'NASCAR 2000' races with Gordon

NASCAR 2000

Gordon, you are going down. No more victory laps and definitely no more Pepsi commercials. Yes, Jeff's days of winning on the racetrack are numbered, thanks to "NASCAR 2000," the newest racing game from EA SPORTS.

"NASCAR 2000" lets you choose Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt or from any of the other 35 drivers of the past and present and strap them in for the ride. Once driver and racecar are decided upon, gamers can opt for anything ranging from a single race to a complete NASCAR season. Fans of the Motor City will be pleased to see that Michigan is one of the 18 different NASCAR courses featured in the game.

For each race, players have a variety of options to tinker with including whether they want their car to be automatic or gearshift and the distance of the race (anywhere from a few laps to the actual length of each race).

Mastering the art of steering (by far the most important aspect of the game) takes a good deal of time, much of which will be spent veering around the track, trying to get a feel for the game. Due to the high-speed nature of "NASCAR 2000" using the brake pedal at any point is pretty much out of the question, so players will have to learn their turns on the fly. And because the game doesn't penalize racers much for bumping into walls or other cars, first-timers can bounce their way through the course until they get the hang of things.

The game features five "fantasy" courses to race on, all of which involve more turns and curves than the NASCAR tracks. It would have been nice to see the makers take this idea one step further and include some sort of an obstacle race for the cars. Just one track where gamers could grab hold of the wheel and guide their fine automobile through a course filled with jumps over lava pits, crocodiles and other things of that nature. With such great cars to control, it would seem only logical to give us the chance to test them out on a course featuring some aspects of different racing games.

On the whole, "NASCAR 2000" is a little tough to get the hang of at first, but once you do it makes for an enjoyable ride. Racing alongside a friend will only add to the experience - it's much more fun to nudge your pal's car off the track than the computer's. So buckle up, adjust the rearview mirror, and prepare to leave Gordon and the rest of the competition in the dust.

- Matthew Barrett

11-30-99