The 2007 NASCAR season is in top gear, and if you’re a fan, you wish Sundays would never end. If you’re a gamer and a NASCAR fan, they don’t have to. Last year, EA Sports released their best game of the franchise yet. The new “NASCAR 2007” will not be released until this summer, but to feed your NASCAR gaming fix, “NASCAR 2006: Total Team Control” is what you need to satisfy your hunger until the new game is available.
“NASCAR06:TTC” takes giant leaps from “NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup,” which came about two years ago. In TTC, you can actually control your racing team, and in the Fight To The Top mode, you can even own it!
Another great addition is the ability to swap between your team’s cars during the race and finish in the top positions. Apart from the exhilarating ability to change drivers mid-race, there are also new racing commands for your teammates. Some of these commands are “Hold Your Position,” “Block For Me,” and “Pit Now,” so your entire team can be on the same page. If you want to feel like you’re actually in the driver’s seat, you can purchase the headset for your respective gaming system where you can talk to your Crew Manager.
Apart from the new game-play, the graphics and sound are unbelievable compared to the older versions. To fully appreciate these improvements, I recommend playing it on XBOX. However, the game is easier to control on PS2, because of the way the controllers are set up and how the analog sticks are spaced. Although I’ve been raving about this game, it does have some minor flaws. The loading time takes longer than I’d like, but it’s just about the same as any other racing games on the system. It also can get boring if you play it by yourself and don’t use the Fight To The Top mode.
The reason I like this game better than most other racing games is that it is simply more realistic. The drivers are real, the courses are real, and according to the actual drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., the driving is as real as you can get, with the shifting points only yards away from the real tracks.
Overall, I give this game 3.5 out of 4.0 Pac-mans because of its realism and authenticity. Until the 2007 game comes out, this will keep you occupied and satisfy your NASCAR fix. If anything else, now you know that Sundays don’t have to be over if you don’t want them to be.