NASCAR '99 is a racing simulator video game developed and published by EA Sports and co-developed by Stormfront Studios. It was released for Nintendo 64 on September 10, 1998, and for the PlayStation on September 29. NASCAR '99 was the second game in the EA Sports NASCAR series of video games.
Features
NASCAR '99 is the second game relating in EA Sports NASCAR series of video games. The game features thirty-one of the drivers from the 1998 Winston Cup Series season and six legendary drivers. The game also includes seventeen different NASCAR race tracks, including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sears Point, and Michigan International Speedway. Furthermore, the game includes instructions from a crew chief, such as when to make a pit stop or when cars are around the player.
Development
EA confirmed the game's existence in April 1998.
Reception
The game received average reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. The game was praised for its authenticity, although critics felt that the graphics and sound effects were not improved from the previous game, NASCAR '98. Also, critics stated that the player would become "tired" of the game if they were a "racing-game fan". Next Generation said of the PlayStation version, "While not a huge improvement over NASCAR 98, it is a better game, and makes it a worthy upgrade if only for the Dual Shock support." Air Hendrix of GamePro said in the October 1998 issue that the Nintendo 64 version "redlines the thrills with quality stock-car action. Rookies will delight in the wild, bumper-grinding arcade side, while pros who dig sim racing will face off against tough CPU cars that block passing lanes and take you into the wall." An issue later, Hendrix stated, "If you're choosing between the PlayStation and N64 versions, the PlayStation game easily takes the pole – though not by a huge margin. All told, race fans in general and NASCAR fans in praticular won't go wrong peeling out of pit row with this title."