NASCAR 09

NASCAR 09 doesn't change the pace of the popular motor sport racing series. However, EA Sports deserves praise for the inclusion of two handling styles, Pro and Normal, which make the game more playable than previous releases.

NASCAR 09 isn't going to set tills on fire in the UK, but it's a solid racing game that offers something a little different to the likes of GT, Forza, PGR and GRID. It's not the most exciting of games to look at, but in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a race you need to be on your game if you're going to succeed.

If you’re looking for something to play one weekend, and you’re in a racing kind of mood, definitely give this a look. I wouldn’t commit more than a weekend to it though. Why should you?

NASCAR 09 isn't a tremendous step forward for the series, but it's a solid effort.

I can now safely say that I've started to see the attraction of NASCAR.

As NASCAR games go this is a mixed bag, fun to play and race, but terrible to look at.

There's little reason anyone but a NASCAR fan will buy this game when there's things like GRID, Forza, Gran Tourismo and so forth flying about.

While it is an improvement in almost every aspect from controls to options, it still isn't close to what fans of stock cars want to see from their beloved franchise.

There’s nothing special about this one. NASCAR 09 comes across less as a tribute to the drama, intensity and flair of one of America’s favorite sports, and more as a delivery system for advertising.

There's no denying that serious stock car fans that own an Xbox 360 or PS3 will enjoy hitting the track with this racer; it's just a shame it doesn't crackle with the personality the real sport has been known for.

The online functions are hampered by the localization, which restricts Europeans to their own continent.

But if you are one of those four ardent fans, you'll find this is a remarkably faithful representation of NASCAR and a vast improvement over last year's edition. [Aug 2008, p.88]

There are moments as you roar around the tracks when NASCAR 09 is vastly more entertaining than you'd expect. Sadly these brief thrills are almost always muted by the typically sensible EA Sports corporate sheen, which ultimately reduces the game to another technically minded racer of limited scope rather than the over-the-top metal-shredding redneck rumble of the real thing.

For the most part NASCAR 09 seems like a solid racer, and I guess it does a good job of simulating the real life product. It is rather boring though, as even if you are a petrol head at heart you can only have so much fun going around, and around and around.

NASCAR 09 had a great opportunity to really take the NASCAR franchise for EA to the next level but in my opinion it did the opposite and went in the wrong direction. NASCAR 09 isn’t a bad game it just unfortunately doesn’t have the necessary elements to really do justice to the sport of NASCAR.

Stock car racing is an acquired taste; we like corners, track variety and racing intensity. [Sept 2008, p.81]

Overall, NASCAR 09 is not for the casual racing fan and will only be enjoyed by NASCAR enthusiasts.