Customer Reviews

NASCAR Thunder 2002

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was blown away by a demo of this game in the store, and being a huge Nascar fan, just had to have it.

Like most everything else on xBox, the graphics are simply amazing. Little details like leaving burnt rubber marks on the track that are there throughout a race to leaving "doughnuts" on an opponent's midsection is very cool. The frames also are very fast, and system response is almost instantaneous. Visually, the game is just stunning.

The gameplay is also quite fun. Race for just one race, a full Nascar season, or race over multiple seasons to build a racing dynasty by picking up money and sponsorships for better equipment. Being able to drive all the active Nascar drivers' cars, all the tracks, and also being able to totally customize a car is a nice touch.

The physics of the game are also quite realistic. Have a car with the wrong setup and you will be driving a bucking bronco. The "assist" modes are nice for beginners, while hard-core Nascar [gamers] have a pretty darn close simulator in Nascar Thunder.

With all the good stuff, the game is far from perfect. For instance, in career mode, some of the gameplay settings are not customizable. The "damage" setting is set to "limited", which tends to lead to gratuitous use of the front bumper for passing. Moreover, the "damage repair" setting in the pits is kind of a joke. Your car will just magically morph from a banged up piece of junk to a pristine new car in 2 seconds. I also noticed no difference in the drivability of the car when damaged. Bottom line -- the simulation of damage needs LOTS more work. If not for this, I would give the game 5 stars.

Still, if you're a Nascar nut, this remains by far the best available racing game on any console.

This game is contagiously fun! I've never followed NASCAR at all but picked this game up on a whim (boredom and disappointment with THQ's WWF RAW game).

Let me tell you, this game really makes me glad I have an Xbox. The controls are crisp and simple which means that anyone can pick it up and play it immediately. The Quick Race is a nice function which means you can load up the game and play for 10 minutes and leave. Seems like most current games involve hours or time and sometimes I just can't devote that during a hectic day...not so with Nascar Thunder 2002.

The bread and the butter of the game for me though is the career mode (20 years - 12 races a year). You can design and build your own car and then improve it through the money you earn through various sponsorships. The 12 race tracks are not only different looking (I'm assuming based on their real likenesses) but they all handle very differently. Some races are top speed with tight turns, others weave through awkward patterns, and many are so narrow that passing becomes a serious chore.

The computer racer A.I. is also nice. There's lots of rubbing and smashing and at times you can lose the lead within a second of the finish line - frustrating but fun.

If you're a fan of Nascar you probably already own this game. However, if you're not a fan and are looking for hours of racing fun and excitement then this is the Xbox game for you!

This is a good NASCAR game. If it wasn't for NASCAR Heat I would say that this is a great game. Unfortunately for the folks at EA Sports, NASCAR Heat is a much more realistic game that has tons more features than does NASCAR Thunder 2002. I have both games and I find myself playing NASCAR Heat much more often. If you only want one NASCAR game and you consider yourself a fan of NASCAR, spend your money on NASCAR Heat and you won't regret it.

This is the best racing game out there. You can choose from over 40 cars and 20 race tracks. There is a season mode and a career mode. In career mode you can create your car from scratch, pick your own sponsor's and earn money which could be used to modify your car. It also has the most realistic damage that I have ever seen.

I'm not really a Nascar fan but I do love racing games. This one is a hoot! Here's the deal: I bought Nascar Thunder but I also own Nascar Heat because my girlfriend bought it the same day as a surprise to me. So here I was with two Nascar games and I've kept them both. As far as true racing and competition, Nascar Thunder is the better racing game. It has a create-a-car option and most of the real Nascar drivers. The graphics aren't as good as Heat though. If you're into better graphics and bigger, fiery crashes, Nascar Heat is the way to go. Sometimes I create havoc on the track just to watch the replays of the crashes. You can create a lot more mayhem on Heat than Thunder...and that's why I love it. The only problem with Heat is they don't have all the drivers. Half the cars in a race are just fake, generic cars. I play both a lot, but if I could only pick one - I'd give a slight edge to Nascar Heat. But you really can't go wrong with either one. Both are great games that you can pick up anytime for a few minutes (or hours) of fun. If you love great wrecks, get Heat. Great racing, get Thunder.

Great game. I'm not a NASCAR fan, but played the game on PS2 and had to get it for XBOX. It's incredible. Graphics are way cool, longer races will actually show setting sun and lights coming on. There is always something to keep you busy, even though you are going in circles. The game play seems fast, you can literally be in 1 race for up to 3 hours and not even realize it. Listen to your pit crew, they know what they are talking about, and use practice rounds to set up your car. If you don't, you could blow your engine.

This game is a must buy. Project Gothem is great in it's own right but if you like Nascar....This is the game for you. The first thing I noticed is the feeling of SPEED that was felt when I was rolling down the straight a way at Indy. The grafics are cool and you will want to watch the replays. Trust me... You will! The cars are all really sharp looking and the create your own car is a really nice touch. I am in my third season of the career mode and still enjoy the strategy and driving of this game. When you play with four people you will find that it is really a GREAT multi-player game. Hint: Build your own cars before you all race. It is pretty addicting! If you liked TEST DRIVE LeMans for the Dreamcast you must buy this game. It is way better...If you liked GT2 buy this....I'm not kidding...This is the best racing game I have ever played!

This is the first NASCAR game I've ever owned and it's excelent. It's perfect for begginers and in depth enough for fans of NASCAR (as I'm both). It's the first console game to have all 43 cars on the track at once which gives you plenty of competition. All the real cars and drivers are there including the second skin for thier secondary car. You can also build your own car which has some cool paint jobs you can fool with.

This game has a lot of ways to tweak the difficulty. You can set track lengths, difficulty levels, and many other options to help you learn the ropes of racing.

The graphics are excelent and the game loads extremely fast. Cars show real damage as you hit and bash your opponents (or the wall).

You can also upgrade your car in career mode. It's nothing too fancy, just general options such as engine, pit crew, braking etc., but it is fun to see the results as you leave your opponents in the dust.

As a NASCAR fanatic, I have been waiting for a long time to play this game(I actually bought the game before I had my X-Box). I was very happy to find out that the game was as good as I had hoped. All of the tracks are very real(there is one minor exception, but only a complete fanatic would care or notice) and the physics are great! The racing is awesome, fast, very realistic and very challenging. There are lots of settings that allow an beginner to learn and have fun at the same time and you can have races that are as little as 3% of a regular race to the full on race experience (90 laps at Sears Point). If you love NASCAR and are a devoted race fan, this is your game. If you're not so dedicated I would recommend NASCAR Heat instead.

Get It!

i wasn't to much into NASCAR, but i couldn't help it. i bought NASCAR THunder 2002 for my dad, and it's awsome!!! you can choose from over 40+ drivers and it has all the best drivers.
all real drivers and all their cars, and some cars have multiple designs.
you can create your own car with your own sponsors and also, when you go through career mode, you have a chance to become sponsored by a company like Kleenex. real awsome.

also, drivers views are good. you have about 5 views to choose from, including views like hood view and a view where you are the actual driver. real nice.

there are at least a dozen or so race tracks to choose from, and during the season you play at all the major tracks, including the Daytona 500. good game, lots of fun, and up to 4 people can play at one time. real awsome!!!