Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing

by Sony

Product Features

• Playstation Game

Product Details

• ASIN: B00004RQ7F
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,716 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Race a total of 23 racetracks from five continents with Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing. The game comes with 42 licensed cars from companies such as Audi, BMW, and Chrysler. Players can play as either Jason Jarrett or Justin Labonte in the championship mode. With its realistic approach to the physics of driving and impact damage, this game demonstrates that racing can be more than just an arcade game. Full driver assistance is available--recommended car setups, traction control, ABS, and much more. Other features include commentary by Jason Jarrett's paternal grandfather, stock-car racing legend Nat Jarrett, along with music provided by the Offspring, Methods of Mayhem, Radiator, Lit, and Moby.

GameSpot Review

For those familiar with NASCAR, a video game with a title like Jarrett and Labonte Stock Car Racing is sure to spring to mind thoughts of oval racing on a hot summer's day, where Jason Jarrett and Juston Labonte are neck and neck to the finish line of the Daytona 500. This is, however, not the case - in fact, Jarrett and Labonte Stock Car Racing has nothing to do with NASCAR nor with Jason Jarrett and Juston Labonte, but it is nevertheless a rather surprisingly in-depth, realistic racer that video game racing fans should definitely check out. The game is, in fact, the unofficial third installment to the TOCA series, which, while mildly popular, didn't have enough depth when it was stacked up against the likes of Gran Turismo. This year, however, Jarrett and Labonte Stock Racing has taken the TOCA engine to a whole new level with a tweaked physics model and more features, cars, and tracks than before. In all, the game offers 42 cars, including models from well-known manufacturers such as Ford, Dodge, BMW, Lexus, and Chrysler. You can race across the world on 23 real-world tracks including Laguna Seca, Suzuka, and Hockenhiemring. The tracks have been painstakingly re-created through various methods: The developers took countless photos, tons of video, and even used helicopters and laser scans of each track to ensure that the details of each track in the game were as exact as possible.

The gameplay has an ultrarealistic feel to it, thanks to an accurate physics model that not only shows the car lean from the stress of a turn, but also totally lets you stay in control with tight responsive controls. The cars all react realistically to collisions, turns, and even damage. If you slam the front end of your car into a wall or an unfortunate opponent, your bumper is likely to fall off, and if it's a serious collision, you may cause an engine fire. The damage your car takes actually affects how it handles, which means that sometimes your car will pull to the left or right, forcing you to compensate.

Visually, Jarrett and Labonte Stock Car Racing is very impressive. One of the best things about the game's graphics is how realistically the cars show the damage that they are dealt. Codemasters used a dynamic polygonal deformation damage system, which appropriately shows damage on the part of the car you collide with. By far, it is the best car damage system we've seen. When you have a bit of trouble with the front of your car, headlights are appropriately knocked out, which makes night races even more fun. The car models, before they get all beat up, are very detailed and extremely realistic looking. You can play the game from a standard chase view or a standard cockpit view, which allows you to see everything you'd see inside of a real stock car, including a working instrument panel. The game even features a Matrix-styled 360-degree freeze-frame camera effect that highlights exciting moments, like collisions during the game's replay of a race. You can find little extras around the track, such as hot air balloons in the sky and other small but interesting elements.

In the audio department, Jarrett and Labonte Stock Car Racing is packed with all sorts of goodies. Its soundtrack includes music by Offspring, Methods of Mayhem, Radiator, Lit, and Moby. Ned Jarrett provides the commentary for the game, which is a great addition since he's been doing it for the real sport for more than 30 years now.

In the end, Jarrett and Labonte Stock Car Racing is a solid racing game that's great fun for anyone who really enjoys spending a great deal of time learning all the ins and outs of a totally in-depth racing game. It's definitely one of the best PlayStation racing games to come out this year.--Ryan Mac Donald--Copyright © 2000 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simulation racer, December 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing (Video Game)

This may be the most well rounded pure racing simulation ever on a console system. I also wrote a review for F1 Championship Season 2000 and probably enjoy that game more, but for a pure challenge this is the game.

First off there is one drawback, and that is the lack of qualifying for individual races in season mode. Instead you are defaulted into certain spots. That's not good. However, the games mode of trying out for certain teams and meeting their required goals is enough of a feature to overlook the qualifying flaw.

Gameplay... tough but brilliant. The controls are twitchy compared to F1 and NASCAR, but the setting can be adjusted in the options. Very nice. More importantly... the cars drive different from each other. A rear wheel drive Mustang will drive and handle differently than a front wheel drive Celica or a monster 460 hp Viper. Factor in the weather conditions (from drizzle to flat out storm) and the toughness is amplified.

They have a wide array of real life courses that can be driven at night as well. But there are two real keys to this game... physics/realism and opponent AI. The physics/realism are tremendous. Bumpers hanging off, windshields smashed, hoods being torn off, etc. Also, you can drive from the cockpit view with the actual interior of the real car. That may not be a big deal for some, but I was never impressed with a Grand Tourismo where you had to either drive from the bumper cam or from behind the car. Driving from the cockpit changes the entire aspect of the game and gives it a sense of authenticity with which GT and GT2 cannot compare.

The opponents are unparalleled. If you rub a guy wrong once or twice... he will be on you. They will block, rub and ram if you are overly agressive. However, if you play nice they will run a clean race. These opponents don't just have AI, they have personality and tactics.

The bottom line... this racing game is second to none in realism and Opponent AI. The graphics and sound are well done. Each car sounds different. The car set up screens are well done and informative. Overall, if you consider yourself a (video game) race car driver and afficianado... then this game must be in your library. And if the simulation aspect is too much and want just a slight tinge of forgiving physics... check out F1 Championship Season 2000. You cannot go wrong with either choice.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The MOST Realistic Racing Game, Ever!, March 28, 2001

By 

Newspeak (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing (Video Game)

This is by far the BEST and MORE realistic racing game I have EVER played. The damage simulations in this game are superb. Its amazing how realistic the cars behave, each car has its own characteristics and quirks. Another element that makes this game so ultra-realistic are the engine sounds; each car has its own specific sound that is extremely accurate. There are SO many real-life cars and tracks to chose from. I simply can't get enough of this game; I could sit and play it for hours on end. If you have to buy just ONE racing game for your Playstation, this one HAS to be it. EXTREMELY recommended!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, as of yet, October 14, 2000

By 

98stang (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing (Video Game)

I have played the Demo and it has an arcade style to it. Its fun, the graphics are has good as the PSX gets! I wish they would have but it out on the PSX2 instead for better grapics. The wrecks/damage is excellent ! If you get hit in the bumper front or back enough it will hang off your car half-way and vibrite as you drive down the road, then if you get hit again it will fall off onto the road, and STAY there the whole race, getting knocked around the track. This is just one of the many examples of Damage this came allows. I would say the visual graphics are the same as Driver. The sound is good. The cars range from DODGE VIPER, PLYMOUTH PROWLER, FORD MUSTANG, AUDDI TT, to TOYOTAS, ALFU-ROMONOS, ect... And its up to 4 players!! For a fun GOOD new racing game this is the ticket!! But thats just my opinion.