Fast RMX Review (NSW) – It’s Not F-Zero But it’s Good Enough

While Nintendo has ignored the F-Zero racing franchise for the past few generations, much to my disappointment, another company has been busy filling that void. Shin’en Multimedia, a name that many Nintendo fans are familiar with, has been crafting its racing series since the Wii, first with Fast Racing League, then with Fast Racing Neo on the Wii U. Now, with the launch of the Nintendo Switch at hand, they have released the third game in the series, Fast RMX.

Game Name: Fast RMX
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Publisher(s): Shin’en Multimedia
Developer(s): Shin’en Multimedia
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Price: $19.99

When Shin’en Multimedia released Fast Racing Neo on the Wii U, I must have played that game more than any other title on the system. For quite some time, I was obsessed with mastering every track and loved having a futuristic racing title on a Nintendo console. Now that Fast RMX is available, I’ve been doing the same thing on Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch.

Thankfully, not much has changed from then to now. It’s still incredibly fast, features a huge assortment of vehicles and tracks, and most importantly, remains a very fun futuristic racer—one that every Nintendo Switch owner should have in their collection. That said, I know many are hoping this game is similar to the F-Zero series. To that, I have to say it isn’t. The Fast Racing series is more akin to the Wipeout series, rather than Nintendo’s long-absent racer.

Fast RMX is easy to pick up but hard to master, and you’ll enjoy every moment of trying. The controls are straightforward: one button for acceleration, the left and right triggers for leaning into turns, another for handling the boost, and one for switching polarities. For those unfamiliar with the Fast Racing series, Shin’en has implemented a polarity system that requires players to switch between two colors. Scattered across the tracks are yellow and blue boost strips that can propel you forward or, in some cases, help you stay on the track. However, if you fail to match your vehicle’s polarity to the color of the strip, running across it will slow you down—or worse, send you plummeting off the track. This adds a challenging layer of strategy, making every race a test of reflexes and precision.

The controls in Fast RMX are tight and responsive—exactly what you’d want from a game that moves this fast. Not once did I encounter any technical hiccups. That said, the default control scheme didn’t quite suit my preferences. I’m more comfortable using the triggers for acceleration and braking. Fortunately, the game offers full control remapping, so it’s easy to adjust things to your liking.

For the best experience, I strongly recommend playing with the Nintendo Pro Controller. It offers a level of comfort and precision that the Joy-Con grip just doesn’t match. If you don’t already own one, though, tracking one down might be tricky right now—but it’s absolutely worth it for this game.

Visually, Fast RMX is a stunner on the Nintendo Switch. Considering Shin’en Multimedia’s work on Fast Racing Neo for the Wii U, which was a personal favorite, it’s no surprise they’ve delivered again. This time around, we get a consistent 60 frames per second, 720p in handheld mode, and full 1080p when docked. It’s a blisteringly fast racer that never compromises performance.

The tracks are back and better than ever, loaded with animated environmental hazards that keep you on your toes. Giant robotic creatures stomp around, massive fans shove your vehicle sideways, and swinging track segments threaten to send you flying. The level of chaos is impressive, though it can border on overwhelming. Miss a cue, and the visual spectacle might just cost you the race, as I found out the hard way.

Despite the Switch’s hardware limitations, Fast RMX manages to wow. A perfect example is the Storm Coast track, where you tear through a thunderstorm with rain hammering the track and lightning lighting up the sky. The particle effects are genuinely impressive, and the atmosphere is intense. It’s one of those sequences that really needs to be seen in motion to appreciate.

To showcase that, I’ve included a video of the track below

While Fast RMX is an impressive technical showcase, it’s not without a few shortcomings. Most notably, the game lacks anti-aliasing. This appears to be the trade-off for maintaining a rock-solid 60 frames per second. During high-speed races, many players likely won’t notice it—but pause the game or hit a slower moment, and the jagged edges on vehicles and track elements become more apparent. It’s a minor blemish on an otherwise sleek presentation, though players with a sharp eye might find it distracting. The effect is less pronounced in docked mode, and thankfully, for those who dislike chromatic aberration, Shin’en includes a toggle to turn it off.

The soundtrack offers over 40 uptempo tracks that pair nicely with the game’s breakneck pace. They do a solid job of reinforcing the futuristic racing vibe, though few of the tracks are particularly memorable once the action stops. It’s likely that the audio was optimized with file size in mind, which could explain the modest scope. Sound effects, meanwhile, are punchy and effective. The one notable audio misstep is the in-game announcer, whose repetitive lines quickly wear thin. Unfortunately, there’s no option to mute them, which could frustrate players after a few sessions.

Fast RMX features three difficulty tiers—Subsonic (novice), Supersonic (advanced), and Hypersonic (expert)—within its Championship mode. Players unlock new leagues by completing all tracks in the current one, and the jump in challenge is no joke. At higher levels, AI opponents are faster and more aggressive, making for intense, skill-driven races. Finishing championships also unlocks new vehicles, each with unique handling and speed characteristics. With 15 vehicles to choose from, there’s a good variety to suit different playstyles.

Unlike Fast Racing NEO, which required players to complete a specific league to unlock Hero Mode, Fast RMX makes it available right from the start. For me, this is where the real challenge begins. Hero Mode demands more skill and precision than Championship mode. You start with a full boost bar, which also functions as a health meter. Using boosts drains it, and taking damage does too. You can refill it by collecting boost orbs on the track—but once that bar runs dry, it’s game over. Falling off the course? That ends your run immediately. It’s a punishing but rewarding mode that encourages you to master every course and race with razor-sharp focus.

Multiplayer is simple but effective. You can race online against random players, go local with up to four players via split-screen, or connect up to eight players through LAN using multiple Nintendo Switch consoles. The split-screen mode holds up well, though I’d only recommend it on larger screens. On smaller displays, it can be hard to see the action clearly. Still, it makes for a great party game experience.

Online play is smooth and easy to jump into. You choose between joining a new game or one in progress, vote for a track, and then wait to see which one wins. During the wait, you can watch the current race unfold, which is a nice touch. Over several hours of online play, I never encountered any lag or major issues.

That said, a couple of features from Fast Racing NEO didn’t make it into the launch version of Fast RMX: time trials and friend-based online lobbies. Time trials were perfect for learning track layouts and chasing personal bests, while friend lobbies allowed for more curated, competitive races. Their absence is noticeable. According to Shin’en Multimedia, these features were left out due to time constraints tied to the Switch’s launch. Fortunately, both are planned to be added in a future update.

Review Disclosure Statement: A copy of Fast RMX was provided to us for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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