NASCAR 09 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2)

Fans who were disappointed by the lacklustre effort of NASCAR 08 will be happy to learn that NASCAR 09 is a significant improvement in terms of offering improved car handling, better quality production values, and several interesting modes. That said, the series still has a ways to go before it can be held in the same regard as flagship EA sports franchises like Madden.

The decision to make Jeff Gordon not only the game's cover athlete but an in-game narrator and mentor as well goes a long way towards injecting some much-needed soul into the franchise. Also rewarding is the video footage of other popular drivers laying down challenges and giving advice about particular tracks in the Sprint Driver Challenge mode. The other three modes are a career mode where you create a character and fulfill contract and sponsor obligations to earn Reputation points; a Season mode where you can race a full, partial, or custom season as a NASCAR driver of your choice in either the Sprint Cup, Nationwide, or Craftsman Truck series'; and a "Test and Tune" practice mode. Another new addition is the ability to switch between Normal mode for more skilled drivers, and Rookie mode for novices that enables automatic gear shifting and various assists to make the car more stable.

While NASCAR 09's updates inject some personality and excitement back into the franchise, there are still some things that could use further tweaking. For example, the other cars don't always behave as logically or dynamically as real drivers on the racetrack would, and load times are excessive and distracting.

Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2
Available online
Genre: Racing
Developer: Electronic Arts
Released on: June 10, 2008
Price: 49.99
ESRB Rating: E