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NASCAR 2000, NHL 2000, Mario Golf Game Boy By Chip & Jonathan Carter Tribune Media Services NASCAR 2000, FOR N64 AND PLAYSTATION � Ready to swap a little paint? Too bad if you're not � you won't have any choice once you're going wheel to wheel with the stars of the NASCAR world. They're all here in this follow-up to last year's stock car racing smash. In fact, the only problem with this game is that it might be too much like last year's model. There are a few new racers, like rookies Tony Stewart, Adam Petty and Dale Earnhart Jr. � plus the king, Richard Petty, is available from the start, out of retirement and ready to rumble in his legendary 43 car � and a new track (Miami), and of course the cars are updated. But other than that, this is the same game we saw last year. Not that there's anything wrong with that. If you're a hardcore NASCAR fan you'll have to have this game anyway. If you're just a casual fan and you already have NASCAR �99, don't pick this one up expecting a new game. The graphics are still the best we've ever seen in a racing game, with views that put you behind or above the car, or right in the driver's seat. And when it comes to the driving, we've never seen a game do it better. You can take on single races, a full season, or enter a career mode as your favorite NASCAR star � they're all here. You'll get a chance to practice on each of 18 tracks (Daytona's still sadly missing, same as last year), then set up your car, qualify and enter the main event. If you don't want to run 500 miles, that's fine � you can choose races of any length, from three- or four-lap sprints to full tests of endurance and anything in-between. A note: There are a handful of NASCAR legends who appear as hidden characters. To access those, you have to finish in the top five at certain tracks, in races that are at least 50 percent of their regulation length. This one's about wall-to-wall speed, sliding into turns, and gunning it for the finish line with a host of would-be winners on your tail. For racing fans, it doesn't get any better. JONATHAN SAYS : We saw it all last year � NASCAR hasn't changed that much in 12 months, and I'm not a big enough fan to know the difference between a lot of these guys anyway. For me this is still the same game it was � go fast, turn left. I like the game, I just don't see the need � for me � to have 2000 when I already have �99. A. CHIP SAYS : I'm a NASCAR nut. For me having this year's version of my favorite racer ever is simply a must. And the chance to drive as King Richard from the start is just too good to pass up. A+. OVERALL RATING: A � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. MARIO GOLF, FOR GAME BOY COLOR � One of the best games ever for Game Boy was the original Golf, which Nintendo put out a decade ago! This is an update of that classic, with favorite Mario characters, color graphics, and a new bag of tricks. You can play as Mario or Luigi, or any of four new characters. You can also access Wario if you're good enough. Or you can create as many as three characters of your own and hit the links. You'll practice and play tournaments on four different courses, each with its own champion. Your goal is to get good enough to take the club titles away from the pros at each course. Graphically, this one looks a lot like the original, but with plenty of new challenges. And then there's that color thing, of course. It's a nice addition � but it also means you can't play this one on a regular Game Boy. Don't expect the kind of detail you get in a game like Mario Golf for the N64. This one gives you some of that off the tees and on the fairways, but once you're on the green, it's gone. Putting's simply a matter of lining up your shot and hitting it just right � not too hard, not too soft. You don't have to worry about reading greens and breaks and all that stuff, just follow the arrow patterns on the green. In a way, it's nice, because it's simpler, but experienced gamers and golfers will miss the additional challenge. If you've played Mario Golf for the N64, you know there are a few spots at the bottom of the screen that can't be filled with any golfers found there. Those are purportedly to be filled with characters from Mario Golf for Game Boy. We say purportedly, because as of yet there's no technology on the market to let you do that. So if you're thinking about buying this one just to fill in the blanks in your N64 version, wait. But if you're looking for a great portable golf game � and hey, this one's a lot easier to carry on a plane than a big bag of clubs � this one will fill the bill. JONATHAN SAYS : I love the create-a-character mode. Mario Golf for the N64 got me interested in playing the real game, which I'm doing now (much to my dad's delight). I actually learned a lot about club selection and green reads and when to try to clobber the ball and when to just make contact and lay up. This version continues that education in a small way. And besides, it's fun. A. CHIP SAYS : I miss the complexity of the big golf games, but this one certainly fills the bill when you want to do a little chipping and putting on the go. I'm surprised that this one hasn't changed more in a decade. I'm a little disappointed with the putting. You'd think with technological advances in the last 10 years we could get a good close-up of the greens even on the small screen. B+. OVERALL RATING: A � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. NHL 2000, FOR PLAYSTATION � This series has been around uninterrupted longer than any other game on skates. It's also always been at the top of the pile. This year's version doesn't change any of that. In fact, if anything, it demonstrates just why this series continues to thrive year after year. Of course you get all the NHL teams and players, including options that let you trade and draft players, and plenty of play modes, from exhibitions to full seasons and a welcomed new "career" mode. The graphics are even better than last year's model, with bigger players and a higher frame rate that provides crispness. That frame rate also makes the game play faster and more responsive � this one handles sweet, folks. But the best new features in this one are the "big hit" and "big deke" buttons. The "big hit" serves pretty much the same purpose as a power tackle button in a football game. One tap delivers a fierce flying body check that's enough to rattle an opponent off the boards. The "big deke" lets you pull off a fake that'll pull a defender right out of his skates. Electronic Art's NHL series has always shown video hockey at its best, and this year's model is the cream of a very good crop. JONATHAN SAYS : I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out ... and that's the way I like it. The hockey part's cool, but if the fight's right, I'm not too concerned about the rest. I mean, hit puck, puck glides, puck goes in net or doesn't, end of story. But slam somebody into the wall with a nice body check and have them come up ready to rumble and you�ve got something. The brawling in this one's great, and, unlike in some hockey games, they don't try to hide it. Drop the gloves and go, boy! A+. CHIP SAYS : EA's always been hockey's top dogs as far as I'm concerned, and they still are. There are a lot of great hockey games out there this year �in contrast to other sports � but this one's the best of a very good bunch. A+. OVERALL RATING: A+ � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. Chip & Jonathan Carter are a father/son gaming team who've been twiddling their thumbs professionally since 1990. For more tips, tricks, reviews and news, check us out on-line at http://vgames.webpoint.com/vid/ecol/mainpage . Or e-mail us at [email protected] . Got a question? An inside tip you'd like to share? Write to Chip and Jonathan Carter in care of this newspaper. While they cannot respond individually, they will answer questions of general interest in their column. (C) 1999 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC. Techno file index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA