Family Circuit is a racing game for Nintendo's Family Computer (known to some as the NES), hence the name. Unlike other Nintendo racing games at the time, it has many realistic traits, removing itself from the main crop of more arcade oriented titles. The car can be customized to your heart's content, with different tires, wings and suspension and detailed engine settings for both turbo and torque.Four racing modes are available:

Free run: Run any way you want around the track, getting to know both the curves and straights as well as the settings of your car.

Sprint race: Race a season in four classes – novice, B class, A class and Super A – around well-known (Fuji, Suzuka) and less well-known tracks (Family Park, Namcot-ring), competing for the first place.

Endurance race: Run around and around a track to see who gives up last.

Spectator mode: Not a real racing mode, but allows you to follow any car in any class around any track.As you bump into things or push the car too far, you must pit in, where you will be given statistics for each part of the car and may choose to fix it. Some of this realism is however forfeited by the fact that cars can never collide. Racing straight through an opponent with both cars undamaged is perfectly possible.