Like 1997's NASCAR Racing from Papyrus, NASCAR Heat was a port of the Hasbro/Infrogrames racing title of the same name released in 2000. In the time of where EA dominated the console scene and Papyrus never making another console racing game, NASCAR Heat's introduction was a pleasant sight to see and would start a trilogy of Nascar games produced by Monster Games and published by Infogrames and Hasbro Interactive.

Graphics (6/10)- For a port, the graphics leave a lot to be desired. Vehicle skins are monotoned to one specific color on each car and they look rather pixellated. Vehicle bodies suffer also with a much lower poly count than the bodies EA used for Nascar '99 and 2000. In addition to the bodies, there is a minimal damage model that hardly puts a dent in these cars. Tracks look decent for the system but draw distance takes a hit in the process. The game starts with an FMV intro featuring a short tribute for Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin Jr., two young drivers who were killed in separate accidents at New Hampshire International Speedway in 2000. Followed by announcer Allen Bestwick welcoming the player to NASCAR Heat, followed by a montage featuring PS1 gameplay and driver bloopers while recording lines for the Beat the Heat section.

Sound (5/10)- The intro rock track is hardly noticeable, the menu music has a nice ring to it that for some reason is exclusive to the PS1 version as the PC version featured a different theme that would later be used in NASCAR Heat 2002. The sound quality of your crew chief and spotter are somewhat shoddy but subtitles are available which help significantly. The voices of Bestwick and associated drivers are nice and clear in the Beat the Heat FMV sequences. But the engine and impact sounds are a relative letdown that result in me turning the volume down.

Addictiveness (4/10)- Like most racing games, not a lot changes throughout your gameplay experience. Perhaps the most addictive thing about this game is completing the Beat the Heat and Beat the Pro sections which will be covered shortly.

Depth (7/10)- Where graphics and sound falter, depth makes up for it. With the Beat the Heat section, you have over 36 challenges to complete ranging from racing basics to full race scenarios and even wreck avoidance. I've found myself trying again and again in the later stages as the difficulty rises gradually. The Beat the Pro section is basically a 1v1 race where you have five laps to beat the pro's lap time racing against a transparent image. This game features 26 Winston Cup Drivers, a Player car, and 19 officially licensed tracks from the 2000 season with the exception of Indianapolis. There are also options for Opponent strength ranging from Rookie, Intermediate, Pro, and Legend. As well as optional tire wear and fuel consumption, race length (1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, and 100%, and pack size with the maximum of 13 opponents, which is less compared to EA's NASCAR 2001 released in the same year featuring a maximum of 18 cars.

Difficulty (8/10)- The more advanced stages of the Beat the Heat section will prove to be a challenge. Even in single race or championship modes, the AI has a rubber band effect. You will be able to fall far behind with little or no chance of catching up, but if you're running up front the AI will become faster and more aggressive, testing your ability to block and thinking on your toes. I enjoy this feature as it adds on to the realism and shows that gameplay mechanics mean so much more than how the game looks.

I give this game an 8/10 for having advanced AI mechanics, an extensive challenge section, and realistic car physics. These three elements alone prove that this is a quality port of a successful PC simulator and go to show that good graphics does not a good game make.