Nascar Thunder 2003 Review

  • Thread starter Thread starter RVDNuT374
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3,770
United States
Manning, SC
Genre: Racing
Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Story: There is no real story to this game.

Gameplay: The cars feel a little loose, but should be no problem once you get used to it. Controls are very responsive. The AI is millions of times better than GT3's.;) They react smartly to your driving behavior and aren't afraid of running 3-4 wide at the superspeedways. Overall very good gameplay.

Replay Value: It will keep you busy for a long time. You can do a simple quick race. Just pick a car and track then you're off to the races. Or jump into a actual scenario set up by the Nascar drivers themselves in the Lightning Challenge Mode. And if you have the time, do the actual 36 race schedule from the 2002 season. Maybe even start your own career in the extensive career mode. You have to build and manage your own race team through 20 seasons, upgrading your car and crew as you go.

Graphics: Absoutely incredible although not quite GT3's. The cars are very well detailed w/ the 2002 paint schemes and decals. Lighting effects are astounding, w/ the sun blinding you as the cars barrel into turn 1 at 190 MPH. Scenery is very well detailed, although there is some occasional clipping and pop up.

Sound: The sound in NT2003 is very well done on the track. Accurate tire squeals and engine noises help a lot. Your spotter is very informative. The one bad thing is there's only 4 songs on the soundtrack, and they keep repeating.

Summary: A must have game for any Nascar fan. The game will keep bringing you back for more even though you've had the game for a while.

Ratings:
Control: 8/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Graphics: 8.5/10
Sound: 7/10

Overall: 93% (not actual average)
 
Calm down. I didn't see this review till just 5 minutes ago, and yes, nobody gives a "****" about Nascar.

You could expand a bit on the gameplay, but other than that, its pretty good.

OA
 
NASCAR is okay, but i don't think you needed to respond like that RVD...What duo said and add in another option, so you can give an actual average (with 5 scores you can double to get an accurate score ;))
 
Originally posted by KosmikFool
...go the wrong way and hit Jeff Gordon at 200MPH...:lol:

I see I am not the only one... :lol:

RVD, Is all 43 cars represented on screen and are there any jaggies in the game? The last 3 games had horrible aliasing problems.
 
Originally posted by Viper Zero
I see I am not the only one... :lol:

RVD, Is all 43 cars represented on screen and are there any jaggies in the game? The last 3 games had horrible aliasing problems.


You guys aren't the only 2 either ;) :lol:
 
I'm not crazy about NASCAR but I do like the game. I like managing a career and setting up cars. Doing R&D to improve your cars. Different paint schemes are cool.
All in all I like the control you have on the your career. Going around in circles at first seemed like it would get boring but every track has it's own challenges as every circle is not created equal. Building and tuning the car to it's optimal performance level is the real challenge for me. I love going after the track records set by the pro's.

I like it.
 
Havent played this. I donot like nascar, mainly because of the commercial whoring of everything. I did like the nascar racing 2003 demo when I tried it though. Its made by papyrus and produced by sierra I think. From what I have heard, I believe the papy game is much better than this. Perhaps someone who has played both can elaborate.
 
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