NHRA Drag Racing: Countdown to the Championship

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NHRA Drag Racing: Countdown to the Championship is a simulation of drag-racing. It features four different classes of car (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle), with the PSP version having Jet Powered as a bonus in Quick Race mode. There are 5 modes: Tutorial, Quick Race, Single Event, Career, and Vs.

The tutorial is a series of videos that walk the player through the steps needed to properly race without getting disqualified. Quick race lets the player select a vehicle, driver, and weather, then simply race. (Unique to the PSP version is the ability to race different classes against each other, with the less powerful car getting a head start.) Single event mode strings together multiple races. It includes 4 qualifying rounds, then the top 16 racers will move on to an elimination tournament. Career follows a driver through multiple events, tracking money from wins and spent on repairs. Vs is a quick race between two human players. On the PSP, this is done through ad-hoc wireless; on the PS2, split-screen.

There are three difficulty levels: rookie, veteran, and pro. Higher difficulties have tougher opponents, and require more precise aiming. In addition, rookie difficulty allows for auto-align on the track, and auto-tuning during the pre-race tune-up. No matter what game mode is being played, the pre-race tuning is incredibly important. There is only a limited amount of time (5 minutes in rookie difficulty, 3 otherwise) to pick the best settings, and everything from tire pressure to weight distribution is included. Finally, additional drivers can be unlocked by winning championships in career mode.