Formula 1 (video game)
| Formula 1 | |
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European cover art
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| Developer(s) | Bizarre Creations |
| Publisher(s) | Psygnosis |
| Distributor(s) | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PC |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Formula 1 is the first racing game in Sony's Formula One series. Unlike later games in the series, this game's cover has no specific driver on it (except for the North American version which features an image of Michael Schumacher driving for the Benetton team during the latter portion of the 1991 Formula One season).
Published by Psygnosis, Formula 1 is based on the 1995 Formula One season, although it was released in 1996. It is distinct from its sequels because it was made after the end of the season, meaning that it features driver substitutes. The game also allows two-players to compete against each other either head-to-head or with other computer cars via the 'Link-Cable'. Both players may then compete over a 17-race Championship season, or in a single race of the players choice.
Formula 1 follows the 1995 Formula One season, with 17 tracks, 13 teams and 26 drivers. If a player is to complete a season after winning every race, and leading the Constructor's Championship, a special hidden circuit is unlocked. The track is a lower-level city circuit, which when viewed at the Race Preview page is in the shape of a Formula One car. As there is no way of saving game data, the track is lost when the console is turned off.
Later tracks have 24 competitors on them instead of 26 because Simtek pulled out of the actual championship after the Monaco Grand Prix. It is still possible to drive a Simtek on any course after Monaco, creating a field of 25 drivers. If two players are playing the game via the link cable setup (where players would connect two PlayStation consoles together with two copies of the game), it is possible to play as both Simtek cars, thus creating a field of 26 drivers on any course after Monaco.
The track models in Formula 1 were modelled from surveyors' track data. The designers started with wire-frame models of the track data, then exported these from their Silicon Graphics workstations to a custom Windows 95 track editor. The track editor was used to reformat the tracks so that they could be used in-game, before exporting them back to the SGI workstations where scenery and other details were added in. To create the in-car sound, a Digital Audio Tape was strapped to a driver.
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