A great game, but doesn't live up to the SNES version...
Story:
Funnily, there isn't a story to this game. All you do is either practice racing either by yourself or with a computer-controlled vehicle, or you simply race in the Grand Prix in four cups, each having five tracks. This is where the game really lacks flavor.
Gameplay:
It's like any racer-except the theme is futuristic and you race on hover vehicles as to opposed to wheeled racers. Maneuver your vehicle carefully on the race track with all of the GBA's buttons, all the while trying to out beat your rival racers and avoid obstacles such as dirt pits that can slow your vehicle down or mines that can easily destroy your car. The goal of this game is to survive the race ending in at least 3rd place by the end and crossing the finish line in one piece.
You've got four racers to choose from, which I think are all...meh. None of them are very suited for handling the Expert difficulty, and you need to unlock better cars. This brings to my next point.
To unlock at least the first new car, you must finish all Grand Prix cups on the Intermediate level or higher. However, there's an issue-unless you are really, really skilled, casual gamers will not get very far and will often abandon the game in frustration. This is because the Expert and Master difficulties are absolutely brutal and unless you have access to the better cars (which must be unlocked by beating both of them) you will have a really, really tough time here.
Unlike the old F-Zero, this game only has a handful of machines, totaling 10. This made the game really stale as F-Zero for the SNES had a lot more.
Graphics:
It's similar to the SNES F-Zero's graphics. Nothing much can be said there.
Music:
There's quite some catchy tunes, but personally the SNES version had far more memorable songs. Still, my expectations don't fall short here.
Multiplayer:
This is where the game really shines-or falls faster than a stone. If you've got 3 other friends and they've all got F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, a GBA, and an additional 3 link cables, then you're going to have one heck of a fun time. Having access to all racetracks, vehicles and modes instantly gives you endless hours of fun with your buds, as long as none of your batteries die.
However, if all of you are missing a game pack and only have the link cables along with the link cables, then you're stuck with only one racetrack, one type of racer, and probably, one boring race. While it may be somewhat fun, it won't last long.
In Conclusion:
While F-Zero is an easy game for the beginner, it is absolutely difficult to master because of the ridiculous difficulty once you hit the Expert and Master levels on the Grand Prix cups. If you are prepared for a challenge, by all means, give this game a try.