In the months, weeks and last few days leading up to the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, a lot of the discussion has rather unsurprisingly been focused on Nintendo’s own Mario Kart World and its usual brand of chaotic racing. I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of my own excitement for the console, too, stemmed from getting to fire off red shells and grind on rails. Longing to take a break from my plumber-led road trip, I decided to take a look at a few other games from the healthy lineup, with FAST Fusion catching my eye right away. I had enjoyed a number of previous entries and figured that if any studio could truly make the Switch 2’s hardware sing, it would be Shin’en Multimedia.
For years, Nintendo fans have clamoured for a new entry in the F-Zero series, and the team at Shin’en has consistently delivered their own take in what feels like an almost ‘Look if Nintendo won’t deliver, then we certainly will!’ sort of way. Far from merely a copycat, however, FAST Fusion has plenty of unique tricks up its sleeve.
Starting with the racing, FAST Fusion ticks all the expected boxes of a futuristic take on the genre you’d expect, complete with twisty, gravity-defying tracks, hovering vehicles and breakneck speed. Along with a boosting meter, vehicles are also able to switch between red and blue, zooming through pads of the matching colour, providing the player with an added oomph of speed. Get the colouring wrong, however, and it’ll slow you right down. Newly introduced for Fusion is a jump ability, the press of a button launching your vehicle high into the air and offering ample opportunity for cutting corners and taking high risk alternate routes. It’s amazing how the game maintains its sense of speed. Even sky high, your vehicle feels like a missile soaring and crashing back onto the track. In fact, everything about FAST Fusion feels so satisfying to play, from the surge of speed from a boost to the tussling with opposing races as you send them spinning.
A good racer can live and die on its track selection, and while FAST Fusion only contains twelve (a list sure to grow with the free content down the line that its developer has hinted at), each one is an absolute adrenaline rush to play and replay. Take the game’s opening track – Guriin Paaku – a lengthy dash through lush greenery and blue skies capped off with a tense slip through a series of slowly spinning fan blades. Or Tempesta’s miserable stormy weather threatening the racers with daunting tornadoes. Even with its short lineup, FAST Fusion doesn’t waste even a single track, making each one a memorable thrill ride.
Outside the game’s four Championship cups, the usual time trial offers a chance to refine and shave off precious seconds on each track. Super Hero Mode, meanwhile, takes inspiration from F-Zero with your boost bar becoming your health bar, every use a riskier prospect as you slash more and more off your reserves. With tracks reversed and game overs threatened, this will provide a deliciously devilish challenge for those searching for it.
The game does offer multiplayer with up to four players able to compete locally, with the game still maintaining a smooth frame rate. GameShare also allows two players to race over two Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, which is a neat inclusion. However, it is disappointing there isn’t a proper online mode as races with a full pack of human players seems like it would be a fantastic time.
When it comes to the Fusion aspect alluded to in the game’s title, this feature allows players to take two existing vehicles, pay a fee and blend them together, creating a hybrid of sorts with fresh stats and upgrades. It’s a fun addition that ups the vehicle count considerably, and I found it highly enjoyable to experiment and try out new combinations.
As my brain quickly grew accustomed to the hyper speeds of my vehicle, I still found myself making the occasional error when it came to colour switching, the difference between the blue and red sometimes a little tough to decipher, especially mid race with tornadoes and other obstacles to contend with. It wasn’t often, and maybe it’s more on me than the game, but I do wish the colours of the ships would perhaps change just to make it doubly clear. A small niggle though in an otherwise excellent feeling racing experience.
As enjoyable as it is, gradually unlocking new vehicles (and then smooshing them together to create brand new combinations), I wasn’t much of a fan of having to use my earned credits to unlock new championships, essentially forcing me to replay previous ones in order to scrape together enough for entry. Again, it’s a rather small complaint, but one that could have easily been avoided.
The game looks absolutely stunning, a common trademark for the studio and one only strengthened further with its buttery smooth frame rate. While the game does offer an ‘Ultra Quality’ option that does look notably different, this cuts the frame rate in half, making the standard settings my preferred way to play. Still, it’s nice to start seeing options like this in games for the Switch 2 already.
What it lacks in tracks, FAST Fusion more than makes up for in sheer blisteringly speedy fun. Stunning, smooth and dangerously addictive, between this, Mario Kart World and Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been spoiled for racers.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy provided by Shin’en Multimedia
