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To unlock the complete F-Zero GX roster, buy the standard machines in the F-Zero Shop with tickets earned from Grand Prix results, finish Story Mode on Normal for Deathborn, finish it on Hard for Spade and the AX custom parts, then clear the Story Mode chapters on Very Hard to add the remaining AX pilots and machines one chapter at a time. A compatible F-Zero AX arcade cabinet provides an optional alternative route for AX machines, but it requires arcade access and a GameCube memory card.
The four machines available immediately are Blue Falcon, Golden Fox, Wild Goose and Fire Stingray. The unlock conditions below cover the GX roster and the AX machines that can be made usable in GX; they do not cover every custom build or every arcade-only feature.
What is available at the start
Every new game begins with four standard machines. Their pilots are already available, so you can enter races without first earning tickets or clearing Story Mode.
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| Pilot | Starting machine |
|---|---|
| Captain Falcon | Blue Falcon |
| Dr. Stewart | Golden Fox |
| Pico | Wild Goose |
| Samurai Goroh | Fire Stingray |
The other standard GX machines are shop purchases rather than Story Mode rewards. Grand Prix results award tickets, and those tickets are spent on machines and customization parts in the F-Zero Shop. The archived Japanese official F-Zero GX/AX site describes this ticket-and-shop system; it does not present the standard roster as a set of difficulty unlocks.
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Complete unlock route
- Earn Grand Prix tickets. Enter Grand Prix events and finish races to receive the tickets used by the shop.
- Buy the standard machines. Use the tickets in the F-Zero Shop. The four starting machines are not purchases; the remaining standard GX machines listed below are.
- Complete Story Mode on Normal. This unlocks Deathborn, who pilots Dark Schneider.
- Complete Story Mode on Hard. This unlocks Spade and the AX custom parts.
- Complete every Story Mode chapter on Very Hard. The remaining AX pilot/machine pairs unlock as individual chapter rewards. The chapter mapping is shown below.
- Use the arcade transfer only if you have access to F-Zero AX. Finishing a race in one of the ten AX machines can make that machine purchasable in GX when arcade data is saved and transferred with a GameCube memory card. This is an optional route, not a requirement for the home-console Story Mode route.
This order is efficient because the shop roster, the hidden GX reward, the Hard reward and the Very Hard AX rewards are separate systems. Buying a machine does not replace a Story Mode clear, and clearing Story Mode does not automatically purchase every standard machine.
Standard GX machines and pilots
The standard roster contains the following 30 pilot-and-machine pairings. Apart from the four opening machines, obtain these entries through the F-Zero Shop with tickets. The list follows John Ricciardi’s F-Zero GX – Courses/Machines FAQ, updated August 5, 2003.
| Pilot | Machine |
|---|---|
| Mighty Gazelle | Red Gazelle |
| Jody Summer | White Cat |
| Dr. Stewart | Golden Fox |
| Baba | Iron Tiger |
| Samurai Goroh | Fire Stingray |
| Pico | Wild Goose |
| Captain Falcon | Blue Falcon |
| Octoman | Deep Claw |
| Mr. EAD | Great Star |
| James McCloud | Little Wyvern |
| Billy | Mad Wolf |
| Kate Allen | Super Piranha |
| Zoda | Death Anchor |
| Jack Levin | Astro Robin |
| Bio Rex | Big Fang |
| The Skull | Sonic Phantom |
| Antonio Guster | Green Panther |
| Beastman | Hyper Speeder |
| Leon | Space Angler |
| Super Arrow | King Meteor |
| Mrs. Arrow | Queen Meteor |
| Gomar & Shioh | Twin Noritta |
| Silver Neelson | Night Thunder |
| Michael Chain | Wild Boar |
| Blood Falcon | Blood Hawk |
| John Tanaka | Wonder Wasp |
| Draq | Mighty Typhoon |
| Roger Buster | Mighty Hurricane |
| Dr. Clash | Crazy Bear |
| Black Shadow | Black Bull |
How the shop route works
Tickets come from Grand Prix results, so the practical loop is to race Grand Prix events, collect the resulting tickets, and return to the F-Zero Shop to purchase another machine or part. The official site’s description establishes the ticket reward and the shop’s purpose, but the available documentation does not provide a universal ticket price or a fixed purchase order. Treat each displayed price as the in-game value for your version rather than expecting a single cost list to apply everywhere.
Do not wait for a particular Story Mode difficulty clear to make these 30 standard entries appear. Their unlock method is the shop. Difficulty rewards are separate, and the four starting machines remain available while you work toward the rest.
Story Mode difficulty rewards
Normal: Deathborn and Dark Schneider
Finish Story Mode on Normal to unlock Deathborn. His associated machine is Dark Schneider. Deathborn is a hidden addition to the standard roster rather than one of the 30 standard pilot/machine pairings in the table above.
“Complete” matters here: starting chapters or clearing only part of the mode is not the documented condition. Once the Normal run is complete, check the pilot and machine lists for Deathborn and Dark Schneider instead of looking for another shop ticket.
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Hard: Spade and AX custom parts
Finish Story Mode on Hard to unlock Spade. Spade pilots the AX machine Magic Seagull. Hard completion also awards the AX custom parts. Those parts are a separate customization reward; they are not the same thing as unlocking every AX pilot and machine.
If Spade appears but a part is missing, check the customization area separately. Conversely, seeing an AX part does not mean the entire AX roster has been unlocked: the other AX entries are tied to Very Hard chapters or the optional arcade route.
Very Hard: the remaining AX pairs
Earlier Story Mode difficulty clears open Very Hard. On Very Hard, clear the chapters individually: each chapter in the documented mapping supplies one AX pilot and its associated machine. The sequence is chapter-based, not a single reward after finishing the whole mode.
| Story chapter | Very Hard reward pilot | Machine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | Rainbow Phoenix |
| 2 | Princia Ramode | Spark Moon |
| 3 | QQQ | Rolling Turtle |
| 4 | Don Genie | Fat Shark |
| 5 | Terry “Digi-boy” Getter | Pink Spider |
| 6 | Dai Goroh | Silver Rat |
| 7 | Dai San Gen | Cosmic Dolphin |
| 8 | Lily Flyer | Bunny Flash |
| 9 | PJ | Groovy Taxi |
The table accounts for the nine chapter rewards documented on the community-maintained roster page. Spade, who pilots Magic Seagull, is the tenth AX pilot and is obtained through the Hard Story completion described above.
Keep a written checklist as you clear chapters. A chapter reward is easy to confuse with a newly purchased machine, especially when several pilots have unfamiliar names and the game’s regional text differs. Check the pilot roster and machine roster after every clear rather than assuming a chapter was counted because the result screen appeared.
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The AX roster is easiest to track as a separate checklist. In the standard GX route, Spade comes from Hard Story completion and the other nine entries come from the corresponding Very Hard chapters.
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| AX pilot | AX machine | Documented GX route |
|---|---|---|
| Don Genie | Fat Shark | Very Hard, chapter 4 |
| Digi-boy/Terry Getter | Cosmic Dolphin | Listed in the AX roster pairing; compare the name shown in your release |
| Dai-San-Gen | Pink Spider | Listed in the AX roster pairing; compare the name shown in your release |
| Spade | Magic Seagull | Hard Story completion |
| Dai Goroh | Silver Rat | Very Hard, chapter 6 |
| Princia Ramode | Spark Moon | Very Hard, chapter 2 |
| Lily Flyer | Bunny Flash | Very Hard, chapter 8 |
| PJ | Groovy Taxi | Very Hard, chapter 9 |
| QQQ | Rolling Turtle | Very Hard, chapter 3 |
| Phoenix | Rainbow Phoenix | Very Hard, chapter 1 |
There is a naming conflict in the surviving lists for two AX entries. The chapter table identifies chapter 5 as Terry “Digi-boy” Getter with Pink Spider and chapter 7 as Dai San Gen with Cosmic Dolphin. The separate AX roster list identifies Cosmic Dolphin with Digi-boy/Terry Getter and Pink Spider with Dai-San-Gen. Because the sources do not resolve that discrepancy, use the chapter reward and unlock message displayed by your own copy as the final authority. The conflict does not change the two machines you must obtain or the fact that they belong to the ten-entry AX roster.
Home-console route versus arcade route
There are two documented ways to make AX machines usable in GX. They differ in equipment, availability and version risk.
| Consideration | Very Hard Story route | F-Zero AX route |
|---|---|---|
| Required access | F-Zero GX and Story Mode | A compatible F-Zero AX arcade cabinet, GX and a GameCube memory card |
| Where it works | At home on the GameCube version | Only where an AX cabinet and the transfer setup are available |
| What it changes | Unlocks chapter rewards one at a time | Can make a selected AX machine purchasable in GX after a completed arcade race and data transfer |
| Main caveat | Very Hard must be cleared for the relevant chapter | The Japanese FAQ warns that overseas versions may differ |
The Story route is the dependable fallback because it does not require arcade hardware. The arcade route is useful when a cabinet is available, but a memory card alone is not an unlock device and cannot substitute for the cabinet.
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If you can play a compatible F-Zero AX arcade cabinet, the machine FAQ describes another way to bring AX machines into GX:
- Use the arcade machine to select one of the ten AX machines.
- Finish the race.
- Save the arcade data to a GameCube memory card.
- Transfer or load that data with the GX setup described by the cabinet and game version.
- Check the GX shop for the AX machine, which the FAQ says can then become purchasable.
The important condition is that you finish the race after selecting the AX machine. Merely viewing a machine, entering a race without completing it, or carrying an empty card does not satisfy the documented sequence.
This route has two practical requirements that the Story Mode route does not: access to a compatible AX cabinet and a GameCube memory card for the data transfer. The card must be usable by the cabinet and GX setup; it is not a replacement for arcade access.
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The arcade instructions come from a Japanese-version FAQ. Its author specifically cautions that overseas GX and AX releases may behave differently, so the transfer should be treated as version-dependent. If an overseas copy does not recognize the saved arcade data, use the Very Hard Story route instead of assuming the hardware or card is faulty.
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The Story and Grand Prix difficulty ladders are separate. The walkthrough says earlier Story Mode clears open Very Hard. Grand Prix races on Expert unlock Master, and completing all four cups on Master unlocks AX courses; those courses then open the AX Cup.
That Grand Prix progression concerns courses and cup access, not the AX pilot-and-machine rewards from Story Mode. You do not need to clear all four Master cups to obtain the AX pilots if you are following the Story Mode Very Hard route. Likewise, unlocking AX courses or the AX Cup is not proof that the ten AX pilots are available.
You also do not need every custom machine build to claim the roster. “Every ship and pilot” in this guide means the 30 standard GX pairings, hidden Deathborn and Dark Schneider, Spade and Magic Seagull, the remaining nine AX pilot/machine rewards, and the AX machines made available through the documented arcade transfer. It does not mean every possible combination of custom parts or every feature that exists only in an arcade release.
A practical completion checklist
- Confirm the four starters: Blue Falcon, Golden Fox, Wild Goose and Fire Stingray.
- Run Grand Prix events and spend the resulting tickets in the F-Zero Shop until the 30 standard pairings are accounted for.
- Clear Story Mode on Normal and verify Deathborn and Dark Schneider.
- Clear Story Mode on Hard and verify Spade, Magic Seagull and the AX custom parts.
- Open Very Hard after the earlier Story clears and complete chapters 1 through 9.
- After each Very Hard chapter, check the roster and mark the corresponding pilot and machine.
- Resolve the Digi-boy/Terry Getter and Dai-San-Gen naming difference by using your game’s displayed unlock name.
- If using AX, finish a race in each desired AX machine, save the arcade data to a compatible memory card and check the GX shop.
- Keep the AX Cup and Master-cup progression separate from the pilot checklist.
Troubleshooting an apparently missing unlock
A standard machine is not appearing
- Confirm that you are checking the F-Zero Shop rather than the Story Mode reward screen.
- Earn more Grand Prix tickets and revisit the shop; the standard machines are purchases.
- Check that you are looking for the machine name, since the shop may organize entries by machine rather than by pilot.
- Do not infer a fixed price or purchase order from another player’s checklist; the documented material does not establish one universal sequence.
Deathborn is still locked
- Verify that Story Mode was completed on Normal, not merely started or partially cleared.
- Look for Deathborn with Dark Schneider, remembering that this is a hidden addition outside the 30 standard pairings.
Spade or the AX parts are missing
- Complete Story Mode on Hard.
- Check Spade as Magic Seagull and look separately in the customization area for the AX parts.
- Do not search only among the Very Hard chapter rewards; Spade is the Hard reward in the documented route.
A Very Hard chapter did not add the expected AX entry
- Confirm the chapter number and difficulty. The route is one reward per chapter, and the chapter must be cleared on Very Hard.
- Use the displayed pilot and machine names in your copy. The roster references contain naming inconsistencies for the Digi-boy/Terry Getter and Dai-San-Gen entries.
- If your game is an overseas release, do not assume that a Japanese-version roster condition is identical; the older FAQ warns that regional versions can differ.
- Check the roster after returning to the main menus, not only the chapter result screen.
The arcade transfer failed
- Make sure the cabinet is a compatible F-Zero AX machine, not another F-Zero arcade title.
- Confirm that the race was finished after selecting an AX machine.
- Check that arcade data was saved to a GameCube memory card and that the card is usable by the GX setup.
- Remember that the card does not work without the cabinet or the correct transfer process.
- If the transfer still fails, use the home-console Very Hard route, which does not depend on arcade hardware.
Version and source notes
The shop and ticket description comes from an archived Japanese official F-Zero GX/AX site. The standard roster, Deathborn and arcade-transfer details come from John Ricciardi’s F-Zero GX – Courses/Machines FAQ on GameFAQs, updated August 5, 2003. The general difficulty progression and AX Story route are also described in A_I_e_x’s GameFAQs guide and in a community-maintained F-Zero Wiki roster page. The chapter-by-chapter pairings are community-maintained, while the older FAQ notes that its author had not personally confirmed every Very Hard route condition when it was written.
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Those age and regional limits matter because F-Zero GX and F-Zero AX were released in multiple regions. The safest confirmation is the unlock message and roster name shown by your own copy. The conditions above give the documented GX route without treating the Japanese FAQ as a guarantee for every overseas version.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you unlock all characters in F-Zero GX?
Buy the standard machines in the F-Zero Shop with Grand Prix tickets, clear Story Mode on Normal for Deathborn, clear it on Hard for Spade and the AX parts, then clear the nine Story chapters on Very Hard for the remaining AX pilots and machines.
What do I need to unlock the standard GX ships?
The four starters are available immediately. The other 26 standard machines are bought in the F-Zero Shop with tickets awarded for Grand Prix results; they are not tied to Story Mode difficulty.
What difficulty unlocks Deathborn?
Complete Story Mode on Normal. Deathborn is paired with Dark Schneider and is listed separately from the 30 standard pilot-and-machine entries.
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Complete Story Mode on Hard. That clear also awards the AX custom parts, which are a separate customization reward.
How do I unlock the AX pilots?
Use the Very Hard Story route: clear the documented chapter for each reward. Spade is obtained on Hard, while the other nine AX entries are chapter rewards. A compatible F-Zero AX cabinet offers an optional arcade-transfer alternative.
Do I need Master difficulty or the AX Cup for AX pilots?
No. Expert Grand Prix unlocks Master, and all four Master cups unlock AX courses and then the AX Cup. That progression is separate from the Story Mode AX pilot route.
Can a GameCube memory card unlock AX machines by itself?
No. The documented arcade method requires a compatible F-Zero AX cabinet, a completed race in a selected AX machine and saved arcade data transferred with a GameCube memory card.
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Why do some lists swap Digi-boy/Terry Getter and Dai-San-Gen?
The chapter mapping and the separate AX roster list use those two names differently. Follow the unlock message and pilot/machine names displayed by your regional copy, especially because the older FAQ warns that releases can differ.
The Bottom Line
Buy the standard GX machines with Grand Prix tickets, clear Story Mode on Normal for Deathborn, Hard for Spade and the AX parts, and Very Hard chapters for the remaining AX roster. The AX cabinet and memory-card transfer is optional and version-dependent.
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