Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge (NES) Playthrough
136A playthrough of Acclaim's 1992 license-based racing game for the NES, Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge.
Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge is a Formula 1-style racer that came along fairly late in the NES's life cycle. It was one of the console's final US-released racing games to make use of the behind-the-car perspective seen in games like Rad Racer (https://youtu.be/2nTdJF8TuuE) and Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing (https://youtu.be/3GDmMvB78ZM). It was also the fifth game in Varie's Nakajima Satoru series that began back in 1988 on the Famicom with Nakajima Satoru: F-1 Hero, released in the US under the name Michael Andretti's World GP in 1990.
The NES version of Ferrari GP Challenge was developed by System 3, a British company that made a name for themselves with the International Karate and Last Ninja series on the Commodore 64. Ferrari GP was the company's second - and final - game for the NES, following after the much maligned Conan game (https://youtu.be/ef3xDt4AtQY) published by Mindscape back in 1990.
In Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge, you compete against twenty-five others in a series of sixteen races that take place on recreations of famous, real-life F1 tracks. Once you've entered your name and chosen a transmission type, you're off to the track. Each round begins with a qualifying lap to determine the starting order, and races are five laps each.
The gameplay is simple as simple gets: press A to go vroom-vroom, avoid the hazards, pit to change worn tires, and work your way to the front of the pack. Once the races are over, the driver with the most points is declared champion.
The controls feel good, the scrolling of the track is smooth, and the soundtrack is an excellent accompaniment to the action, but there isn't a lot of substance here. There aren't any car customization options, the AI drivers pose little challenge, and the entire game can easily be finished within a couple hours of turning it on for the first time.
Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge feels like a poor man's Rad Racer, but it's fun to play, and it be would perfect for anyone that ever found the Rad Racer games to be too difficult to be fun.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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