F1 Race

Screenshot of the Famicom version, showing the player preparing to turn a corner.

The game features racing in one of two Formula One cars around a variety of tracks near set in a landmark scenery. In the Family Computer version of the game, the cars come in three colors: red, light orange, and dark blue.[1]

Gameplay in the Family Computer version is similar to that of Namco's Pole Position. The player must finish 2 laps of each course within the time limit in order to progress to the next. Points are scored based on the distance the car travels, with the goal being to gain a high score. Vehicles in the game have a generic two-speed manual transmission governing their speed (with a "LOW" setting and a "HI" setting).[2]. A time extension is granted after completing the first lap of each course. The game has 3 skill levels, with each skill level having a set of 5 tracks, where the tracks in skill level 1 are the simplest, and the tracks in skill level 3 are the most complex. On the fifth track of each skill level, the race will never end, no matter how many laps the player completes, and the time extension granted with each lap completion diminishes, eventually forcing a game over. When the player's car come into contact with other cars racing on the track, or with objects off the side of the road, it will be destroyed and respawn, usually losing several seconds. Additionally, the player must be careful on bends, as if the car is going too fast, it will skid on them, forcing the car towards the outside of the bend and will potentially cause a crash or run off the road.

Several Nintendo characters appear at the end of race circuits for the Game Boy version: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Bowser, Link, Samus, Pit and Donkey Kong. The game resulted in a Grand Prix series sequel, featuring Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race and Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally. Similar to the original, both games were never released outside Japan.

The Game Boy version has a considerably different gameplay compared to the original version, with longer race tracks set in different countries and new driving mechanics, as well as different game modes. The player is able to activate a temporary speed boost by pressing and holding up on the D-pad, this replaces the low-high gear setting from the Famicom version. In addition, the player is able to powerslide by continuing to hold left or right when turning sharp corners. Unlike the Famicom version, colliding with other cars no longer destroys the player's car and hitting an obstacle simply makes the car spin out.

Development of F1 Race was handled by Japanese video game designer Satoru Iwata, alongside a small team at his company HAL Laboratory.[3][4] Production of the game began shortly after the completion of Golf, and was in development alongside several other Famicom titles such as Pinball, Mach Rider and Balloon Fight.[5] In a 1999 interview with Used Games magazine, Iwata recalled the game being a challenge to produce; F1 Race was the first Famicom game to feature raster scrolling, a feature that was not automatically built into the system, leading to him and his team having to program it from scratch.[4] It was developed based on Iwata's personal love for racing games, which would become influential for later projects by Nintendo such as the F-Zero series and Mario Kart series.[5] It was published by Nintendo and released in Japan on November 2, 1984.

A Game Boy version of F1 Race was published in Japan on November 9, 1990, in North America on February 3, 1991, and in Europe on October 10, 1991. The conversion was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1) and designed by Naotaka Onishi, with music by Ryo Yoshiyoshi Ninohe and programming by Kenji Imai. Retitled F-1 Race, it allows for four-person multiplayer via the Game Boy Four Player Adapter.

GamesRadar ranked it the 49th best game available on the Game Boy and/or Game Boy Color. The staff called it a "first-class racing game" and praised its wide appeal to racing fans.[8]

• F1 Race at MobyGames