Metacritic Games

NASCAR Thunder 2002 (Xbox)

Includes over 50 drivers (Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Jarrett, and unlockable NASCARĀ® Busch Series drivers) and all 23 tracks from the NASCAR Winston CupĀ® series and allows you to Create-A-Car and earn money and sponsors to build your own racing dynasty. [EA Sports]

Electronic Arts
Racing, Driving
Players: 4
E (Everyone)
Developer: EA Sports - Tiburon
Released November 15, 2001

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

82 / 100

Critic Reviews

90 Game Informer
Thunder absolutely screams on the Xbox with very short loading times and beautifully rendered environments. [Dec 2001, p.108]
90 Hot Games
Fluid handling, detailed cars and tracks, varying weather conditions, and an impressive 43 cars on the playing field all add a sense of depth to a game that was once known as the smallest niche in the race market.
90 GamePro
Despite Thunder’s minor imperfections, it still has the most engaging gameplay of any NASCAR game.
90 Electric Playground
On both the Xbox and PlayStation 2, EA Sports has brought the Thunder with authority as far as this race fan is concerned. I've played both versions and the Xbox version is the better of the two.
88 Xbox Exclusive
The overall best looking, sounding, and playing NASCAR game to date, for any gaming system.
87 GameSpy
Not only a great racing game, but it's actually better on the Xbox than anywhere else.
85 IGN
An excellent stock car racing sim that cannot and should not moonlight as a mass appeal racing game.
85 Cloudchaser
The gameplay is absorbing, and you’ll find yourself learning quite a bit about the nuts and bolts of racing.
82 TeamXbox
WARNING: After a few hours of playing this you may notice your neck a little red.
82 Sports Gaming Network
It's the best-looking NASCAR racer on any of the next generation consoles...The AI is solid most of the time, but there are instances where you get clipped for no known reason.
80 Next Generation Magazine
Graphically, a solid game, with great reflections, sun wash, damage modeling, persistent skid marks, and more. [Jan 2002, p.28]
80 GameSpot
NASCAR Thunder 2002 on the Xbox is the most visually appealing stock car racing game on the market, and its gameplay will appeal to a wide range of racing fans.
80 Cincinnati Enquirer
This title feels more like an arcade game than a serious simulation, so players who crave an authentic experience probably would prefer Sierra's "NASCAR Racing 4" for the PC, where you drive using a game controller with a steering wheel and pedals.
75 Game Revolution
The attention to detail, from the realization of 43 cars to the breadth of 23 tracks, should make any NASCAR nut proud.
70 Yahoo! Games
The career mode is very well implemented, and is something that should be found in more games like this.
69 Official Xbox Magazine
A PS2 port that went un-enhanced but otherwise plays fairly well, but it's not without some flaws. [Jan 2002]
50 Xbox Nation Magazine
Competent but uninspired. [Jan 2002, p.94]

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