is an

automobile racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...

released by

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

in 1988. Like many other Capcom arcade games at the time, it was released in the US by

Romstar Romstar Inc. was a video game distribution company based in Torrance, California that started operations in 1984. They originally started as the first American distribution arm for SNK (before SNK of America was founded in 1987). They were known ...

. It also had a

PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, though ...

port released exclusively in Japan on August 25, 1989.

Gameplay

Players start off in

Formula 3000 Formula 3000 (F3000) was a type of open wheel, single seater formula racing, occupying the tier immediately below Formula One and above Formula Three. It was so named because the cars were powered by 3.0 L engines. Formula 3000 championships ...

(F3000) needing enough points (12) to progress to

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

(F1) using either a non-turbo or turbo powered car. Although both had the same amount of horsepower, the turbo car is 20 km/h faster in both categories. Turbo F3000 cars started at 300 km/h top speed while F1 cars started at 400. Horsepower improvements for finishing a race 4th or better would see F3000 get up to a maximum speed of 360 and 460 in F1. A choice of 4 circuits were available for both F3000 and F1 varying in difficulty and the player drives against seven other main cars in both categories. For the first race in each category, the player is given a one-lap qualifying run in either wet or dry conditions to determine their starting position. From then on the starting position is where the driver finished in the previous race. Races are then held over 2 laps (F3000) and 3 laps (F1) with pitstops optional for fuel and tyres and the player has the choice of turbo or non-turbo for each race which is also randomly wet or dry. To continue on to the next race, a player must finish in the top 6 (points were scored the same as Formula One at the time with 9 for 1st, 6 for 2nd, 4 for 3rd, 3 for 4th, 2 for 5th and 1 for 6th). During a race, the player has to avoid hazards including spectators running across the track or other cars (including extra back markers). Hitting either will cause the players car to spin. The player also needs to keep their car on the road as driving off the track will cause the car to slow dramatically. Wet tracks will cause the cars to slide wide when turning. The game ends if the player finishes a race in 7th or 8th, their car runs out of fuel or is too damaged to continue.

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''F-1 Dream'' on their June 1, 1988 issue as being the fourth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.

References

External links

''F-1 Dream (Arcade)''
at

GameFAQs GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by Fandom, Inc. since October 2022. The site has a databa ...

{{Formula One games 1988 video games Arcade video games Capcom games Formula One video games Japan-exclusive video games Racing video games Romstar games TurboGrafx-16 games Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Manami Matsumae