The confusion begins with the naming convention. After F-Zero X (N64) and F-Zero GX (GC), fans logically assumed the next number would be F-Zero DS or F-Zero U. In fact, a real game does exist called F-Zero: Climax (2004) and F-Zero GP Legend (2003), both on the Game Boy Advance.
So, where does "DSX" come from?
In 2006, IGN and GameSpot published speculative "Wishlist" articles suggesting that the Nintendo DS’s dual-screen setup was perfect for an F-Zero sequel. The top screen could show the blistering third-person action, while the bottom screen could display a 3D track map, boost energy, and vehicle damage. Several concept artists posted mockups online using the codename "Project DSX" (Dual Screen X-treme).
The rumor exploded in 2015. A user on 4chan claimed to be a former Q-Games employee (the studio behind Star Fox Command). They alleged that Nintendo had greenlit F-Zero DSX for the 3DS in 2011, but it was scrapped because the 3D slider couldn't handle 60 frames per second without causing motion sickness.
The "proof" was a single blurry screenshot: Captain Falcon’s Blue Falcon driving on a rainbow-infused track that looked suspiciously like Wipeout Pure’s interface. To this day, that image is the "Bigfoot" of racing game lore. f-zero dsx
"THE X FACTOR RETURNS."
F-ZERO DSX reignites the hardcore anti-gravity racer with dual-screen chaos. Manage energy with the stylus while blasting rivals with the new Spin-X Boost. 20 brutal machines, 16 cross-dimensional tracks, and 16-player wireless destruction. Do you have the reflexes to control two realities at once?
Release Date: TBA
Players: 1-16 (Wireless) / 4 (Split-Screen)
Instead of just a button, the bottom screen shows your energy meter as a grid of "cells."
The tragic irony of F-Zero DSX is that it proves the franchise is not "dead"—it is under-managed. For years, Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that they cannot find a "new innovation" for F-Zero that justifies a sequel.
Yet the DSX project highlights three innovations that already exist: The confusion begins with the naming convention
The fan project answers a question Nintendo is afraid to ask: What if F-Zero doesn't need a gimmick? What if it just needs to be faster and more brutal?
The story begins not in Kyoto, but in the ROM hacking scene of the mid-2010s. Following the lukewarm reception of F-Zero GX—which was critically adored but commercially "niche"—Nintendo effectively shelved the IP. For modders, this was a challenge.
Using the base engine of F-Zero: GP Legend (the Game Boy Advance title), a collective of developers known internally as "Project Draco" began a ground-up overhaul. The goal was simple: merge the blistering speed of the arcade-perfect F-Zero AX with the dual-screen strategic depth of the Nintendo DS.
The result, leaked via anonymous .NDS ROM patches in 2018, was internally labeled "dsx.gba" – short for Dual Screen Extreme. "THE X FACTOR RETURNS
While Nintendo has never acknowledged the project (and legally cannot), the emulation community went wild. F-Zero DSX became the gold standard for what a modern 2D entry should feel like.
Let's be perfectly clear: You cannot buy F-Zero DSX. It is abandonware in the strictest sense. Official download links are taken down via DMCA notices every few months, only to respawn on archive.org under new hashes.
If you wish to experience what the fuss is about, you will need:
Most of the community respects the "30-year rule"—since the original hardware is out of print and no official alternative exists, playing DSX is seen as an act of preservation rather than piracy.