F-Zero: Climax on the GBA is basically what happens when you strap a jet engine to a soapbox derby car and send it down a neon-lit rollercoaster. The second you hit the gas, your machine’s already pushing 500km/h, and the screen’s just a blur of checkered patterns and boost pads. Miss one turn? Enjoy your new career as a flaming wreck.

What’s wild is how much depth they crammed into this tiny cartridge. You’ve got 30 machines—some slide like they’re on ice, others grip the track like they’re glued down. Took me three races to realize the Black Bull’s boost meter refills faster if you ride the track edges. Classic F-Zero mind games.

Oh, and the tracks? Imagine someone designed a Hot Wheels set after drinking six energy drinks. Half-pipes that loop upside-down, jumps where landing wrong sends you skidding into traffic, and boost strips placed just where you’d chicken out. First time I played, I boosted straight into a pit. No regrets.

This is the kind of game where you’ll finish last five times, then suddenly shave ten seconds off your lap because your thumbs finally learned the rhythm. If you’ve got a GBA and a need for speed that borders on reckless, this one’s mandatory.