Taito Grand Prix: Eikou heno License
Encyclopedia
is a 1987 Japan
-only video game for the Family Computer that takes the player through randomized street racing
circuits in addition to the various circuits of Formula One
. There are over fifteen stock car
tracks and eight Formula One tracks. Open mode allows the player to practice each course individually without any pressure from anything besides the time limit. Normal mode is more restrictive; the game forces the player to roam from city to city until they end their career by winning a full season of Formula One action.
There are three kinds of music (playing from a pretend cassette tape
) and a blank soundtrack for people who are in the mood for "authentic driving" since most racing vehicles do not play music in real life. The instrumental songs played in the game were: Offside Way, Crushing Light, and Faraway Dream. Similar to the imaginary FM radio stations
heard on the arcade game Out Run
, the sounds were of MIDI
quality and had limited bass potential. Even the sound effects of the fireworks were a little higher pitched then in real life.
The manufacturer's suggested retail price of the game was 5500 yen (equivalent to $40 USD).
s, stadium
s, cities
, and beach
es. Compared to its closest competitor, World Grand Prix for the Sega Master System
, the graphics and sound are vastly superior in quality. Each car used in "free mode" has three gears and always use manual transmission. However, manual transmission
is always in the cars that haven't been altered with automatic transmission in the "normal mode."
If the player races fast enough, he or she is greeted with fireworks
at the finish line. Going too slow will simply result in the driver simply waving
his arm to a cheering audience without any special effects. Like an arcade driving game, damage is not a factor regardless of what car the player drives or the mode that the player is using. The player can flip his or her car all he or she wants. A car can never be destroyed or damaged; only time is wasted when the game returns the vehicle to its upright position.
Using these limitations that were normally present in 8-bit racing games (without trying to work around them) would have made racing vehicles that were incredibly fast or below average by the standards of the mid-1980s. For example, racing vehicles that travel up to 255 miles (410.4 km) per hour were impossible except for some Funny Car
s on the drag racing
circuit and the NASCAR
Winston Cup Series already had vehicles that could finish races with an average speed greater than 255 kilometres per hour (158.4 mph) by the 1987 release date.
While driving in a vehicle other than the Formula One vehicle, there is always a countdown that counts to zero (0:00 as shown in the game). Being unable to pass through time extending checkpoints and allowing the timer to turn to zero means an automatic game over
in "free mode" but merely results in loss of funds in "normal mode." Checkpoints are clearly marked in a pre-determined spot on the track. The time counts up while driving a Formula One vehicle; changing the challenge from making it to the finish on time to going as fast as humanly possible.
can be bought in "normal mode" (starting in Rank C) for a substantial price of 1000000 yen ($11,073 USD). There is also a significant reduction in top speed because more power is diverted from the vehicle itself to the electronics in the transmission. In addition to using manual transmission vehicles as the default in "normal mode", all measurements from the weight of the vehicle (kilogram
s instead of pound
s) and speed (kilometres instead of miles) are conducted in metric
units only.
Four-wheel drive
can be purchased starting in Rank B that will increase the grip of the vehicle. All players in the "normal mode" (similar to playing Dragon Quest
on wheels) begin their "career" out with a Mini Cooper
. He or she must work in order to get promoted to the Ferrari 512BB
sports car
. However, the sports car cannot be purchased until the player reaches Rank B; costing the player 1000000 yen just for the body. The Mini Cooper can no longer be used once the Ferrari is purchased and speeds up to 420 kilometres per hour (261 mph) per hour have been reached by adding the most advanced parts and a super nitro
(SN-1) to the Ferrari vehicle.
The player starts out with 100000 yen ($1,107 USD). At the starting city, the player can earn up to 150000 yen ($1,661 USD) per race. If the player is good enough and gathers enough experience and money, he or she will eventually get to drive a Formula One
car. Trophies can be earned by finishing first on certain courses in all three levels of competition. The "normal mode" uses a battery save system that differentials between being in Rank D, Rank C, Rank B, Rank A, and in the Formula One Championship. This game is similar to Formula One: Built to Win
; a North America-exclusive video game with a similar concept developed and published by SETA. Both of these games allow players to purchase automobiles and customize them for speed, handling, braking, acceleration, and body toughness.
After making it to Formula One in "normal mode", the player is given the weather of the track and the likelihood of rain. Once the player has reached Formula One, he cannot go back to the standard stages to raise more money for better automobile parts in his Ferrari. The player must then go into the pits and make his or her preparations for the race. If the player cannot win the championship in his first year, he must play another year of Formula One until he wins the championship.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
-only video game for the Family Computer that takes the player through randomized street racing
Street racing
Street racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal motor racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Well coordinated races are planned in advance and often have people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens' band radio and...
circuits in addition to the various circuits of 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...
. There are over fifteen stock car
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
tracks and eight Formula One tracks. Open mode allows the player to practice each course individually without any pressure from anything besides the time limit. Normal mode is more restrictive; the game forces the player to roam from city to city until they end their career by winning a full season of Formula One action.
There are three kinds of music (playing from a pretend cassette tape
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
) and a blank soundtrack for people who are in the mood for "authentic driving" since most racing vehicles do not play music in real life. The instrumental songs played in the game were: Offside Way, Crushing Light, and Faraway Dream. Similar to the imaginary FM radio stations
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
heard on the arcade game Out Run
Out Run
is an arcade game released by Sega in 1986. It was designed by Yu Suzuki and Sega-AM2. The game was a critical and commercial success. It is notable for its innovative hardware , pioneering graphics and music, a choice in both soundtrack and route, and its strong theme of luxury and relaxation...
, the sounds were of MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
quality and had limited bass potential. Even the sound effects of the fireworks were a little higher pitched then in real life.
The manufacturer's suggested retail price of the game was 5500 yen (equivalent to $40 USD).
General gameplay
Interesting environments to drive through include farmFarm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
s, cities
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
, and beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es. Compared to its closest competitor, World Grand Prix for the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, the graphics and sound are vastly superior in quality. Each car used in "free mode" has three gears and always use manual transmission. However, manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
is always in the cars that haven't been altered with automatic transmission in the "normal mode."
If the player races fast enough, he or she is greeted with fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
at the finish line. Going too slow will simply result in the driver simply waving
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
his arm to a cheering audience without any special effects. Like an arcade driving game, damage is not a factor regardless of what car the player drives or the mode that the player is using. The player can flip his or her car all he or she wants. A car can never be destroyed or damaged; only time is wasted when the game returns the vehicle to its upright position.
Speed
The game was notable for allowing players to exceed 255 kilometres per hour because 255 was the maximum number permitted in most 8-bit games. These kinds of video games did not allow players to use a higher number due to the then-current limitations in the math processor. Exceptions were made in certain titles because the game developers would devise a way to increase the highest number that the game could show for speed or other certain properties that require a number higher than 255. Increasing memory to a certain area of the programming code made this possible while sacrificing memory in other places like in the graphics or in the game's artificial intelligence, for example.Using these limitations that were normally present in 8-bit racing games (without trying to work around them) would have made racing vehicles that were incredibly fast or below average by the standards of the mid-1980s. For example, racing vehicles that travel up to 255 miles (410.4 km) per hour were impossible except for some Funny Car
Funny Car
Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the United States, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers'...
s on the drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
circuit and the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Winston Cup Series already had vehicles that could finish races with an average speed greater than 255 kilometres per hour (158.4 mph) by the 1987 release date.
While driving in a vehicle other than the Formula One vehicle, there is always a countdown that counts to zero (0:00 as shown in the game). Being unable to pass through time extending checkpoints and allowing the timer to turn to zero means an automatic game over
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
in "free mode" but merely results in loss of funds in "normal mode." Checkpoints are clearly marked in a pre-determined spot on the track. The time counts up while driving a Formula One vehicle; changing the challenge from making it to the finish on time to going as fast as humanly possible.
Normal mode
Automatic transmissionAutomatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
can be bought in "normal mode" (starting in Rank C) for a substantial price of 1000000 yen ($11,073 USD). There is also a significant reduction in top speed because more power is diverted from the vehicle itself to the electronics in the transmission. In addition to using manual transmission vehicles as the default in "normal mode", all measurements from the weight of the vehicle (kilogram
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
s instead of pound
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s) and speed (kilometres instead of miles) are conducted in metric
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
units only.
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
can be purchased starting in Rank B that will increase the grip of the vehicle. All players in the "normal mode" (similar to playing Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
on wheels) begin their "career" out with a Mini Cooper
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
. He or she must work in order to get promoted to the Ferrari 512BB
Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer
A Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer is one of a series of cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. They used a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, replacing the FR layout Daytona, and were succeeded in the Ferrari stable by the Testarossa. It was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.Production of the...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
. However, the sports car cannot be purchased until the player reaches Rank B; costing the player 1000000 yen just for the body. The Mini Cooper can no longer be used once the Ferrari is purchased and speeds up to 420 kilometres per hour (261 mph) per hour have been reached by adding the most advanced parts and a super nitro
Nitromethane
Nitromethane is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is a slightly viscous, highly polar liquid commonly used as a solvent in a variety of industrial applications such as in extractions, as a reaction medium, and as a cleaning solvent...
(SN-1) to the Ferrari vehicle.
The player starts out with 100000 yen ($1,107 USD). At the starting city, the player can earn up to 150000 yen ($1,661 USD) per race. If the player is good enough and gathers enough experience and money, he or she will eventually get to drive a 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...
car. Trophies can be earned by finishing first on certain courses in all three levels of competition. The "normal mode" uses a battery save system that differentials between being in Rank D, Rank C, Rank B, Rank A, and in the Formula One Championship. This game is similar to Formula One: Built to Win
Formula One: Built to Win
Formula One: Built to Win is a racing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that is centered around its career mode. Once the player enters in his or her user name , the player has to start out driving a Mini Cooper without an international racing license...
; a North America-exclusive video game with a similar concept developed and published by SETA. Both of these games allow players to purchase automobiles and customize them for speed, handling, braking, acceleration, and body toughness.
After making it to Formula One in "normal mode", the player is given the weather of the track and the likelihood of rain. Once the player has reached Formula One, he cannot go back to the standard stages to raise more money for better automobile parts in his Ferrari. The player must then go into the pits and make his or her preparations for the race. If the player cannot win the championship in his first year, he must play another year of Formula One until he wins the championship.