NASCAR RUMBLE REVIEW PLUS
NASCAR RUMBLE REVIEW PROFESSIONAL

In Nascar Rumble, you need about as much skill as an Orangutan to win a power-up race (and only against one other real racer). The best of them blend skill, the timely use of power-ups, knowledge of the tracks, and a little luck to create a fun party game. I have played Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Chocobo Racing, Crash Team Racing, and every other kart game under the sun, and only a few of stand out. I could be in last for the whole race and win because I threw a Twister at some sap. I could be in first place for three-plus laps and then suddenly lose. They probably make the game fun for kids under 12, but for anyone over, they lose them, and they sweep out all of the skill.

NASCAR RUMBLE REVIEW PLUS

The 11 original power-ups (that can be switched off) range from Bad Gas (slows your car) to Twister (throws your car into the air), to Nitro (speed boost), to Big Rumble (transforms your front grill into a weapon), plus seven more. Having said all these good things, one of the most troublesome parts of the game for me is the Mario Kart-style power-up system. Whatever hiding technique you desire, the development team designed the courses to be a hell of a lot of fun. In some cases you need to take risks to get to them, by attempting to bash through wrong way signs, houses, mine shafts, or dangerous hollows. The tracks are riddled with shortcuts and surprise paths that jump over standard paths, or lead to new branches, or criss-cross above normal paths.

Instead, all tracks are all rugged original terrain, ranging from country roads, to city streets, to beach courses, to pig farms. Like I said before, this is not a regular Nascar game. Taking the cup also unlocks a bonus track, Locale, or vehicle category. Having taken the Cup you can race the 'Legend' of that Locale, and by beating him you can race in that area in his car, which is cool, because it's always faster than what you're driving. Players can race on any course in Single Race, but in Championship, they must win either two out of three races (or earn the most points from the three races) to take the Gold Cup. Three courses belong to a Locale, of which there are six, totaling 18 total tracks altogether, a nice thick number. Nascar Rumble is set up with several courses ready to compete on. I can't tell you how gratifying it is to go from 0-90 in three seconds. What's more, your car, no matter which of the 30-plus cars (or trucks) you pick, has this unearthly ability to accelerate on a dime. The frame rates appear to run at a constant 30 FPS, no matter how many cars are on-screen, creating G-forces that are delicious to any racing fan. The game really is a strange hybrid that works on several levels, the most apparent of which is the sense of speed. They're able to flip, spin, and summersault in mid-air. There are even a few oddball Nascar trucks thrown in there. All of the cars are from the actual Nascar teams, all with the appropriate decals, strips, etc, and each mixes up various characteristics or speed, endurance, control, etc. They burst through walls, waterfalls, bricks, and bash into each other and just keep going. The videogame replicas of real Nascar vehicles are burly, indestructible, leaping things that are as solid as bulldozers.

(SF Rush bombed on the PS about two years ago.) These cars are still as powerful as in real life, but now they race on 18 courses all across the continent, each course packed with clever short cuts, power-ups, and highly competitive AI. This is as close to San Francisco Rush as the PlayStation gets, with a few new elements thrown in for good measure. (OK, I admit it I don't know anyone who loves, or even likes, Nascar racing.) But that's not what this is.

NASCAR RUMBLE REVIEW PROFESSIONAL

Gameplay The Nascar we all know (and whom some love) is based on the professional sport of souped-up racing cars that speed infinitely around an oval steering left. A genetic hybrid of cars, racers, and regalia from Nascar is woven together with the shortcut, high-flying style of SF Rush to create a truly arcade-style experience like none other on this system. Even after Gran Turismo 2 took the racing trophy for overall best racer (despite a few technical flaws), the amount of room for fun, speedy, action-packed games is still wide open. Believe it or not, there still is room in the crowded showroom of racing games on the PlayStation.

Nascar rumble review