Nascar 09
SCORE: 79
Nascar 09 appears on the Xbox 360 (version used for the review), Playstation 2 (PS2), and Playstation 3 (PS3). I am not sure why there is not a Wii version of this game. It would make a lot of sense to this reviewer, especially with the better controls on the Wii. Owners of steering wheels for the other systems may disagree with me on that statement though. Jeff Gordon graces the cover and assists players throughout the game. Nothing like getting the advice of a champion Nascar driver. EA Sports went to great lengths to make Nascar 09 as realistic as possible. Hardcore Nascar fans will drive circles around this game, so EA put a pro race mode in place to keep them happy.
Nascar 09 is absolutely beautiful to look at. The cars, tracks, and videos of Jeff Gordon are all very realistic. I could notice the parts in the video where it went from one answer to another, but that is a minor quibble. Cars shoot up sparks when they use the wall to help them turn around corners. The ability to customize the race car, especially the designs adds a lot of points in my book.
The car revving, and spark flying sounds fit the theme of a racing game perfectly. The crew is constantly telling the player where the other drivers are trying to pass. Up high, and down low are where the player must stop the other racers from passing. I have played previous Nascar games where good sportsmanship was taught. That seems to have been left behind, and that is a real shame. On the plus side Jeff Gordon is very encouraging and positive.
Nascar 09 has a fair amount of replay value if you are into Nascar racing. Those that are not into it, will get bored with Nascar 09 very quickly. EA Sports included some nice challenges, and modes. There are a decent amount of race tracks but I would have preferred more personally. This game is worth the bargain bin prices if you like Nascar.
The one area I find failing in Nascar 09 is the controls. I was in first place in some races would get knocked off the track (into the grass for example), and wind up losing twenty to thirty places when the yellow flag was finished. I also found the turn left in most race tracks to be boring beyond belief. I found myself crashing into other cars, and wanting the yellow flag because it would eat up some laps.
Nascar 09 teaches control,
repetition, and winning. It also teaches players to stop others from
winning, and to drive selfishly. I would like to see EA Sports return to
teaching good sportsmanship (as the main lesson), and to add some
diversity to the gameplay. It would have been nice to have won a race by
a lap or two. I also would have liked some different kinds of tracks,
and a version on the Wii.
- Frank
Graphics: 90%
Sound: 80%
Replay/Extras: 84%
Gameplay: 69%
Family Friendly Factor: 74%
System: Xbox 360/PS2/Playstation 3
Publisher: EA
Rating: 'E'
for Everyone
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