NASCAR Thunder 2002
Encyclopedia
NASCAR Thunder 2002 is a racing simulator video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports
that came out for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2
, and Xbox
. The theme song for the game is Sweet Home Alabama
by Lynyrd Skynyrd
. It is the fifth game in the NASCAR series
of video games, and is the first of the series to have a new title (the other games simply read "NASCAR" and then the year). Notably, it is the first NASCAR game to feature alternate paint schemes on the cars. It featured the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon on its cover and 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte on the disc.
NASCAR Thunder 2002 was the first NASCAR game released for the Xbox and the second released for the PlayStation 2. Game modes consist of Create-a-car, Quick race, Season mode, Career mode, and practice. Before every race, the player has the option to qualify for a position at the start of the race, get to know the track in practice, or 'race' other cars in Happy Hour. The game has 35 drivers from the 2001 Winston Cup season (minus Dale Earnhardt
due to his death, but the game has many tributes to him including a black #3 screen on start-up) and several then-Busch Series and fantasy drivers that can be unlocked.
The PlayStation 1 edition was separate from the rest, and included an instant-replay feature, fantasy tracks, and only 36 drivers per race. A system of power-up/cheat cards and challenges, similar to Chase Cards and Lightning/Dodge Challenges in later editions, was a major game mode in this version.
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
that came out for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The theme song for the game is Sweet Home Alabama
Sweet Home Alabama (song)
"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd that first appeared in 1974 on their second album, Second Helping.It reached #8 on the US charts in 1974, and was the band's second hit single.-Creation and recording:...
by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
. It is the fifth game in the NASCAR series
NASCAR series
The EA Sports NASCAR series was a series of NASCAR video games published by EA Sports. The series began with NASCAR 98 and NASCAR 99 in 1997 and 1998. EA Sports released NASCAR Thunder 2002 in 2001, and ever since then, Jeff Gordon , Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ,and Tony Stewart were on the cover...
of video games, and is the first of the series to have a new title (the other games simply read "NASCAR" and then the year). Notably, it is the first NASCAR game to feature alternate paint schemes on the cars. It featured the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon on its cover and 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte on the disc.
NASCAR Thunder 2002 was the first NASCAR game released for the Xbox and the second released for the PlayStation 2. Game modes consist of Create-a-car, Quick race, Season mode, Career mode, and practice. Before every race, the player has the option to qualify for a position at the start of the race, get to know the track in practice, or 'race' other cars in Happy Hour. The game has 35 drivers from the 2001 Winston Cup season (minus Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
due to his death, but the game has many tributes to him including a black #3 screen on start-up) and several then-Busch Series and fantasy drivers that can be unlocked.
The PlayStation 1 edition was separate from the rest, and included an instant-replay feature, fantasy tracks, and only 36 drivers per race. A system of power-up/cheat cards and challenges, similar to Chase Cards and Lightning/Dodge Challenges in later editions, was a major game mode in this version.