Michael Andretti's World GP
Encyclopedia
Michael Andretti's World GP (known in Japan as Nakajima Satoru: F-1 Hero) is a video game developed by Varie
released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
in 1990
. It starred American IndyCar
driver Michael Andretti
, and featured the full sixteen-race schedule of the FIA
Formula One
World Championship circuit.
World GP was unique in that it deviated from most console racing games of its time. Instead of being an arcade-style driving game (such as Rad Racer
or Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing
), World GP more closely resembled a simulation-style racing game. It was the first NES racing game to feature an entire field of real-life drivers (although all but Andretti had pseudonym
s), and rather accurately depicted the sixteen circuits on the Formula One schedule. Four different cars were offered in the game, however, there were no car set-ups in the game, a feature most frequently associated with racing simulations.
Button assignments were traditional and simple.
When multiple cars were on the track, the game featured no direct interaction between vehicles. All of the competitors' machines behaved in a ghost-like manner, and could be driven through and occupy the same space as others. Cars were unable to spin others out, and could not directly impede their progress.
Nearly every screen in the entire game featured a short-looped, repeating soundtrack. Unlike most racing games, however, there was no music played while actually driving.
. The tracks were as follows:
Each circuit featured a pit area represented by a pylon. On most circuits, the pits were located just prior to the start/finish line. In France, England, Spain, and Australia, the pits were located just after the start/finish line.
At the time the game was released, the United States Grand Prix was no longer held at Detroit, but at Phoenix
instead. The only track depicted in the game that Michael Andretti ever won at was Detroit
. He won there in 1990 in a CART
event. Of the remaining circuits, his best finish was third at Italy
.
The Chevy was the dominant machine in the game, despite not being a Formula One car. In reality, it was used in the CART
series. Andretti, in fact, drove one in the CART series from 1989-1991, and the cover art on the game box accurately displays Andretti's 1989 Lola Chevrolet.
have completed their time trial run. The top four comprise the tentative starting grid. The slowest computer driver (5th fastest) does not qualify. The object of qualifying is for the player to qualify amongst the top four, and "bump" his way into the starting grid.
Qualifying consists of five timed laps, alone on the track. From a standing start, the player has five laps to record the best single lap time possible. Tire wear influences the speeds, and pitting for tires is allowed on any lap, however, elapsed seconds in the pit area are included in the respective lap time. The fastest single lap is recorded and if it is among the four fastest qualifiers, the player qualifies for the race. If the player does not qualify, he must sit out the race, and instead watch it through the perspective of the featured driver. Hitting the "select" button during qualifying aborts the session. If the player had already registered a lap fast enough to qualify for the race, it is unnecessary to run all five laps.
Upon selecting the course, Michael Andretti would come on the screen and give background and advice about driving the circuit. Practice sessions were five laps each, with elapsed times recorded and reported for each of the five laps upon conclusion. Hitting the "select" button aborted the session.
The top half of the screen was the driving apparatus of player 1, and the bottom half of the screen was the driving apparatus for player 2. Instead of a map of the circuit, a graph in the middle of the screen depicted the lap length and the relative distance between the two opponents.
Varie
is a Japanese corporation that made games for the Game Boy, Famicom, the Super Famicom, and the Sega Mega Drive during the 1980s and the 1990s. Varie specializes in racing games and action games...
released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
. It starred American IndyCar
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
driver Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
, and featured the full sixteen-race schedule of the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Championship circuit.
World GP was unique in that it deviated from most console racing games of its time. Instead of being an arcade-style driving game (such as Rad Racer
Rad Racer
Rad Racer, known in Japan as , is a racing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It was programmed by Nasir Gebelli, designed and supervised by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and featured music by Nobuo Uematsu, all of whom later contributed to Final Fantasy in...
or Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing
Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing
Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing is a racing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System console and was developed by Data East in 1988 and released in 1990. This game features a season mode and two time trial modes. In season mode the player uses either Al Unser Jr. or make their own driver. Though it...
), World GP more closely resembled a simulation-style racing game. It was the first NES racing game to feature an entire field of real-life drivers (although all but Andretti had pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s), and rather accurately depicted the sixteen circuits on the Formula One schedule. Four different cars were offered in the game, however, there were no car set-ups in the game, a feature most frequently associated with racing simulations.
Gameplay
Compared to most console racing games of its time, World GP was much more difficult. The circuits were accurately depicted as having both sharp and wide turns, thus requiring players to slow down to certain speeds for corners, instead of most arcade-style games, which allowed players to unrealistically take turns flat-out. Gear shifting was also required for three of the cars (and notably for 8 of the 9 levels of the game), and some courses required dozens of gear changes per lap. Tire wear increased as the races went on, and players would be required to pit for tires at least once during each race to remain competitive.Button assignments were traditional and simple.
- "Left" and "Right" were used for steering. These two buttons were tapped singly rather than held down during turns. In cornering, the cars made predetermined angles of curvature depending upon the number of taps.
- "Up" and "Down" were used for upshifting and downshifting, respectively.
- "A" button and "B" button were used for the accelerator and brake, respectively
- Quickly tapping the "A" button during pit stops increased the speed of the pit crew
- Simultaneously holding down "A" button and "B" button held the car's speed, aiding the player in cornering
-
- A trick for getting through some of the higher-speed tight turns is to continue to drive straight, flat out into the turn, and lock the brakes as you enter the grass. This causes the car to slide through the grass, and follow the line of the track. Once the car re-enters the track after the turn, you get back on the gas, and keep on racing. It adds an excitingly fun an explorative skill element to the race, as you must time your braking so as to only skid while on the grass, otherwise you decelerate very quickly by braking on the road. It is also challenging to see where this technique aids/hampers your time.
When multiple cars were on the track, the game featured no direct interaction between vehicles. All of the competitors' machines behaved in a ghost-like manner, and could be driven through and occupy the same space as others. Cars were unable to spin others out, and could not directly impede their progress.
Nearly every screen in the entire game featured a short-looped, repeating soundtrack. Unlike most racing games, however, there was no music played while actually driving.
Circuits
World GP featured a 16-race Formula One schedule resembling that of 19881988 Formula One season
The 1988 Formula One season was the 39th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1988 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on April 3, 1988 and ended on November 13 after sixteen races...
. The tracks were as follows:
| Round | Race | Location | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brazilian Grand PrixBrazilian Grand Prix The Brazilian Grand Prix is a Formula One championship race which occurs at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos, a district in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.- History :... |
Jacarepagua Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet The Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet , also known as Jacarepaguá, after the neighbourhood in which it was located, is a race course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which hosted the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix 10 times.-History:The circuit was built in 1978 on reclaimed marshland, thus the... |
|
| 2 |  San Marino Grand PrixSan Marino Grand Prix The San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006... |
Imola Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.... |
|
| 3 |  Monaco Grand PrixMonaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world, alongside the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans... |
Monaco Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in... |
10 |
| 4 |  Mexican Grand PrixMexican Grand Prix The Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One auto race held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. It first appeared as a non-championship event in 1962 before being held as a championship event from 1963-1970 and 1986-1992.... |
Mexico City Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named for the famous racing drivers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodríguez died in practice for the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix... |
|
| 5 |  Canadian Grand PrixCanadian Grand Prix The Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967... |
Montreal Circuit Gilles Villeneuve The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.... |
|
| 6 |  Detroit Grand PrixDetroit Grand Prix The title of Detroit Grand Prix was applied to the Formula One races held at the Detroit street circuit in Detroit, Michigan, United States of America from 1982 through 1988.... |
Detroit Detroit street circuit The streets of Detroit, Michigan hosted Formula One racing, and later CART racing, between the 1982 and 1991 seasons. The course was set up near the Renaissance Center and the Cobo Arena, also including a small part of the M-1 highway, also known as Woodward Avenue.Created largely in an effort to... |
|
| 7 |  French Grand PrixFrench Grand Prix The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships.... |
Paul Ricard | 9 |
| 8 | British Grand Prix British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire... |
Silverstone Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side... |
|
| 9 |  West German Grand PrixGerman Grand Prix The German Grand Prix is an annual automobile race.Because Germany was banned from taking part in international events after World War II, the German GP only became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1951... |
Hockenheim Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix... |
5 |
| 10 |  Hungarian Grand PrixHungarian Grand Prix The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held on June 21, 1936 over a track laid out in Népliget, a park in Budapest. The Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union, and Ferrari teams all sent three cars and the event drew a very large crowd... |
Hungaroring Hungaroring The Hungaroring is a racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his... |
|
| 11 |  Belgian Grand PrixBelgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix is an automobile race, part of the Formula One World Championship.... |
Spa-Francorchamps Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its... |
5 |
| 12 |  Italian Grand PrixItalian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia... |
Monza Autodromo Nazionale Monza The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception.... |
|
| 13 |  Portuguese Grand PrixPortuguese Grand Prix The Portuguese Grand Prix was a motorsports event held for several years, mostly in the 1950s and then in the 1980s and 90s. It was a Formula One race between and and between and .... |
Estoril Autódromo do Estoril The Autódromo do Estoril is a race course in Portugal, owned by state-run holding management company Parpública. Its length is . It was the home of the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996.... |
|
| 14 |  Spanish Grand PrixSpanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One race currently held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the annual Formula One championship season.-History:... |
Jerez Circuito Permanente de Jerez Circuito de Jerez , formerly known as Circuito Permanente de Jerez, is a 4,428 m racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, deep within the sherry-producing south of Spain... |
|
| 15 |  Japanese Grand PrixJapanese Grand Prix The is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of the last, if not the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 27 World Championship Japanese... |
Suzuka Suzuka Circuit , Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:... |
|
| 16 |  Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has... |
Adelaide Adelaide Street Circuit The Adelaide Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the central business district of the city of Adelaide in South Australia.... |
Each circuit featured a pit area represented by a pylon. On most circuits, the pits were located just prior to the start/finish line. In France, England, Spain, and Australia, the pits were located just after the start/finish line.
At the time the game was released, the United States Grand Prix was no longer held at Detroit, but at Phoenix
Phoenix street circuit
The Formula One United States Grand Prix was held on the Phoenix street circuit in Phoenix, Arizona between 1989 and 1991. It was held in downtown by the Phoenix Civic Plaza and the America West Arena, prior to the introduction of the state's baseball stadium, Bank One Ballpark...
instead. The only track depicted in the game that Michael Andretti ever won at was Detroit
Detroit Indy Grand Prix
The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by shopautoweek.com is a weekend of professional auto racing held at the Renaissance Center and later the Belle Isle in Detroit, United States. It has been held from 1989-01, 2007–08, and is scheduled for 2012 and beyond...
. He won there in 1990 in a CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
event. Of the remaining circuits, his best finish was third at Italy
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
.
Machines
Four different machines were featured in the game. Each had a unique pitch, and slightly varying top speeds.- ChevyChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Lola V-8 TurboTurbochargerA turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
(4-speed manual) - HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
V-10 (4-speed automatic) - FerrariScuderia FerrariScuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
V-12 (4-speed manual) - MugenMugen MotorsportsMugen Motorsports is a Japanese company formed in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and Masao Kimura. Mugen, meaning "Without Limit", or "Unlimited", is an engine tuner and parts manufacturer closely associated with the Honda Motor Company...
V-8 (4-speed manual)
The Chevy was the dominant machine in the game, despite not being a Formula One car. In reality, it was used in the CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
series. Andretti, in fact, drove one in the CART series from 1989-1991, and the cover art on the game box accurately displays Andretti's 1989 Lola Chevrolet.
Drivers
- Michael AndrettiMichael AndrettiMichael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
- In the game, Andretti is the top driver on the circuit. He appears only in level 9. He is a fast qualifier, a tough racer, and wins nearly every race and nearly every pole position if not done so by the player. Ironically, at the time the game was released, Andretti was not even a Formula One driver. He was racing in the CARTChamp CarChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
series, and never as much as tested an F1 car until 1992. He did compete in the 1993 Formula One season1993 Formula One seasonThe 1993 Formula One season was the 44th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1993 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 14, 1993 and ended on November 7 after sixteen races...
, but after dismal results, left after only thirteen races. In his racing career, he raced at only nine of the tracks depicted in the game. - Alain Brost (Alain ProstAlain ProstAlain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
)- Strong driver throughout the game, he has been known to win races in Level 9, beating even Andretti. - Ayrton Zenna (Ayrton SennaAyrton SennaAyrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
)- Very close in talent to Brost, beating him on occasion. Zenna is the first opponent the player encounters who drives a Chevy Lola. - Gelhart Gerger (Gerhard BergerGerhard BergerGerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
)- This driver is a step up from the rest, and the player gets to challenge him with a new car, the Honda V-10 automatic. In level 9, however, he seldom qualifies for any of the races. - Nelson Pequet (Nelson PiquetNelson PiquetNelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
)- This driver is not as fast a qualifier as Manselo, but is better at winning. - Nigel Manselo (Nigel MansellNigel MansellNigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
)- A fierce, overachieving driver in the game, he is usually the fastest qualifier at every race, even up through level 8. During the race, however, he struggles to maintain his fast pace, pits erratically, and usually wears out his tires too quickly. - Alesandro Nannimi (Alessandro NanniniAlessandro NanniniAlessandro "Sandro" Nannini is a former racing driver from Italy. He is the younger brother of rock-singer Gianna Nannini.-Biography:...
)- Another subtle step up in ability, this driver is first encountered in level 3. - Thierry Bietsen (Thierry BoutsenThierry BoutsenThierry Marc Boutsen is a former racing driver who raced for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan teams in Formula One.-Career:thumb|left|Boutsen driving for [[Arrows]] at the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix]]....
)- Unlike Alboreta, this driver is a much more consistent qualifier and racer. He will win nearly every race in level 2 that the player does not. - Michele Alboreta (Michele AlboretoMichele AlboretoMichele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing runner up to Alain Prost in the 1985 Formula One World Championship, as well as winning the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2001 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races...
)- The first formidable opponent a player faces. A beginner will find him fast, but after gaining experience, Alboreta is easy to beat, even having been given a slower car. Sometimes, Alboreta has an erratic race and might fail to qualify. - Derek Warwich (Derek WarwickDerek WarwickDerek Stanley Arthur Warwick is a British former racing driver from England. He raced for many years in Formula One, but never won a Grand Prix. During the early 1980s he was thought more likely to achieve World Championship success than his contemporary Nigel Mansell, but a series of wrong...
)- On occasion, if Alboreta trips up and fails to qualify, Warwich is strong enough to win a race in level 1 - Jonathan Pulmer (Jonathan PalmerJonathan PalmerDr. Jonathan Charles Palmer is an entrepreneur and former racing driver from England. Educated at Brighton College, he won the 1981 British Formula Three Championship and the 1983 European Formula Two Championship. He participated in 87 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on September 25, 1983...
)- This driver typically qualifies for races in level 1, and is a challenge only to a novice player. - Ivan Capella (Ivan CapelliIvan CapelliIvan Franco Capelli is an Italian former Formula One driver. He participated in 98 Grands Prix, debuting on October 6, 1985. He achieved 3 podiums, and scored a total of 31 championship points...
)- If the player is fast enough to qualify for each race in level 1 and 2, like Cheemer, this driver will likely not qualify for any races. - Eddie Cheemer (Eddie Cheever, Jr.Eddie CheeverEdward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
)- This driver is the least talented of the field. He appears only in level 1, and seldom even qualifies. If he does qualify, he usually finishes last, and sometimes he is lapped.
Grand Prix mode
The Grand Prix mode of World GP featured nine levels of competition. Each had an increasing number of rounds, an increased level of difficulty, and was led by a featured driver. For each level, the player was provided a certain car. Players could save and continue games by use of a password.Qualifying
Upon entering the Grand Prix mode, the player registers his/her name, and begins at level 1. At the onset of each race, the player is first shown a map of the circuit. On the next screen, the player is shown the results of qualifying thus far. All five computer opponentsGame artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
have completed their time trial run. The top four comprise the tentative starting grid. The slowest computer driver (5th fastest) does not qualify. The object of qualifying is for the player to qualify amongst the top four, and "bump" his way into the starting grid.
Qualifying consists of five timed laps, alone on the track. From a standing start, the player has five laps to record the best single lap time possible. Tire wear influences the speeds, and pitting for tires is allowed on any lap, however, elapsed seconds in the pit area are included in the respective lap time. The fastest single lap is recorded and if it is among the four fastest qualifiers, the player qualifies for the race. If the player does not qualify, he must sit out the race, and instead watch it through the perspective of the featured driver. Hitting the "select" button during qualifying aborts the session. If the player had already registered a lap fast enough to qualify for the race, it is unnecessary to run all five laps.
Race
The race begins from a standing start, and runs a specific number of laps, depending upon the length of the circuit. The top half of the screen features a map of the circuit, and the position of all four cars represented by icons. Tire wear influences lap times, and a pit stop for tires near the halfway point is required to remain competitive. Players are required to compete, and are not allowed to abort the race. If a car is lapped during the race, he will only be scored for the laps he completed. Spinning out during the race is possible, but no incident ever causes a car to completely drop out of the race. Fuel is also not a factor in the game.Championship points
At the conclusion of each race, points are awarded to the four finishers (5-3-2-1). At the end of the level, a champion is declared. In order to advance to the next level, the player is required to score the most points and be the champion of the level. If the player does not score the most points in the level, the password given returns the player back to the first race of that level, and he is allowed to replay it from scratch. Level 9, however, is only allowed to be played once. If the player scored the most points in Level 9, he would be declared the World Champion, win the game overall, and a special screen displayed. If the player did not win the championship, the game is over.Nakajima Satoru F1 Hero
This game was the English language version of "Nakajima Satoru F1 Hero." It was an original Formula One videogame released in 1988) and it was very popular in Japan during that decade. And so, Andretti and Nintendo released this game two years later for a North American audience.Levels
| Level | Competitors | Machine | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Michele Alboreta |
M. Aboreta D. Warwich J. Pulmer I. Capella E. Cheemer |
Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... V-12 (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico |
| Level 2 Thierry Bietsen |
T. Bietsen M. Alboreta D. Warwich J. Pulmer I. Capella |
Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... V-12 (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada |
| Level 3 Alesandro Nannimi |
A. Nannimi T. Bietsen M. Alboreta D. Warwich J. Pulmer |
Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... V-12 (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States |
| Level 4 Nigel Manselo |
N. Manselo A. Nannimi T. Bietsen M. Alboreta D. Warwich |
Mugen Mugen Motorsports Mugen Motorsports is a Japanese company formed in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and Masao Kimura. Mugen, meaning "Without Limit", or "Unlimited", is an engine tuner and parts manufacturer closely associated with the Honda Motor Company... V-8 (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States, France |
| Level 5 Nelson Pequet |
N. Pequet N. Manselo A. Nannimi T. Bietsen M. Alboreta |
Mugen Mugen Motorsports Mugen Motorsports is a Japanese company formed in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and Masao Kimura. Mugen, meaning "Without Limit", or "Unlimited", is an engine tuner and parts manufacturer closely associated with the Honda Motor Company... V-8 (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States, France, England |
| Level 6 Gelhart Gerger |
G. Gerger N. Pequet N. Manselo A. Nannimi T. Bietsen |
Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... V-10 (4-speed automatic) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States, France, England West Germany, Hungary |
| Level 7 Ayrton Zenna |
A. Zenna G. Gerger N. Pequet N. Manselo A. Nannimi T. Bietsen |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Lola V-8 Turbo Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance... (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States, France, England West Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy |
| Level 8 Alain Brost |
A. Brost A. Zenna G. Gerger N. Pequet N. Manselo |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Lola V-8 Turbo Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance... (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States, France, England West Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy Portugal, Spain |
| Level 9 Michael Andretti |
M. Andretti A. Brost A. Zenna G. Gerger N. Pequet |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Lola V-8 Turbo Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance... (4-speed manual) |
Brazil, San Marino, Monaco, Mexico Canada, United States, France, England West Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy Portugal, Spain, Japan, Australia |
Practice mode
In the practice mode, players could chose any of the sixteen circuits, and any of the four cars. The bottom half of the screen featured the driving apparatus. The top half of the screen featured a map of the circuit with the player's car represented by an icon as it went around.Upon selecting the course, Michael Andretti would come on the screen and give background and advice about driving the circuit. Practice sessions were five laps each, with elapsed times recorded and reported for each of the five laps upon conclusion. Hitting the "select" button aborted the session.
Two-player mode
In two-player mode, players drove in a head-to-head race against another human opponent, or any of the games' computer opponents. Two computer opponents could also be chosen to race against one another. Any of the sixteen courses could be chosen by the players, and any of the four cars could be chosen by the players. Race distance was chosen by the competitors, ranging from one to ten laps.The top half of the screen was the driving apparatus of player 1, and the bottom half of the screen was the driving apparatus for player 2. Instead of a map of the circuit, a graph in the middle of the screen depicted the lap length and the relative distance between the two opponents.