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The sound of over forty cars, each weighing over a ton, racing down a track on a hot Sunday
afternoon. Some would say that it is thunderous.... haha. Sorry, lame pun. But what is not lame
is the Nascar experience brought to life by Nascar Thunder 2002. Even before you start
playing, the game conveys the feel of Nascar. From the sorrow filled image of Dale Earnhardt's
white 3 on the black background, mourning the loss of the legend... to the instant pick
me up with cars racing across Daytona with Sweet Home Alabama playing. Now that is Nascar.
Nascar Thunder 2002 wants you to feel the joy of being apart of a Nascar event, without
having to taste warm Pabst's and getting a sunburnt. But by having you become apart of
the races. The game does everything it can to make the experience real, and faithfully
bring it to life. The game has all the popular drivers of the day. Jeff Gordon, Junior, Tony
Stewart, and my favorite Bobby Labonte. And all the tracks from Kansas to Daytona. Everything
a fan could want.
But more so than the drivers and tracks, what really should get racing fan happy are the
gamemodes. There is your normal quick race, where you can practice, qualify, and enter
into a race against over 40 other drivers. You don't have to qualify if you don't want,
and can just go right to the racing. But if just one race is not enough for you, you can
go into a season. Winning races, leading laps, and taking the lead will earn you points,
and after a season of races you can see where you rank.
And if that is not enough, then go into an entire career, with multiple seasons as you
play through the life of a driver. You create a driver and enter into a career. You will
deal with other aspects than just racing. Sponsors will wants to give you money to advertise,
but you have you complete goals to earn it. Money can then buy new car engines, brakes
and more.
The racing itself is solid, with a big time focus on drafting. You have a draft meter,
that fills up and gives you a boost. This will have you trying to stay in the pack and
pick your passes carefully, like real racing.
Nascar Thunder 2002 may be old but it gives a racing experience that is timeless. The
career mode is one of the most satisfying and the racing itself is addicting and responsive.
This is a game that may create Nascar fans, as well as appeal to them.