I'm not a gear head, but I love to race. That is how I started my review for F1 2000. At that point, I though F1 Championship Season 2000 would be the only racing game to come down the Mac pipeline for awhile. Boy, was I wrong!

In early December, Aspyr dropped a bomb on Mac users with the announcement of Nascar 2002 for Macintosh. If the announcement itself was not enough, they also announced that it would be shipping in Decemeber…of 2002! After a month of waiting, I can finally say, it's here!

Out of the Box : The installation of Nascar 2002 is simple. Drag the Nascar 2002 folder from the CD to your applications folder. I thought this would mean that you could run the game without the CD but, that is not the case. The CD must be in the CD-ROM drive to run. Here is the only negative thing I'm going to say about the game. The icon stinks. That's it. Petty (not Kyle or Richard) I know, but you have to say something bad in a review. Right? Whoops, one more negative thing to say…I don't like the fact that there is not a full Winston Cup field. A lot of the drivers are in the Car Set but there are some glaring omissions. Here are a few; Jeff Gordon, Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Johnson, and Jimmy Spencer (I Love Jimmy Spencer, btw) to name a few. This is not as serious of a problem as you might think though. I'm sure that some enterprising Mac users will create the full Winston Cup field and make it available for donwload by the Daytona 500 in February.

Interface : The interface is a typical game interface. Lots of options. You can select the type of race you want to participate in (Test Session, Single Race, Championship Season, Multi player, Driving Lesson) as well as make all adjustments to graphics, controllers, etc.

Test System : I am running Nascar 2002 on a Powerbook G4 (550mhz, 786 mb Ram, ATI Video card with 16 MB of ram). This system is not the gaming system that the game was intended for but it was very playable nonetheless (system requirements - Aspyr.com). I ran the game at 640x480 in 16 bit mode. I'm sure the game will really shine on a system that can handle the 32 bit graphics that it was created for. Even in 16 bit mode with some of the graphics turned off (or down) the game was very enjoyable to play. The only negative was the lack of a steering wheel on my part. The only way to play this game is with a Wheel / Pedal combo.

Update: After playing the game for a while I decided to see how it would run in full screen 1152x768 Mode with 32 bit graphics. I was pleasantly surprised that the game ran very well. Check out the screenshots to the right by clicking on the 32 bit gallery. I turned the world objects (grandstands, etc) down to increase my framerate. This allowed me to turn the car detail up. The results are magnificent. The gauges inside the car are fully readable and the opponents cars look great! I'm only running a 20 car field with only 8 vidible in front and three in the mirror. Smoke has also been turned on. A great effect. Especially when you are driving through it.[01/01]

Pre-Race : The game recommends that you view the first Driving Lesson. After getting out on the track with the car, I would recommend that everyone watch this first lesson, at least. The physics and realism of the game make driving a stock car much more difficult than any other racing game I have ever played. Papyrus really nailed the feel of driving with this game. There is more to driving a stock car than getting in and mashing the gas, and in this game you really feel it.

First Laps : Being a former Nascar for Mac driver (and winner in league competition) I thought I would hop in the car, turn a few laps and it would all come back to me. Boy was I wrong. First, the lack of a steering wheel killed me. I think I hit the wall about 5 times on that first lap, and spun at every corner. Second, this game is drastically different than the one released in 96.

Using the keyboard doesn't allow the driver to make the fine adjustments necessary to get a car around the track successfully. Papyrus knew this and made it mandatory for steering assistance and anti-lock braking to be on while using the keyboard. My advice: GET A WHEEL!!! I should have mine any day now.

Drivers Eye View : Sitting in the drivers seat in this game is an experience all its own. I thought that I would hate the idea of having a steering wheel on the screen but it really adds to the feel of the game. The steering wheel can be turned off, by the way.

The rear view mirror, a very important part of the cockpit, especially with visibility limited by safety equipment, can be turned off, or can display various levels of detail.

Another great feature, is the ability to turn your head left and right. Using the Z & X keys, the driver can look to his left and right.

Granny Shifting : When you first get in the car, you are sitting on pit road, waiting to start your session. As you hit the accelerator, the car shifts into first gear. The gear shifter actually moves and the car makes a beautiful sound as it engages. I love the sound of the car moving through the gears!

Realism : This can barely be called a game. It's not a game, it's a simulation. How real is it? Here are some of the features that make the game realistic:

• Animated Pit Crew : Your pit crew doesn't just stand there, they actually move around the car, carrying out your instructions.
• Animated Winston Cup Officials : All Winston Cup officials are now animated. Everyone from the Flag Man, to the official in your pit that stands in front of your car to make sure you serve your penalty for speeding down pit road. (Take a look at this screenshot of the Winston Cup Official holding me for a penalty). Not only are the officials animated, so are the lights around the track. During caution laps you will see the caution lights flashing.
• Black Flags and Penalties : Penalties are enforced according to the Winston Cup rule book. Rules violations include passing under yellow, speeding in the pits, not merging properly, entering the pits properly, cutting across the inner loop at Watkins Glen, and more. Let's just say this. If it's in the Nascar rule book, it's in the game.
• Waved off Green Flags: Green Flags can be waved off due to major wrecks during a restart.
• G-Load: G-Forces caused by high banks and high speed effect how high or low the driver is sitting in the car. The difference is slight, but noticeable.
• Road Racing : If you have ever watched a road race (Nascar races on road courses twice a year) then undoubtedly, you have seen the awesome shot of a car jumping the curb and going up on two wheels. Road racing in Nascar 2002 is no different. Hit the curb and the car jumps in the air on one side. Very Cool.
• Flames : If you've ever watched a Nascar race then you have probably seen the flames that occasionally come out of the exhaust as they burn off unused fuel. As you race Nascar 2002 you will see that the cars often will flame in exactly the same way. Great attention to detail.

Gameranger : The game is now playable online via Gameranger, the online gathering place for Mac users. This is another great feature that will not only test your abilities but also make this game playable over and over again.

Seat Time : The ultimate test of any game is replayability. How much can you squeeze out of the game. With enhancements like Force Feedback, Multiplayer Online gaming, beautiful graphics, and tough competition I am sure this game will have you anticipating the next time you strap yourself in.

There is so much in this game to love, that it is hard to mention everything. I've tried to highlight some of the advancements that have been made since the original Nascar for Mac game was released (in the 90's).

This is a must buy game for any racing fan.