
<MAP NAME="boxmap-p6"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="1, 140, 83, 150" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thearmchairem-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x150.gif" width="120" height="150" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p6" alt="Shop at Amazon.com">	Platform Playstation 2 Genre Racing Publisher Infogrames Developer Monster Games ESRB E (Everyone) Released Q2 2001

- Excellent use of the NASCAR license - Cars are perfect duplicates of actual vehicles - Excellent driving physics - Superb cut-scenes and driver descriptions - Variety of race modes

- Strange computer AI at times - Only 19 tracks to choose from - No explosions or rollovers

Review: NASCAR Heat 2002 (XBox) Review: NASCAR Thunder 2003 (PS2)
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NASCAR Heat 2002

Score: 8.8 / 10

Ever since mankind has been building cars, there have been people who wanted to see how fast they could drive them. For once, now the average person has the opportunity to blaze down the raceways of Daytona to try for the checkered flag. NASCAR Heat 2002 (NS2) is another of the recent breed of ultra-realistic racing games to come out in recent months. In this game, you get to strap into a NASCAR ride and take it for a spin against 24 other drivers.

The game-play has five modes of action. Firstly, there is the Beat the Heat challenges where you are given specific racing scenarios and must complete them and as such your skill should improve. For example, while the early scenarios center around short time tactics (such as passing, slipstreaming, banking, blocking, etc.) the difficulty level increases quickly and should provide more than an adequate challenge to complete. There are 36 of them and they should provide some excellent training for the courses. Secondly, there is the Race the Pros mode where there are 33 events (specific courses and specific racers on those courses) where you get a head-to-head race against the best on those tracks. Thirdly, is the single race event where you get to set the racing conditions, ranging from length of race

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(which will affect the number of pit stops you need to make or the level of rage that a significant other spews at you for playing for so long) to time of day. Fourth is the Winston Cup Championship series, where you are tossed right into the thick of things and have to battle your way up the ladder. Finally, my personal favorite is the Head to Head where you get to humiliate and embarrass your (former) closest friends in a race. The game modes should provide the gamer a plethora of scenarios to challenge and entertain the user.

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NH2 looks good. From the little aspects, such as the discolored regions of racing surfaces and tire marks to the perfect duplication of the original tracks, it is a treat to play or even watch. Sound? Nice. The effects sound exactly like boom-mikes picking up sounds from the track. From the metal grinding of a love tap to the high rpm gear shift, this game sounds great. Even the vibrations set into the game are nicely implemented, not as obtrusive as some games where the controller vibrates just for the hell of it – this one actually helps intensify the action. The action itself is becoming more of the realistic action that gamers are coming to expect – if you take a turn poorly, the other racers are going to take advantage of you; if you hit a wall, the car is damaged and won't perform as well (from engine damage to increased wind drag from losing a proper wind channels). Even more impressive is the implementation of the DVD-ROM aspects of the PS2, the preparations for all of the races are handled by a live commentator which I thought was a great addition to the game. It really does give it that weekend race feel.

Detractions? A few. The computer AI on the controlled racers is really twitchy at times. One moment you are lapping the racers at such a furious pace that you could go into the stands for a hot dog and the next moment (or race) you might as well be driving a Nova out there 'cuz you aren't going to be involved in the race at all. Another annoyance is the low number of tracks, they could have added a few international tracks or something else, being limited to only 19 tracks is a little disappointing. The last grievance is with the total lack of explosions or race stopping accidents. Every real-life race sees them, why were they not included in this game? If you crash head-on into a wall, all that happens is that you finish the race a lot slower. All the time you will lose is the amount of time that it takes to point the nose of your car forward and accelerate back up to speed.

All in all, NASCAR Heat 2002 is a great racing game that any NASCAR enthusiast will be happy to own.

- Tazman

(August 5, 2001)


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