Customer Reviews

NASCAR Thunder 2003

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought EA had really improved with NASCAR 2002, but this is much better. Due to that, I had to go back and edit my rating for 2002 (5 to 4 stars). This is truly the best NASCAR game ever made. EA took all that was right from the 2002 version and made it tremendously better. You still race 43 cars at a time (1 player), you still get to upgrade your equipment, you still get to work out sponsorship deals, etc. However, now you get to to do R&D, hire your own crew and builders, and build your own engine and chassis. Not only those improvements but also better physics, more realistic racing action, fantasy tracks, and the best new addition- Lightning Challenges. In these, you actually get to recreate exciting moments that real NASCAR drivers experienced, such as taking over for DE Jr. on the last 2 laps at Talledega.

Gameplay: 9.5
If you like NASCAR and racing games, then this is the one. Get yourself an excellent steering wheel controller and it is that much better. Career mode is the tops: sponsors- and keeping them happy, hiring your own team and keeping them motivated by finishing well, and building new cars (including the engine and chassis). Also: unlocking fantasy courses and legend drivers, getting used to the tracks through Thunder Plates, and the Lightning Challenges. Also excellent multiplayer mode as well.

Replay: 9
Once you are ensconced in career mode and you have got yourself a steering wheel, you will keep coming back for more... and more. Excellent game.

I played last years version and was pleased with the progress it was making. This year its 2002 version times 10!

Pros: 1. NASCAR is better than ever!

2. last years tweaks are fixed

3. an improvement in graphics

4. outstanding career mode

5. so many modes, that it will keep you busy for months!

6. the ability to import songs is available

Cons: 1. physics take some time to get used to

2. first years of career mode are frustrating due to crapiness of car and crew

Final Verdict: A definite buy! as i said earlier, it will keep you busy for months

Where to start? This is easily the best racing game I've played for the xbox. One of the primary reasons is because before this the best was NT 2002, and this easily tops that.

The game has been stepped up so much, it has a lot more replay value than NT 2002. There are "Thunder Plates" which are similar to "Madden Cards" if you play any of the newer Madden games. You may not be buying them, but they do the same thing, just attained differently. More to add, they have a Lightning Challenges where you can relive great nascar moments to earn more thunder plates. There's a Thunder License mode where you can get what is basically a practice mode. Last of the new things (that i've found so far), there's more then one song on it, and it's the first EA Sports game (that i've played) that will let you use the songs saved on your xbox.

It's still got the Quick Race, Season, Career, Create a Car modes that are the same as they were last year. Career may have newer options to change to fix your car, i havn't gotten that far yet. But there's plenty of new things that add a lot to the replayability that made people tire of NT 2002. EA fixed that and added.

To shorten it up, if you liked NT 2002, or have ever like a Nascar game in the past, or any other racing game, buy it immediatly.

"NASCAR Thunder 2003" is really an excellent game. There is a variety of modes to play and a lot of different things you can do to keep your interest piqued.

"Thunder" lets you race at every track NASCAR races on as any one of the drivers on the Winston Cup circuit. There is also a Create-A-Car mode that lets you design and build your own car to race, as well as a career mode, where you start a team from scratch and race to the top over 20 years. You have to research new technology, sign sponsors and crew members, and meet certain goals in order to make money. It's a very deep mode, and you have to go through a few frustrating years before you really start to get good.

Part of what can help you is the Thunder License mode, which allows you to race by yourself at every track with the help of the driver of your choice. Richard Petty instructs you on how to race the track and then you try and complete laps in a certain amount of time. It sounds easy, but it's really not.

Probably the best mode is the Lightning Challenge, where you take control of race cars in certain situations and try to meet certain goals. Most of these are "win the race" goals, but there's a few other interesting ones, like avoiding crashes and trying to make it through a race on a less than full tank. Each challenge has a call from the race and is introduced by a driver. If you complete these and other things throughout the game, you're awarded with Thunder license plates, which unlock extras, like the cards in other EA Sports games.

Graphically, Thunder's not the best looking game, but it's still sharp. There's sort of a grainy look to it, but the tracks and cars are very well detailed. Soundwise, there's not much. The cars sound like, well, cars and the voices over the radio say the same thing over and over again. There's no crowd noise and minimal announcing, but, in reality, you couldn't hear any of that in an actual race anyway.

The gameplay is where Thunder really shines. The controls are very simple to learn, but tough to master. If you push the brake or the steering too hard, you might spin out, although there are assists that help you when you start out. There's also other little touches that race fans will appreciate, like drafting and deciding what you need in a pit stop. You also have to qualify for the races so you get the best positions.

Overall, this is a definite buy for every race fan or just a fan of driving games. And for only [$$$], it's well worth the price, especially since it's current with the early part of the season.

This is a great Nascar game if your are just a casual fan or a hardcore Nascar fan. The multi-player mode is a blast and the graphics are awesome. You can build your own car and hire your pit crew. The better you do, the better your crew gets, and the more money you make allows you to buy better engines and cars. I would recommend this game!

This game is a great response to Nascar Heat. They include challenges, driving tests, and unlockables along with the stunning graphics to create what is probably the best Nascar game out there.
The realism is great, and I also appreciated that you can plug in your own soundtrack! If you love Nascar racing, this is a definite must buy!

i bought NASCAR Thunder 2003 back in the day, and still play it.

it's the best NASCAR game in the business, hands down! It's the last NASCAR Thunder video game that allows for 4 player multi-player, which is a blast to play.

it is also one of the last NASCAR games that featured custom soundtracks while racing, which is a throwback to the NES days of old.

You can create up to 8 custom cars with custom logos, colors, and custom cars (ford, chevy, pontiac, etc).

the music is awesome, and my favorite thing, is listening to the "thunder" sound during the main menu.

GREAT game. great for 4 players.

This game is a blast to play and is one of the best racing games ever made. I am a huge racing fan (World Rally, F1 and CART) and even though I am not particularly fond of NASCAR I thoroughly enjoy playing this game. The graphics are amazing, the AI is very intelligent (heck I'm still trying to win races in veteran mode) the sound is ok but the game more than makes up for it with the attention to detail that it gives and will satisfy any hardcore NASCAR fan. For example, before every race there are driver introductions and the national anthem which you can of course bypass. Having them both really adds to the atmosphere of being at the race. The pitstops are pretty fun to watch during the race as well. And of course the game allows you to do the celebratory doughnuts everytime you win a race. The game also includes a victory celbration in winners circle. I particularly like the night races because for some reason the graphics just look better. If you are looking for a realistic, fun packed game that will keep you entertained for hours on end then you won't be disappointed with this one.

As an old school gamer and a racing buff I have to say that Nascarthunder 2003 for x- box is a close second to Nascar heat 2002 x-box version.That being said Nascar heat could be much improved.Why is it so hard to create a excellent Nascar game in this day and age of racing engines to choose from?E.A. should have applied their physics engine from Hot pursuit 2 to Nascar thunder 2003 .The cars handle like blocks and the backgrounds are just plain ,well bla.What we want now as a consumer, "You know the ones that always supported the corporations ie. Sega,Netendo,Sony,Attari etc."is Great Physics,Backgrounds,Sound!

i have been a fan of NASCAR for years, and nothing has ever struck me as fascinating as this game! The Career mode is just a triumph! It will keep avid fans busy for months! although the physics can be aggrevating and frustrating at times, it is still a definite buy. Avid and casual fans will be pleased with this game!