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NASCAR 2000 Review
Noel Brady
00/12/0000
The NASCAR championship is pretty much the American version of the UK's TOCA Touring Car championship.
The only real difference is that Nascar is raced predominantly on huge oval tracks which you have to drive around 100 times. Sounds boring? Well, if you can't stand watching the F1 racing at the weekend then NASCAR 2000 is definitely not the game for you. This is for the die-hard NASCAR fan as, to anyone else, it's just average racing.
But if you like left turns and cornering at 180 mph then this is the sport for you, and Electronic Arts' long-running NASCAR series is the place to satisfy your simulation needs. As accurate as the most anal Grand Prix simulation, NASCAR 2000 features all the cars and drivers you've never heard of, set-up tuning to enable you to attempt corners at 185 mph and all 18 tracks from the last season, plus five EA-designated variations.
But there's no getting away from the fact that driving round circular tracks isn't that interesting. You can usually get the set-up and your driving tenchique settled within ten or so practice laps (five minutes driving). The race itself turns into a parade, made interesting only if ou mess up quite badly and are forced to make your way through the pack all over again. Meanwhile, tedious voice-overs remind you over and over again to watch out below-- which means don't drop to the lower part of the banked track, because someone's trying to get past you-- and to save your tyres. They pay no attention to your position on the track or how close to the end of the race you are, continuing to advise you right up to the finishing line.
NASCAR's controls, though, are fitting for a game of its type. Players are sat behind the wheel and can get started without any problems. It's easy enough to get started, but it takes a little longer to truly becomean expert. The car physics are adequate and the responsiveness is solid, too. And, for those who love peripherals, you're not in a tremendous amount of love, because NASCAR 2000 is compatible with one of several different kinds of steering wheel controllers.
Only when you get the chance to race on one of the three or so road tracks that you begin to see the potential of the game's engine, though it still can't compete with the joyous experience of games like TOCA 2. It would help if you could cause huge pile-ups, but even the crashes are disappointing. Cars smash into each other without losing so much as a bolt, while the collision detection is woefully poor. It's possible to bury half you car into an opponent, polygons fighting for the right to be displayed.
Graphically speaking, NASCAR 2000's shoes fit well, at least when speaking about the car models and menus. Everything has a recognizable appearance and will easily stick out if you're familiar to the NASCAR scene. Of course, it doesn't matter whether or not you really are gung-ho on the whole deal, because there's a distinguished look for everything. The tracks, however, are a bit less detailed and beg for a shot of flavor. While the "Fantasy Road Courses" boast a better look than the normal tracks, most appear drab and barren, and if your attention span allows you to race for a few dozen laps, it won't take long to realize how lacking some courses truly are.
This update has improvements over last year's debut, there's no reason for fans to be uninterested, especially since it's packed with drivers, cars, and locations that should practically be common knowledge. EA packed the game with 18 real tracks (with five new road tracks), plus five new fantasy courses, better computer AI, for more hard-core racing down the stretch, and 33 drivers as well as rookies. EA also has dug into history a little, adding several legendary racers. Still, you've got to love NASCAR racing to enjoy this game.
NASCAR 2000 is nothing more than basic to the average gamer who doesn't know their NASCAR from their TOCA. As a driving game the detail and accuracyt is good, but the overall feel of the game is lacking and you'll find it hard to get absorbed in the gameplay. By all means NASCAR 2000 is a large improvement over last year's update. However, if you'e looking for diverse tracks, great interactivity and a large amount of options, look elsewhere
