F-1 Race

F1レースNES, Game Boy1984

  1. JP1984
  2. NA1991
  3. EU1991
  4. RU—

F-1 Race (F1レース, officially written with a star between the F and the 1) came out only in Japan on the Famicom; it was never released on the NES in the West. A reworked Game Boy version with the same name did reach North America and Europe.

F-1 Race was developed by HAL Laboratory under Satoru Iwata and published by Nintendo for the Famicom in Japan on 2 November 1984. Japanese Wikipedia describes it as the first car racing game on the Famicom. Iwata said it was also the first Famicom game with raster scrolling: the hardware did not support the effect natively, so it was programmed from scratch.

Each course has to be finished in two laps within a time limit, using a two-speed LOW/HI gearbox, and crashing into other cars or roadside objects destroys the car. The game never came out on the NES in North America or Europe.

Nintendo R&D1 later made a reworked Game Boy version, released in Japan on 9 November 1990 and in the West in 1991. The Famicom game led to two Japan-only sequels, Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race and Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally, and Iwata's love of racing games influenced later Nintendo series such as F-Zero and Mario Kart.123

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA F-1 Race Game Boy Feb 3, 1991 Nintendo 1
JP F1レースFamicom; never released on the NES in North America or Europe NES Nov 2, 1984 Nintendo 2
JP F1レースReworked Game Boy version developed by Nintendo R&D1 Game Boy Nov 9, 1990 Nintendo 2
EU F-1 Race Game Boy Oct 10, 1991 Nintendo 1

Also known as: F1レース JP2F★1レース JP2F1 Race JP3

Box art by region

  • F1レース box art, Japan release
    JP F1レース

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • GameplayGame Boy

    The Game Boy version has longer tracks set in different countries and new modes; a speed boost replaces the gear shift, and hitting other cars no longer destroys your car.1

  • GameplayGame Boy

    The Game Boy version supports up to four players with the Four Player Adapter, which Japanese Wikipedia calls a first for the Game Boy.2

  • ContentGame Boy

    Nintendo characters such as Mario, Link, Samus and Donkey Kong appear at the end of tracks in the Game Boy version.1

Reception

Famitsu's cross review gave the Famicom game 24 out of 40, and Family Computer Magazine readers rated it 21.11 out of 30; the magazine called it fast but monotonous. GamesRadar later ranked the Game Boy version 49th among the best Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.2

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2ja.wikipedia.org
  3. 3en.wikipedia.org

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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