NASCAR – PSP – Review

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.