The Best NASCAR Game Ever Made (NASCAR Thunder 2004) 

Still better drafting, damage, and side drafting than Heat 4.

These games were chock full of content, shame today that this would all be DLC

This makes me sad to a degree. Games back then were feature complete and were worth spending the $60 on. If a sports game of this scale came out today it would be $60 plus $500 for all of the paint schemes.

Jeff Gordon's rainbow Dupont scheme is my favorite of all time. Growing up, that's what I associated NASCAR with. Wish the NASCAR games today were like this one.

What's so great about this game is the actual day night transition during the game play! That gives this game that sense of actual realism and more dept then current games! Plus we get a track PA announcer and MRN radio commentary from the late Barney HalI and I believe the other guy is Winston Kelly. I use to play alot with 3 other guys on my xbox and it was great fun with when played mind games with pit strategy. Career mode was awesome too.

To this day. I will never stop playing this amazing game

Back in the day when most game developers made games out of passion than money

Anyone else notice how The Trophy said "April 15, 2020" but today is April 14 3:48

*laughs in NR2003* ... *sobs in NR2003* In all seriousness what ever happened to the real-ish physics in NASCAR games?

I'm a 4 time full season full race length champ on thunder 4. Still own it one time champ on every nascar game

Game is 100% straight up a rare gem

3:47 Hold up. Radman is a time traveler.

20:22 I’m not the only one who has PTSD right here right?

I still play this almost every day, I have for nearly 17 years. There have been a few years it's sat in a cabinet or box, but when I see it, it immediately comes out and I pop it into the PS2. No game in the past 10 years has come close.

Doesn't see how Jeff Gordon & Robby Gordon are rivals. Circa 2001. New Hampshire race

this gave me a flashback to the beginning of your channel and the NT2004 Career. Crazy how fast time flies, doesn’t seem like it has been that long

The nostalgia is palpable, especially once I saw Rusty Wallace's car. Never was much a fan of his, but when I started my career mode back on release day, I struggled quite a lot, only winning races sporadically, and barely getting enough money to scrape by. Then, after a number of in-game years, it said Rusty retired, and his ride offered the packaged sponsorship to me, and I rode that #2 straight into history. Turned my entire career around, and I was with that team for a couple of (real-life) years, breaking all of the records (over 200 wins, 8+ championships).

I miss how the race intro was 8:23

Bro I literally just searched this up you literally stole the words right out of my mouth and you're exactly right Best NASCAR game of all time hands down 💯💙💙💙💙💙

I taught myself how to revive dead OG Xboxes so I could keep playing this after mine died. I could use an emulator, but I love using classic equipment

This game is why I bought a PS2 in 2020. I love this game so much, because it was one of the games that made me become a huge fan of nascar and helped me learn how to drive the tracks.

Omg best game ever! Cant wait for more! Thank you

M&M's had a marketing deal in 2002 where fans got to choose between a few different colors which one they wanted to see on the track. It was Ken Schrader in NASCAR thunder 2003 that had a teal and a pink and a purple and a blend car and what not.

If this game were made today, all the basic paint schemes would come with the base game and there would be at least 13 DLC packs that you would have to get to have all of these paint schemes. There would be a pack for every month, as well as a throwback paint scheme pack. You would also have to spend extra to get the historic drivers. It's such a shame that all they make video games for now is to turn a pretty penny rather than make something enjoyable like this.

this popped up in recommended and nostalgia hit me, 2003 nascar thunder was the first game I've ever played, it was on the gamecube.

Agree such a great game. Imagine if they just did some of these things and added features with the new technology we have these days they could make an awesome console game but seems like they always take the easy way out

20:12 *DOIN' FOR DALE!!!*

I remember playing this on Xbox, it was sooooo good

Just recently picked this up on eBay along with 2003 and 2002 for XBOX and 2001 for PS2. EAs console NASCAR games were amazing.

Thank you for talkin about such a great game. I feel somewhere deep in America there is a real American man after work goes home cracks open a few beers goes to the garage with just the PS2 sittin in the corner there hooked to an ollle CRT TV and tells the wife he's playin his game.....

If you do a season mode, use a Pontiac Driver. I recommend Jerry Nadeau or Johnny Benson.

I have so many fond memories of this game growing up. We didn't have a lot of money to spend on games, so this was one of the few games I had that wasn't a demo disc. My dad is not a gamer at all, but loved this game and we'd play it all the time along with SW Battlefront. He loved it so much he bought a steering wheel and pedals for it (which I thought was so cool back then) and bought another PS2 a few years back just to play the game every now and then.

I’m glad to see that you’re back uploading. The only thing I would like to see is if you do a season mode can you do the real life schedule? That is one of the reasons why I love this game so much.

Glad to see you making videos again, and that it’s NT2004. Those were the good old days. I’m currently rewatching your F1 2016 series.

Great game. I was at the Michigan race where dale jarret spun out and ended up winning. My face when I played the thunder challenge on this game then next year.

nascar racing 2003: I'm joke to you?

I miss this. I started playing NASCAR Thunder 2002. Those were the days. Realistic damage, tons of schemes and great drivers! This makes me want to get an original Xbox

Never played this game, but yea games back then were so damn good because they were complete and has so many great features. Nowadays their broken on release day and they charge for everything that should have already been in the game.

Just be JEFF GORDON!!!! 😂 🐐🐐🐐

They seriously need to redevelop this game for new gen This game is 16 years old and has better graphics and realism than nascar heat. It’s a shame Nascar heat doesn’t have driver introduction,commentary,national anthem,and flyover and fireworks. Nascar thunder had a better victory lane celebration. Everything about this game was realistic to the actual sport of nascar. Nascar heat was sloppy development it’s as if their development team had never seen an actual nascar race there just wasn’t any realism in the game

Sports games were absolutely the best on the PS2. The amount of fan service and content in the mid to later year titles was absurd! lol.. they all played great too w an overall gameplay formula that never really faltered. I remember owning just about every good sports title iin that generation, cant say the same at all for later ones.

It sucks that this game wasn’t released for the Gamecube, yet the edition before (NASCAR Thunder 2003) & after (NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup) was released for the system.

I won a bunch of races in the customized #86 car and several Winston Cup trophies, too. Great game, great times!

0:09 i love how Jeff Gordon says alright I’m out of here before the intro ends

“Hey guys I’m playing one of my fat...” 😂

Back when you bought a game for 60 and had everything on it, no dlc expansions

He's right about the trophy room, WWE SVR 2007 gave you your own room and trophy room

Once I get a ps2 or something that plays ps2 games, I’m definitely gonna get this game. I used to play this with my friends when I went over to their house. So much fun.

Drove me nuts that the devs used the wrong headlight decals for Chevy in Thunder 2004 AND 2005. Plus the weird body shape

Can you upload a tutorial on how/where to download the emulator and show all of the settings you have to make the game look this good?

Nascar Thunder 2004 and Nascar Racing Season 2003 are simply the 2 best licensed racing games period. 2003 was and still is a single player sim racers wet dream, and 2004 was by far and away the single best and most complete game ever!

Fun fact: The photo used for Kevin Lepage was from 2000 as noted below with the Roush Racing logo

Low key Bobby Labonte is your favorite driver, I support this 1000% bus schemes in this game are incredible. His default alone is imo the best ever along with Harvicks from the same year.

NR2003: Allow me to introduce myself

Season Mode is one of the best because you can create your own driver and also create a custom schedule.

Can this game be re-released on modern day consoles?!

Robby and Jeff are rivals because of the 2001 New Hampshire race, this is the best nascar game ever imo.

we need a remaster version to just improve the graphics and leave everything alone but cant really do that since 704 has the liscene to nascar games and ea does not care anymore

I've always found it quite depressing and sad that the pit stops actually has ANIMATED pit crew members actually doing stuff to your car while most modern better looking title of Nascar don't have that from what I've seen at least seriously with all the advancements in how their able to make game look today and how animation look today yet they can't put in an animated pit crew like they did in the past it's beyond pathetic.

Jamie McMurray ran 7 races in 2002 filling in for Sterling Marlin

Thanks for making these gameplay videos. I have missed watching them!

NASCAR Racing 2003 Season is what I like best

12:27 20:17 Radman: Causes a caution and can easilly catch up again after the yellow flag Also Radman: Gives up and restarts

Every Jeff Gordon Pepsi car was badass.

20:21 uh is it me or does that crash look very familiar? What makes it worse is he was driving as Sr...

Hey dude! NASCAR Thunder 2004 is indeed the best NASCAR game ever created. I have the Original Xbox version of this game, I also have various Nascar games for the Xbox and Xbox 360 from 2003-2009 from EA Sports, and the song Action by Powerman 5000 in NASCAR Thunder 2004 is a badass album in this game. Awesome video dude! BTW you earned a sub, and have a bless day.

I don’t even care about nascar but I recently bought a ps2 to replace my old one that stopped working and lo and behold there’s nascar thunder 2004 inside of it. I don’t know anything about nascar but it’s actually pretty fun

Only RealRadman could win a race the day before it happens.

I remember playing this as a kiddo. Good times.

I think its time to dig out the old ps2 and play this.

Yep no argument here.I remember buying this game when it came out.👍🏻

Best NASCAR game ever made belongs to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season from Papyrus/Sierra. This is a fact.

It is but they forgot to put Sadler and Rudd's alternate paint schemes.

Talladega night will be cool since it named before talladega nights was even a thing.

The NASCAR Thunder series EA did from 2002-2004, was the best series of NASCAR games.

One of the best online sims for nascar too. Had so much fun with this game with friends on PC

Anyone else see the fuel man holding it with 1 hand at 14:48

I played through like 9 seasons of this on the PS2 😂 this one is the GOAT in my own opinion

Man I only had Nascar 06 total team control growing up, I wish had this one instead it seems so much better

Used to play 2003 all the time as a kid

Best Nascar game of all time

Mark Martin for season mode!

I just finished my 2008 season in my career mode. Jeff Gordon won his 8th camionship and then retires with 117 wins. Hopefully I have a chance to win it finially 😂

I Would Play This Still If I Could Get The Game And Another PS2 Shame They Don't Make Them No More

Just got this one today... first time I ever played it as I never had a ps2 or Xbox as a kid

Can you do a video on how to set this game up on the emulator

Place your bets will the new NASCAR game be Better/Worse/Same. I just hope they change the tire model and make the cars slide a little more so you actually have to manage the throttle especially on older tires

What system is this running on?

Idk which game it was on but the tribon track was so cool

2003 was Sadler's first year in the 38 car. He ran 1999-2002 driving the 21 for the Wood Brothers. Hence why the lack of paint schemes for him.

This was a decent game but Dirt to Daytona was the console NASCAR GOAT. The cars felt so much better to drive. Sadly it was missing a few teams and tracks.

The 2006 total team control too.

Season Mode for Dale Sr.

In heat 5 once you upgrade your engine to max and max out the employee on your engine you basically don't need to draft

~ 4:48 & 4:58 : not necessarily a cheat code but there is a code I believe you enter to access LAN multiplayer. My nephew and I utilized it within the last handful of years to link two PS2 consoles together shining through on a pair of 27 inch Trinitron tube TVs that have widescreen ratio mode. Force feedback to the steering wheels on this title are amazing for the era. 👉There might be more detail felt from the road surface and while drafting, etc. in my Logitech wheels and pedals than any other driving game/simulator including ToCA Race Driver 3 (still racing that one online) or Gran Turismo from the same era.👍 The visuals are nothing to sneeze at either coming from a PS2.

Robbie was a rival with everyone lol

I also really like the first need for speed underground not the second one the first one when you hit the boost the effects were too real

I need to know what settings you're using on the emulator. I have a line showing in the bottom half of mine and I get slowdowns from time to time, even in OpenGL

Love this game

Best Nascar OST and on Ps1 also 😍