NASCAR Thunder 2003

"EA sports pulls into victory lane with this great game (yes I used this in the 2002 review)"

In the summer I heard about two new NASCAR games that were do out towards the end of the year. NASCAR Thunder 2003 and Heat 2: Road to the Championship (Now Dirt to Daytona). Last year Thunder did ''Beat the Heat''. It dominated. Can EA do it again?

Gameplay 10/10
Nascar Thunder 2003 is full of things to do. There is quick race where you pick the driver and the track and start racing. Then there is Season where you take your favorite driver threw multiple seasons trying to get Nascars big prize. The Winston cup. You can now also take on 30 Lightning Challenges. These are real-life scenarios that happened in NASCAR races. In one you have to get behind the wheel of the #4 Kodak car and try to get past the big one like Mike Skinner did last year at Talladega. You can also try to earn your Thunder License from all 23 tracks. You have a set time to beat for each track, if you beat it you move up a difficulty. There are three difficulties per track. By beating Lighting Challenges and Thunder Licenses you can unlock Thunder Plates. Thunder Plates can be tracks, drivers, etc. Then there is the career mode. The reason I bought this game. You have 20 years to win 8 Winston Cups like last year. But this time, it’s a lot harder. You need to buy different engines and chassis. If you wreck in a race, you have to repair you damaged chassis and engine. You should never have just one engine or just one chassis. You also have to keep you sponsors and crew happy. Don't always pick the highest paying sponsor because they have the hardest tasks. To keep the crew happy, try not to wreck too much. You also have to finish good to keep the crew happy. All 23 tracks are in this game. Plus many fantasy tracks. There is also a good selection of drivers. Dave Blaney and Hut Strickland didn't make it though. For all that, I give gameplay a 10/10.

Graphics 9/10
They are a little better then last year. Can be choppy at times, but not to bad. I can't say much more about the graphics. They get a 9/10.

Sound 9/10
They sound is good. Everything sounds nice and clear. The engines, your crew cheif, etc. The EA trax has bands like Steppenwolf, (hed)p.e, Nonpoint, and more. Not bad music. Sound gets a 9/10

Replay Value 10/10
This game can never really get boring if you are a big NASCAR fan. You can always find something to do. No one is going to do 20 seasons in a few days so this game is going to last you a while. Take your time and enjoy it. When you do beat career, start a season with one of your favorite drivers. Replay Value gets a 10/10.

Buy or Rent- If you are a big NASCAR fan like me, buy. Even if you only like NASCAR a little, still buy this game. If you are a fan of racing games, rent this game see if you like it, then decide yourself.

Nascar Thunder 2003 is a great game and I hope EA continues making great NASCAR games in the future.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/02, Updated 12/27/02