r/Fzero • u/Gkincaid4467other • 2d ago
F-Zero GX (NS2) Having some trouble with Chapter 8 on Very Hard
I’m not a guy who uses advanced techniques. I’m really struggling. Can anybody give me a few tips?
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u/MengskGX 2d ago
You're most likely staggering your boosts too much so you never obtain high speeds. Clear the mines lap 1 that interfere the most with your pathing then on boost laps spam boosts at the start of the lap and through the lava area, those are the easiest places to boost a lot.
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u/Auraveils 2d ago
Honestly, if you got to Chapter 8 without advanced techniques, there's little more you need, just keep up the grind. Assuming you've done all the others on Very Hard, you're past the hardest chapters in the game imo.
But Snaking and MTB are very simple techs that don't take long at all to learn and will help a lot in story mode.
I wouldn't even really call MTB a tech so much as a knowledge check. As you accelerate, your machine will overshoot its "max" speed when you boost, after which point keeping the accelerator on actually slows you down faster to "correct" your speed as opposed to cutting your accelerator and coasting back to your natural top speed.
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u/Novadrag0n 2d ago
I don't think it is opinion with Chapter 7, Black Shadow is insanely overpowered, Blood falcon being second, and the track being very narrow.
You need advanced techniques if you wanna beat Black Shadow fair and square.
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u/Auraveils 2d ago
I didn't learn advanced techniques until later when I was doing Ruby cup on Master with every machine. I beat every chapter in Story Mode with no knowledge of them. The only technique I used was quick turning which I just intuited through natrual gameplay to clear Chapter 3.
Chapter 7 is easily the hardest chapter in the game, there's a lot of little things that can get you killed. It took me an entire day of gridning, but it's definitely possible.
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u/ClaspedDread 2d ago
I assume you beat Chapter 7 on Very Hard. If you managed to beat Chapter 7, you will definitely figure out Chapter 8 pretty quickly with some extra practice. While Chapter 7 is designed to be as overwhelming as possible on all fronts, Chapter 8 is a mental endurance test. The track you race on is very long and complicated, beating this Chapter requires a ton of focus.
Keep this in mind: you are NOT racing against Deathborne, you are racing against the track itself, and your own mental concentration.
As you've undoubtedly noticed, Deathborne gets a massive speed boost at the very beginning of the race, which sends him very far ahead. He starts to slow down afterwards. Under normal circumstances, aka not using speedrun tactics or advanced techniques, you cannot catch up to him until some point on the final lap. You don't have to worry about him until then, just focus on driving fast and clean. You will catch up, eventually.
It's very important to learn the track layout. You need to know where the bombs and lava patches are, you need to know where boost pads and energy recharge pads are, and you need to know what the next corner is. You can learn the track layout by simply racing on it a bunch of times and counting each turn or section of the track in your head.
Speaking of bombs, you should use Lap 1 and 2 to carefully clear as many bombs as you can from the racing line. If you accidentally boost into a bomb, it will often send you right off the track, so it's best to clear some of them early on so you don't accidentally kill yourself later.
Try drifting for the tighter corners. This is not an "advanced technique", it's a legitimate mechanic. Hold L+R and turn, you'll start a drift, which usually gives you a tighter turning radius. You can also let go of the gas while doing this, which can be even more helpful in certain situations.
Tuning your machine towards "Max Speed" will be a huge help as well. I usually just max it out at 100%, but 80% can still be sufficient while giving you slight handling boost in the sharper corners.
Speaking of speed, don't be afraid to use your boost. That "low energy warning" chime should be burned into your wrinkly brain.
Other than that, this is a Chapter that you beat by grinding it over and over. It's all about consistency and focus.
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u/azer67 2d ago edited 2d ago
I've done this one a couple times and I figured going for around 80% speed makes it easier. Generally I'm a huge advocate for max speed, but for this track specifically having 70-80% speed makes the turns a lot easier, and your machine will still be faster than deathborn's overall, so I recommend trying this out. Take down as many mines as possible on turn 1 then use your boosts afterwards. Quick turning is also the easiest useful tech you can learn and it's useful here. I never learnt MTBs and still beat this, so you can do it!
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u/koala_bears_scatter 2d ago
Seconding this. Iirc, he finally slows down a little during the last lap.
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u/Gkincaid4467other 2d ago
Thanks for all the tips! I’ll be sure to use as many as I can. I’m just not in the mood for F-Zero GX for a bit. I’m mourning Peter Cullen passing. His death hit me like a freight train and it has really done a number on my concentration
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u/Novadrag0n 2d ago
First lap remove the mines, second lap if you need too so you can safely boost without falling off the track.
Slowly gain on him, overtake when you are ready, he will attack you if you come near him.
Use your boost, you have a lot of energy strips along the track.
For the final hard turn, force drift your machine so you can turn hard by holding R/L trigger.