NASCAR 2008

by Electronic Arts

Product Features

• Race the Real Car of Tomorrow—Experience the true physics and handling of NASCAR’s newest race car, and unleash new racing strategies to capture the NEXTEL Cup championship.
• All-New Career Mode—Earn your stripes by completing dynamic challenges that earn you new contracts in all four racing series, including the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Whelen Modified Series, and NEXTEL Cup Series.
• Instant Rewind—Relive countless scenarios at any point of the race by rewinding the last few seconds of action on the track.
• Test and Tune—Record your best lap at all 22 NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, then race again against your phantom car and see if you can beat your best time.
• Mid-Race Saves—Save your game progress at any point during a race, then come back later and make your run for the checkered flag.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000OQ3TQW
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: July 23, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,069 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #71 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Racing
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PlayStation2

NASCAR 08 PS2

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very easy to do well, but the super easy driving is so relaxing, I don't mind!, August 2, 2007

By 

Poker Face (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: NASCAR 2008 (Video Game)

PRE-RACE SHOW:
*Note #1: To save space, I've removed some of the content in my review and placed it in the CUSTOMER DISCUSSION section, at the bottom of the first page of this listing. Click on the posts, if you want some more information about Nascar 08.

*Note #2: I own Nascar 2002 through 2006, and although I haven't played Nascar 07, I have read all the 07 reviews on each website. Also, I have NOT played Nascar 08 online.

If you have an older Nascar game and just want to know if you should rent, buy, or skip, Nascar 08, then you can just scroll down near the end of this review, and read the Checkered Flag section, which lists five questions you should answer, followed by the Victory Lane section (summary) part.

Unless you have no trouble winning in Nascar 2002-2006 (without assists and using the default car setups), you should be able to find plenty of tracks in 08, that will give you some thrilling race action. Some, like Talladega, are often too easy, but nothing's perfect, anyway.

If you're new to these Nascar games, you should know that the only way to change the assists, or to use manual transmission, is to start a race. Then, before it begins, just pause the game, and choose 'Settings', then 'Driving Controls'. Now go ahead and make any changes. You can change 'Steering Sensitivity', here as well, or from the main menu (I used a regular controller and didn't need to adjust it). Exit out, by pressing the triangle button. The auto-save will eventually save everything, so don't worry. Now you're ready to play.

Gentlemen and ladies, start your engine(s)!


GREEN FLAG (Some GOOD things in the game):
Yes, Nascar 08 looks very similar to 07 (has motion blur effect,etc.), and they took away lots of stuff (like the various Dodge Challenge scenarios), but this game has added a lot, as well.

This is the first time I didn't have to use any driving Assists (except when I used the Limited assist, for starts and restarts ONLY with the Nextel Cup cars) to keep up with the Cpu cars, and also still have fun racing against them. It's simply one of the easiest to drive, racing games I've ever played. Perhaps TOO easy, for any of you that did well driving without any assists, in the older Nascar games.

Although the Mid-Race saves work very well, and I LOVE them, they are NOT perfect saves. They are NOT good at accurately saving some stats, like # of laps lead (which might cost you up to 10 lost points, in season mode, for example), best laps, and when drivers are knocked out of race, they are back in (when you reload the mid-race save), just a few laps down etc. No big deal, but if you want all your race stats saved accurately, don't use the mid-race saves.

Even worse, the Mid-Race saves are time-coded, so whenever you LOAD one of them, you're actually going back in time, to that exact moment you saved--thus losing anything that you might have gained or earned after it. So, you better finish your saved race, BEFORE you try a different race, or mode. Otherwise, once you load an older mid-race save, you'll lose any progress (in Season, Career, Chase mode, etc.), medallions, and chase plates, that you earned after that older mid-race save was made. You could, however, just use a separate, 2nd memory card, if you want to be able to jump back and forth between different mid-race saves (without playing the other modes, like Career, Season, Chase, etc., with this 2nd memory card).

In addition, the 2 player split-screen mode (not available in PS3 version), lets you race against 17 cpu cars (so, there are a total of 19 cars on track), but if you don't use the Legend difficulty, they let player #1 catch up too easily. There's no rearview mirror for this mode, but you can look back with the right stick.

Tired of always waiting for your spotter to tell you if you're in the clear? Well, now you can use the Right joystick to look to your left or right or even behind you to see for yourself. It can be a little disorienting at first, but it's so handy!

Another great thing in 08, is the ticker at the top that shows the race positions of the drivers (lap times, etc.). If you have trouble reading it while racing, you can shut it off or just pause the game, and it will still keep scrolling. You can even move it left or right (while in pause only) with the d-pad or left stick.

The new 08 feature, that lets you instantly rewind up to 8 seconds (good driving earns the time) within a current race (just press select button, when symbol appears), so that you can avoid a crash etc., sounds good in theory, but in practice, it usually doesn't help much. Simply, you often are only given 3 or 4 seconds instant rewind time, which usually isn't enough time to avoid anything. However, it has helped me out on occasion (if I had 6-8 seconds available).

There are 192 Medallions (finish first in a race, etc.) and 53 chase plates (no paint schemes) to unlock.


BLACK FLAG (Some BAD things in the game):
The career mode (Earn Your Stripes) has been changed (can't own teams), and even though it's somewhat similar, many people (myself included), don't like it that much (rather dull). You still can only race 25% races in the career mode, but at least it saves some career stats for you.

Unfortunately, the Modified series is basically useless, since I can win on Legend difficulty (the hardest), even starting last (22nd). To give myself a challenge, I have to use full downforce, lowest tire pressure (15 lbs), even increase my nose weight to +10 %, left weight to +5%, and make the race the shortest (like 6 laps). Even then, I still finish 5th, but the car runs like a tugboat, so it wasn't really fun. Some tracks like Tiburon make it only slightly tougher. As well, the Trucks are also fairly easy to win with on many tracks, so I use Legend difficulty, if necessary.

What's worse, is that the Cpu cars on the Talladega track accelerate so slowly on the starts and restarts, that you can gain from 5-42 positions (on Legend), just by driving by yourself on the left side of the track. It works almost all the time with the COT or Trucks. Generally, it's much tougher with the Busch or regular Nextel Cup cars, but I'm sure eventually, I'll be able to crush those cpu cars as well.

In addition, if you don't use any assists, it's very difficult to avoid spinning your tires (for Nextel Cup cars ONLY-yes, for COT car, as well) on starts and restarts, thus falling behind the other cars. You can try practising in the 'Race Now' mode, by choosing to Restart the race, over and over again, but I gave up and just decided to use the Limited (or full) assist. Usually, right after the starts, I'll pause the game and remove the assist, until I need it again, for any restart that might occur.

There's Total Team Control once again (press in right joystick to activate it), but NO more car swapping during races is allowed. Strange, because it was a nice extra twist if your car was wrecked or you wanted to try to get all your teammates to finish well.

It's sad that they removed the Dodge Challenges (recreated race scenarios, from real Nascar races, that you could race in).

Once again, you don't get disqualified if you keep intentionally spinning or wrecking the Cpu cars. As well, if you cause a caution, you get to stay where you are, instead of being put farther back in the field, or getting a drive-through (pit lane) penalty. These factors often help make it super easy to do well, and are further proof that this is more of an arcade racer, than a simulation.


CHECKERED FLAG (Helpful Questions):
Can't decide if you should rent, buy, or skip Nascar 08 for the PS2? Then just answer these five questions:

1) Do you care about mid-race saves? If yes, then this is a must buy! (Note: The Mid-Race saves, don't save some race stats accurately, like # of laps lead, etc., and they are time-coded, so if you load one of them, you'll lose any progress or unlockables that you earned after that mid-race save was made).

2) Are you interested in being able to look around your car (even behind), while you're racing (use right joystick)? If you are, then it's at least worth a rental.

3) Do you think a very good career mode is necessary for you to buy this game? If the answer to this is yes, well then, you're probably going to be disappointed, since you can't own cars, etc. There are part upgrades you can buy, but the whole thing seems dull overall. Not awful, but then again, you may think so. Renting first, may be your best option then.

4) Were the Dodge Challenges (recreated race scenarios, from real Nascar races, that you could race in), one of the main reasons, you bought any of the previous EA Nascar games? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you should just rent, since they have been removed from Nascar 08. Unless you think re-racing some of your mid-race saved races, offers good enough extra value (like I do).

5) If you eventually find the single player game too easy, and finish in the top 5, in most races, will you then be willing to just use the default car setups, or even add downforce and make other adjustments to make it harder?

(Note: If it's still too easy, then try using worst rated driver Reed Sorenson (Grade D). It doesn't really make that much of a difference though. However, if you start the race in last position (43rd), that will most often make it tougher. Remember, the longer the race, the easier it is to catch up, on any of the three difficulty levels and with any driver. You can also disable the 'Driver Attributes', so that Reed Sorenson, etc., is just as good as anyone else)... Read more ›

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Still some flaws, but overall a fun game., July 28, 2007

By 

Nathaniel S. "DaleJRrFan92" (marcellus, ny United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: NASCAR 2008 (Video Game)

The new NASCAR game is again somewhat of a disapointment, since I am a die hard NASCAR fan and demand only the best in the NASCAR video games. Some features I like is the chance to race the Car of Tomorrow and mid race saves. What I don't like is the absence of Carl Edwards for the second consecutive version, however they have added Clint Bowyer and Ken Schrader, who were absent last year. I am also disapointed in the lack of Craftsman Truck Series Drivers such as Todd Bodine, my personal favorite. The old Fight to the Top mode is now known as Earn Your Stripes. All of the Toyota drivers except Jeremy Mayfield are available. But I also found that quite a few Busch Series drivers are not present as well as a few Busch tracks such as Nashville, but all 22 Cup tracks are featured. Still some flaws, but still a fun game.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but far from Perfect, August 10, 2007

By 

T. Martin "tman" (High Point NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: NASCAR 2008 (Video Game)

Nascar 08 is 2x better than the lagging 07 version. Thougth the 08 version does lack these Total Team Control Features of past years the new features and new COT handiling model makes this game great. Though the PS3 version is easier on the eyes and more advanced, the 08 version still is a great game on PS2 and sets a high bar for other racing games.

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