NASCAR Racing 1999 |
Sierra |
Reviewed by: Chris Johnson | ||||||||||||||
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| Graphic modes: | 640x480, 320x200 |
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| Controls: | Keyboard, gamepad, joystick, wheel & pedals |
| Sound devices: | Windows compatible card w/DAC |
| Computer | Memory | HD space | CD speed | Other reqs/options | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | P60 | 24 M | 100M | x 2 | VGA video card, mouse |
| Reviewed on | K62 350 | 64 M | 100M | x 32 | |
| Recommended | P100 | 32 M | 100M | x 4 |
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A routine day interrupted...
It all started as a routine visit to my local software store. I wanted to purchase a NASCAR racing simulator, but I thought I should first see what's available in the stores before making a final decision. I did a great deal of research about this type of sports simulation, but I had never bought a game. Now I was ready to take the plunge. I followed my usual software purchasing pattern of examining the product in the store prior to committing my hard earned cash. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. In retrospect I probably should have suspected something was amiss. Sierra Sports is having a sale that is quite unbelievable. Purchase a title from the label, trade in an old CD-ROM from a list of competitors, and Sierra will refund your money up to $49. I read and re-read the coupon taped to the box and couldn't believe what I was reading. Why was Sierra giving away their sports games? How could this be happening during the height of the computer game shopping season? I simply shrugged my shoulders, grabbed NASCAR Racing 1999 Edition and headed for the cashier, all the while totally unaware how my life would change because of this simple purchase.At this point you may be wondering what this has to do with NASCAR Racing 1999 (as a matter of fact, yes -- Ed.). My friends, gather around while I tell you the sad story of a man who lived in bliss and happiness as the only gamer in the family and who now has to fight to use the NASCAR Racing 1999 CD-ROM and his Thrustmaster Super Sport steering wheel. Maybe it was the four speaker Soundblaster Live! setup, maybe it was the new racing wheel, or maybe it was the cool 3DFx race replay that you can run, but for whatever reason, two former avowed non-gamers (one being my anti-gaming wife) have fallen in love with a racing sim. Now when do I get my quality time?
Some caveats...
I do not own NASCAR Racing 2 and have never played that or any racing sim before, so this review is probably more appropriate for someone who is interested in getting into this genre or doesn't own any of Papyrus' previous stock car simulations. I will mention that a number of veteran have commented that NASCAR Racing 1999 is an upgrade to NASCAR Racing 2, but is not a revolutionary upgrade. NASCAR Racing 3, scheduled for a first- or second-quarter 1999 release, is more of a significant sequel, and will include the technologies that made Grand Prix Legends such a big hit over the past few months. But I will review NASCAR Racing 1999 as a stand alone product and comment on its value independent of the existence of the game it follows in the series.
Nice
graphics.
I am also new to NASCAR racing in reality. I've never watched a race and knew nothing about point standings and race calendars. But I was interested in the whole thing simply because it is such a huge draw here in Florida and elsewhere in the United States. There are lots of rabid NASCAR fans out there, and I wanted to understand what exactly it is they see in the sport. I really wasn't interested in Formula-1 racing because that seemed a bit too European to me (not that there's anything wrong with that) and NASCAR is a big fixture here in the southern US. While the scenery in a Grand Prix or F-1 race may be more interesting from a gaming perspective, there is something to be said about the drama of constantly hitting curves one, two, three, and four as you bump and grind with cars up high and down low.
I have also never driven a car over 90 miles per hour, so I don't have any idea what a car feels like traveling at 190 and up. When playing a baseball or football simulation I have some sense of whether or not the game is accurately portraying the game it claims to simulate. Whether or not my tires are warming up in the correct order, or if the suspension adjustments reflect the correct feel in real life cars, are judgment calls beyond the experiences of this reviewer. I'm lucky if I remember to add oil to my own car before the engine burns up.
Start your engines!
NASCAR Racing 1999 provides an almost complete NASCAR experience. You can race as a driver in the Winston Cup, Bush Grand National, or Craftsman Truck series. The game includes every track that participates in these events except for five tracks (of which Indianapolis and Daytona are most noticeably absent). They are not present in the game because of licensing issues, although many of these tracks can be copied from previous editions in the series and modified for use here. This game has one of the largest internet presences of any game that I have played and there are six or seven very high quality fan sites that provide every kind of tweak you can imagine. Each contains detailed information about importing the additional raceways.
Team
Johnson.
What sets this game apart from other simulations like Grand Prix Legends is how accessible it is to gamers with different levels of simulation experience. I adjusted the driving ability of my competition to 80% to learn the game and am now comfortable racing at 95%. Not a very high level of competition, perhaps, but it works for me. My daughter plays the game with full arcade turned on (where the drivers react to the speed of the player instead of reacting as in real life) with no damage, and she cruises around the track bumping into things and having a blast. Sim fans that want a challenge can set the drivers to 100% or greater and start car drafting to their hearts content. There is enough fun in NASCAR Racing 1999 for the entire family! You don't need to devote a huge chunk of your gaming time to the title and still do well, but if you want a true simulation challenge, it's certainly available. You can race a full number of laps or modify the total number to shorten the race. Each NASCAR series has a calendar of events that you race to accumulate points toward the championship of each series. You can also choose which drivers will race in each event. The fan sites have complete drivers' lists for each race during the 1998 and earlier seasons, in case you want complete accuracy in your simming.
Lots of
pretty colors.
The multiplayer part of the game is pretty much the same as that found in the previous version of NASCAR Racing. The Windows 95/98 native port of the game does not span to the multiplayer portion and you will have to use the DOS version of the game to enable MP action. Some have argued that the DOS version is the same as the Windows 95/98 version, however, the real problem is with the tweaking of peripherals. The drivers for your soundcard and wheel are nicely nestled in Windows 95/98 so you don't have to worry about config files and loading DOS drivers. If you use the DOS version of NASCAR Racing 1999 you may experience the headache of DOS drivers. Some peripherals automatically load these drivers and others may require that you dust off an old floppy.
I exclusively tested the Windows version of NASCAR Racing 1999 (having just installed a new soundcard and not wanting to re-live those DOS world horrors) so I cannot really comment on the multiplayer aspects of the game. Second- and third-hand accounts indicate that the system is quite thrilling if you can find racers of similar driving abilities. You access the online parts of the game through the NASCAR Racing Online Series (NROS), which is an additional program included on the CD-ROM. Games can turn quickly into a bumper car derby if drivers do not know what they are doing. Some online services provide experience rating systems so that you can tell how experienced a driver is. Many have complained, however, that these ratings are flawed. The only sure bet is to join a racing league that schedules events and closely monitors members, or to arrange private races with friends.
Oooh, what a pretty car you have my dear!
The graphics in NASCAR Racing 1999 are very good -- although prior to the release of Electronics Arts' NASCAR Revolution demo, I would have said that the graphics are great. Now, things seem a little dated. I played the game using my Voodoo2 3DFx accelerator and everything ran smoothly and without a hitch. Turning on all of the graphic detail adds some things to the stands and the infield, but when you are racing you don't really have time to notice such effects until you get into the pits. The cars are quite spectacular in their detail (especially when you use the ones that can be downloaded off the fan sites), but other graphical elements seem aged. You do not get any motion from your pit crew, nor does anyone wave a flag (although a waving flag does appear as separate graphic in your cockpit), and the only real action is on the track.
Back of the
pack.
The most impressive visuals are on display after the race in the playback feature. You get to practice, and run qualification heats, warm-ups, and full race events at each of the tracks. You then get to play back your runs and analyze where you are having problems. I really enjoy watching my races unfold. You don't get the sense of just how crazy that inside pass you did on turn two during lap 34 was until you see it played back for you. You can choose different angles and different cars to follow during playback. You can also race your car from behind at different angles, but I found that you gain the best control and racing experience from driving with the cockpit view. The crashes are quite spectacular with bits and pieces flying everywhere. Unfortunately, you won't flip your car over. The car itself will take a lot of accurately portrayed damage with the appropriate settings on. I finished a race at the North Carolina Speedway with my front-end bent so high that I couldn't see parts of the track.
Look Ma, I'm
on TV!
Another part of the game that enhances the racing experience is the spotter. He is constantly communicating to you about your position in the race, where other cars are in relation to yours, how much damage you appear to have, and where you should position the car on the track and at what speed. One of the problems with the game is the sound level, or lack thereof. If you adjust the sound levels of the engines too high, you can't hear the spotter. I had to maximize the Windows 98 sound level of my four-speaker setup in order to achieve a satisfactory ambience level. Remarkably, a couple of fan sites have actually captured spotter calls from real NASCAR races and made files that can be used in the game as a substitute for the included spotter's voice.
NASCAR has a new fan!
What is really noteworthy about NASCAR Racing 1999 is that I am now a big fan of a sport that I knew nothing about a month ago. On a recent trip I actually purchased a summary of the 1998 Winston Cup Series races and read it on the plane ride home. When the magazine aricle mentioned a particularly hazardous turn on a track, I could actually understand a little bit about the dangers involved in surviving that turn at high speeds. This is all due to Papryus' game and it is a real credit to the simulation.
A tweaker's
playground.
NASCAR Racing 1999 joins the pantheon of Sierra Sports titles that I have grown to love and enjoy over the years. Like Front Page Sports: Baseball Pro and Football Pro, NASCAR Racing 1999 offers a sports simulation universe that creates both an enjoyable game and the ability to customize almost every aspect of the title to one's particular tastes. The driver AI is top notch (and is even further enhanced by the tweaks available at fan sites). Very few games reach this level of gaming nirvana. NASCAR Racing 1999 is easily the best game that I have played in 1998.
Look at that
crew go!
But you must remember my original caveats. I do not own NASCAR Racing 2, so owners of previous editions in the series may not share my complete level of enthusiasm about this game. It seems to be much more of an upgrade rather than a completely new game. Some NASCAR Racing 2 owners may find the native Windows support to their liking, but as they still have to race online with the DOS version of the game, why buy it? My answer to that point is quite simple. Take one of the horrible sports games you've picked up during the past two years, put it in an envelope with the Sierra rebate coupon, and NASCAR Racing 1999 will only costs you whatever the local tax is on the purchase. Sure you have to wait a bit for the money and there is an initial outlay of cash, but you get the game virtually free of costs.
The ultimate
prize.
I would award NASCAR Racing 1999 a GDR Gold Medal (if I could actually award these medals on my own) as a must have game for racing fans who do not own any of the previous editions. Otherwise, it is still a good value if you wish to gain the ease of peripheral use that is provided by the native Windows version. My extended friends and family now believe that the Florida heat has boiled my brain as I am currently plotting ways to make it to Daytona Beach for the opening of the Winston Cup Series. Never has a game made such a profound impact on my existence. I wonder what NASCAR Racing 3 will bring?
Pros:
- Excellent simulation and nice graphics
- Has both arcade and simulation modes
- Can customize just about everything in the game
- Big bang for the buck if you don't own previous versions
- No AI problems of note
- Not a whole lot different from its predecessor
FOOTNOTES
| Appeal: | Racing simulation fans |
|---|---|
| Originality: | Builds on previous versions |
| Graphics: | Very good |
| Audio: | OK, but you could have volume problems |
| Longevity: | Been playing it every day since I purchased it and fan sites should increase longevity |
| Interface & Usability: | Easy to use |
| Packaging & Docs: | Excellent |
| Bugs & Problems: | Other than the sound, none noted |
Screenshots on this page were captured using HyperSnap-DX.
Copyright © Chris Johnson for the Games Domain Review - December, 1998. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.