Metacritic Games

NASCAR Thunder 2004 (Xbox)

From 200 MPH super-speedways to hairpin turns on 11 fantasy tracks, tuning your car and finding the line is no longer enough. Now you’re running to the edge against 42 other unique NASCAR® personalities every race, drivers who remember your every move and won’t think twice about paying you back. Out-smart and out-drive them as you battle three-wide from green to checkers. Online or on your own, racing just became a contact sport. Grudges & Alliances: Emotion comes to a racing game for the first time as CPU drivers remember your every move and aren't afraid to pay you back. Pick up & Play controls help new fans navigate over 60 events including all real world NASCAR races, plus 12 winding road courses. The most extensive Career Mode in a NASCAR video game just got deeper and easier to navigate! The deepest NASCAR game ever created with over 70 drivers and 175 authentic cars and the first game with a full pack of 43 Cup Series cars. [Electronic Arts]

Electronic Arts
Racing, Driving
Players: 4
E (Everyone)
Developer: EA Sports - Tiburon
Released September 16, 2003

Overall Metascore

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

85 / 100

Critic Reviews

90 GamePro
If you're the kind of hardcore NASCAR fans that will revel in the challenge of Career mode, you'll have an absolute blast with Thunder, particularly now that Tiburon has included a ton of in-game help and redesigned the interface to be massively more usable.
90 Xbox Nation Magazine
One kick-ass game. If you're a fan of NASCAR racing, you've never had it so good on a home console. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.97]
88 GameSpot
The "Madden" or "Tony Hawk" of stock car racing games. It's as close as you can get to the real thing.
88 Official Xbox Magazine
Other than the unforgivable lack of online multiplayer mode on Xbox, this is one of the best ways to experience NASCAR short of making the pilgrimage to Thunder Valley. [Nov 2003, p.126]
86 TeamXbox
The "grudges and alliances" mode alone makes the game above and beyond any racing sim out there in terms of AI.
86 Next Level Gaming
Extremely fun to play and highly addictive! And there are so many options that will keep you running back to your videogame system time and time again.
85 GameSpy
The only area that the Xbox version of this game really pales in comparison to its PS2 brother is in the lack of an online mode -- a pity when the system has the necessary hardware built right in!
85 Game Informer
The new driver ally/rival dynamic makes for some interesting new twists. [Oct 2003, p.137]
85 IGN
As long as you don't come in expecting any serious realism in the driving model, there are many ways to play and enjoy this title.
85 Electronic Gaming Monthly
Taking the checkered flag involves strategy, which the Grudge/Alliance feature exemplifies perfectly. Still, the controls are a bit too unforgiving for the casual racing fan. [Oct 2003, p.132]
82 Sports Gaming Network
While there are some audio and AI issues, overall the game has progressed since last year. The grudge and alliance system adds a whole new element to gameplay.
80 GMR Magazine
It's fun and impressive, but neither the drama nor the realism will convert anyone who isn't already planning on naming their first-born "Dale." [Nov 2003, p.88]
70 Yahoo! Games
Takes a step forward with a few new game modes and an interesting rival/buddy system, but the uneven graphics and performance hurt it. And on Xbox, as with all EA Sports games, the situation is worsened with no online play.
60 Maxim Online
Fanatics will tweak tire pressure, suspension, and build dynasties, alliances, and sponsorships; rookies can learn the nuances of drafting, passing, and holding position on dozens of real-world tracks.

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