NASCAR Unleashed
{{short description|2011 video game}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = File:NASCAR Unleashed official box art.png
| alt =
| caption = Cover art featuring the cars of Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
| title = NASCAR Unleashed
| developer = Firebrand Games
| publisher = Activision
| release = {{vgrelease|NA|November 1, 2011}}
| genre = Auto racing
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
| platforms = Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
}}
NASCAR Unleashed is a racing video game developed by Firebrand Games and published by Activision. It was released on November 1, 2011 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS.
Features
NASCAR Unleashed is an arcade racing game, allowing players to play as 15 different drivers in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing series, and race around six locations, including Chicagoland Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and a fictional track named Unleashed Speedway. Each location has multiple layouts, which accounts for 12 different track layouts.
As with the previous two Wii NASCAR games, Kart Racing and The Game: 2011, the Wii version of Unleashed leverages the Wii Remote's versatility and motion controls to offer multiple control schemes, but unlike them, it does not support the GameCube controller.
Drivers
15 real life NASCAR drivers are featured in the game, followed by 3 fictional drivers. Each driver has one paint scheme available when one starts the game, and the more one progresses through the championships, the more bonus paint schemes one will unlock.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} There are 20 cars in a race for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, while the Wii and 3DS versions only had 12 cars in a race.
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| NLife = (3DS) {{Rating|3|10}}{{cite web |last1=Ingram |first1=Christopher |title=NASCAR Unleashed Review (3DS) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2012/01/nascar_unleashed_3ds |website=Nintendo Life |date=20 January 2012 |access-date=15 February 2022}}
| GI = 7/10{{cite magazine |last1=Kato |first1=Matthew |title=NASCAR Unleashed Review - A New Kind Of Rivalry |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2011/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227060415/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2011/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=December 27, 2011 |magazine=Game Informer |date=2 November 2011 |access-date=15 February 2022}}
}}
The game has received mixed reviews. Operation Sports rated it 4.5/10, praising the spin on the tracks, but criticizing the repetitiveness and lack of online multiplayer.{{cite web|url=http://www.operationsports.com/reviews/633/nascar-unleashed/|title=NASCAR Unleashed Review (Xbox 360)}} PlayStation: The Official Magazine gave the game a 60/100 score: "It may not be a game for racing purists, but if you're looking to introduce stock car racing to a child, look no further".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/nascar-unleashed/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3|title=NASCAR Unleashed|work=Metacritic}} Game Informer gave the game a rating of 7/10, saying that "NASCAR Unleashed may be just another kart racer, but it's also not as foreign of a concept to the sport as you may think. Its drafting, rivalries, and car contact are certainly key aspects of the sport represented here – just not enough".{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2010/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510164236/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/nascar_unleashed/b/ps3/archive/2010/11/02/a-new-kind-of-rivalry.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 10, 2017|title=A New Kind Of Rivalry - NASCAR Unleashed - PlayStation 3 - www.gameinformer.com|magazine=Game Informer}}
References
{{Portal|Sports}}
{{reflist}}
{{NASCAR video games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:NASCAR Unleashed}}
Category:North America-exclusive video games
Category:Video games set in Miami
Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom