The inspiration for F-Zero's development came after Nintendo of America had bashed the game Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally which Kazunobu Shimizu, F-Zero's director, had worked on. They told Shimizu that "This isn't a racing game! Racing cars should be cooler!" and said that it wouldn't sell.

Two tracks are not selectable in practice mode, White Land II and Fire Field, even though these appear in GP mode. They can, however, be re-enabled through the use of a cheat device.

By performing a very careful jump, it's possible to land on the White Land I track when racing on White Land II, as the two separate tracks are on the same map.