Formula One racing is the allure of flat tracks, fast cars, tight corners and tires that have trouble gripping the road should the conditions turn a touch nasty.

All these elements have been incorporated into EA SPORTS™ F1 Championship Season 2000, a PlayStation console product. Though this game has two-player capabilities, it is really set up for the single player, who is challenged to drive his or her sponsor’s vehicle throughout the Grand Prix circuit.

While F1 has cars that easily top 160 miles-per-hour, there are certain things that hamper this from being a top-drawer racing program. For example, your pit crew is constantly babbling in your ear, telling you things that are immediately apparent. You know you’ve just slide off the track and rammed into a retaining wall. You don’t need them yelling at you to watch the car, or telling you what you may have just broken. Hey, you saw something fly off the front end when you hit that wall, you know something is broken.

But what this game does present is the challenge of precision racing. You can’t just stand on the gas. To do that will have you spinning out of control on the tracks, or leaving it altogether for a jaunt across the grass toward the wall. Too many instances of that and you will draw the black flag – meaning you are disqualified. The last thing the Grand Prix commission wants is a driver who is a hazard, not only to himself or herself, but to the field.

F1 is set up for an international audience. You can play in one of three languages – English, French or Spanish. There are 17 courses (and just because it says Indianapolis, don’t expect the Motor Speedway), and 21 drivers. Though in the case of this program, you are not so much selecting the driver (though there are some very good ones) as much as you are selecting the racing team.

From that point on, you are treated to a variety of build-up features meant to give the feel of what it is like to drive on the Grand Prix circuit. You can even fine-tune your machine in the shop, select which transmission you wish to use (manual or automatic) and take a few practice spins of the course.

The controls are very touchy in this game. You merely have to breath on the D-pad or analog control to have the car turn. That fact that you are going at a high rate of speed has something to do with this. And that is also why it is so easy to spin out. And the feel for the game is hampered by the lack of force feedback in the controllers.

Graphically this is a solid product, though not exceptional. The graphics are a little sharp and dark, even after visiting the options menu to adjust the television monitor. The audio track contains all the elements you would expect, like the high whine of the engines, and the sound of tires futilely grabbing at the course.

F1 Championship Season 2000 is a good racing game. However, to this reviewer, it just did not have the appeal of EA SPORTS™ NASCAR 2001. Perhaps it was because the control was a little looser in the NASCAR title, and that broaden the range of game players able to jump right in and play. Maybe it was just the addition of feeling the road. 

Install: N/A

Gameplay: 7.5
The courses feature twists and turns, and can change as quickly as the weather, but if you each race is a high-speed run that flies past quickly.

Graphics: 7
The course elements, though seen in a blur, and car elements seem very sharp and have too much contrast. This is a stark racing game, though the action is well rendered.

Sound: 7
Standard elements vie with annoying, predictable pit boss chiding to make this game almost as enjoyable with the sound off as on.

Difficulty: 9.5
You really have to understand how to maneuver a vehicle with huge slick tires at thundering speeds around a course that won’t help you stay on it. The controls are touchy, which add to the challenge.

Concept: 7.5
Again, this is not a new genre, but EA SPORTS™ has added advance car dynamics and new animations (such as dust and smoke) to enhance the experience.

Multiplayer: 7
This game enables multiplayer gaming, though it is set up primarily for a single-player challenge.

Overall: 7
This is a racing product that is a little more restrictive in its fan-base than other racing games. Only those who have racing in their blood, and are veterans of circuit wars will find this the type of game they can jump in and play. For others, who seek games that don’t require the level of skill this game demands, you would be better off finding another title.