Customer Reviews

NASCAR 2005 Chase For the Cup

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It you're into racing sims, this game isn't for you. If you're into racing sims and say that this game sucks as a sim, that's like saying that Madden 2005 is a terrible hockey game. Yeah, it isn't a good hockey game because it's a football game.

The Fight for the Top mode of this game is fun. You start at the bottom, race your way up, earn money, buy teams (to earn more money), win championships, etc. I could go on with the fun stuff, but now that the price is marked down or you can buy a used one, quit reading reviews and just try it.

The negatives: Two things bug me about this game. First, the autograph signing sessions are a waste of time. Second, once you pick the settings in the Fight for the Top mode, you're stuck with them (unless you want to start new game). That's a problem because, as you progress, you'll need less and less "driver assist" and will want to compete agains better AI competitors (rookies, veterans, legends) and change other settings related to tire wear, refueling, damage, etc. So you'ver earned $2M and now realize it's getting too easy to win. Can't change the settings. Gotta give it all up and start over. You can change the settings anytime in the other modes (e.g. Race Now), but that doesn't carry over to the Fight for the Top.

I had some extra money laying around, and i decided I wanted another Nascar game. What a waste of money....2003 was so much better than this crap. So heres what's bad about it.

Graphics: This really doesn't matter much to me, but after playing games like GT3, and soon GT4, and seeing those graphics, EA could have improved a lot here.

Depth: Yes, now you can race in 4 different classes, whoopie. What happened to all the stuff you could do to manage your team from 2003? You used to be able to hire individual crew members, determine salarys, BUy specific upgrades for your car, like new chassis, engins, R&D, ect, now, its all rolled into one boring bunch.

"Intimidator": When I first read about this feature, it sounded pretty cool, and like it would add a lot to the gameplay. What a waste of time, and it totally destroys any sense of fun this game had going for it. While racing, you can make friends and enemys on the track. Although making alies seems to have no effect what-so-ever, if you make an enemy, they'll ram you until you spin out and hit the wall. YOu make enemys if you hit them, or, even if they run into you first. It;s totally off balance.

It's also missing all the other little details that made the career mode fun in 2003. Now all you get to do is get text messages from your cheif...

All in all, save yourself the money, wait for GT4

If you already own this like I do, I found that it;s better used as a frisbee than as a game

I just don't understand what EA is trying to accomplish with thier NASCAR game of the console. I think they are moving twords a total arcade game and phasing out any signs of being a good sim. They also added way too much other junk to this game that has NOTHING to do with NASCAR...I don't care to race production cars on fantasy tracks...I'll get GT4 for that! Here is my list of Pros and Cons for this years PS2 offering. The Cons way outnumber the Pros (at least from a sim standpoint)

Pros
**The Graphics are about as good as they'll get on the PS2
**They Finally got the sounds right and the Music trax are good.

Cons
** They took out cokpit view(that right their negates any sim aspect)
** AI ans paybacks are just as bad as last year...they don't PAY you back...they SLAM you back.
** They tried to institute the new caution freeze the field into the game...boy is this bad...Say you are in 20th and a big wreck happens up in front of you and the lead cars go everywhere and flip and crash...well...they freeze the field and on the restart they line EVERY ONE of those cars is back up in front of you...no matter how bad they were damaged...ALSO almost all the cars always finish the race on the lead lap regardless of the difficulty setting.
** The only way to do the "Chase for the Cup" is in Chase for the cup mode where you only run the last ten races...If you run a season or career...you do it under the old points system...How stupid is that!You also can't do "Chase for the Cup" in two player mode...why not?
** They took out all the cool pre and post race stuff...No more National Anthem...No more "Gentlemen start you engins"...No more flybys...No more through the field...No more Victory lane celebration(other than an occasional short blip)...Instead of making this all better...they took it all out...what to fit production cars on the track?
** My biggest beef...NO POCONO...They should not have released this game until they in some way could obtain rights for this track...YOU CAN NOT have a real career or season without a track that NASCAR visits TWICE a year...I read a lot about people saying it doesn't matter that it isn't in the game because of all the other stuff they added...Well I can tell you to any real NASCAR fan...IT MATTERS!
** They left out almost all the real drives from the other series and added fictional drivers.

EA Needs to do better! Being the only ones with the rights to produce a NASCAR title right now...what they need to do is go BACK to NASCAR Thunder 2003 and start over working from there...

I find myself NOT wanting to play their NASCAR titles more and more every year.

This game will probably be a huge seller because the changes they made will appeal to the younger masses. But if you are like me and want to try and create the same experience drivers have on Sundays, then avoid this kiddie game at all costs.

The decline started with last years hokey grudges and alliances feature. Pressing the R2 button to draft was unrealistic. It has continued with the elimination of the cockpit view and elimination of customizable gameplay features. You can still set various assists and difficulty levels, but they are more part of a package system and do not allow you to adjust every aspect of racing AI and rules like in the past.

But there are improvements. The level of gameplay modes is huge. The creation of various racing series is very good. The inclusion of more road courses adds great variety. The graphics and sound and the best yet. The sense of speed and framerate are superb. And it is online.

However, losing the cockpit view is a HUGE loss. NASCAR Dirt to Daytona could do it despite having various racing classes... so EA's omission is either intentional or lazy. Most will not agree since EA is targeting this to younger gamers and EA figures the hardcore NASCAR crowd will buy it whether they like it or not. Whether they trade it back in doesn't matter... they got their money. But the cockpit view provides an immersive simulator experience similar to a first person shooter. When you drive a car you do not drive it from the bumper or from behind... you drive it from inside the vehicle. But since so many huge games such as Gran Turismo and Need for Speed do not provide a cockpit view EA figures they can get away with it.

If you are a teenager or new to NASCAR you will probably love this game. But if you are used to playing simulator racers such as MotoGP3, F1, IndyCar and TOCA race driver then the direction EA is taking this series will probably make you sick. We're part of a dying class that will have to suck it out on unstable PC platforms. I'm sticking with NASCAR 2003 on the PS2, when drafting was a matter of accurate physics and not a press of the button.

A real interesting fact is the lack of the EA Sports Bio with this game. The fact the EA ommited it means they must have really rushed this game to get it to market before the official Chase to the Cup begins in two weeks. When was the last time EA ommited a blatant marketing tool such as the EA Bio? EA is the king of marketing.

Bottom line... if you are a sim racer then NASCAR 2005 is not for you. I'm sure EA is counting on the sim crowd to buy the PC version and leave the console version to rack up big sales with trendy younger demographic. That's why EA is the king I guess... but if they treated Madden this way and added arcade elements then America would revolt. The fact that EA has exclusive rights to NASCAR for several more years is frustrating indeed. Buy the year 2007 I'm sure power-ups will be littering Daytona or Bristol to give you car extra boost ala Mario Kart. Sad.

When I first got NASCAR 2005:Chase for the Cup I thought immediately it would have the cockpit view. It didn't which was a shock after the success with it in the previous games. After that in Fight to the Top mode I realized another dissapointment was that they took away the choices where you can pick parts for your garage, and all of a sudden you could make your car faster by just filling in those three rows of stars. Another thing is that in the new Craftsmon Truck Series, there all the same. Its not a mix of Ford's, Chevy's, Dodge's, and Toyota's. I was happy though for how they made the sound effects of the game by wiring up a real stock car and have a professional do numerous stunts as the sound was recorded. You can't get any closer to a real sound than that in my opinion. I also like how you can now buy thunder plates with your skill points. Another thing about the game is why they took out Jeremy Mayfield and the Pocono Speedway. The new production cars are a nice touch, but, they are just stock cars that look and sound different. Even in a Daytona Prototype or a Ford GT you still have to shift up at 8000 rpm's and you only have four gears when there should be six. Luckily NASCAR 2006: Total Team Control will be much worth the wait. From what I have seen of it they have brought the cockpit view back for every series and the gauges light up blue at a night race. For some odd reason though there are no hands on the steering wheel when you drive. You'll know what I mean if you have NASCAR SimRacing. In NASCAR 2006 you can also change into your teammates cars during a race and pit with all your teammates. I was dissapointed how they took away the before and after show from NASCAR 2005, but they brought it back in NASCAR 2006 from what it looks like. One thing I dont like about all the NASCAR games is that once you got the hang of the controls, it aint competitive enough even on Legend. One thing I'd like to see them add is how in a place like Talladega or Daytona it could be two or three laps before you pass the guy in front of you. I can make my way up through the whole field from position 43 to 1 in that same amount of time, its because the drafting was made way too easy in NASCAR 2005. If I where you I;d wait till NASCAR 2006:Total Team Control comes out on August 30, 2005. It will definitely be worth the wait and money. If you already have NASCAR 2005, then trade it in for somethin else because you wont miss it when NASCAR 2006 comes out.

As a NASCAR fan and serious PS2 junkie, I figured this game had to be awesome. EA Sports generally cranks out some top-notch stuff, and NASCAR Thunder 2004 was, while not tip-top, a pretty good game in itself.

And again, here I find myself in front of the computer, firing out a review of something that has greatly disappointed me.

First off, Chase for the Cup does have some good points. The depth at four levels of competition is great -- something EA needs to build off of for 2006. The tracks and cars look even better than they did last year. And even if you're not a NASCAR fan, the gameplay is fun.

Unfortunately, that's about it.

For fans of the actual series, Chase for the Cup has several shortcomings. The most blatant is the omission of Pocono. Hello, EA? NASCAR goes there twice a year. You may want to fix that. Another omission is the #38 Great Clips car driven by Kasey Kahne from the Busch (National) Series. You'd think maybe an exceptionally popular FULL-TIME Busch driver might have his ride included, what with all the fantasy and part-timers who show up every week in the game. And here's a rookie question: What's going on with the rookie stripes? My car never once sported them, yet it's 2009 on the game, and Kahne, Riggs, Gaughan, Wimmer, etc still have them. NASCAR Thunder 2004 didn't seem to have this problem. I also don't care for the generic trucks in the Craftsman series. What happened EA, did Toyota not pay up?

I suppose that all of this may just seem like a disgrunted fan not having things exactly right in a video game, but the gameplay does have some issues for the casual player. First and foremost, the autograph sessions HAVE TO GO! If I wanted to mash buttons in time with the screen I'd play Parappa the Rapper. Can we not find some other way of expanding the fanbase? Maybe get points based on the previous week's race to spend on appearances (kind of like recruiting in EA's NCAA football games). Why can't I qualify in two different series on the same day AT THE SAME TRACK? Drivers do this every week, but the game says "NO". Could we possibly have any less realistic crashes? I'd like someone to explain to me why I can get hit from behind hard enough to rupture the fuel cell yet no radiator damage to the offender? How can 16 cars flip and careen off the wall at 185mph and still stay on the lead lap? And finally, EA did everyone a great disservice by "simplifying" the R&D to improve the cars. If you can't have your car and pit crew maxed out early in the season, you're not trying.

That ease of maxing out your cars is really the final nail in the coffin: NO REPLAY VALUE. You own a team in all four series. Each team is maxed out. You can't buy multiple cars in each series (if you think you'll be an owner the magnitude of Rick Hendrick or Jack Roush on this game, you're waaay off). So once you win the Nextel Cup, there's nothing left to do except collect points for the Thunder Plates, and that's not that exciting. Sure, it was fun getting there, but...Wow, I can't wait to trade my copy in for something else.

So there you go. You have $50 burning a hole in your pocket. What do you do? My advice is either get NASCAR Thunder 2004 and have money left over or wait for Chase for the Cup 2006 and hope that EA Sports puts a little more effort into that one. 2005 isn't worth your time.

There is so much 2005 is still missing, has taken out, or should still add in...

Taken Out? -
1) Best lap time in 2 player mode. We like to watch the lap times when we obviously won't catch up.
2) Pocono
3) Racing back to the line would be cool to bring back. Cause' if you like to race "Stewart/Gordon Style" and push people out of your way, they end up right back in front of you (even after flipping). Or, if you make it through "the big-one" in front of you, you're still behind all of those cars that have no more than scratches on them (another subject)

Could Still Use -
1) A way to race a "Local Saturday Night Track" in a 80's Camero or Nova or.... might be cool.
2) A Demo-Derby could be a cool "thunder plate". Heck, even if it's with the cup cars.
3) 43 drivers in 2-person.
4) Black flag (option)
5) Some people want more realistic hits. But, being that some of us don't race real hot all the time, maye give a realism option for damage. I don't mean "square to repair". I'm saying when you hit a wall doing 150+, you should have the option to do a repair pit stop to repair damages (same with the others who wreck with you). Maybe make a game of this (instead of the autographs) and make it so the faster you hit ??button, the faster the repairs are made to the car.
6) Everyone should enter/leave the same area on Bristol (as in real Cup now).
7) ulling into victory lane would be cool.
8) Try to get the real drivers for victory lane. Even if it's using the same setting over and over.

Other
1) Don't care for the production car aspect.
2) Get rid of the autographs or make it so it's not a must-do.
3) Work on the damage graphics. I think 2003 had better damage than 05'.
4) When practicing a track, it might be nice to be able to race a ghost or even real version of your last lap. Basically race yourself.
5) Make it possible to save 42 of the above ghosts so you could race a field of your own laps.

I purchased the first NASCAR Thunder game that EA put out years back and it was awful, the game play was bad, the graphics were bad, and racing was bad. EA has come a long way with Chase but it is still video game racing and will never live up to the realism or intesity of the NASCAR Racing simulator series for PC. I love the fact that 4 of the largest NASCAR series are included in the game. It give a novice NASCAR fan a feel for everything NASCAR has to offer. The graphics and track details are superb and it appears that a great bit of detail was used with designing the tracks. The cars handling characteristics are getting better but are still very Grand Turismo like, and stock cars or trucks do not handle like performace cars in Turismo. The game was rushed to production so EA could ride the coat tails of the upcoming Chase for the Championship in the NEXTEL Cup Series and that is noticed in the carry over of many features from Thunder 2004. The worst being the "Grudges". The Grudge feature is more annoying than anything and can make racing difficult. If you rub someone the wrong way any they become a rival look out going down straightaways for direct door shots. I am sorry but if it really were NASCAR you would be parked for antics like that. Otherwise it isn't a bad game, just not worth racing to Wal-Mart to buy.

Once again EA sports has succeeded in creating a great arcade game. You plug in your money, you beat it with minimal effort, you walk away and never touch it again. There is almost no replay value. "Season" and "Chase for the Cup" modes are pointless because that's what you do in acareer mode. I like the lightning chanalges, but i'm such a car tuner, that i hate driving the defalt set-ups.

All in all i enjoyed myself playing this game, and moreso than 2004 which such seemed to take too long to get used to. I love the introduction of the mods, trucks, and busch, i mean, NASCAR National cars, but everything else was bland. even at 25% race lengths evey car stayed on the lead lap, so you either won or finished last. if you were leading, the comp stayed right behind you, yet you could pass the field if you made a pit stop and no one else did.

As a hard-core car tweeker, i've always been dissapointed by EAs car adjustments. i would like to see the depth of physiscs that Dirt to Daytona, WoO Sprint Cars, or Satuday Night Speedway has. I want ot adjust my tire pressure by .25lbs on one tire. i want to set my sway bar, spring rates, and weight distribution. EA won't let you do that.

If you're a NASCAR fan, you'll have fun (even without Pocono) once then go back to Dirt to Daytona like i did. If you know what a track bar adjustment does, and how much the spring rate of a tire changes when you change the pressure, or if you keep a log of your set-ups and quick times with that set-up, then you'll be in for a let down.

I really think this is a good game but it has so much left out such as my favorite track and driver, Pocono and Jeremy Mayfeild #19 what the heck.
On the indimidation thing yah thats cool but when your right behind the person your intimidating it will cuase a big wreck, because he gets loose up into you and you 2 hit the wall, what the heck. The career mode really really SUCKS! Exept for the part about the 4 other series. You cant be in the same place ant the same time.