Introduction

Buckle up and hold on to your waifu pillows because NASCAR 2000 is firing up the engines on the PlayStation! Released in 1999, this little gem brings the thunder of NASCAR to your living room, right before the world went wild for ‘Twilight’. Strap in as we take this baby for a spin at 200 mph and see if it’s a win or a wreck.

Gameplay

NASCAR 2000 wants to simulate the adrenaline-pumping experience of stock car racing, and it's about as realistic as your neighbor who plays all day and still claims he ‘works' from home. You can choose to race as one of the legends of the track, like Dale Earnhardt or Mark Martin, and you get to drive on various famous tracks—because seriously, who needs graphics when you have speeding cars and a whole lot of left turns? If realism is your thing, you'll be thrilled to hear that you can adjust everything: from tire pressures to pit strategies. Want to practice your best ‘Kitchen-sink-pit-stop’ while the game is in progress? You can do that! Want to eat chips while wrecking the competition? Go for it! Just don’t forget to pick the right car set-up, or your performance will make a toddler's tricycle look fast. And let’s not forget about the multiplayer mode! Challenge your friends to see who's the fastest. Spoiler alert: cheating involves a 20-second head start and your oldest friend. With enough practice, you’ll be Nascar-ing your way to glory in no time. Plus, there’s single-player too, which lets you live the NASCAR dream solo, without the unfortunate pit crew party where everyone volunteers to just get pizza instead of fuel and tires.

Graphics

Now let’s play a game of spot-the-pixel! Released in a time when 3D graphics were as advanced as dial-up internet, NASCAR 2000 looks dated—not as dated as your parents’ old VHS collection, but close. Sure, the cars look good for their time, and the tracks like Daytona and Talladega are recognizable (at least if you’ve ever seen them on TV), but the textures? We’re talking ‘90s computer graphics level here. If you think cringe-worthy Polygons could drop a mixtape, this game would be top of the charts! Did I mention there’s a soundtrack that features instrumental takes on Blues Traveler? Who doesn’t love a good jam session amidst the wrecks and chaos of stock car racing? If only it could drown out some of the game’s audio bugs—you can literally hear a car scrape the walls one second, but only get a ‘thunk’ instead of that dramatic NASCAR engine roar. Amazing balance on sound, right?

Conclusion

NASCAR 2000 may not be what you would consider the pinnacle of racing games, but it does deliver a fun experience if you're willing to turn a blind eye to its glaring faults. It offers decent gameplay and, despite its clunky graphics, successfully immerses you in the world of NASCAR. It's like that one friend who can't cook but brings amazing snacks to a party—the gameplay makes up for the lack of visual finesse! If you’re a racing fan or like playing games while dreaming up scenarios of wrecking your friends in a close race, you might just find a reason to invest your time in NASCAR 2000. Just remember, this was the '90s; we didn’t need 4K graphics or VR to have a good time. We had charm, fun, and a whole lot of left turns! So, start your engines and get ready to hit the track! But if you need a real racing fix, you might still wanna choose one of the more modern titles instead.

See Prices for NASCAR 2000 on PlayStation on Ebay