- Title: NASCAR 09
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Publisher: EA
- Developer: Tiburon
- ESRB Rating: “E” for Everyone
- Genre: Racing
- Pros: Nice graphics; solid gameplay; plenty of modes
- Cons: A.I. needs work; missing features from previous games
NASCAR 09 packs all of the officially licensed NASCAR stuff you’d expect such as all of the drivers as well as all of the real world tracks for the Craftsman Truck, Nationwide Series, and Sprint Cup Series. Most of the sponsors are present except for the alcohol companies, of course. One of the new features this year is a paint booth mode that lets you customize your car in-game, but you can also create car skins on your computer and download them to your Xbox 360. This is a semi-complicated process, however, so don’t expect it to be fast and easy. Check out this page for help.
Gameplay modes include season modes for the three NASCAR series as well as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup career mode where you start out as a newcomer and have to sign team and sponsor contracts and work your way up the ranks. There is also a challenge mode which gives you objectives you have to meet out on the track. Online play is available for up to 13 players and it works well. Unfortunately, there is no splitscreen multiplayer.
Gameplay
What strikes me most about the gameplay in NASCAR 09 is just how comfortable you feel racing in the pack. In previous NASCAR games, racing two or three wide and actually holding your line was pretty darn difficult. Not so here. The controls are very precise and smooth, and the hit detection between the cars is spot on.
I do have a couple of complaints. First, where are the total team controls and intimidator features from previous games? They made a pretty big impact and greatly changed how the game played and are missed here. Secondly, the AI needs a massive overhaul. They rarely crash on their own, and more often than not races end with cars in two lines just like they started.
Graphics
The graphics in NASCAR 09 are very nice. The cars are a bit too shiny and plastic looking, but the damage model is pretty good. Everything is very sharp and clear and good looking out on the track. The real star here is the lighting. The cars reflect the lighting and shadows realistically. And my favorite touch is that there are great looking day/night cycles in races like the Coca Cola 600 or the July Daytona race that start in the late afternoon and finish after dark.
Sound
The sound is good, but a bit subdued. The sounds out on the track are nice and loud and realistic, but your spotter and crew chief are quiet and calm and sound rather bored. Jeff Gordon did a ton of voice work for the game, as he is your official tour guide for all of the modes and through career, and he did a good job for the most part.
Bottom Line
