F-Zero 99 Adds New Holiday Themed Update, Patch Notes Released

During the holiday season, a number of different video games get in on the festivities by offering limited time modes and options. Nintendo is doing just that with F-Zero 99, which received a new update today. The Frozen Knight League will be temporarily replacing the traditional Knight League, and the big change is that all of the maps will now be covered in snow. There will also be new customization unlockables, and a handful of bug fixes have been implemented. Full patch notes from Nintendo's official website can be found below: 

Ver. 1.1.5 (Released December 19, 2023)

New Additions

• Added Frozen Knight League, a limited-time Knight League where snow falls. All courses that are regularly included in the Knight League (MUTE CITY I, BIG BLUE, SAND OCEAN, DEATH WIND I, and SILENCE) will be blanketed in snow.
  • The Frozen Knight League event will be held for a limited time only. You can see how much time is remaining in the event by pressing the R Button on the main menu.
  • Regular Knight League tracks and Knight League Grand Prix cannot be played when the Frozen Knight League event is being held（except for training and practice modes).
• Added Boost colors to be used for machine customization as well as backdrops, badges and borders to be used for Pilot Card customization. These can be unlocked when certain conditions are met.
  • The customization items added for this update can only be obtained during the time when the Frozen Knight League event is live.
  • You can check specified conditions and progress for each item by pressing the R Button on the main menu.
  • You can perform customization by selecting WORKSHOP on the main menu, and then selecting MACHINES and PILOT CARDS.

Other Fixes

• Fixed an issue that was occurring even after application of the Ver. 1.0.2 update where a specific badge could not be obtained even though conditions had been met. That save data will be fixed and the badge can now be obtained.
• Fixed issues to make for a more pleasant gaming experience.

What is F-Zero 99?

F-Zero 99 released earlier this year, as an exclusive game playable through Nintendo Switch Online. Over the last few years, the service has offered multiple battle royale takes on classic video games, including Super Mario Bros. 35, Tetris 99, and Pac-Man 99. The latest of these is based on the original F-Zero for the SNES, but features battle royale mechanics for 99 players at a time. F-Zero 99 marked the first new game in the series in nearly two decades, and fans had been clamoring for the franchise's return. It remains to be seen whether F-Zero 99 will lead to a wholly new game in the series, but reception to F-Zero 99 has been overwhelmingly positive since launch, and that has to be a good sign! 

Are you excited for this new update in F-Zero 99? Have you been enjoying the game since it released? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!