F1 Challenge – Saturn’s forgotten licenced 3D Formula 1 game

Licenced Formula 1 games have been around for several decades now, going back to F1 on the Mega Drive and Formula One: Beyond the Limit on Mega CD.

But when gaming hit the 3D era, it was PlayStation and Psygnosis who are remembered (quite rightly) for their Formula One and Formula One ’97 – true classics of the genre.

“You’re right there, Murray,” indeed.

BUT did you know PlayStation wasn’t first with an officially-licensed 3D F1 game? Incredibly, that happened on Sega Saturn, and it’s called F1 Challenge. 

Based on the 1995 season, the game features five playable drivers: Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Jean Alesi, Ukyo Katayama and Mika Hakkinen, each with exquisitely rendered renditions of their real cars, albeit with the cigarette advertising removed.

But you still get all the other advertising with real logos, giving the game a welcome pang of authenticity. 

Only three official tracks were included, but they are at least good ones. Not many 3D games feature the forest layout of Hockenheim, but it’s in here, and there’s a superb version of Suzuka, complete with cambered track that makes the skybox tilt, giving the early hills a rollercoaster feel.

And last but by no means, least, a 3D version of Monaco running on Sega Saturn. It’s blocky, sure, but the tunnel, harbour and Grand Hotel are all present and correct, although the tunnel doesn’t quite sharpen as much as it should.

There are also three layouts of a bespoke track called ‘Neo City’, which is comparatively arcadey, but still great fun. 

Speaking of arcadey, F1 Challenge’s gameplay is a classic mix of realism and arcade fun, which I’d term ‘idealised realism’. There’s no qualifying but the races are several minutes long, which is unusual for a Saturn racer on default settings.

Cars can pit for fuel and tyres, and you can set up your car before the race using a fully 3D-modelled pit garage. Wing angle, transmission, tyre compound and fuel level are all changeable, though there’s no wet weather racing. Still, blue sky gaming and all that.

There are obvious concessions to detail to keep the game running smoothly, but they’re very cleverly done. With such a limited polygon budget, the game draws grandstands and trackside barriers, plus a solid track surface complete with tyre marks, especially in braking zones.

But behind the Armco, the ground isn’t drawn. In fact, when you enter the pits, the lane is drawn, but the track isn’t. With only two selectable views – in-car and chase cam – the camera rarely gets high enough to spoil the impression of a fully rendered circuit, and it looks superb. 

But the game also includes some major firsts for the console. Unlike any Saturn racer I can think of, there’s a 3D skybox with a subtle but noticeable fish-eye effect making the clouds arc overhead as you turn corners.

There’s also a rear-view mirror, which is on by default but badly affects the frame rate, so it’s best to switch it off by pressing Y and then toggle it on and off quickly when you want to check behind you.

In the Japanese version, which was called F1: Live Information, this picture-in-picture was actually a TV-style view of the action, and it’s even pictured on the back of the UK PAL boxart, which had me very confused as a teenager. Why couldn’t I use it?!

The other strange omission from the UK release is the Japanese version’s constant commentary. That’s what the ‘Live Information’ means in that release’s name. However, while Japanese TV announcers were apparently willing to add their voices to the game, for whatever reason – perhaps the in-development deal with Psygnosis – Murray Walker and Martin Brundle are not present here, so instead you only get rock music.

It’s a little repetitive but arguably has magic to it, lending a feeling of solitude and almost melancholy to the game as you hurtle down Suzuka’s back straight towards 130R. 

The game is absolutely worth playing if you can get hold of a copy, but especially if you have a Sega Saturn Arcade Racer steering wheel, as leaning into those Suzuka esses with analogue control feels superb.

The racing itself isn’t the greatest; the driving is looser than modern F1 games and the other cars are more like obstacles than real challengers, though they have their moments, especially when your tyres start to go off, leaving you sliding around the tracks, rally-style, as they zoom back past.

But nonetheless, Sega was king of the 3D racing game at the time, challenged only by Namco, and it really shows here. 

So you get Sega’s arcade sensibilities married to an F1 license taken from the last remnants of the golden age of F1, rendered in chunky but pleasing 3D.

Senna, Prost and Mansell may be gone, but the legacy of that era’s romance is still evident. What a pity PlayStation’s F1 game was so much more complete and realistic-looking, as it basically killed Sega’s budding attempt in one blow.

A sequel to this game could have been phenomenal, but it wasn’t to be. At least we’ll always have this.