I’m not in the habit of wasting people’s time. Simply put, do not buy this game. But there’s more…
XBLA Description:
Days of Thunder: Arcade is a high adrenaline Stock car arcade racer. Coached by Rowdy Burns himself you can relive the intensity of the film while you race to the top of the leader boards. Watch out for Cole trickle and Russ Wheeler though! Race on Oval and road tracks to prove that you’ve got what it takes.
I am a big fan of NASCAR and even the 1990 movie Days of Thunder. Unfortunately and frankly, this game does not capture either feel. The game is serviceable: It starts up, loads tracks fast, and gets you into the action. There’s multiple modes to choose from: Quick Race, Time Trial, Career Mode and, Derby. The racing is fine, absolutely living up to the arcade name, but no where near as fun. As you race, you can bump ‘n grind into other player cars with no penalty to your speed, just your car takes some damage. You can pit and have a mini-game where you mash buttons to make the pit time be as low as possible. The cars feel as if they don’t have any weight to them. There is a boost or nitrous equivalent in this game, you can earn boost called “Dropping the Hammer” by drafting opponents. This will fill up a gauge for you to boost around opponents. There is some good Robert DuVall voiceover (might even BE him) as your crew chief. Which doesn’t make sense when you’re not racing AS Cole Trickle. I’m not sure who the target audience is here, the game is far past it’s prime as a product and as a game. I feel like I’m playing something from 1998. I just never got past the part where I wanted to unlock the full game, and you won’t either.
