NASCAR Thunder 2003

"Feel the thunder!"

Welcome to NASCAR Thunder 2003! This is one of the best racing games ever made. This is definitely a lot better than NASCAR 2000 and 2001. EA Sports made this game a whole lot better. You can drive 30+ drivers in exhibition or season mode. There is also a career mode where you create your driver and manage your team.

The gameplay is so nice. The controls are very easy to use and none of the controls are very confusing. The only thing that still confuses me is how you are able to set your car for the right track. Now if your having trouble with setting your car, try using the presets. They will help you. Maybe NASCAR 2000, maybe 2001 (never played 2002) there is a 43 car pack in the 2003 version. That makes racing very realistic.

Like I said earlier, there's a 43 car pack in every race. In season mode, you choose one of the Winston Cup NASCAR drivers. In race weekend, you can adjust the settings in your car, and practice on the track so you can get used to how the track is and to adjust your car performance. (Always practice before you decide to qualify.) Then there is the qualifying round. Unlike previous versions, you only get one qualifying round. Make it count. The better the time, the better you position in the start of the race. Then there's the race. During the race, you will probably go to the pits at least one time. It is very hard trying to win a race with 43 cars. Make sure you don't try to crash, and don't go very fast when to turn a corner or else you will go flying into the wall, and you would probably be pulled out of the race. In career mode, you create a driver and pick your whole team from scratch. You can do the same stuff from season mode. You are on a budget. You can use some of that money for research. Research is vital if you want to make your car better. You also pick your sponsors and make sure to meet their needs. The more races you win, the more points you get. If you have the most points by the end of the season, you will win the Winston Cup.

The graphics are awesome. The cars are very realistic, the damage looks great, the track and stands look a whole lot better, and even the people look better. You can even see the damage on the walls and the skid marks on the track and grass. The sound is very great. The cars sound very good, the music is nice, the crowd cheers are good and the best part, the crashes are outstanding.

I have no clue how long this game takes to play, but it is very fun. It does get boring pretty fast, but you might like playing it for a long time. After you're done with the season, (This is career mode only) you might attract new and better sponsors and better pit crew members. Give it a chance.

My final recommendation, you should rent this game first. If you're not a NASCAR fan, don't bother but if you are a racing fan give it a chance. After a while, you should probably buy this game, but the choice is yours. So long for now and keep driving around in circles!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/15/03, Updated 04/15/03