Nascar Unleashed – Time to Leave the Track

by Dan Van Beek

My boys and I are suckers for racing games. We’ve tried them all; Gran Turismo, San Francisco Rush, Forza Motorsports, Need for Speed and Mario Kart, to name a few. We also sport all the necessary attachments to get the most out of our racing experience (wheels and floor pedals). So when we had the opportunity to play and review NASCAR Unleashed* we jumped at the opportunity.

Now mind you, my boys are 10 and 13, so their reflexes are far sharper than mine. At the onset of the game all I managed to do was spin-out over and over again while my boys managed to learn the intricacies and finesse of hugging corners and leveraging the track for time. What we noticed immediately different about this game that differs from other racing games is how a player gains boosts. It is done by taking out opponents (which in-turn become rivals), drifting turns correctly, completing objectives, and pit stops.

However, my favorite part of the game is when you end up leaving the racetrack behind and hit the public streets. All &$%# breaks loose. It is a relentless, unavoidable, edge-of-your-seat, stuff flying everywhere, trees in the road, rip-roaring experience. All this is going on as your rivals nip at your heels at breakneck speeds. We laughed at our own mayhem and misfortune from start to finish.

The graphics aren’t ground breaking, but it does deliver enough information to help you manage the course correctly. But then again, it’s not intended to be the game that immerses you in an accurate representation of NASCAR driving, instead it’s built to for fun. If you are looking for a racing game the whole family can play without the frustrating learning curve, this is the game for you. So break out your mullet wigs, sleeveless shirts and Start Your Engines!

NASCAR Unleashed is available on the Wii ($39.99) and the PlayStation 3 ($29.96) through Amazon.com with free super saver shipping.

* I was given a copy of NASCAR Unleashed in exchange for my honest opinion.