So I Played NASCAR Thunder 2003 in 2023… 

What’s your favorite memory of NASCAR Thunder 2003??

The stuff I like about Thunder 2003: >good cockpit cam (better than Thunder 2004) >Beautiful blue skies at most tracks (Thunder 2004 has lots of smog and piss-colored skies) >Features the Gen-4 cars pre-common body template >Lightning Challenges >Options for adjusting difficulty levels and no cautions >A few more songs in comparison to Thunder 2002 (Circles by Nonpoint is my fav) >Cool user interface that plays into the Thunder moniker (main menu is full of crashing thunder) >Fictional night races >Daytona Beach

Thunder games were the best still 20 years later

Honestly more NASCAR content creators need to make play throughs of the old thunder games while theres not any good nascar video games coming out

You know in the clip at the end, you can see Hank Parker Jr's #36 GNC Dodge wrecking with Jeff Gordon. I spotted that in the post last year on the 20th anniversary and some Wimmer boy took my find and reposted it and saying that he found it. When I posted it, no one commented on it or saw it...

YOU PLAYED MY CHILDHOOD NASCAR GAME ON MY CHILDHOOD CONSOLE?! LET’S GO!!!

I think the career mode is the best of any nascar game I like being in control of building cars an motors

As soon as you introduced Waltrip I was soooo hoping to see that NAPA commercial, and you didn't disappoint lol

I played this on Gamecube when I was in middle school in 2004. Brings back memories.

I got the front grill of Ward Burton's car when he wrecked at Sonoma. Must have been in 99 or 2000. Track officials weren't very happy lol.

I absolutely hate that games now don't track stats, I loved that it kept track of how many wins I had throughout my entire career. How many championships, that people would retire and new drivers would take over their cars, also unlike in 2004 where they put in basically where the ai would go faster to keep the races close this game used pure skill, 10/10 for all those aspects

I haven't played a NASCAR game since this one, then recently tried Heat 3. Eh, I'd rather have Thunder '03! So many good memories!

I remember the GameCube being my first console and playing this game day and night

this was super enjoyable to watch

I remember I was leading at Bristol and a caution came out and the ai drove me right into a pileup I finished 25th. I love the game though sometimes I would just sit on the title screen and let it go into demo mode and watch the ai race

The best part of the game in my opinion is in single player on veteran or legend difficulty you unlock night races on each track except Indianapolis, Pocono, Texas, Phoenix, New Hampshire and Homestead… I always thought what would Talladega look like under the lights and this game showed but not in real life because it would’ve cost a lot of money for the project. With Sonoma and Waktins Glen night races were pretty cool… including Rockingham and Michigan And EA added something out of blue Tiburon International Speedway or as Joe Moore from MRN in the game describes it “Tiburon Superspeedway” a fantasy 3.0 mile track with 40 degrees in the corners 15 degrees in the frontstrech and 20 degrees in the backstretch with 500 miles 167 laps in 100% Crazy! What’s even more crazy trying to win at that track because the banking is so steep and the speeds are so fast around 230 235 mph! My other favorite is when you race at Daytona the sun sets in the Pepsi 400 and the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte which I think is a highlight in the game…

Man, I was just playing 04 earlier today with my son

I remember playing the lighting challenges with my downstairs neighbors all the time, some laughs, tears, and joy was shared lol. I loved every moment of it, if only I know this would be the peak :(

LETS GO A SLOPPY JOE VIDEO!!!!! This game is my 4th NASCAR Game behind NR2003,DTD,Thunder 04

Best game ever

Didn't race as Tony Stewart 2/10

Tiburon track and the road coarse versions of the speedway tracks is edge lord solidified on thunder 2003

I've been grinding through nascar thunder 2003 and it's hard but I love it even though I have tons of road rage and ram everyone just to win. Nascar thunder 2003 is plain broken on PS2 I feel like buying it again but for Xbox.

Feel like I missed out cause I had this on ps1

I miss those stock cars

Thunder games were the first and only ones that were better on consoles than PC, until Nascar Sim Racing came out in 2005

I still remember when I picked up my copy. We were in Germany for Christmas vacation and went to the PX at Hanau. It was my first PS2 game and I didn't even own a PS2 yet. Still have it to this day.

Nice man! I love NR2003, I can’t wait for this! Yeah!

NASCAR thunder 2003 midnight club 2 final fantasy 10 were the goats of the early 2000s

3:20 SpongeBob was really fitting for nascar

We Just Gonna Ignore the Green Turbo Ranger in the background of the John Andretti Clip?? hahaha

04 still holds up 20 yrs later and that’s pretty sad knowing the technology we have today is incredible. I haven’t played ignition 21 yet but I can see that it sucks and that thunder 04 is better than it

I bought a used ps2 just to play nascar 03 an also nascar 2005 they still hold up

Also DO NOT by this game for ps2 unless you have a wheel. It’s unplayable on the ps2 controller. With xbox version the controller makes it playable plus you can use your downloaded music in game.

What the heck was that Casey Atwood clip!?... 😆

I would say nascar thunder 2002 was the first realistic looking game

GOAT Console racing game. I spent so much time on career mode when I was a youth

This game was my childhood

Can you review 2004? I think it’s a bit superior. But the lightning challenges in this one >>>

Let's go

Driving backwards like a maniac was half the enjoyment of those old games as a kid lol EA forgot how to make games fun, they just make cookie cutter nonsense now :(

What would you consider better Thunder 2003 or 2004

What does mean "average finish 5th" ? I always finish first but never get money from sponsors.

IF EA Sports can get the NASCAR license back they need to do it like NASCAR Thunder 03,04, and NASCAR chase for the cup. 3 best console NASCAR games of all time.

Amazing classic game lol

One question: WHY is this so much better than the PS1 version of NASCAR Thunder 2004? I mean, if this was already on PS2, then why did they make Thunder 2004 on the PS1? I'm so confused

this game does not just hold up its one of the best games ever made imo.

I did too

Oh okay so it turns out the lightning challenges are impossible without a wheel.

thunder 2004

2:25 WHAT commentary? I can't hear it. I want it, but I can't hear it.

I'm gonna guess that you are a Scorpio.

yeah but you played the console version, which is junk like every other console games, get a pc