F1 Hero is a multi-platform Formula One video game that was released in the year 1992. The North America and Europe versions of the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive game are known as Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge in honor of the Ferrari brand of racing vehicles. Satoru Nakajima sponsors the Japanese (Sega Mega Drive) version of the game. Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis version of the game includes a Grand Prix mode, a free practice mode, and a time attack mode. The team and player names are close to the real thing without violating copyright laws. Either one or two players can compete and the game has a password method of saving the game. In addition to traditional tracks used in the 1992 Formula One season, the player can also play in bonus race tracks. Autopolis, Fuji Speedway, an oval training course, and a treacherous road course originally designed by the programmers of the video game used in the Japanese version. The North American version uses the former location of the Long Beach Grand Prix, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Oyster Bay, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as American-specific substitutes for the tracks considered "local" to the Japanese. However, the graphics used for the backgrounds are identical to each other in both versions of the game. Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game is a simplified version that allows players to practice up to six (6) laps or qualify for every Formula One race of the season using metric units (kilometres per hour instead of miles per hour). It was one of the few 8-bit Formula One video games to adequately represent the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as having an urban background along with several other urban race tracks represented in the 1992 Formula One season. Tire wear is possible resulting in trips to the pit crew for maintenance and repairs. An radio allows communication with the crew chief; he will advise whether repairs are necessary. The top speed of the vehicle is 325 kilometres per hour and turbo is not used in the game. Before the first qualifying session can take place, the player must insert his name and his nationality. The name can be up to ten (10) characters long and the country has to fit into a three-character field. Since the game doesn't verify if the three-letter code matches up to a real nationality, it doesn't matter if the player makes up a nationality for a fictional country. Unlike the Sega Genesis version, the game is known as Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge in all three regions. Source: Wikipedia, "Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge", available under the CC-BY-SA License.