Nascar Racing 4

by Vivendi Universal

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000056OYN
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: February 12, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,956 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

At last, the prayers of NASCAR Racing 3 fans have been answered. Its sequel, NASCAR Racing 4, comes with the outstanding physics model hard-core NASCAR fans have been clamoring for, along with all 21 tracks from the 2000 Winston Cup season and cars from all four NASCAR manufacturers. It's the most complete NASCAR simulation to date, and the realistic physics add a new dimension to the gameplay. Proper weight transfer is now imperative, and adjustments made to spoilers, shocks, and other components of the car become immediately evident on the track as the car reacts accordingly.

With the right processor and video card, NASCAR Racing 4 can generate visuals that are difficult to distinguish from TV broadcasts. Smoke from burnouts and collisions can hang in the air for minutes, and the new physics model means cars hunker down on their shocks while braking and turning. The tracks are all cracked and pitted, with tire marks and oil trails slowly building up on the standard racing lines. The cars feature immaculate paint jobs that are fully customizable using the included painting tools.

Those shiny cars can quickly lose their luster thanks to the new damage model. Minor bumps and scrapes can take the paint off, while major altercations can leave you with bent wheels, a crumpled hood that obscures your vision, or any of a million other problems. The car's handling changes based on the damage it has suffered, sometimes pulling so violently to the right or left that racing becomes impossible. An added effect of the new physics model is that cars can finally get airborne, making wrecks more realistic than any seen in a NASCAR simulation.

The single-player mode offers computer-controlled opponents that drive realistically, although they can be too aggressive if you're on a line they want. It's much more fun to build some skill in the single-player game and then migrate to online play, where drivers from around the world perpetually challenge one another. NASCAR Racing 4 isn't perfect at this point, but a few patches should correct what minor flaws it has, and it still stands as the best NASCAR simulation ever created. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Completely revamped physics model
• Excellent graphics
• Wonderful online community

Cons:

• Requires a topnotch computer for best visuals
• Mastering the realistic new physics model can take weeks of practice

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This a sim, plain and simple, February 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nascar Racing 4 (CD-ROM)

Incredible. Just got my copy today. I'm blown away. This is not some race-around-and-smash-other cars game like the EA Nascar games, this is pure simulation. The physics model is incredible. The graphics are top notch... includes D3D *and* OpenGL. Attention to detail in the physics department is why I liked the demo, and what prompted me to pick up the boxed retail. If you fall behind a bit, or can't figure out the optimum path through a corner, you've got a lot of catching up to do. If you don't care about tweaking tire pressure, camber, weight distribution, I really wouldn't bother. Go pick up a fun arcade game like Colin McRae 2. If you dig the *whole* experience, give Papyrus its due and pick this one up.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best is now here!, March 29, 2001

By 

Robert P. Hayden (Gardner, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nascar Racing 4 (CD-ROM)

I love this game!! This is the first NASCAR Racing game I've owned and played, but I have to tell you it's intense! This is the first brand-new game I've installed on my new computer, and granted it's a 1.3 GHz system, the graphics are superb. I love the sound of the engine, and the feel of the game. The Paint Shop feature is awesome too, although a little hard to figure out at first, once you've got it figured out you'll be changing paint schemes everytime you play it. Also, I plan on purchasing a steeering wheel/foot pedal set up to complete the experience. I have a Microsoft Plug and Play game pad which for some reason just refuses to work with this game(but it works with my Need for Speed 3 and High Stakes sims), so it's either run the car with the keypad controls(I don't Think So!!), or my Microsoft Presicion Pro joystick which works where the gamepad will not. It's nice, but I'm not flying a plane, I'm driving a stock car, so that fix is obvious. However, I do not reccomend this game if your system is not up to it. I installed it on my older 375 MHz system before I got my new PC, and let's just say that was a bad idea. I don't even want to discuss how bad the game ran. But if you've got the system, or plan on getting one, and you're a fan of racing and of NASCAR, GET THIS GAME!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simply the most realistic racing sim, October 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nascar Racing 4 (CD-ROM)

As many a hardcore computer racing simulator fan knows, Grand Prix Legends (same makers of this NASCAR 4 sim) is simply the best when it comes to the most realistic physics engine. Long awaited by NASCAR fans since GPL, NASCAR 4 is finally here, using the same realistic physics engine as in GPL.

As I read somewhere, before you start racing in this sim, throw away everything you know from other racing simulators as none of them come as close to the real thing as this sim. Think you can mash the throttle to the floor and get away with it? Wrong! Think you can go speeding through a tight corner at Watkins Glen or any of the other race tracks without going off road? Wrong! Even taking the first turn at a track like Daytona (we finally have DAYTONA!) takes a little adjusting to.

For previous owners of GPL, it shouldn't take too much time to get used to the full 3D physics engine, but for those just getting acquainted with this sim, you'll want to take many pratice solo laps before starting a racing season.

As has been mentioned, the only real downside with this sim is the AI. They give NO quarter, and essentially never yield their position to you, be you faster than them or not. Also, they have a tendency to slam into the back of you during restarts, and have very poor accident avoidance. The AI is mostly good only for training yourself in dealing with more than yourself on the track. The best enjoyment of this sim comes with racing in online competition.

All in all, a great sim. Give it some time getting used to the physics engine, and you'll love this game. Also, be SURE to get a good racing wheel. If you can afford it, get a force feedback wheel too. While it's possible to race with a joystick, you won't be very competitive. Oh, and don't even think about racing with only the keyboard - while it's techincally possible to do, you'll never be able to hold your line in traffic.

Also, if your computer isn't at least a P3 700 (or equivalent) or better, I wouldn't bother buying this game if you want to race against more than yourself. On my dual-processor P3 733, 256MB RAM, Win2k, and a TNT2 32MB video card, I'm just able to get a playable framerate with a full field of cars. About 23fps when all cars are on the screen, and a max of 43fps by myself. If the framerate drops below 20fps, you won't be able to react fast enough. Keep in mind that 32fps is fluid motion, and most US movies run at about 24fps.