NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Racing
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
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The NASCAR Racing series, in all of its chapters and variants since 1994, has established itself as a true benchmark racing simulation as well as a best-selling title for parent company Sierra. However, the last major upgrade this franchise received was over two years ago and fans of the series are getting impatient. Hey, when are we actually going to get something that's new?
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Not a P200 or a P233. Just a plain old Pentium.
If that's not a huge tip-off that Papyrus' newest NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Racing game (not to mention its whole NASCAR franchise) is showing a few gray hairs, then I don't know what is.
The NASCAR Racing series, in all of its chapters and variants since 1994, has established itself as a true benchmark racing simulation as well as a best-selling title for parent company Sierra. However, the last major upgrade this franchise received was over two years ago and fans of the series are getting impatient waiting for NASCAR 3 (with its much anticipated GPL-based physics engine) to make an entrance. (At last word, N3, originally slated for 4th-quarter 1998 release, has been pushed back to September.)
As a temporary marketing strategy Sierra seem set on recycling NASCAR 2 under different titles and packaging. A little over a year ago they turned out a Grand National Expansion Pack that gave us a dozen new tracks and a full set of new GN cars and drivers. This was followed shortly by a free downloadable 3Dfx patch on their website and then last Christmas by NASCAR Racing: 1999 Edition, which offered a whopping 35 tracks and introduced the popular Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Racing is the latest in this line of N2-based products and if you've been following along closely you may wonder: Hey, when are we actually going to get something that's new?
Despite its attractive expansion pack pricing, NCTSR is in fact a stand-alone game that features all of the Craftsman trucks and drivers from NASCAR:1999. It also offers support for 3Dfx acceleration. (Native Rendition support has been dropped.) But it has only eight of the tracks and no multiplayer component. It appears that this game is aimed at two distinct audiences; novice sim racers who have never owned any of the previous NASCAR titles, and longtime N2 fans who opted to take a pass on the recently released (and premium-priced) NASCAR:1999.
If you fall into one of these categories, you'll find NCTSR a tidy little package that does a great job of showcasing the venerable N2 engine. The game's driving model, although more than two years old, remains one of the best on the market and can still challenge veteran and novice alike with its advanced tire adhesion physics. Its comprehensive garage menu that is still one of the finest available. The excellent crew chief/spotter vocals from the original game are another definite plus and are extremely helpful when you're negotiating the crowded confines of the game's seven tight bullring ovals and solo road circuit.
But, graphically, NCTSR isn't quite so exciting. The highest resolution supported in both Glide and software modes is 640x480 and, although the detailing on the individual trucks and trackside objects is quite crisp, the game is devoid of eye candy. If you're looking for advanced visual effects like transparent tire smoke and dynamic lighting, you're going to have to wait for NASCAR 3.
It's hard to criticize Sierra too much for punching out such a modestly priced game while Papyrus continues development of NASCAR 3. But its timing seems odd. NASCAR: 1999, with four times the gaming experience of NCTSR, has already started to appear in software bargain bins, and I've seen it selling for as little $25. Why buy a stripped-down version of a game when a slightly older, full version can be had for only a few dollars more?
