Introduction

Days of Thunder: NASCAR Edition, a game that attempts to whiff through the world of NASCAR with all the grace of a drunken raccoon on roller skates, has arrived. Released back in February 2011, this title promises a roaring good time but delivers the occasional engine cough and a whole lot of confusion. It's like NASCAR, but only if the cars had been designed by a committee of cats.

Gameplay

Players can take the famous rookie driver Cole Trickle, who is, lest we forget, coached by Rowdy Burns-the store-brand version of a mentor-and race on a dozen NASCAR tracks, including the iconic Daytona. However, if you're hoping for precision in your racing experience, you might want to take the wheel of a marketable product instead, as the car dynamics feel more like an awkward blind date than a thrilling race. The game offers four main modes: Quick Race, Time Trial, Career, and the uniquely engaging Derby Mode, where wrecking your car is encouraged like it's a family game night gone wrong. Throughout the single-player experience, you can battle against fictional drivers, complete challenges to unlock sponsorships, and even gift wrap your vehicle in flashy cosmetics-because everyone knows the allure of racing lies mainly in your car's paint job. As for multiplayer, you can race with up to twelve friends, which sounds great until you realize you might just want to mute them all to avoid the barrage of vital life choices they'll be yelling at you from the safety of their couches. The game oozes with arcade vibes intended to keep players on the track instead of customizing their vehicles endlessly. You have three types of vehicles: Accelerators (the speed demons), Intimidators (the tanks), and Regulators (the middle child). Each suffers from a unique identity crisis in terms of handling-like a kindergarten class trying to put on a production of Shakespeare.

Graphics

Here's where we get real: the graphics in Days of Thunder feel like they are stuck in 2011, which is great if you're into vintage gaming aesthetics but a total bummer if you prefer something that doesn't look like it was made with crayons. The tracks are fairly colorful, albeit two-dimensional, and the car models pay homage to 90s cartoons, which is a bold creative choice, not one you'd ever want to brag about. The general visual presentation induces equal parts nostalgia and regret-think of it like finding an old lunchbox filled with a rotting sandwich.

Conclusion

Days of Thunder: NASCAR Edition is possibly the best option if you've exhausted all other forms of entertainment, including staring at a wall. The gameplay can be engaging in short bursts, but the unrealistic handling leaves much to be desired and may just send you into the nearest pit of despair. With a score of 4 out of 10, this game is better off in the corner of your shelf collecting dust than it is in the disc tray of your PS3. So, if you're considering racing in circles without hitting the brakes, buckle up-just don't huff that gasoline too deeply; it's all a part of the pre-race ritual; after that, call a cab.

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