I've played my share of NASCAR-licensed games over the years, but I must confess that I skipped last year's edition. So, when I popped NASCAR Thunder 2003 into my PS2, I was expecting just another NASCAR simulator. What I got instead was one hell of a driving simulator that never failed to impress me.
It's hard to decide where I should begin. Sure, there's the obligatory quick race option, that just allows players to jump right in and go, but that's the least fun of the choices. If you want to jump right in to career mode or season mode, you can. Or, you can design your own car, complete with all the logos and decals you want. You can also try the "Thunder Challenges" to earn extra racers, cars, and courses. Still not quite what you want? You can try to earn your Thunder License by taking the game's tutorials, or take a behind-the-scenes look at some of the Thunder's new features. Whew!
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