right triggers for leaning into turns, another for handling the boost, and one for switching polarities. For those unfamiliar with the Fast Racing series, Shin’en has implemented a polarity system that requires players to switch between two colors. Scattered across the tracks are yellow and blue boost strips that can propel you forward or, in some cases, help you stay on the track. However, if you fail to match your vehicle’s polarity to the color of the strip, running across it will slow you down—or worse, send you plummeting off the track. This adds a challenging layer of strategy, making every race a test of reflexes and precision.

The controls are responsive and tight, which is essential for a game this fast. Not once did I encounter any issues with them—they work exceptionally well. That said, the default control configuration didn’t quite suit my preferences. I prefer using the triggers for acceleration and braking. Thankfully, the game allows you to remap the controls to your liking. For the best gaming experience, I highly recommend using the Nintendo Pro Controller to play Fast RMX. If you don’t already own one, though, finding one might be challenging at the moment. In my experience, it’s the best way to enjoy the game. Using the Joy-Con with the cradle just didn’t feel as comfortable or precise.

Watching Fast RMX in motion is simply stunning, especially considering it’s running on the Nintendo Switch. That’s not to downplay the system, but I’m genuinely impressed by what Shin’en Multimedia has achieved with this title. Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised, given the excellence of Fast Racing Neo on the Wii U, one of my favorite games on that system. This time, we get a full 720p resolution in handheld mode and 1080p in docked mode, all at a consistent 60 frames per second. The game fully delivers a hyper-fast racing experience without compromising performance, which is truly remarkable.

The animated tracks, complete with environmental obstacles, make a welcome return in Fast RMX. The tracks are packed with activity, both in the background and on the racing surface. You’ll encounter giant robotic creatures, massive fans that push your car off course, swinging sections of track that can send you plummeting, and many other hazards. The sheer amount of action happening while you’re racing can be overwhelming at times. If you’re not focused, these elements can become distracting—I learned this the hard way!

While the Switch isn’t the most powerful system on the market, it’s amazing what Shin’en Multimedia has accomplished here. A standout example is the Storm Coast track, where you race through a course engulfed in a full-blown thunderstorm. Rain pours onto the course, with lightning making its presence known; the particle effects are nothing short of impressive. It’s a visually spectacular experience you have to see in action to fully appreciate.

To showcase this, I’ve included a video of the track below.

Fast RMX isn’t without its flaws, as it suffers from a lack of anti-aliasing. Unfortunately, this seems to be the trade-off for maintaining a solid 60fps experience. While many players may not notice or may overlook this while racing at high speeds, the issue becomes immediately apparent when the game is paused or during slower moments. Jaggies are noticeable on the tracks and vehicles. Although this doesn’t detract significantly from the overall presentation, those with a keen eye might find it bothersome at times. It’s worth noting that the jaggies are less prominent when playing in docked mode. Additionally, for players who aren’t fans of chromatic aberration, Shin’en has thoughtfully included the option to toggle it on or off.

In terms of music, the game offers over 40 uptempo tracks. They complement the atmosphere well, enhancing the sense of speed and excitement, but they’re not particularly memorable outside of the game. It seems likely that Shin’en Multimedia prioritized keeping the game’s file size low, possibly limiting the scope of the soundtrack. The sound effects, on the other hand, are solid and do what’s required. One downside is the overly repetitive and annoying announcer, who quickly overstays his welcome. Unfortunately, there’s no option to turn him off, which could frustrate some players.

Fast RMX features multiple difficulty levels, referred to as leagues, in Championship mode. These include Subsonic (novice), Supersonic (advanced), and Hypersonic (expert). Players must unlock all tracks in a given league before progressing to the next. At higher difficulties, the AI becomes more aggressive, and races take place at blistering speeds, offering a significant challenge. Completing races in Championship mode unlocks new vehicles, each with unique stats. There are 15 vehicles in total, giving players a variety of options to suit their racing style.

Unlike Fast Racing NEO, which required you to beat a certain league to get access to the Hero Mode, it is present at the start of Fast RMX. For me, this is where the real challenge begins. Hero Mode requires you to be better than you were in the Championship mode. You’ll start with a full boost bar, which acts like a health bar. Boosting will lower the bar amount, as will getting hit. You can still fill it up by collecting the boost orbs found on the track, however, once the boost bar is empty, you’re game is over. Additionally, falling off a course will also spell the end for you. An added challenge that will have gamers attempting to master every course without meeting their fate early.

The multiplayer portion of the game is simplistic and implemented well. You’re able to go online against random racers, local split-screen via 4 players or 8 players if you have another Nintendo Switch setup via a LAN. The local split-screen never skips a beat, though I only recommend this for those with larger TV screens. Anything on the smaller size of the spectrum will have a hard time seeing what’s going on. Still, it makes for a fun party game.

The online portion is seamless. You just jump into either a new game or an ongoing game, vote for the track you want, and then wait to see which track wins. Lag was never an issue, and after several hours of playing online, I didn’t experience any issues. Another nice touch is while you’re waiting to join a session, you’re able to watch the current race in progress.

Sadly, at the time of the review, two features that were present in Fast Racing NEO were absent; time trials and the friend online modes. Time trials afforded you the chance to get familiar with the tracks, while you attempted to beat the record set for that track, while the online friend mode lets you race against your friends. As it stands right now, the online player mode only lets you race against random opponents. Both were omitted due to time constraints, as the game was a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. Thankfully, Shin’en Multimedia has stated that those two features will be patched into the game shortly.

Review Disclosure Statement: A copy of Fast RMX was provided to us for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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