F

1 World Grand Prix II is an example of two mildly interesting things. For starters, it’s the first of only a few PAL exclusive N64 games, as the first performed really well, getting a Player’s Choice version in Europe.

The second one is that it’s an example on how difficult it can be to score games. N64 magazine flat out states that this is a better game than Monaco Grand Prix, yet it scored lower. Why? Well, because it offers very little over the first game (which, as stated, got a cheaper Player’s Choice version).

The biggest difference is that this game is based on the 1998 F1 season, so you can have track conditions match those races, along with the racing teams. The problem here is that the game came out in the middle of the 1999 F1 season, so I don’t think people are as bothered as the game isn’t fully up to date. The challenge mode does have new challenges, again based on the 1999 F1 season, so there is a bit of new stuff there.

The other new feature is “broadcast” mode, with the game bragging that you can watch the matches of the 98 season from any perspective. N64 Magazine took a look at a few and found that, while the results were correct, the events during the race were nothing like the real ones.

For Formula 1 fans, this is definitely the best F1 game on the system (at this point, at least), but there’s not much reason to buy it over the original.

Fun

We’re all big F1 fans at N64 Magazine and we can understand the fanaticism that Video System hope to tap into to sell this version of last year’s game. It seems odd to not give, what is clearly the best F1 game on any system, anything less than the 93% the original achieved back in N64/20, but if Nintendo re-released Mario with the same levels and some very minor tweaking, we’d be forced to do exactly the same.

James Ashton, N64 Magazine #32. Review Score: 72%

Remake or remaster?

Newer games do a better job.

Official ways to get the game.

There is no official way to buy F1 World Grand Prix II