Formula 1 (video game)

Formula 1
Cover art
Developer(s)	Bizarre Creations
Publisher(s)	Psygnosis
Platform(s)	PlayStation, PC
Release date(s)	September 1996 PlayStation PAL September 1, 1996 NA October 23, 1996 JP December 13, 1996 PC PAL 1996 NA June 30, 1997
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single Player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 3+ ESRB: E USK: 0
Media/distribution	CD-ROM

Formula 1 is the first racing game in Sony's Formula One series. Unlike later games in the series, this game's cover has no specific driver on it. In the North America version, the game's cover features Michael Schumacher who drove for the Benetton team during the late 1991 Formula One season, using Pirelli tires.

Published by Psygnosis, Formula 1 is based on the 1995 Formula One season, although it was released in 1996. It is distinct from its sequels because it was made after the end of the season, meaning that it features driver substitutes. The game also allows two-players to compete against each other either head-to-head or with other computer cars via the 'Link-Cable'. Both players may then compete over a 17-race Championship season, or in a single race of the players choice.

Gameplay

Formula 1 follows the 1995 Formula One season, with 17 tracks, 13 teams and 26 drivers. The teams are:

Team	Drivers	Extra Driver(s)
Benetton Formula	1. Michael Schumacher 2. Johnny Herbert
Tyrrell Racing	3. Ukyo Katayama 4. Mika Salo	3. Gabriele Tarquini (in place of Katayama)
WilliamsF1	5. Damon Hill 6. David Coulthard
McLaren	7. Mark Blundell 8. Mika Häkkinen	7. Nigel Mansell (in place of Blundell), 8. Jan Magnussen (in place of Häkkinen)
Footwork Arrows	9. Gianni Morbidelli 10. Taki Inoue	9. Massimiliano Papis (in place of Morbidelli)
Simtek	11. Domenico Schiattarella 12. Jos Verstappen
Jordan Grand Prix	14. Rubens Barrichello 15. Eddie Irvine
Pacific Racing	16. Bertrand Gachot 17. Andrea Montermini	16. Giovanni Lavaggi 16. Jean-Denis Délétraz (both in place of Gachot)
Forti	21. Pedro Diniz 22. Roberto Moreno
Minardi	23. Pierluigi Martini 24. Luca Badoer	23. Pedro Lamy (in place of Martini)
Ligier	25. Martin Brundle 26. Olivier Panis	25. Aguri Suzuki (in place of Brundle)
Scuderia Ferrari	27. Jean Alesi 28. Gerhard Berger
Sauber	29. Jean-Christophe Boullion 30. Heinz-Harald Frentzen	29. Karl Wendlinger (in place of Boullion)

• In the driver selection screen, the helmets between the drivers of Pierluigi Martini and Pedro Diniz were made the other way around.

The circuits are:

Grand Prix	Circuit Name	Location
Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace	São Paulo, Brazil
Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez	Buenos Aires, Argentina
San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari	Imola, Italy
Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya	Barcelona, Spain
Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	Montreal, Canada
French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours	Magny-Cours, France
British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit	Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring	Hockenheim, Germany
Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring	Mogyoród, Hungary
Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	Spa, Belgium
Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale Monza	Monza, Italy
Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril	Estoril, Portugal
European Grand Prix	Nürburgring	Nürburg, Germany
Pacific Grand Prix	TI Circuit	Aida, Japan
Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka Circuit	Suzuka, Japan
Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit	Adelaide, Australia

If a player is to complete a season after winning every race, and leading the Constructor's Championship, a special hidden circuit is unlocked. The track is a lower-level city circuit, which when viewed at the Race Preview page is in the shape of a Formula One car. As there is no way of saving game data, the track is lost when the console was turned off.

Later tracks have 24 competitors on them instead of 26 because Simtek pulled out of the actual championship after the Monaco Grand Prix. It is still possible to drive a Simtek on any course after Monaco, creating a field of 25 drivers. If two players are playing the game via the link cable setup (where players would connect two Playstation consoles together with two copies of the game), it is possible to play as both Simtek cars, thus creating a field of 26 drivers on any course after Monaco.

Commentary

This game saw the introduction of in game commentary, which was done in the English version of the game by Murray Walker, the German version by Jochen Mass, the French version by Philippe Alliot, the Spanish version by Carlos Riera and the Italian version by Andrea de Adamich.

Soundtrack

Along with songs created by Psygnosis' in-house composer Overdrive, the soundtrack also features the songs "Juice" by Steve Vai (from his Alien Love Secrets album), as well as "Summer Song" and "Back to Shalla-Bal" by Joe Satriani (from The Extremist and Flying in a Blue Dream, respectively).

Alcohol and tobacco-related sponsors

In the North American and all European versions besides Great Britain the alcohol sponsors are censored, but in all versions the tobacco sponsors are censored also:

• On the Benetton cars, "Mild Seven" is replaced by "Benetton".
• On the McLaren cars, "Marlboro" is replaced by "McLaren".
• On the Williams cars, "Rothmans" is replaced by "Racing".
• In some versions, "Foster's" is replaced with a stylised barcode.
• In all versions, "Marlboro" is replaced by an image of an F1 car under the Marlboro logo (as in real life).
• In the North American Playstation version of the game, at Monte Carlo coming out of the tunnel one of the "Marlboro" advertisements was left largely uncensored. It is missing an 'o'. It is noticeable if the player is in the view mode directly behind the car and slows down immediately coming out of the tunnel and looks up to the right of the screen. It is a very large banner that is the largest "Marlboro" banner at Monte Carlo. This is the only tobacco advertisement in the game that closely resembles its original form.
• In all versions of the opening, "Kremlyovskaya Vodka" is noticeable on the Jordan in the opening.
• In the English version of the game, the tobacco sponsors are not censored on the Car Select screen for some reason.

Development

The game was reasonably well received, with the PlayStation version earning a 7.6 on GameSpot while the PC version received a 6.0. IGN.com gave the PlayStation version a 8.0.

External links

• Formula 1 on GameSpot
• Formula 1 on IGN.com