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Title: Simply the best physics in any console title to date
Review: Unlock the realistic physics bonus (it takes some commitment), and you're good to go. What you find lacking from games like the Gran Turismo series is actually represented here: losing traction in turns, losing balance during braking, independently-locked wheels, peeling out, internal and external damage, etc. The Gamecube's controller is wonderful for this game, if you don't have a wheel. This is the way you imagined the analog triggers going to work as throttle & brake, with button shifting (although there are other schemes too, if you'd prefer). Quite impressive. This title just misses out on a little polish - not all tracks are playable in every mode, and with just three road courses, the great physics model is sadly underutilized. NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona is a hidden gem, that won't be given its due in video game or racing sim history.
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