Topic: INTERVIEWS: NST Discusses Metroid Prime: Hunters

[KDR_11k]

And I have bad news for you: Metroid Prime IS a FPS. Is the game viewed from first-person? YES. Do you shoot things? YES. Then it's a goddamn first-person shooter. End of story.

Metroid is a Jump and Run. Do you jump? YES. Do you run? YES. Then it's a Jump and Run. End of story.

First person and shooting are necessary but not sufficient conditions for a game to be an FPS.

In Metroid Prime the gameplay is defense-oriented, you don't have to worry much about handling the weapon, you just hammer on the fire button but you have to jump around and dodge to avoid damage. In most (realistic) FPSes the gameplay is attack based, you control the weapon and have to think about how to shoot but defense is nearly nonexistant. In futuristic FPSes you often have to worry about both and I have this nagging feeling that that's too much for the mainstream gamer which is why they gravitate towards "realistic" games. Most people can't handle attacking and defending at the same time and I suppose keeping crosshairs over a target is easier than moving out of the trajectory of a bunch of flak chunks.

Metroid Prime was basically Zelda in first person.

among the list of offenders in the Nintendo universe is Captain Falcon, who supposedly catches all these criminals and yet we've never seen him do anything but race. A guy who never gets out of his car like that should be much fatter, IMHO

Real Formula 1 racers aren't in bad shape either.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Metroid is a Jump and Run. Do you jump? YES. Do you run? YES. Then it's a Jump and Run. End of story.

So Metroid and Myst 5 are in the same genre then, because you run, jump and solve puzzles in Myst 5 as well?

You run and jump in Unreal Tournament, Deus Ex, Geist, Doom 1-3, Timesplitters, etc. etc. and yet people still consider those FPSs. The concept of running away from enemies instead of killing them or exploring instead of fighting is not so insanely new and revolutionary that it comprises a new genre.

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First person and shooting are necessary but not sufficient conditions for a game to be an FPS.

If I were more of a dick, I'd use that as a sig quote. But I know what you're trying to say so I won't take it out of context.

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In Metroid Prime the gameplay is defense-oriented, you don't have to worry much about handling the weapon, you just hammer on the fire button but you have to jump around and dodge to avoid damage.

I don't know if you've played any FPSs lately, but that's basically how they play as well, except that, instead of getting somewhat near the enemy with your crosshair and hitting auto lock, you get somewhat near the enemy and the system auto aims for you, but you're also using a mouse which is a drastically easier device to do this with.

The DS and Revmote remove this obstacle, which is why you'll likely never see a Metroid game with auto lock ever again.

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Real Formula 1 racers aren't in bad shape either.

Sure, but find me a martial artist amongst them.

[Ian Sane]

"Be honest, were you upset about Metroid being made into a FPS on the GC? I know there was a whole assload of people who pitched a fit about that and, with your current attitude, I wouldn't be surprised if you were one of them."

When it first was revealed I was skeptical but willing to give it a chance.  Back then though I had a more confidence in Nintendo's abilities.  They were more careful with their franchise games then.  On the Cube they started talking about their franchises as if they were what defined them and more rehashes and spinoffs started showing up.  There wasn't any Star Fox Adventures or Mario Pinball or Mario in EA games back then.  At that point I still felt that Nintendo only released sequels if there was a reason for the game to exist and they didn't milk their franchises very often (though they were starting to with games like Mario Party 3).  That has changed and Nintendo today doesn't give their franchises that same respect.  So when a new take on a franchise comes out and I'm not as open to it.  Back then I trusted Nintendo to not shoehorn franchises into unrelated games for a quick buck.  Now I don't.  Too many soulless Mario products have come out.

When details about how Metroid Prime played came out I immediately accepted it.  The description of how it worked just fit Metroid so I was very confident in it.  Metroid Prime Hunters doesn't have that.  I play the demo and look at the previews and all I see is a Doom-style first person shooter with some Metroid elements thrown in.  It's the generic FPS we were all afraid Metroid Prime was going to be.  I don't consider Metroid Prime to be an FPS.  If it is then it's one of the most unique ones ever made.  To me lumping it in that genre would be like saying Mega Man and Mario are the same type of game because they have jumping and they're sidescrollers.  Yet in one you jump on enemies and in the other one you shoot them.  That dynamic changes the two games considerably and if you switched the mechanics the games wouldn't feel right.  Imagine playing Mega Man where you jump on enemies like in Mario.  That would hardly be a Mega Man game.  Or a Mario game where you can't jump on any enemies at all?  Ugh.

Regarding the controls for the game I find the touchscreen slippery, if that makes sense.  The lack of resistance makes it difficult for me to control the demo.  The surface of the screen is so smooth that often the stylus slips and I aim too much to one side because I'm expecting it to be harder to "push" the stylus.  The "point at the enemies you want to shoot" method works okay for me though.

[KDR_11k]

So Metroid and Myst 5 are in the same genre then, because you run, jump and solve puzzles in Myst 5 as well?

No. I'm not sure what that kind of argument is called but I wanted to show you the fallacy of your argument by applying it to a different genre.

If I were more of a dick, I'd use that as a sig quote.  But I know what you're trying to say so I won't take it out of context.

I wasn't aware that quote needed context, in math there are sufficient and necessary conditions, if any of the former are false then the statement is false and if any of the latter are true the statement is true (if both can happen at the same time your proof is faulty).

I don't know if you've played any FPSs lately, but that's basically how they play as well, except that, instead of getting somewhat near the enemy with your crosshair and hitting auto lock, you get somewhat near the enemy and the system auto aims for you, but you're also using a mouse which is a drastically easier device to do this with.

I admit I haven't played many FPSes last year (only two) but to my knowledge auto aim is available but disabled by default in FPSes with mouselook.

[Smash_Brother]

In that case, Ian, I think your real judgment will come with the single player in Hunters.

I took to the stylus control like a fish to water, but I can understand how you'd be skeptical of the game if you did not.

My skepticism revolves around two issues: 1. The balance of the hunters in multiplayer and 2. the main game being more than just a "training mode" for the multiplayer.

I hope these won't be a problem, but at the same time, all of the other features sound good enough that I'm happy with the way it sounds.

I also understand what you're saying about being careful with franchises. I think, though, that Nintendo knows how much they have riding on Metroid and wouldn't keep anything but a tight leash on the game (even Metroid pinball was very well done).

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No. I'm not sure what that kind of argument is called but I wanted to show you the fallacy of your argument by applying it to a different genre.

And I'm showing you the fallacy of yours by asking you to draw lines between these two games when the only thing separating them is the shooting aspect. Myst 5 is a first-person adventure because the focus of the game is exploration and story. Metroid is a first-person shooter because the focus of the game is exploration and combat. If you could complete the game without killing opponents, I might be inclined to agree. As it stands, however, shooting your enemies is an integral part of the gameplay. Meanwhile, you shoot them from a first-person perspective. I understand the desire to not call it a FPS because of other games in the genre, but this is a problem throughout. Both LoZ and GTA are considered "action/adventure" games because they both allow free roaming and focus on combat. SSB and Mortal Kombat are both fighting games, despite how different they are. I understand the argument that lumping MP in with some of the crap FPSs out there seems to sully its good name, but understand that this is not the case.

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I wasn't aware that quote needed context, in math there are sufficient and necessary conditions, if any of the former are false then the statement is false and if any of the latter are true the statement is true (if both can happen at the same time your proof is faulty).

We're just going to have to agree to disagree there. If you think "First person and shooting are necessary but not sufficient conditions for a game to be an FPS.", then name me an example of a game which has a first-person perspective, shooting, and yet relies so little on combat that the focus of the game is something else entirely.

MP fails this test. The game includes a ridiculous amount of killing. You cannot progress past most areas unless you have slaughtered your way through them. You also need to kill every boss you fight. Intermittent optional killing and a varied control scheme do not make MP something OTHER than a FPS. Most if not all of Deus Ex included optional killing: you could sneak past enemies to avoid detection without ever firing a shot, and yet the entire game was played from the first-person.

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I admit I haven't played many FPSes last year (only two) but to my knowledge auto aim is available but disabled by default in FPSes with mouselook.

You can still enable it, but again, mouse-looking makes aiming so much easier that aiming is a non-issue most of the time. Also, I think the DS's stylus control is even better than mouse aiming because using a single point to control precision is better than an entire mouse (IMO, anyway).

We'll see when it comes out, but I don't think MP:H is going to betray the franchise in the least.

[Ian Sane]

I think the difference between an FPS and Metroid Prime is the emphasis of action vs adventure.  A typical FPS is largely based around action.  The whole game is mostly about shooting things.  Metroid Prime isn't as much about shooting things as solving puzzles, exploring, and figuring out what to do next.  If all you're good at is shooting then you can do well at most first person shooters but you'll suck at Metroid Prime because the second you reached a dead end you would be screwed.

When I was a kid I didn't play many "thinking games" so for years I had no idea what Metroid was.  In screenshots the games looked no different then your typical sidescrolling action game like Super Star Wars or Castlevania.  But it's not.  You kill enemies, fight bosses, jump from platform to platform and the whole game is viewed from a side angle.  But it's not a sidescrolling action game like Mega Man or Castlevania and you would never consider it as such.  So why is Metroid Prime an FPS because you shoot things and have a first person view?

[Smash_Brother]

Maybe I would consider it as such.

What elements can I look for in Metroid? Side scrolling and action are IN there, so I'd have no choice but to factor them into the equation.

I think I see where we deviate here.

Personally, I don't see a game where more thought is involved (like Metroid) as being so different from a game where it isn't. FPShooting has never been the sole aspect I've searched for in games. I've ALWAYS sought games which challenge the mind as well as the mouse hand, but yeah, if you took a FPS which is nothing BUT a FPS, I'd probably hate it too.

In my mind, adventure, puzzle solving and discovery are staple for a FPS as well. This is why I loved Deus Ex to death and still cite it as an example for nearly everything that gaming excellence can be.

However, I was wrong. You SHOULD be worried. I guess Nintendo wanted to go in a different direction after all...

From Penny-Arcade:
When I say the game isn't very Nintendo, this is what I mean: it is a balls-out paean to skill-based, PC deathmatch. I don't understand what it is doing on the DS. No auto-aim, no lock-on. It is not a party game tarted up with go karts or some sh!t. You do not bury fruit in Metroid: Hunters. It is, for some reason, a portable, online capable shooter on Nintendo's defiant, two screen mutant handheld. The real alteration to the old formula is the addition of "alt modes," like Samus' morph ball. Every character has an alternate form with its own (sometimes) strange function: laser tripmines, a turret, all kinds of weird crap.

If you have played any Mario Kart DS, you know that it can be difficult to settle on a hand position that is not excruciating after awhile. You may find that here as well, at least initially. There are several control options you can use, and settings to tune them further. The one I settled on was called "Dual Mode," one that features no stylus input: the four button quad on your right handles all look functions. It works surprisingly well. It's not what I think of when I picture the DS, and the sometimes unorthodox gamers that are drawn to the system don't seem like a good match for an unapologetic FPS experience. The renaissance gamer for whom the DS is part of a larger collection may well find something to adore.

And from the first review that I've seen:
Welcome, too, is the news that Hunters' single-player aspect hasn't been neglected in favor of the online game. While NST had originally indicated that Hunters' solo mode would effectively boil down to a series of mini-contests and trials, the final product bears far more resemblance to the previous Prime games than to, say, Quake III.

That's not to say Metroid fans won't find some things to gripe about in the campaign mode, though. The Metroid tradition of a vast world connected by labyrinthine passages is abandoned; Samus Aran will travel from world to world in her quest. Samus begins the game equipped with weapons and doesn't lose them during the opening sequence, meaning there's less emphasis on item acquisition -- and on adventure, for that matter -- than in previous Prime games. By NST's admission, Hunters is predominantly an action game ("it weighs heavier on action than on exploration," is the exact quote), down to the fact that each world will feature its own escape sequence. The main mission is largely focused on battling Samus' rival hunters and beating them to a number of alien artifacts which are said to be the key to real ultimate power in the galaxy.

So yeah, I'll be over here, eating my wrongcakes with wrongsyurp, if anyone needs me...

But hey, at least escape sequences are back, right?

[Ian Sane]

"Personally, I don't see a game where more thought is involved (like Metroid) as being so different from a game where it isn't."

I think that's a big difference myself.  Reflexes and problem solving are different skills and thus attract different people.  My brother can't play games like Zelda.  He just doesn't have the patience to figure out what to do.  He loves games like Contra though and will play them for years to improve his skill to the point where he can beat them everytime he plays.  I can't do that.  I don't have the reflexes and don't have the dedication to improve my skills like that.  So our game tastes are like night and day from each other.  Therefore for me there's a big difference between an FPA and an FPS.

[PaLaDiN]

I am so pissed right now you guys.

(&#$ Nintendo. *$%& them right up their lying )*&$#ing )$&#. And I don't mean that generally. I will personally make it my personal (%*#ing mission to (&$# walk over there and #$#( each and every *$&#ing one of those #($#ing )&#$s with a really #)$& #$(#ing #$*#$. I will then take that #($*ing Revmote from their internal (*#$ing development offices and (#*$# them (*#$* (#*$# so hard they'll (*#$#( #$(*$#. And then when I'm quite (&$#ing done *&$#ing, I will hunt all of you #$&(ing #$&#s down for your #$(*ing (*#$# #$(* retarded (#*$ing idea of online multi#$(*#ing player. I (#*$ing told you this would (#$*ing happen and not a ()*#ing one of you (*#$ing listened. I hope you enjoy your (*#$ing quake wannabe you sick depraved (*#$( (#*$($ (*#$(#$s. I hope you find it worth being (*#$(ed (#$*(#$ (#*$#($ *#($# (#*$ for.

@#*$.

[UncleBob]

We should pitch in and buy PaLaDiN a copy of Metroid Prime Hunters and a USB WiFi Connector.

[Ian Sane]

Read PaLaDiN's post in a Cartman voice.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: UncleBob
We should pitch in and buy PaLaDiN a copy of Metroid Prime Hunters and a USB WiFi Connector.

Exactly. I want nothing more than to hear that paragraph over voice chat.

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Therefore for me there's a big difference between an FPA and an FPS.

I guess that's the defining quality which separates our arguments.

For me, the best part of the Prime games was watching as a new enemy emerged or the tense mini-cutscene before a boss fight started, knowing that I was going to have to be thinking on my feet in order to overcome the boss.

In essence, it's the action which I crave, and the MP bosses were some of the best I ever fought (I still look back on the Giant Phazon Pirate with awe), and Metroid Prime itself was one helluva fight too. I tolerate the backtracking because I enjoy the boss battles. Sounds like you push through the boss battles because you enjoy the adventure.

That said, it sounds like this game will be geared more toward my gaming tastes than yours. Sorry.

[vudu]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

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Originally posted by: KDR_11kYou run and jump in Unreal Tournament, Deus Ex, Geist, Doom 1-3, Timesplitters, etc. etc. and yet people still consider those FPSs. The concept of running away from enemies instead of killing them or exploring instead of fighting is not so insanely new and revolutionary that it comprises a new genre.

I just wanted to point out that you don't actually jump in Doom or Doom II.    Have a nice day.

[Kairon]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

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Originally posted by: UncleBob
We should pitch in and buy PaLaDiN a copy of Metroid Prime Hunters and a USB WiFi Connector.

Exactly. I want nothing more than to hear that paragraph over voice chat.

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Therefore for me there's a big difference between an FPA and an FPS.

I guess that's the defining quality which separates our arguments.

For me, the best part of the Prime games was watching as a new enemy emerged or the tense mini-cutscene before a boss fight started, knowing that I was going to have to be thinking on my feet in order to overcome the boss.

In essence, it's the action which I crave, and the MP bosses were some of the best I ever fought (I still look back on the Giant Phazon Pirate with awe), and Metroid Prime itself was one helluva fight too. I tolerate the backtracking because I enjoy the boss battles. Sounds like you push through the boss battles because you enjoy the adventure.

That said, it sounds like this game will be geared more toward my gaming tastes than yours. Sorry.

Smash Brother, aren't you and Ian talking about the same thing?

I mean, Metroid has its own style of action. The power beam isn't meant to be spewed, it's meant to be tactically applied. Charged shots are HUGE in metroid meaning you won't be seeing any FPS style gunfests. Ammo is a commodity, not a luxury.

All this results in very old-school weakness-based fights, which, in Metroid, mean a lot of 3D positioning and questions of "Am I in front of the enemy or behind the enemy?" Metroid action isn't about doing damage, but in being at the right place to do the damage.

Ian is talking about his brother being totally into twitch-based shoot-em-anywhere-but-ESPECIALLY-the-head Counterstrike gameplay with automatic weapons. This sort of action is nowhere in Metroid Prime, and the boss fights you eagerly anticipate are the furthest thing from it. Metroid Boss fights are old-school about finding the exact right procedure to fool the Boss' AI into exposing its weakpoints and not striking yours and executing that process well. It's that strategy, that drive to figure out an enemy and execute esactly what you need to do to conquer that enemies challenge when full automatic fire won't do the trick that makes up Metroid Prime's "action." I think you're both actually on the same page.

That said, "headshots" have been introduced in Metroid Hunters, so we'll see how that turns out. The thing is that until Metroid Hunters, no Metroid game EVER allowed you to freely target specific sections of your enemies body aside from "weakpoints." This is why the Metroid series has always been interpreted as an adventure/action game instead of as a pure action game, it required specific navigation like puzzles in order to fight enemies, not just good aiming.

What was my overall point again? I forget...

~Carmine M. red
Kairon@aol.com

[Bill Aurion]

I'm sure the "headshots" bit is for multiplayer only...

[UncleBob]

You could jump in ZDoom

[Smash_Brother]

You do fight the other hunters as you progress through the single player.

Plus, you won't be able to play as the other hunters in multiplayer unless you beat them in the single player, thus giving people incentive to play through the single player game first.

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I just wanted to point out that you don't actually jump in Doom or Doom II.   Have a nice day.

Oops, I'm thinking of Quake. My bad.

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Smash Brother, aren't you and Ian talking about the same thing?

Well, yes and no. Ian and I both like aspects of MP, but the real argument was about whether or not this gameplay style is compromising the basic Metroid formula.

Due to the overwhelming response from people who have played the game, it seems that, while the game promises to be insanely fun, it IS a departure from the Metroid formula, focusing more on action than adventure (though, the "evacuation" segments are back, eh? EH?).

I was trying to downplay the possibility of that happening but it looks like it might have happened.

Of course, I'll reserve my judgment for after I play the game before I truly say how I think it turned out.

[Hostile Creation]

I like the idea of Metroid having different possibilities, in terms of gameplay.  I mean, it doesn't make sense that she always happens to be on these abandoned planets.  Wouldn't it make sense  for some bounties to flee to a city and hide amongst the crowds?  While I love the old style of Metroid (and dammit Nintendo, I will be severely pissed if you abandon it), I'm definitely interested in seeing what else they can do with the series.

That said, Metroid Prime 3 better resemble the first  two in terms of exploration, and I want traditional 2D Metroid on the DS.
(Also, I don't think I'll be getting this game, but I've known that for a while now)

[Requiem]

As long as it has bosses are akin to the Rock Monster in MP, then I'm cool with it. Bringing in new bounty hounters can only be a good thing. That said, they need to make those fights less strafe and shoot, and more strafe, find the weakness, and shoot.

For instance, one bounty hounter has an impenetrable exterior. The only way to defeat him is to strafe around his super attack and shoot him in the back. Once the chest plate is off, he can start taking damage. However, to finally defeat him you need to shoot the back of his head (which is difficult) and releave him of his helmet.

Stuff like that could make the game feel more Metriod and less Quaky...

Another idea ---

One bounty hounter has a devastating earth quake attack. In order to dodge it, you must grapple to a hook above.


P.S. I always thought it would be cool if in MP3, you could shoot while on the grappling hook. It would better though, if you could grapple other things just to pull them closer. For instance, to defeat an enemy, you must first grapple an element. The element forms a cover over your gun and allows you to shoot it where ever you like. Of course, you figure out that the enemy is weak against this element and you wait for the perfect moment. The beast has a nasty breath and can suck in or spit out air and the like with immense power. So as he is sucking up everything, even you, you must concentrate and work against the wind to fire a charged super shot into his belly. If you get sucked up, that's it. Your life goes to zero and you die. No power bomb will save you.

If you can't shoot him or you don't have the element, you can grapple to a near by hook and hope to God that it doesn't break (which they do over time).

Oooohhhh. It would be even better if you had to grapple yourself to a hook, then aim and fire as you hang on for dear life.

Idea for the Win!

This would be alot harder without the lock-on mechanism. And personally, I would find it more enjoyable.

[KDR_11k]

They can't make these Bounty hunters too powerful, oherwise people will complain about how nerfed they are in multiplayer.

[Requiem]

And?

Metriod is about Single Player first....

Who cares if some of the bounty hunter's abilities won't make it? I am positive some of Samus's abilities won't make it either, so what's the difference.

[Smash_Brother]

Simply put, MP:H is the killer app in the US for the DS, hence why the multiplayer is so good.

Personally, Nintendo making an online capable FPS is the stuff which I previously thought was purely in the realm of fantasy and conjecture. Nintendo QA + online FPS = less posting by me.

Historically, the term "bounty hunter" basically equates "pirate-for-hire". I understand that the general opinion of Samus is that she's a galactic superhero with a chip on her shoulder, but it brings the series a shade closer to reality when concepts like monetary costs of operation come into the picture. Superheroes never seem to have bills. This makes them aloof and harder to relate to.

If Samus is going to be called a "bounty hunter", she should probably hunt a bounty on occasion. I like the idea of other bounty hunters because it expands the universe to include sentient races beyond humans and space pirates. Competition in the market means that people who hire Samus to do a job actually have a comparison to make. "Samus is hired because she's the best!", but compared to what? Now we know, and it's the same principle of comparison which makes heroes look like better heroes when compared to the villains they fight. A hero or heroine is only as strong as the obstacles/enemies they overcome.

I wouldn't see it as a bad thing if the Metroid games evolved to include more of what happens off of these deserted planets. Samus receives contracts, goes to planets to accomplish them, and like any contract, you have no idea what to expect. Some could be rescue missions, some are assassination missions (don't even try to argue that Samus has something against killing things), others could be a "bring 'em back alive" mission where Samus could actually apprehend a bounty, throw them into stasis and return them to the contractor.

The concept of exploration would still be readily available, but the Metroid universe could come to life in a way it never has before.

[UltimatePartyBear]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

I wouldn't see it as a bad thing if the Metroid games evolved to include more of what happens off of these deserted planets. Samus receives contracts, goes to planets to accomplish them, and like any contract, you have no idea what to expect. Some could be rescue missions, some are assassination missions (don't even try to argue that Samus has something against killing things), others could be a "bring 'em back alive" mission where Samus could actually apprehend a bounty, throw them into stasis and return them to the contractor.

The concept of exploration would still be readily available, but the Metroid universe could come to life in a way it never has before.

I'm not opposed to expanding Metroid, but I'd really rather see that concept done with Captain Falcon.  There's already a good foundation for that gameplay in the F-Zero setting (and F-Zero fans would probably be less militant about such a spin-off than Metroid fans).  Yeah, I know a new IP would be preferable in many ways, but Nintendo already has at least three franchises starring bounty hunters/mercenaries in a scifi setting, and of those (Metroid, F-Zero, and Star Fox) F-Zero is the one best suited to expanding in this way.  A lot of people would probably mock the game as Grand Theft Auto: Mute City, but I think it would be interesting to see what Nintendo could do with that style of open-ended play.

Okay, sorry for interrupting.  Go back to talking about MP:Hunters now.  

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: PartyBear
I'm not opposed to expanding Metroid, but I'd really rather see that concept done with Captain Falcon.  There's already a good foundation for that gameplay in the F-Zero setting (and F-Zero fans would probably be less militant about such a spin-off than Metroid fans).  Yeah, I know a new IP would be preferable in many ways, but Nintendo already has at least three franchises starring bounty hunters/mercenaries in a scifi setting, and of those (Metroid, F-Zero, and Star Fox) F-Zero is the one best suited to expanding in this way.  A lot of people would probably mock the game as Grand Theft Auto: Mute City, but I think it would be interesting to see what Nintendo could do with that style of open-ended play.

Okay, sorry for interrupting.  Go back to talking about MP:Hunters now.

No, no, I agree.

I actually was going to mention how little sense the F-Zero universe makes when all these heroes and villains allegedly hate each other, are hunting each other, etc., yet they race against each other all the time. Beastman wants to know where the Bio Rex is? Two cars behind him, or he's drinking in a bar somewhere.

I've oft thought that an MMO F-Zero game would be excellent where you hunt bounties so you can afford car upgrades and race against other players in the same situation.

EDIT: Also, for a video of adventure mode, check the official MPH site.

[Ian Sane]

"I actually was going to mention how little sense the F-Zero universe makes when all these heroes and villains allegedly hate each other, are hunting each other, etc., yet they race against each other all the time. Beastman wants to know where the Bio Rex is? Two cars behind him, or he's drinking in a bar somewhere."

It's no different than stuff like Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon where villians will attack the good guy within the confines the established rules for dueling/battling.  Or wrestling where a guy's all like "From now on it's personal!  I'm going to destroy you... at our official santioned match at the Pay-Per-View next month in front of a sold-out arena crowd.  I could just jump you coming out of your car in the parking lot but I'm going to wait until the match to get you.  And if I decide to attack you prior to the match I'll make sure it takes place during our live weekly show and that a camera man is present."

The F-Zero background stories did make more sense when there was only like four guys to choose from.