Now this bit of news may be devastating to some, so consider yourself warned! A new F-Zero was almost launched alongside the Wii U. Did you hear that? It’s the sound of my heart breaking into a million pieces. According to a report from Nintendo Life, the Big N was in talks with Criterion (the folks behind Burnout Paradise) to launch a new installment for the absent racer. The plan was for the developers to pitch a new game to be shown off alongside their console reveal at E3 back in 2011.

Ultimately, the goal was to have a slice ready to be shown off at the event. Obviously, though, that didn’t happen. Alex Ward has confirmed this report, stating that nothing came to fruition because of prior commitments. At the time, the team was working on a Need for Speed multi-platform title.

I’d love to see what Criterion’s take on F-Zero would look like. They seriously know what they’re doing when it comes to high speed racers, so I think their work speaks for itself.  I’d expect some slick racing with lots of action. Surely it would be better than what we’ve had in more recent years, and by that I mean nothing. Unfortunately, the closest thing we have to an F-Zero rebirth as of now and for the foreseeable future comes in the form of some Mario Kart 8 fodder.

It’s interesting that Nintendo had to task a third-party developer with bringing the series back. Could they really not have any idea what to do with the franchise? Having to recruit an outsider proves the dire state of the classic. I still think there is hope that one day it will make a miraculous come to fruition, though probably not until the NX is revealed. For all we know, Criterion could be working on a next-gen version of the game right now.

Who would you like to see take a whack at revitalizing F-Zero? Race your way down to the comments section below to let us know what you think of this incredibly saddening news.

HT: Nintendo Life 

[HT: Image courtesy of deviantArt // artist AzureBladeXIII]