car

I loved NASCAR Thunder 2003 and figured they could only make it better....was I wrong!!!

I agree that without good AI in a NASCAR game then the game won't be very much fun....but I think EA took it too far or didn't tweek it enough...The grudge an allience thing is way overdone!The AI doesn't "pay you back"..They "SLAM you back"
-case in point...My first race of the season at Daytona half way through the race I barley traded some paint with another car...then on the last lap(can see the checkers) this same car happens to be right behind me! He is able to catch me on the inside(remember I can see the checkers) and from far on the inside lane he cuts his wheels 90 degrees to the right and slams me into the wall! NOW any real NASCAR fan knows that that would NEVER happen...no driver is going to be going 180+ MPH at Daytona being in like 9th place right before the flag and even be slightly concerend enough to want to pay someone back...let alone try to destroy them(which this car did by the way....I didn't finish the race!) The game is more a demolition derby now...than a NASCAR race...and I don't like it!

They also changed all the handling on the cars...they are sloppy now and the car never feels tight or loose to me anymore like it did in 2003...Now I just slide my way through the corners...yeah it wears my tires out...but it doesn't feel right...and tires never seem to be an issue!

I can honestly say...other that a few minor(and I mean minor) added graphics improvements and some announcer commentary(which is also wrong a lot of times) that there is NOTHING I like better in 2004 than in 2003. Nascar Thunder 2003 was actually a much more enjoyable game!

EA Sports has done it again. First they take Madden to the top of the football world, now they have NASCAR Thunder at the top of the racing world. And maybe on top of all sports games period. To start, this game has amazingly flush graphics, although on the PS2 version they tend to chop a bit; but not too bad. The online mode for the PS2 was a great plus except it's only 2 human players and the rest all computer, if EA could develop that so that there could be quite a few more human players, then the online mode would be 5 stars. If you don't have online (being that's normally all I play) EA hasn't forgotten about you, there are quite a few race modes that are all highly addicting.

The quick race mode seems to be the favorite when racing with 2-4 players at your own crib, you know the drill, pick a driver, pick a track, and go. But the other two racing modes of Season and Career are so different that they are light years apart.

First, Season mode is dull and is why I only give this game 4 stars. It's too easy even on Legend difficulty. But Career mode is my favorite, it's very challenging even on the Rookie difficulty.

EA also added the "Grudges and Alliances" feature that really brings out the best in the game. Although some faults (ex. If you barely even nudge someone or they hit you while you're spinning out, the Rival meter skyrockets and it takes forever to get back to normal even.)

The total package is there though, I would recomend this game even to gamers who aren't hard core racing fans like me.

Ah, I must admit, I'm 14, but I didn't really feel like going through the sign up just to review one game thing, since I ain't got any things to buy anythin' with, so ignore my age in the box.

Anyways, I give this game 5 stars. On a previous read review, something like this was said. "You can't spin out unless you turn your car to the loose side." Well, actually, it's very easy to spin out, I've done it with 1.5 Wedge. Only problem is, you cannot spin out in Career mode, since being sideways brings out a caution, (which I do a lot to help me). Also, on another previous read review, if you break your engine doing donuts, you're stupid. No offense meant. To many who read this and are confused on how to do a donut, go into practice anywhere, 'Dega is best to practice on, just hold the break down, then hold down accellerator, wait 5 seconds, then let break go. And just release and press again on the accell after every two spins, it's just that easy.

And yes, Career mode is challenging, but for anyone who wants to have some fun, have on your first year, the AI as rookie, and the race length as 25%, and 6, or even better, 9 races away from the EA Sports 500 at Talladega Super Speedway, if you are 9 races away, sell one body, one chassis, and one engine, and start building. But do from atleast 6. And if you're as good as me, you'll have minimal damage after the race, and a top 20 ATLEAST! (In my second year, I WON the EA Sports 500 just by pitting right, and a whole lotta prayer, but please, do not repeat what I did after the race. I grabbed a bottle of Rootbeer, ran outside, shook it up, and sprayed all over. I was just that excited ^.^) But yeah, have fun with that.

Sorry for turning this from a review to a help, but I'll bet this helped a lot of you people ^.-, plus Kansas Motor Speedway is after 'Dega, and I am Greatest at Kansas, no matter what condition my things are in.

So, overall, I think the only thing that needs improv....actually, I don't think anything needs improvment. Actually, to all you Nascar Fanatics out there, We CANNOT buy another Nascar game after this. New game = All that new points crap, and.....no.....No Rockingham! *Sniffle* It's just wrong to not have Rockingham on the list. Don't y'all agree?