Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race
Developers	Nintendo EAD HAL Laboratory
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform	Family Computer Disk System
Release date	October 30, 1987[1]
Language	English[A]
Genre	Racing
Format	FDS: Disk Card
Input	Famicom: Famicom Controller
Serial code	FSC-FRGE

Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race is a racing game released for theFamily Computer Disk System on October 30, 1987. It is a racing game starringMario inFormula One cars, as a successor to the 1984 racing gameF1 Race. A tournament was held for this game from October 30 to December 15, 1987. The top 100 players of each of the four difficulty levels received a trophy with their name and rank along with a poster that had the names of all 400 trophy holders. They, along with thousands of runners-up and raffle winners, received aSuper Mario Bros. Game & Watch sealed in a case shaped likeDiskun, the mascot of the Disk System who appeared on all Disk System game covers. They also received mock driver's licenses.^[2] A direct sequel was in development and was designed byShigefumi Hino but went unreleased.^[3] A different sequel was released months later, known asFamicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally; it was very different from this game and also the subject of a tournament.

This game, along with its sequel, was possibly a predecessor to theMario Kart series, most likely due to the fact that it features Mario and possesses similar 2D racing mechanics, which was later carried on toSuper Mario Kart. In this game, Mario is the player's driver, wearing the same color as the vehicle he drives; his likeness is also used for his pit crew, with all but the crew chief also wearing the car's color.

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay of the game

In the game, players can choose to play alone or with other cars. Cars have a certain amount of body quality, tire quality, and fuel. Body decreases whenever the player crashes into a wall or another car, as well as whenever they drive off the road; tire decreases with time and decreases faster while the player is off-road; and fuel decreases with time spent accelerating. Running out of body or fuel is an immediate disqualification, but both have no effect before being fully depleted beyond warning chimes. As tire depletes, however, the car's treads wear out and make turning have gradually less friction, with the traction becoming completely slippery and erratic when the meter is fully empty. Cars with a higher rating in any of those categories take longer to deplete, and higher ratings of tire start out with much better traction as well than lower ones. The player can go to a pitstop to regenerate the body, tire, and fuel; the pitstop can take a moment to complete, but rapidly pressing and repeatedly during it speeds the process up, which can be crucial in not losing one's placement by a large margin.

Steering is done with the Left and Right buttons on. Due to the camera angle, this means careful attention must be paid to the direction the car is going when preparing to steer. When the player starts a race, revs the car in low gear, while brings it up to high gear, as a predecessor to theRocket Start; from here, is used for acceleration. The same process can also be done during the race if the player has slowed down; skipping straight to high gear causes it to sputter slowly. Additionally, certain cars are capable of turbo, which allows them to continue accelerating beyond their typical top speed when and Up on are pressed at the same time. Pressing and at the same time, meanwhile, allows the driver to brake. As with most games, pausing is done by pressing; when on the pause screen, the player can retire by pressing.

The shop

Winning the Grand Prix rewards players with money (measured in millions of dollars), which can be used to buy more expensive cars. There is a total of 24 different cars, each having a different level of power, body, tire, and fuel capacity, though they also cost varying amounts. The player's garage can hold up to three cars at a time, so to buy a fourth, one must first be sold. The player cars come in red, yellow, green, and blue, while opponent cars additionally come in different colors (which, due to palette limitations, are rendered through combinations of the four main colors rapidly flashing between each other to blend them together, with the fastest one flashing between all four).

There is a total of ten circuits spread across four race levels (analogous tocups) with four circuits each—as such, some circuits appear in multiple race levels. The primary difference between the race levels is how fast the opponents can drive and how low the player can rank before being disqualified, both of which become more challenging on higher levels. The majority of the circuits are classified as Dry, meaning traction is good on them, but a small number are instead Wet, where traction is poor. Usually, other cars, walls, and off-road areas are the only obstacles, but occasionallyoil slicks appear on the road as well from retired competitors.

In every level, the player starts in the back of the starting grid. In each further race, their position is instead determined by their standing in the level, so if they are in first place, they start at the front. To continue to the next race in any given level, the player must finish within ninth place in the first two levels or within sixth place in the second two levels. Finishing within the top six always earns a cash reward; knocking apart lesser cars, meanwhile, results in a fine. If the player does not finish within the required placement, that vehicle is retired. If all the player's vehicles are retired, it results in aGame Over.

In Time Trial mode, the player can record and beat times on six unique circuits, as well as use them to practice the game's mechanics. A car is provided for these, and the player can choose whether or not it is turbo-capable, as well as the course and number of laps. The specific car can be chosen by pressing Down on,, and all at once on a controller in port 2 to bring up a list and then using and to choose, though the car's turbo settings must match the menu's. Multiple players can play on this mode via taking turns.

If the player crashes into a wall, rather than coming to a full stop, they bounce off it at an angle depending on their current position; as such, crashing into it head-on results in an instant 180° turn. When going under a bridge, the player is unable to turn, so if they are angled to the side when they enter the tunnel, they likely end up hitting the wall. Hitting other racers causes the player to spin out, though the non-player racers are unaffected unless they are an unnamed competitor that has been hit twice, retiring them and leaving an oil slick. Additionally, non-player characters can touch each other and even occupy the same space without any effect. Oil slicks cause the player to spin out even more times than hitting another racer, though non-player characters can also drive through them without any effect.

Cars[edit]

The shop always carries twelve cars across four tiers; higher tiers are unlocked by completing race levels and replace the respective lower tier in the shop's availability. The player starts with $50 million. A car's color corresponds to the type of tires: Blue ones are 50/Dry, yellow ones are 75/Dry, red ones are 99/Dry, and green ones are varying amounts of Wet. A car's shape corresponds to fuel economy and turbo: Smooth, domed-shaped cars lack turbo but have a fuel efficiency of over 3km/l; bump-backed domed-shaped cars have no turbo but a fuel efficiency between 2km/l and 3km/l; the sole angular car with a large upper wing has no turbo and a fuel efficiency of under 1km/l; and angular cars with a small upper wing are capable of using turbo with varying amounts of fuel efficiency.

Default[edit]

Group 1 - $10M
No. 1		No. 2		No. 3
Power	500PS	Power	500PS	Power	600PS
Turbo	No	Turbo	No	Turbo	Yes
Fuel	3.5km/l	Fuel	3.5km/l	Fuel	3.2km/l
Body	99	Body	75	Body	60
Tire	50/Dry	Tire	75/Dry	Tire	50/Dry

Group 2 - $30M
No. 4		No. 5		No. 6
Power	600PS	Power	600PS	Power	800PS
Turbo	Yes	Turbo	Yes	Turbo	No
Fuel	3.2km/l	Fuel	32.km/l	Fuel	2.8km/l
Body	99	Body	75	Body	60
Tire	50/Dry	Tire	75/Dry	Tire	50/Dry

Group 3 - $100M
No. 7		No. 8		No. 9
Power	600PS	Power	800PS	Power	800PS
Turbo	Yes	Turbo	No	Turbo	Yes
Fuel	3.2km/l	Fuel	2.8km/l	Fuel	2.1km/l
Body	99	Body	60	Body	50
Tire	99/Dry	Tire	50/Wet	Tire	50/Dry

Group 4 - $300M
No. 10		No. 11		No. 12
Power	800PS	Power	800PS	Power	800PS
Turbo	Yes	Turbo	Yes	Turbo	No
Fuel	2.1km/l	Fuel	2.1km/l	Fuel	2.8km/l
Body	75	Body	60	Body	60
Tire	75/Dry	Tire	75/Wet	Tire	99/Dry

Unlockable[edit]

Group 5 - $500M
No. 13		No. 14		No. 15
Power	800PS	Power	1000PS	Power	1000PS
Turbo	Yes	Turbo	No	Turbo	No
Fuel	2.1km/l	Fuel	2.3km/l	Fuel	2.3km/l
Body	99	Body	50	Body	35
Tire	99/Dry	Tire	50/Dry	Tire	99/Dry
Unlock			Replaces
Complete race level 1			Group 1

Group 6 - $1000M
No. 16		No. 17		No. 18
Power	1000PS	Power	1000PS	Power	1200PS
Turbo	No	Turbo	No	Turbo	Yes
Fuel	2.3km/l	Fuel	2.3km/l	Fuel	1.5km/l
Body	75	Body	60	Body	35
Tire	75/Dry	Tire	75/Wet	Tire	75/Dry
Unlock			Replaces
Complete race level 2			Group 2

Group 7 - $2000M
No. 19		No. 20		No. 21
Power	1200PS	Power	1000PS	Power	1200PS
Turbo	Yes	Turbo	No	Turbo	Yes
Fuel	1.5km/l	Fuel	2.3km/l	Fuel	1.5km/l
Body	60	Body	75	Body	50
Tire	75/Dry	Tire	99/Dry	Tire	75/Wet
Unlock			Replaces
Complete race level 3			Group 3

Group 8 - $5000M
No. 22		No. 23		No. 24
Power	1200PS	Power	1200PS	Power	1500PS
Turbo	Yes	Turbo	Yes	Turbo	No
Fuel	1.5km/l	Fuel	1.5km/l	Fuel	1.3km/l
Body	60	Body	75	Body	35
Tire	99/Wet	Tire	99/Dry	Tire	99/Dry
Unlock			Replaces
Complete race level 4			Group 4

Opponents[edit]

There are six scripted opponents who drive consistent vehicles and usually stay in the same placement of the race. Each is from a different country in Europe or the Americas.

1:Michel Rumble
Nationality
	France
Color
	Pink

2:Antonio Zico
Nationality
	Brazil
Color
	Yellow-green

3:George Turbo
Nationality
	England
Color
	Purple

4:Bronco Maccini
Nationality
	Italy
Color
	Red

5:Howard Axel
Nationality
	United States
Color
	Blue

6:Panther Pedalf
Nationality
	West Germany
Color
	Green

Additionally, several racers of lesser importance appear in orange cars, primarily asbackmarkers; they affect the player's own placement, but do not appear on the minimap. Most drive very slowly, and will often be lapped within the second lap. When they are caught up to from a lap ahead, they are colored teal; lapping them again changes them back to orange, and so on. If a lesser car is collided with twice, it retires and leaves anoil slick in its wake.

Race levels[edit]

Grand prix race[edit]

Level 1
Level.1-1	Level.1-2	Level.1-3	Level.1-4
Circuit-1	Circuit-2	Circuit-3	Circuit-4
Dry	Dry	Dry	Dry

Level 2
Level.2-1	Level.2-2	Level.2-3	Level.2-4
Circuit-3	Circuit-4	Circuit-5	Circuit-6
Dry	Dry	Dry	Dry

Level 3
Level.3-1	Level.3-2	Level.3-3	Level.3-4
Circuit-5	Circuit-6	Circuit-7	Circuit-8
Dry	Dry	Dry	Wet

Level 4
Level.4-1	Level.4-2	Level.4-3	Level.4-4
Circuit-7	Circuit-8	Circuit-9	Circuit-10
Dry	Wet	Dry	Wet

Time trial race[edit]

Circuit No-1	Circuit No-2	Circuit No-3	Circuit No-4	Circuit No-5	Circuit No-6

Development[edit]

Due to criticism of this game's designs, the laterF-Zero was given a more "serious" aesthetic.

An unreleased sequel toFamicom Grand Prix: F1 Race was shown to Nintendo of America, who heavily criticized the game, particularly the "cute" design of the vehicles, and stated it would not sell. This reaction made director Kazunobu Shimizu furious and was one of the drivers behind the graphical style ofF-Zero.^[4]

Gallery[edit]

Logos[edit]

• 

  English logo

• 

  Japanese logo

• 

  Alternate logo

• 

  Logo with subtitle

Artwork[edit]

Mario[edit]

• 

  Mario artwork from the cover

• 

  Mario with a checkered flag

• 

  Mario with a victory lei and trophy

• 

  Mario holding his helmet

• 

  Mario holding his helmet and a tire

• 

  Mario with a checkered flag

• 

  Mario with a checkered flag

• 

  Mario artwork in a round icon

Miscellaneous[edit]

Sprites[edit]

Track

• 

  Red car

• 

  Red car

• 

  Yellow car

• 

  Yellow car

• 

  Yellow car

• 

  Green car

• 

  Green car

• 

  Blue car

• 

  Blue car

• 

  Minor opponent car

• 

  Minor opponent car

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

• 

  Oil slick

Map icons

• 

  Mario

• 

  Michel Rumble

• 

  Antonio Zico

• 

  George Turbo

• 

  Bronco Maccini

• 

  Howard Axel

• 

  Panther Pedalf

Pit/finish

• 

  Red car

• 

  Yellow car

• 

  Green car

• 

  Blue car

• 

  Red crew

• 

  Yellow crew

• 

  Green crew

• 

  Blue crew

• 

  Red crew

• 

  Yellow crew

• 

  Green crew

• 

  Blue crew

• 

  Referee

• 

  Audience

Menu

• 

  Car

• 

  Car

• 

  Car

• 

  Red selector

• 

  Yellow selector

• 

  Green selector

• 

  Blue selector

• 

  Red team

• 

  Yellow team

• 

  Green team

• 

  Blue team

• 

  Red team

• 

  Yellow team

• 

  Green team

• 

  Blue team

• 

  Red team

• 

  Yellow team

• 

  Green team

• 

  Blue team

• 

  Red team

• 

  Yellow team

• 

  Green team

• 

  Blue team

Screenshots[edit]

• 

  Title screen

• 

  Another iteration of the shop

• 

  The garage

• 

  A starting line

• 

  A car accelerating

• 

  A car cornering

• 

  A car braking

• 

  An oil slick

• 

  A car preparing for a pitstop

• 

  Winning a race level in 1st

Maps[edit]

• 

  Circuit No-3

• 

  Circuit No-6

Miscellaneous[edit]

• 

  Disk

• 

  Manual scan showing all six rivals

Names in other languages[edit]

Footnotes and references[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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• Official site

• Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race
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• Family Computer Disk System games
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