"Fire up your engines for the Nintendo grand prix!"

I've noticed on Game FAQ's there are a few not so good reviews of F1 Race, so I thought I'd even the score with my opinion.

F1 Race is a good little into the screen racing game for the original gameboy. Okay, it may look a bit out of date now but its still fun. It was always a game that was heavily promoted, you could often get a copy with the gameboy and it remained in the shops right up until the gameboy was phased out. I believe it was one of the most popular gameboy games. I originally bought the game years ago soon after I first got the gameboy. Unfortunately it was stolen when I took it into school one day. Although I was upset I never really got around to replacing it. By the time it was stolen it wasn't really in the shops anymore, as the gameboy color was coming out soon, I have to admit I'd totally forgotten about it. I recently renewed my interest in it earlier this year. I was playing some of my gameboy classics and I remembered playing F1 Race. Still, I knew it was no longer available so I just resigned myself to having to do without it. A week later I walked into Woolworths and there it was, a nice shining new copy of F1 Race for £12.99. Now this is the year 2002, aquiring new gameboy games is almost impossible but there it was, the first time I'd seen a gameboy game selling for new for about three years. I couldn't quite believe my luck but I wasn't going to let a chance like this slip through my fingers, I immediately purchased it. I'm glad I did as well as this game is just as good as I remembered it first time around.

Graphics 8/10

They may not look too impressive if your used to GBA games but for a gameboy game this is pretty impressive. 3D graphics with smooth scrolling and some nice backdrops made this a good looking gameboy game. Although this was into the screen racing rather than true 3D tracks like MarioKart it was still impressive for Nintendo's humble handheld. The cars were well drawn although there was no difference between them The wheels animate when moving which is nice. The backgrounds were particularly nice as each countries race track had a particular theme. The USA had tall skyscrapers whereas Russia had Kremlin shaped buildings. This was repeated throughout each of the countries. Overall the graphics were good.

Sound 7/10

The sound was also good for a gameboy game. There was music during the races as well as on the menu screen. The music in the races could get a bit repetitive but since many GBA racing games don't have music during the driving its actually quite nice to have. The menu music was quite catchy to. The engines sounds are quite pleasant, you can hear the engine revving up and purring when its flat out, the turbo sounds a bit funny but never mind.

Gameplay 8/10

You have three modes of play Grand Prix, Time Trial and multiplayer. The Grand Prix is the main part of the game where you race on nine different tracks based across different countries of the world. This isn't like a formula one season though. You have to win each race to qualify for the next track, which is quite difficult really. You have to drive a pretty much flawless race and just one mistake could cost you the number one spot.There are ten cars in the race and they always seem to tear around the track quite quickly, at least the guy in front always does. Considering you always start at the back of the pack it can be very difficult to catch him let alone win. As I said just one mistake could cost you, this game certainly takes no prisoners.

The timetrial allows you to try and beat your best times across any of the tracks. The game records the top three times to battery backup so its fun to go and try and beat your best time. The time trial is also useful for practice as you can race on your own or with competitors.

Multiplayer allows you to link up to other three other gameboy owners providing they each have a copy of F1 Race. If you don't know anyone who has a copy of the game then you can compete against computer players, infact each multiplayer game always has four players so the computer will make up the shortfall if you have only two or three people to work with. This works well if your playing either on your own or with friends as it works more like a proper formula one season where you collect points on each track and participate in a tournament. You can pick from one, three or five races and which section of courses to play on, this time their are three laps per race.

You do get a choice of cars albeit only two. They are Imaginatively named 'Type A' and 'Type B' Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Type A is slower at normal speed but has a slightly faster turbo and more nitro. Still any choice of cars is nice and which one you pick can have a big effect on how you fare in the race.

The handling can best be described as approximate. It's not perfect and a far cry from Mario Kart. For instance the cars can feel sluggish on the turn, but overall the handling is actually pretty good and the cars (mostly) respond well.

There is quite a nice bonus in the Grand Prix mode, when you win a race you get a congratulations screen with one of the Nintendo characters waving at you. Not only do you get the likes of Mario, Bowser and Peach waving at you but you also get both Zelda and Samus Aran on screen as well. It may not sound that important but it reminds you this is a Nintendo product with all the history they have in gaming, overall its a nice addition.

This game is hard! Believe me. Weather your on Grand Prix or against the computer players in Multiplayer you will have your work cut out for you, it can be a frustrating experience at times, when you just lost your hard fought battle to win on the last corner you can be tempted to give up, but this game always drags you back for one more go and thats very important.

Lastability 9/10

Thanks to the difficulty level and the different game modes on offer, this is a game that will last you a long time.

Overall 8/10

This is definitely a good game. Its fun and it'll last you a long time, it may no longer be cutting edge but considering its age its still very good and could give a few of the GBA racers a run for their money. If you see it around, new or second hand, pick it up its worth adding to your collection, especially considering it works on the anything from the old brick Gameboy right up to a shiny new GBA. I'm really pleased I found this old classic, its brought back a lot of good memories. Considering the lack of any good F1 games for the GBA and the popularity of this game, it makes you wonder if Nintendo should do a sequel. Just a thought....... I'd buy it anyway.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/06/02, Updated 11/06/02