The original F Zero is an all time classic, and was a bold step forward for racing games. It influenced many other games such as Wipeout and Fast Racing League/Fast Racing Neo., and changed how arcade racers would play going forward. But what happens when you take the ideas that helped a futuristic racing game work and apply them to a shoot em up? The answer to that is the game Hyperzone.
Hyperzone was a very interesting mode 7 shooter for the SNES developed by HAL, and from the start it was clear that they were going for the F Zero look, even if it didn’t go as far in terms of gameplay design. The action was fast paced and intense and led to some very interesting boss fights and upgrades as you went on on. When Hyperzone first came out, it genuinely looked good and out there, but today some of its visuals just feel bland and generic in retrospect.. If anything, they look bizarre by today’s standards and have lost their luster. And this is the biggest problem Hyperzone has, it feels a bit too generic.
Hyperzone is a follow the leader type of game in terms of Mode 7 graphics and is more of a tech demo. A tech demo game is not a bad thing mind you, and considering how Pilotwings and F Zero actually had fun and engaging gameplay while also being tech demo games. Hyperzone simply feels far inferior when compared to other SNES games that have aged far vetter and it is due to the fact that there simply is not enough substance to the game. I bought a copy from a retro store after reading about the game, and while I do not regret my purchase, I do feel Hyperzone lacks anything to it to keep players coming back. As a shooter, Hyperzone has good ideas, but the execution in general held it back.
However, while the game itself feels generic now, the premise behind the game is a good one and would actually work very well in HD. Perhaps the technology simply was not there yet at the time for what HAL wanted to do, a super-fast shoot em up with racing elements, sounds like it would be a big hit With the right take behind it, Hyperzone might actually be worth reviving. There are far worse games being redone today, and considering how much potential this has, I think Nintendo and HAL should give Hyperzone another look.
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