1999 · Morning Star Multimedia · NASCAR · Racing

NASCAR Challenge

Nintendo exclusive

The thrill of victory and the agony of smashing into another car comes to the Game Boy Color in NASCAR CHALLENGE. Hop in and take on the best NASCAR has to offer including Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarret, and Rusty Wallace. Try to master Topeka, Sonoma, and Seneca raceways in the Practice mode, and when you're ready for some competition, try to survive six laps on any of the tracks. To prevail in the championship, you will have to try to win the pole position on each track and beat the pack to the finish line.

Released: 15 November 1999
Platforms: Game Boy Color
Genres: NASCAR Racing
Developers: Morning Star Multimedia
Publishers: Hasbro Interactive
Perspective: Third person
Age ratings: ESRB E
Languages: English

About

NASCAR Challenge is a 1999 video game for the Game Boy Color, developed by Morning Star Multimedia and published by Hasbro Interactive. The game is a NASCAR-licensed racing video game featuring three tracks from the NASCAR circuit. Upon release, the game received negative reviews, with publications criticizing the game's limited tracks, features, and poor attention to detail.

Keywords

rumble cartridge

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

NASCAR Challenge is an arcade racing game with two modes. In 'Practice Mode', players can select one of three tracks, the Topeka Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, and Seneca Raceway, and choose to race one to six laps in automatic and manual transmission. In 'Race Mode', players complete a qualifying run and complete races against nine opponents, with a display depicting a speedometer, clock, lap counter, race position, gear and tire gauge. Players are required to complete a pit stop to replace their tyres to avoid reduced speed and handling.

The game's cartridge features a built-in Rumble Pak that vibrates when the player crashes. Players can also use a local Game Link Cable to complete races with another player.

Development

Hasbro Interactive announced the release of a licensed NASCAR game for the Game Boy Color in August 1999, with six tracks planned for the game, eventually limited to three upon release.

Reception

NASCAR Challenge received a negative reception from reviewers upon release. Writing for GameSpot, Doug Trueman described the game as "dull" and "monotonous", finding the number of laps "much too long for a racer since there is little to do", and remarking that the "track is just too narrow" and the handling experiences "extreme deceleration when moving at anything less than top speed." Craig Harris of IGN dismissed the game as a "straight cash-in for name recognition only", observing the tracks feature a lack of detail with "not much variety" and a "plain and generic" graphics engine. Brad Cook of Allgame critiqued the lack of detail and depth, writing "there are a lot of little things that aren't done well in this game", citing problems with the game's interface, including the race position and speedometer.

Cook stated "there isn't much potential for long-term play", noting the limited number of tracks in the championship and limited detail of the competing racers. Game Boy Xtreme described the game as "deathly dull", remarking "driving round in circles soon grates."