An oval circuit sim that is actually fun to play!
NASCAR Thunder 2004 hits the right combination of simulation and playability so that you won't feel as if you're trapped in some bland abusive sim. Nope, thi game is action packed with accidents all the way, with races that can spiral out of control pretty fast and also with really good physics and a host of cars that is well developed. Yes, most of the challenges will be endurance based, as is the case in NASCAR, but there are also a few tracks that offer a much wider range of curves, though, as you'd expect, there are much fewer. But, you'll love the scope of the races, in that finding the right track, keeping your position on the grid and advancing can be quite challenging, as the number of opponents is quite large. Also, their racing styles are well diverse, and you'll have to take care not to tackle some, as they'll retaliate. So, overall, NASCAR Thunder 2004 is a nicely done sim, but worth playing because it knows when to dial down on realism to make it so you can actually enjoy the game. Give NASCAR Revolution a go as well for a similar type game, but one more interested in unadulterated realism.
