Developer: Seta Publisher: Seta Release: 1992 Genre: Racing
F-Zero set the bar pretty high as far as my expectations with racing games during the 16-bit era. Coming off the stale, repetitive 8-bit racers F-Zero was a breath of fresh air and its rotation effects allowed course designs not possible before. F1 ROC was a random rental in 1992 as I figured what do I have to lose. Formula 1 is normally not my cup of tea however technology caused me to give it a chance. While far from the greatest racing game for the system F1 ROC is decent for what it is.
F1 ROC follows the 1992 formula 1 racing season with sixteen heats across the world. There are no official drivers although you can reasonably make out their real world inspiration despite the slightly different names. Each track has a solo qualifying run to determine your starting position followed by the actual race itself. You receive points on your final position with the goal to ultimately come out on top at the end of the season. You also receive cash to upgrade your vehicle. Deductions are made based on how many walls and rival cars you hit which start minor but become detrimental toward the end.
The controls in ROC are simple and easy to pick up. B accelerates, Y brakes, and A is for a nitro boost. Both L + R shift gears rather than enable tight turns as in other SNES racing games. However the speed reduction accomplishes the same thing more or less. There is no automatic transmission but gear shifting is not called on often anyway. Your direct control will change as you upgrade parts of the car and a careful balance has to be struck lest you end up with an uncontrollable beast. Parts fall in to multiple categories, from tires, engines, and suspension to wings and diffusers. The game offers a visual guide as to how your purchases will affect performance however it is not intuitive. Consult a guide.
On the track the AI is almost non-existent and will ignore your presence for the most part. The difficulty in F1 ROC comes from fighting the track itself. There is a steady progression in terms of track complexity that eases you in to its difficulty. The first four courses feature only slight turns and the rare U-turn. But from there it ramps up and it is not out of the ordinary to execute a drift into a U-turn followed by a 90° corner. You will need to keep up with car upgrades to avoid being left behind. Luckily the game allows a test run after buying upgrades to see how they perform. But you will probably still have to consult a FAQ to strike the right balance.
It still isn’t easy but the lacking AI helps your standing. This is not the type of game where the computer racers always finish in a set place. They all move up and down in the standings so if you fail once or twice you might still remain in first or second place. I like that there is some margin for error rather than being all or nothing from the start. The main problem with the campaign is tedium. Because everything looks the same it grows old fast. This is not like other fantastical racers that can introduce hazards and outlandish environments to hold your attention. The focus on realism clashes with the game’s conservatism and it hurts its longevity.
Although F1 ROC uses Mode 7 for its tracks the graphics are probably the most disappointing aspect of the game. Despite taking place around the world nearly all of the tracks look the same. Some background detail will change but they all look similar. There is no track side detail to further differentiate the courses either, leaving you to view the same grey road and green backdrops ad nauseum. Beyond that there are slight performance issues with multiple cars in view. The game slows to a crawl, especially at the start of the race and it affects the control. To be fair outside of the startup you will rarely see more than two or three CPU cars simultaneously but the slowdown is there. The rotation of the track is impressive but I won’t lie, I expected more.
In Closing
F1 ROC is a good stab at a F1 racer. It has its good points but becomes repetitive in short order. I found it hard to complete the season by the midpoint even though I like the game. The far superior sequel is the game I would recommend. Everything has to start somewhere. In this case you can skip this one.
