Bill Elliot's NASCAR Fast Tracks is a tortuous racing experience that no one should ever go through...
Graphics & Gameplay: OK, bear in mind we are talking about a Game Boy game. First of all, the menu's throughout the game are pretty well drawn for such a old game. The 3 cars available in the game have quite a level of detail during the selection screen. That's when the acceptable graphics end. During races, the screen suffers from a terrible refresh rate. You can be far away from the car in front of you in one second and in the next second you can be right up the front car's bumper. The rival cars (all 30-something of them) look exactly the same, they have no distinctive marks of any sort and have the same color (obviously). Regarding the tracks, they lack of any decoration, background or anything that would indicate "life" or something to remind you that you are in a NASCAR race. All you can see on the screen is the dashboard, the car in front of you, the asphalt and the wall that closes the circuit. Graphics do get better upon entering the pits. During this time the screen changes into a Spy-Hunter-like game where you have to park your car in your pit. This is actually the fun part of the race, it's a pity it's such a short part. Maneuvering the car is feels really awkward, and you'll spend most of the part of the race clashing against the wall or drifting out of the pavement. The awful refresh rate of the screen destroys any sense of speed, so you really feel like riding a turtle. Overall, it's a pain to drive any of the 3 cars.
Music & Sounds: What music? Oh, that awful noise that comes out of the Game Boy during the menus. Ok, seriously now, the game has horrible music. Just the same old track that repeats itself during the different menus in the game. Once you enter a race, the music stops. Instead you get a lousy woodchipper-like noise thats supposed to be you engine, and a horrid screeching sound when you skid or drift towards a wall. I guess Konami didn't put much of an effort in the music department.
This is honestly one of my least favorite games in my collection. It has such a steep learning curve and horrible gameplay that I never felt encouraged to keep on playing or finishing a full racing season. I really really really encourage you to avoid this game at all costs.