NASCAR 2000

by EA

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004DITM
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: March 24, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,596 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC

GameSpot

After the debacle that was EA Sports' NASCAR Revolution, a lot of racing fans probably decided to write the company off altogether as far as serious simulations were concerned. But suddenly it looked as if EA had turned things around: first they gave us the excellent Sports Car GT, then followed it up with the outstanding Superbike 2000 and Mobil 1 British Rally Championship, the best rally game yet to hit American shores. Three realistic, well-crafted sims in a row were more than enough to convince some gamers (including myself) that NASCAR 2000 would come roaring past the green flag and at least give Papyrus' NASCAR Racing series its first real competition since its inception. But while NASCAR 2000 doesn't quite have the horses to make a serious run at grabbing the prize from NASCAR Racing 3, it's still an alternative for gamers more interested in down-and-dirty stock-car action than in perfect realism.

To their credit, EA Sports and developer Stormfront Studios fixed all the glaring flaws that kept NASCAR 2000's predecessor NASCAR Revolution from delivering action that was anywhere near good as the game's graphics. The computer no longer wrests control of your car at the start of races, only to hand you the wheel 20 seconds later. There's no longer a problem with botched computer-driver artificial intelligence when the yellow flag is out. NASCAR 2000 has 28 races on 18 NASCAR tracks, and while it doesn't approach NASCAR Racing 3's comprehensive Winston Cup and Busch circuits, it closely reflects the 2000 Winston Cup schedule. The game's 40 NASCAR drivers comprise 33 current drivers and seven legends like Petty, Yarborough, and Allison - and the legends aren't hidden features, as in NASCAR Revolution. You can opt to have the legendary drivers race during single-race weekends or during the championship seasons, and you can modify that schedule just about any way you like. You can choose set combos of short tracks, speedways, superspeedways, road courses, or five different fantasy-road courses, or you can mix and match any of the available tracks as you wish.

The driving skills of the computer-controlled racers have also been improved considerably since NASCAR Revolution. The drivers in NASCAR 2000 actually behave much like their real-life counterparts: Jeff Gordon will sneak up and tap you softly enough to avoid getting reprimanded, but hard enough to pass you or send you spinning; and the Intimidator definitely lives up to his nickname. You'll still see the occasional ramming incident, and drivers who performed poorly in the qualifying round may suddenly blow by you when the actual race starts. Unless you've honed your skills to perfection in NASCAR Racing 3, then you'll find that NASCAR 2000's drivers are anything but patsies - and even if you think they are, you could turn the difficulty up to 110% for a serious challenge. NASCAR 2000's car physics are a bit forgiving; you can hold turns much easier than in NASCAR Racing 3, but it makes the game more accessible to new players compared with the more realistic NASCAR Racing 3.

NASCAR fans hungry for squealing rubber and roaring engines might be tempted to try the game's quick-race mode, in which you play as a random NASCAR driver on a random NASCAR track using the default game settings - but it's really not worth wasting your time. The game's settings apparently can only be changed on each track rather than globally, and they default to an automatic transmission and the rookie-difficulty setting, such that even newbies will find themselves passing cars in steady succession. About the only barrier between you and taking the checkered flag is the abbreviated number of laps. There's also a "race against the king" feature that lets you go one-on-one against Richard Petty, but you'd need a pretty strong imagination to picture a virtual version of the sideburned speedster sitting behind the wheel.

NASCAR 2000's car setup options are about as robust as you could hope for, and they feature a considerably improved interface for adjusting tire pressure, the wedge, shocks, weight distribution, camber, spoiler angle, fuel capacity, and steering lock. The manual provides much-appreciated detail, not only regarding the garage setup sections, but also for every other feature and option in the game. However, there's no mention made of there being a limiter that prevents you from down-shifting when doing so might blow your engine, which initially led me to believe the game wasn't recognizing the input from my Microsoft force-feedback wheel.
--Stephen Poole
--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.

Product Description

This software is BRAND NEW. Packaging may differ slightly from the stock photo above. Please click on our logo above to see over 15,000 titles in stock.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Could Have Been 5-Stars, But...., November 5, 2000

By 

James Holler (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nascar 2000 (CD-ROM)

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT waste your money on this game UNLESS you have a computer that runs faster than 450mhz, has better than a 3Dfx Voodoo 4 4500 video card, and has more than 128mb of RAM. Because that's exactly what I have, and I have to turn all the graphic settings down so low the sky and grandstands are just black, the track is solid grey, and the cars would hardly give an Atari 2600 a run for it's money for it to run even somewhat smoothly. 'NASCAR Heat' has 5-times better graphics, better controls, better EVERYTHING... and runs like a dream on my computer with all the settings at their highest!!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Keewl game but takes space, January 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nascar 2000 (CD-ROM)

This is a great game for any nascar fan. It is a very realistic game. U can pick from a whole crowd of champion nascar racers. All their AI's handle differently and before a race you can enter the garage and customise the AI of your choice. U can moderate everything from fuel tank capacity to tire presure and even the lean on any side of the car-even front and back. There are many races, cars and drivers,and tracks to choose from. The only drawback is that in order for the computer to run this game it has to be pretty fast. Make sure that before you buy the game check the system requirements and see that your computer is not too slow. All in all, this is a great game for all nascar fans who have a fast computer!!!

7 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It is hard to stay off the wall, April 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Nascar 2000 (CD-ROM)

It is important that you watch your speed when going in to the corners because they are very rough on the cars. Make sure you listen to the spotter

2115|R1P6TFTB5486DX;2115|R3JTZY910O3FTX;2115|RZPYQ18TTV4TY;