There are two modes of play, the Time-Trial and the Grand Prix. In Time-Trial, you must complete the selected track faster than the best time given. In Grand Prix, you must complete six tracks on one of four difficulties (Novice, Standard, Expert, or Master) with first place on all tracks in order to be called champion. *Note: Number of laps required for completion are for F-Zero AX only.
Mute City - Sonic Oval[edit]
- Difficulty: *
- Length: 6,700 Meters
- Laps: 8
This course is the most simplistic and is the only one not available for Grand Prix mode in F-Zero GX. Sonic Oval is similar to the Silence: High Speed course in F-Zero X. 8 laps are required to finish the course on the AX Machine. This course also makes an appearance in Chapter 1: Captain Falcon Trains.
Aeropolis - Screw Drive[edit]
- Difficulty: **
- Length: 7,900 Meters
- Laps: 3
In the heart of Aeropolis where the supercomputer brain Mother-Q controls the city, another course winds its way with very tight hairpins and various hard-banging experiences. Drift and Sliding techniques are essential on this course. There are only 2 recharge zones, one before the Starting Grid and one about halfway. The course is fairly short, so making liberal use of boost power is suggested.
Outer Space - Meteor Stream[edit]
- Difficulty: ***
- Length: 12,130 Meters
- Laps: 3
Meteor Stream's takes place above the Earth during a meteor shower. This circuit's main obstacle is the Slip Zone tunnel, try to keep your machine pointed straight. Halfway through the course is a split, the left side holds the Recharge Zone while the right side holds several Dash Plates.
Port Town - Cylinder Wave[edit]
- Difficulty: ****
- Length: 15,190 Meters
- Laps: 3
This Port Town course has signature jumps and lots of unexpected twists. The player is advised not to go too fast on the cylinder.
As the name implies, the third race in the AX Cup takes place on the outside of a winding cylinder with a hologram ring as the start and finish "line". On the AX machine, going through the hologram ring is how the player get time extensions.
Lightning - Thunder Road[edit]
- Difficulty: *****
- Length: 24,690 Meters
- Laps: 3
There are lots of pit areas on Thunder Road, and even more linear stretches of track. Arrow signs will warn the player of 90-degree turns, but the second corner after the wavy pit area- the player will need to drift-turn to get around it without slowing down. There are two major jumps and a few blind turns.
Green Plant - Spiral[edit]
- Difficulty: ******
- Length: 27,970 Meters
- Laps: 3
As the final course in the AX Cup is perhaps the longest and most complex in the game. Green Plant: Spiral is a test of everything you have learned and gained in the process of playing the game. It combines all the elements you have been pitted through and combines them into one super course. Here, you will be tested on your skills as an F-Zero Pilot as the player races through pipes and cylinders, bank on wavy roads, and spin through tight turns.