Nascar Rumble by EA was one of the last great racing titles released for the original Playstation. It captured a number of arcade themes and made them work well for the aging console. Since it was a licensed game the studio was able to put in renders of actual cars from the NASCAR circuit, complete with accurate paint schemes and sponsor stickers. This also included the Craftsman Truck series vehicles and legendary racers like Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, and Richard Petty. Mr. Petty is nicknamed the King, and he is on my Mount Rushmore of car heroes. He is up there with Bob Chandler, the father of Bigfoot, Formula-1 legend Ayrton Senna, and drag race pioneer Shirley Muldowney. Each vehicle in Rumble had three versions that the player could unlock. The standard, pro and elite versions not only changed the appearance but the performance as well. These souped-up vehicles owed more than a little debt to hot rod culture. Enormous engine blocks would stick out from the hood, the rear wing spoiler would become larger and more stylized. The profile of the car was more aggressive, the stance a little wider and tires more sporty. These were the types of rides that NASCAR fans that grew up on Hot Wheels would dream of.
The tracks that the cars raced in also got an exaggerated treatment. Rumble was anything but a sim, it was very much an arcade experience. There were no ovals here but instead winding courses that took players through one of several American-inspired environments. Each of these regions were chosen because of their contribution to NASCAR history. The South gave rise to many legendary racers and teams, the coasts had some amazing visuals, while the cities provided some of the most hotly contested races. The soundtrack was southern rock, with a little twang even on the surf ballads. There was even a commentator doing his best Jeff Foxworthy one liners. Everything complimented the theme EA was going for. Each course came complete with shortcuts, some obvious and others well hidden. The diversity in locations, clever use of secrets and ramps helped liven up the genre. The computer AI was forgiving as long as it did not "see" the player use the shortcuts. If it did then the AI would take the same shortcuts and pull out some very close races.
These cars could ram each other off the road or plow through opponents which helped make this game really stand out. However EA also gave players the ability to use special power-ups through the courses. Similar to the function featured in the Mario Kart games, these power-ups could give players a speed boost, make them temporarily invincible or sabotage opponents by zapping their speed and grip. These power-ups could be turned off or set to very high numbers depending on how chaotic players wanted the experience to be. The game was very fun and the secrets kept me coming back for more. Unfortunately it looked very dated when it appeared. The car models were blocky and rough when compared to the 1st generation PS2 titles. The saving grace was the originality, memorable tracks and use of iconic racers to make it stand out.
EA did release an updated version called Rumble Racing on the PS2. Unfortunately it did not use the NASCAR license. The exaggerated car models remained and the shift was more on stunt racing rather than the fantastic narrative of taking NASCAR vehicles to the streets. Rumble Racing did marginally well but most fans were hoping for a true sequel. Perhaps someday it might happen, then my friends on 1UP might be converted into believers. So is this how the car series ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper? Come back tomorrow for the wrap-up.
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