NASCAR Rivals is now available on Nintendo Switch, and we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the new game.
The latest NASCAR video game on the market is NASCAR Rivals from Motorsport Games for the Nintendo Switch. This is the follow-up to last year’s NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+ title, which also released for the Switch exclusively.
Welcome to another year of taking NASCAR gaming on the go, but this time with rivalries at the forefront. The game can be played handheld or on a docking station to a television. It supports single-player career, races, 16-player online multiplayer, challenges, as well as split-screen multiplayer mode.
I’ll be diving into some of the basics for NASCAR Rivals to help get everyone started. From setting up the controls to starting a career, from playing online to customizing your driver, and everything else in between, I’ve got what you need to succeed in the latest portable NASCAR game.
DIFFICULTY OPTIONS
First things first, you’ll set up how you want to play the game. There are four difficulty presets – Casual, Normal, Hard and Expert. The lower you are, the easier things will be. More driving assistance will be implemented and the AI will be turned down. Conversely, the higher you go, the harder it will be.
Being on a Nintendo Switch with digital controllers, the gas and brake aren’t pressure sensitive in any sense. It’s more of a constant full-on, full-off sensation when pressing the corresponding buttons. A Switch Pro Controller will give more precise inputs. The Hori MK Wheel is not optimized for Rivals.
Turning all the assists off would need an expert touch to not completely spin on take-off or lock up the brakes when attempting to slow down. Start at a lower setting until you get more comfortable, then raise it up from there. Players can also do custom settings, such as harder AI but more assists or vice-versa.
At any level, casual to expert, players can adjust the tight-to-loose slider for the car setup adjustment. There are no custom setups, similar to the way NASCAR 21: Ignition has it, there is merely a slider that makes the car turn more (and possibly spin more) or turn less (and probably be harder to turn).
CAREER MODE TIPS
As it usually is with NASCAR console games, the career mode is the big-ticket item for the majority of it. NASCAR Rivals sends players right into the NASCAR Cup Series to participate in, but there are two possible paths to take.
You can either race each season as an owner/driver or just drive for a preexisting team.
The latter will allow players to pick from one of the entry-level teams, such as Rick Ware Racing or Spire Motorsports.
Players will get to choose which driver to replace and begin their career from there. As players progress, the teams to choose from and drive for will become more lucrative as goals for each team are met.
As an owner/driver, you’ll create your own team, manage expenses and personnel, upgrade equipment and work up to the top of the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR fans, think of it like what Tony Stewart did when he drove for Stewart-Haas Racing, or what BJ McLeod currently does with Live Fast Motorsports.
The ultimate goal is to become the NASCAR Cup Series champion. If one path or the other is chosen at the start, at the end of the season, the other option will be on the table.
SPONSOR GOALS AND CASH ON HAND
There will…
Read More: A beginner’s guide to NASCAR Rivals for Nintendo Switch