They started without the license. Three years later, they were sponsoring the real team.
Nichibutsu released F1 Circus in 1990 without official F1 licensing — no real teams, no real drivers, just fifteen circuits and a racing game built on passion for the sport. By 1991, they had become sponsors of Team Lotus, one of F1's legendary teams. By 1992, their game F1 Circus Special: Pole to Win featured real drivers Mika Häkkinen and Johnny Herbert, and credited actual Lotus technical staff including director Peter Wright and chief designer Chris Murphy. They didn't wait for permission to start. They kept making games, and the games brought them close enough to the real thing that the real thing invited them in. Sometimes the way to become part of something is simply to start — and keep going.
About this game
F1 Circus was the first entry in Nichibutsu's long-running Formula One series, released on September 14, 1990 as a HuCARD for the PC Engine. The game featured overhead Formula 1 racing across international circuits, using password saves to track player progress. Despite the name, 'Circus' was an intentional mistranslation of 'Circuit' — Nichibutsu chose it because the pageantry of Formula One slightly resembled a circus.
Gallery
The Story Behind
F1 Circus launched Nichibutsu's Formula One series in September 1990, predating the FIA/FOCA licensing era. Early entries featured no official licensing; later titles gained Team Lotus license when Nichibutsu sponsored the team. The series expanded to Super Famicom, Mega Drive, and other platforms throughout the 1990s, remaining Japan-exclusive. The game debuted on September 14, 1990 for the PC Engine, utilizing the HuCard format's rapid access times to avoid CD-based loading delays. Nichibutsu later sponsored Team Lotus from 1991 to 1993, enabling F1 Circus Special: Pole to Win (1992) to feature official Team Lotus branding and credit technical staff including director Peter Wright and designer Chris Murphy.
Tricks & Tales
The word 'Circus' in the title was deliberately chosen as a mistranslation of 'Circuit' — Nichibutsu felt the pageantry and spectacle of Formula One racing slightly resembled a circus. The game used password saves, as HuCARDs typically did not have built-in save batteries. The PC Engine version featured 15 international circuits and two distinct modes: World Championship (player drives all races) and Constructors mode (1-2 players manage a team while the computer handles driving). Players could adjust tire compounds and gear ratios, and vehicle damage affected handling mid-race. Famicom Tsūshin awarded the game 31 out of 40 points.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The PC Engine (Japan) and TurboGrafx-16 (North America) share the same physical HuCard slot shape but are not compatible with each other's software. NEC deliberately reversed the data bus wiring between the two regions: data pin D0 on the PC Engine corresponds to D7 on the TurboGrafx-16, and so on through all eight lines. Beyond the hardware wiring difference, most North American HuCards contain region-checking code that detects a Japanese console and immediately crashes. Converters that electrically flip the data bus do exist and allow cross-region play. CD-ROM² discs themselves carry no region protection and play freely on both systems—however, the System Cards required to boot CD software are region-locked in the same way as HuCards, so a Japanese System Card cannot be used in a TurboGrafx-16 and vice versa.
Maintenance Tips
HuCard contacts are the most common maintenance point on the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16. The card's edge connector oxidizes over decades of storage, causing failure-to-read and graphical glitches. Cleaning with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab—gently wiping the gold contacts on the card itself—resolves most contact issues; stubborn oxidation responds to dedicated contact cleaners such as DeoxIT. Never blow into the card slot with your mouth, as moisture accelerates the very corrosion you are trying to remove. On systems equipped with the CD-ROM² or Super CD-ROM² add-on, the optical drive is subject to the same age-related laser and sled degradation seen in any CD system of that era; the laser assembly uses a KSS-220a-type unit on the Super CD-ROM² and replacement parts remain available.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese F1 Circus copies regularly.
Does F1 Circus save my progress?
Yes, but not with a battery — it uses passwords. The game gives you a password at the end of each race, which you write down and enter when you return. HuCARDs usually don't have save batteries inside like cartridges on other systems, so passwords were the standard. Nothing will be forgotten as long as you keep the password safe.
Will a Japanese PC Engine HuCARD work on a TurboGrafx-16?
Physically, yes — HuCARDs are region-free and fit both systems. But the TurboGrafx-16 outputs composite video, while many PC Engine models output RGB. If picture quality matters to you, it's worth checking which video output your console has before buying.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy F1 Circus
A short checklist for buying used PC Engine software wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
-
Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
-
Make sure it fits your console
Japanese PC Engine HuCards and CDs are not compatible with the North American TurboGrafx-16 — the formats differ. Use a Japanese PC Engine system.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
-
HuCard or CD-ROM² — know which you're buying
PC Engine games come on HuCard chips or on CD-ROM². CD titles also require the right CD system and a working System Card.
Confirm the format in the listing, and for CDs check the disc surface and that saves are supported.
-
Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
-
Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
See what we have in stock →Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑