NASCAR Thunder 2003 (GameCube)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Brad Shoemaker
• Reviewed on: 10/10/2002
• Released on: 09/19/2002
• Originally published on GameSpot: NASCAR Thunder 2003 (GameCube) Review

Last year we saw a 2002 edition of the NASCAR Thunder series on the PlayStation 2 and the then-new Xbox, but GameCube owners looking to vie for the Winston Cup championship were left out in the cold. That's not the case this year, though, because the GameCube is getting NASCAR Thunder 2003 right alongside the other two consoles. Though the franchise itself is new to the GameCube platform, EA Sports hasn't spared any effort loading the 2003 version of Thunder with new features.

You'll notice right off the bat that NASCAR Thunder 2003 comes fully loaded with gameplay modes, options, bells, and whistles. You can get your feet wet with the quick race mode, which allows up to four players to choose drivers, cars, and tracks for a brief trip around the loop without any extra hassles. Quick race is fine for making some practice runs, but simulation-minded racing fans will find the real meat of Thunder 2003 in the Season and Career modes. Season has you and up to three others selecting a driver and car and taking on a full season of Winston Cup racing. The sole objective in the Season mode is to acquire enough points to become the season champion. In this mode you can control variables like number of races and race length, but you won't be doing anything outside the actual races themselves--it's straight from one race to the next. Playing one season isn't a big time investment, depending on your options, as you can finish one in a couple of hours.

Career is the real long-term game mode in NASCAR Thunder 2003. Imagine playing the season mode 20 times back to back, throw in a whole lot of extra customization and strategy options, and you've got a good idea of what career is about. Whereas season has you picking from a stable of existing drivers, with preset sponsors and race teams, career makes you construct everything from the ground up. In addition to customizing the look of your car (which can also be done in season mode), you'll pick all of the sponsors for your car, your pit crew, and yourself, and you'll sign short-term contracts with them based on the money offered. You'll also hire every member of your race team based on their salaries and qualifications. Once you've got your car, sponsors, and crew assembled, you can embark on a 20-year career in Winston Cup racing. There's no end of the options in Career mode, giving you a lot to do besides just run your races. You can have your team working R&D on new enhancements for your car while you cut better deals with more lucrative sponsors based on your performance. In fact, you don't eve have to run the races themselves - the game will simulate the results for you, if you're only interested in the statistical aspect of your racing career. Career is definitely where hardcore racing fans will spend the most time in Thunder 2003.

New this year to the franchise are the Lightning Challenge and Thunder License game modes. Lightning Challenge presents you with a group of actual racing scenarios from Winston Cup history and drops you into the hot seat to complete the task at hand. Each of these scenarios is set up exactly like it happened in real life, giving you the chance to relive glory, and in some cases, change history. Thunder License lets you pick a personal racing coach from a list of NASCAR drivers, all of whom contributed voice samples to the game. Then you hit a track of your choice and let the driver you've picked coach you to faster times on that track. Each track has three time goals to complete. By finishing these challenges you can earn Thunder Plates, which are simply custom license plates. Earning enough Thunder Plates will let you unlock new drivers, cars, and such. These new game modes are a good nod to variety, and they'll give you something to do when you've tired of simply racing the regular modes.

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