The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 127

TECH Electronic Arts Remember, this is NASCAR. Right turns are strictly verboten. NASCAR THUNDER 2002 "Sweet Home Alabama" the first 800 times. System: Microsoft Xbox The bottom line: Unlike prePublisher: Electronic Arts vious stock-car titles, "ThunReviewer's rating: der" uses the power of the Game type: Driving Xbox to put all 43 cars on the Kind of like: "NASCAR 2001" track without a big dip in framBest feature: Watching the erate. sun set at Daytona.

The cars in the game look exWorst feature: You may re- actly like their -world counconsider naming your first terparts, sponsors and all. The child Lynyrd, after hearing lighting effects are jaw-dropMOTOR CITY ONLINE System: Windows PC Publisher: Electronic Arts Reviewer's rating: Game type: Racing Kind of like: "'Cruisin' USA" Best feature: All the details. From customized license plates, paint schemes and carburetors. Worst feature: The heart of the game driving- falls flat. The bottom line: Touted as the first massively multiplayer racing game, "Motor City Online" is no more than a large "Motor City Online" looks chat room with scattered pock- great and, umm well, it ets of racing.

looks great. The graphics are not impressive and the controls are terri- We are talking every part of the ble unless you have an analog car, down to the spark plugs. If control pad. The soundtrack is you don't know anything about cool, but, sound effects are cars, you will be stuck in first standard fare. gear for a long time.

To begin the game you are The novelty wears thin issued what amounts to a piece quickly, especially since the of rust with wheels. Upgrading game costs $10 a month after a initial pile of junk can be a 30-day trial. After all, most chat your daunting task for everyone ex- rooms are free. cept the true grease monkey. Wes Phillips POND SPORTS NASCAR THUNDER 2002 ping considering how fast the cars are traveling.

Damage models are a little unrealistic. Bumping and slamming into walls at 150 mph only causes minimal damage. Also, moving up 30 places in three laps would prove difficult in a real race. In career mode you can create a car and pit yourself against NASCAR's elite. The more you win, the more offers you get from sponsors.

That leads to car upgrades, fans with your number on the backs of their trucks and the obligatory Wendy's commercial. This game is a mix of detail and fun. "NASCAR Thunder" isn't a pure simulation but its visuals and deep career mode will make you forget to mind. Wes Phillips DOUSED Electronic Arts PHANTASY STAR ONLINE VER. 2 System: Sega Dreamcast Publisher: Sega Reviewer's rating: A Game type: Role-playing game Kind of like: "EverQuest" on a smaller scale.

Best feature: One new "Mag" character looks just like an old Sega Genesis console! Worst feature: This time you have to pay to play $15 gets you online for three months. The bottom line: When the first version of "PSO" came out in February, we predicted it would easily win "Game of the Year" honors come December. We didn't know they were going to release "Ver. 2." And, while the game's initial luster has dulled somewhat over the last 10 months, it still ranks as one of the better console titles ever released. This update is more of an "expansion pack" than a prop- PONiE PHANTASY STAR" ONLINE Frantit Heaps for Dreamcast Toning er sequel.

You don't need to own the original to play, but you can import your characters from it if you do. Gameplay is largely the same, only with more levels, more features, more modes and more fun. New modes let you engage in a one-on-one deathmatch with another player. And in the online lobby, a new soccerstyle mini-game is an entertaining way to pass the time between battles on the planet Ragol. But joining a four-person party online remains the best part of "PSO." Which is something you still can't do on your PlayStation 2.

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