NASCAR

NASCAR racing is an acquired taste that not every car enthusiast or race fan appreciates, but make no mistake its loyal followers are many and the drivers, like the late Dale Earnhardt, have become legends. So it was no surprise that EA Sports has given us a taste of NASCAR racing in its lineup of sports titles for the major consoles. NASCAR is the first attempt to bring the series to Sony’s PSP so it’s time grab your handheld and run a few dozen laps.

Here’s some great news: NASCAR manages to cram in a majority of the things we like about the console version of the series while adding an exclusive feature that adds a nice touch to the serious NASCAR simulator. I’m talking about the Instant Rewind feature that takes a page out of the Xbox 360’s Full Auto game where, with enough Skill Points, you are able to rewind back to the moment before you made a mistake or damaged your vehicle to the point of being taken out of the race. Then there are the game modes like Quick Race, Season, Speedzone, Dodge Challenge and Fight To The Top.

Quick Race is the easiest way to experience each racing series whether it’s NASCAR National Series, the Whelen Modified Series, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series or the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Meanwhile Season puts you in the driver’s seat in a lengthy NASCAR season. The Dodge Challenge mode takes you through some of last season’s memorable scenarios and allows you to change history. For example, Kyle Busch beat Greg Biffle by a mere few seconds in the Checker Auto Parts 500 race at Phoenix. You take control of Biffle’s car as you attempt to rewrite history by beating him during the last few laps. Speedzone includes a series of challenges geared towards perfecting your drafting and passing skills while also including a few time trails.

The heart of the game is really Fight To The Top mode where gamers can create a driver and take him through a series of races to ultimately make it to the top of each NASCAR series race. The mode gives you an interesting and realistic peek at the career of a race car driver, including interacting with your sport’s agent (Ace Moneymaker) and accepting contracts to jumpstart your career. You’ll earn points good towards unlocking better cars and paint jobs and go up against 43 real racers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. just to name a few of NASCAR’s best drivers.

Fight To The Top also includes rivals, a concept introduced on the console. Say you’re in the middle of a series race in the Las Vegas Speedway when you accidentally trade some paint with Tony Stewart one too many times. Suddenly, Stewart accelerates and clips you back, sending you in a tailspin. The next race you go up against Stewart he’ll start driving aggressively around you. Expect rivals and computer-controlled racers to drive aggressively. These are the many things that make NASCAR such a solid racing experience. 

On the other hand, there are some sacrifices in the translation, mainly the obvious awkward analog stick control or the omission of the Total Team Control feature. Unlike the console version where you have better analog control and thus better control of your car, this handheld version uses the analog stick and the left and right D-pad controls to turn your vehicle while pushing down on the D-pad allows brings up different camera views. Needless to say you will be making full use of your pit crew’s ability to make quick repairs and refuel your car. The controls aren’t bad but they do cramp a driver’s style.

Visually, NASCAR could have been a lot better as well. We’re talking graphics that look like they would feel more comfortable on the original PlayStation. It is impressive to see more than thirty cars on the track even more so when there’s a nasty spill with smoke and everything. Unfortunately, when it comes to the cars they don’t really stand out even with a new paint job so don’t expect to admire these vehicles.

The sound is another story, though. While the soundtrack isn’t my cup of tea, those who like the sounds of Breaking Benjamins, Trace Adkins and Van Zant will certainly enjoy these tunes. What the game does right, however, are the sound effects especially when rivals zoom right past you or when you accidentally scrape the barriers. You’ll hear plenty from your pit crew chief and it’s best to listen to the advice so play this game loudly or break out your headphones.

NASCAR for the PSP attempts to bring all the things we love about the console version and, for the most part, it’s a good job that is slightly marred by the handheld itself. Still, with the majority of the console version’s main modes intact plus a PSP exclusive feature, this is a game NASCAR fans will want to own when they want to take their racing action on the go.

Gameplay: 7.0
The lack of a second analog stick hurts the game but not to the point that it ruins the racing action. This game brings all the familiar NASCAR elements perfectly and you’re able to make realistic decisions to keep yourself in the racing circuit. Fight To The Top and Season mode will keep NASCAR fans happy.

Graphics: 6.5
The graphics are one of the game’s biggest disappointments seeing as we’ve seen better-looking racing games (and EA Sports games) on the PSP. At best the game looks like a very attractive original PlayStation game. At least the presentation and menu screens look good.

Sound: 7.0
The game’s soundtrack is hit or miss depending on your tastes or if you like the musical styling of artists like Van Zant or Shooter Jennings. You have to love the detailed sound effects that go beyond the revving engines and tire screeches and the voice work is handled nicely.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Going up against the likes of Jimmie Johnson isn’t easy but going up against a Jimmie Johnson who didn’t much care for the fact that you clipped his car more than once will make your career a very difficult one. Your rivals as well as other racers are smart and are able to correct their mistakes so expect some pretty challenging races.

Concept: 8.0
Sure Season mode will have deeply involved in the NASCAR action but it’s Fight To The Top that will have you working your way to the top of your career ladder and loving every minute of it. NASCAR brings each series to life and includes today’s best drivers into the mix. Instant Rewind is a great feature and so is the multiplayer mode even though it lacks online play.

Multiplayer: 7.5
No online play will make stock car fans unhappy but the wireless Ad Hoc connectivity will give you and up to three buddies a reason to keep playing this game long after you’ve gone through all the game’s single-player modes.

Overall: 7.5
Hardware limitations aside, NASCAR for the PSP is actually a decent racing game that comes very close to bringing us all the goodies the console version offers. While better analog control would have made a huge difference to the gameplay, what is here is enough to give NASCAR fans a good enough reason to buy this game.