Pros: Unparalleled NASCAR racing excitement, plethora of options, responsive controls
Cons: Slowdown, weak two-player mode, may be too tedious for those not interested in NASCAR
The Bottom Line: A solid racer and a worthy NASCAR simulation. NASCAR fans will undoubtedly race to the stores for this game, but non-fans should, ummm, use caution.
onetuffcowboy's Full Review: NASCAR 2001 for PlayStation 2
NASCAR: the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, the fastest growing sport in America. The speed, the adrenaline, the drivers, the fans, the tracks, there’s nothing like it. Nothing compares to the feeling one gets when watching the closing laps of the Daytona 500 (NASCAR equivalent to the Super Bowl, for you NASCAR newbies), only to see your favorite driver (Jeff Gordon, baby!) make the pass for the checkered flag. If that doesn’t get your heart pumping, I don’t know what will.
With the sport growing in popularity practically by the day, the sports gurus at EA Sports saw fit to give it their treatment on the PlayStation. With three PSOne installments, the NASCAR series always sold well, even if the games weren’t exactly the best in the world. Not to say that the NASCAR games weren’t good, cause they were; they just couldn’t quite completely capture the feel of the sport. I’ve driven in a NASCAR race before (one of the local races, nothing national) and let me tell you, it is one of the most invigorating experiences ever. Running side-by-side at 180 MPH is quite a thing to experience. SO is riding bulls in rodeos, but that’s another story. Point is, while NASCAR 2001 for PlayStation2 doesn’t get everything right, it is a solid racer and an experience any NASCAR fan will savor.
A general consensus among the non-NASCAR community is that NASCAR is nothing more than driving around in circles for hours. “You drive fast and turn left,” they say. “How fun can that be?” Well, first of all, it can be quite fun, as this game proves. Secondly, NASCAR is more than just going in circles. Each track, while they all may look the same, actually affects the cars differently. Some tracks (Daytona, Talladega) are pure speed tracks, others (Darlington, Homestead) test handling and tire wear, while others still demand you showcase all of your driving skills (Sears Point, Watkins Glen; these two are road courses, by the way). So naturally you need a different setup at each track. Fortunately, EA noticed this and incorporated this into the game. You must adjust certain aspects of your car (i.e., rear spoiler angle, fuel capacity, gear ratios, etc.) in order to perform your best out on the track. Also, you have to take into account pit stops. If you decide to run particularly long races, pit stops will become very important. Adding a bit of strategy, you can refuel, change tires (left side only, right side only, or all four), fix damage, and adjust your car’s wedge (tighten it up). You can also pit under caution flags, giving you an added advantage once the race resumes. You don’t pit, you’re not going to succeed. There are also certain lines on the track that are faster than others. For instance, you want to take a lower line in the turns at Atlanta, but you want to go high in the turns at Daytona. There are a lot of things you have to consider before running a race in NASCAR 2001 if you want to come away with the checkered flag.
Wrecks in previous NASCAR installments have been highly erratic and unbelievable. That changes in NASCAR 2001. Thanks to a brand new engine (game engine, not car engine), NASCAR 2001 sports better and more realistic wrecks that can actually shift the momentum of the race from one driver to another. Also, car damage actually affects the way your car performs, so those of you looking to put everyone on the track into the wall may want to rethink your strategy (although I must admit, seeing Tony Stewart slam into the wall is worth a bent-in fender). The worse your car is damaged, the slower you run and the worse your handling.
Once again, EA gives us everything a sim fan could want. This game sports the NASCAR license and is accompanied by over 30 real NASCAR drivers (including the late Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin—kind of eerie, if you ask me), 12 real NASCAR tracks (finally, we have Daytona!!!), and a few other extras. There are 20 races in Season mode, offering not only day races, but night races at Bristol, Daytona, Lowes, and Richmond. The real world NASCAR Winston Cup points system is implemented in NASCAR 2001, so consistency in more important in winning the cup than winning every race (although that would win you the championship as well). You can even choose how long your races are; if you are so inclined you could run the Daytona 500 in its entirety (about 200 laps). Just make sure you’ve got about three and a half hours to spare.
Alas, while all of this is fine, NASCAR 2001is not perfect. There are moments where the game slows down. It’s rare, but it does happen and you will notice it. The two-player mode may be fun, but the screen restrictions and slowdown really take away from it. Also, while I’m quick to defend the “drive fast and turn left” complaint, those of you who are not into NASCAR will find this game tedious. In fact, I would only recommend this game to non-NASCAR fans on a provisionary basis, simply because of the type of game that it is. It’s a decent racer in and of itself, but it thrives in being a simulation of the nation’s fastest growing sport.
OK, onto the graphics. First of all, the cars are simply beautiful. Each car is created almost to the very last advertisement, lending a sense of authenticity to this game. Except for the absence of tobacco and alcohol advertisements (which run abound in NASCAR; it did originate in the South, you know…), every car looks like it does in real life. Lighting effects are wonderfully done, and despite the occasional hiccup, the animation is very nice. Night races are beautiful, and when the sparks fly (and they will), you will be amazed.
But even the graphics are not without their flaws. The tracks, while they are faithfully recreated, tend to look rather bland. I mean, what normal person (and I never said I was normal) wants to stare at a big, gray oval for a few hours? The textures may be convincing, considering the fact that the tracks are mostly made of concrete, but still, they’re kind of boring to look at. Also, the crowds in the stands aren’t really a crowd, but more of a blurred mess of colors that whiz by at 180 MPH. Considering the level of detail put into NHL 2001and Madden NFL 2001, this is pretty disappointing. Lastly, the graphics really take a beating in two-player mode. If you simply caught a glimpse of this game in two-player mode, you would swear this was a PSOne game, not a PS2 game.
Sound is definitely a mixed bag. The music has a somewhat appropriate southern rock/country tone to it, and the engine sounds are believable, if not annoying. The big disappointment is the commentary. After hearing the marvelous commentary of NFL 2K1 and NBA 2K1 on Dreamcast, as well as NHL 2001on PS2, I was excited about what Bob Jenkins and Benny Parsons (ESPN NASCAR announcers and EA Sports commentary providers) would have in store for this game. However, I’m sorry to say that the commentary in this game is awful. The two rarely ever speak and when they do, their comments are dry, repetitive, and not all that intelligent. In fact, I’m kind of glad they don’t talk much. You’re better off providing your own commentary for this game.
Overall, NASCAR 2001 is a solid racer and a worthy NASCAR simulation, despite its flaws. NASCAR fans should definitely check this game out, but non-fans should, ummm, use caution.
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