'NASCAR 2001' a great ride for diehard fans
MATT ORENCHUK
Scene Video Game Reviewer
When I first decided to review "NASCAR 2001" for the Sony Playstation it sounded like a good idea in my head. After all, I live in North Carolina.
But when I got the game home, and turned it on, I realized that despite living in the south, I don't really know much about the sport.
"NASCAR 2001" is a pretty good video game. But that statement comes with a catch — the game is fun, but it is a lot more fun if you understand NASCAR.
First, the good stuff about the game: all the drivers are the same as real NASCAR racing, and so are all of the tracks.
While all of the NASCAR tracks are expected to be there (like Daytona and Charlotte Motor Speedway) there are also some pleasant surprises, including cool road courses like Las Vegas and New York.
These tracks change the entire strategy of the game. On the Daytona track you race the game like a NASCAR race: fast on the straight-aways, and hug close on the turns. But on the road courses, you can't just hold the throttle button and expect to hug all of the turns. Since there aren't any super-elevated curves on the road courses, you have to race very cautiously and use the brake a lot.
The best track on "NASCAR 2001" is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is interesting to see NASCAR on a track made famous by the smaller CART race cars. The graphics are superb on the game — while they aren't crystal clear, they still look sharp.
Another great feature about the game is that each track has its own personality.
When racing on the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, you can make out ads for Bojangles, a restaurant chain in North Carolina.
This attention to detail for each track makes you feel as if you are getting the full flavor of each site.
There are some features of "NASCAR 2001" that are technical, and would only appeal to hardcore racing fans.
Once you have picked your driver and where you want to race, you then go to a screen that allows you to decide on some details of your car: the tire pressure, the rear bias, the left bias and the wheel lock of your tires.
While this feature might be useful if you are a huge NASCAR fan, it can be annoying to those who just want to race.
Another features of "NASCAR 2001" is that you can set the length of the race. You can race as little as 3 percent of the race — about seven to 10 laps — all the way up to the entire race.
"NASCAR 2001" also features artificial intelligence in each of the racers. If you are racing in the Daytona 500, Jeff Gordon's car in the game will race like Jeff Gordon does in real life.
In this 2001 version, you can race an entire season on the NASCAR circuit. You start each race by qualifying in the field. Then you race, and finishers pick up points towards the NASCAR championship. (There is no Winston Cup Series in this game.)
Overall, "NASCAR 2001" is a great game for the diehard NASCAR fan. All of the personality that makes NASCAR a cultural icon in the South is found in this game.
However, if you want a racing game that relies less on strategy and more on racing (like "Mario Kart 64"), then "NASCAR 2001" might not be your game.
All Scene Stories for Wednesday, April 4, 2001
