Knowing it would take a lot to keep players' attention beyond the five seconds it takes to drag race their cars, Bethesda has built extra features into "IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005" to attempt to keep the game interesting. Pick your car, paint it pretty, bring it to the bleach box to soften the tires, then watch the Christmas tree count down for race action; after the race, you can hang out in your trophy room, complete with arcade and Hooters girl cutout for company. Racing action can be played in either arcade mode for quick races for single event, elimination, or two-player split-screen racing; or in simulation mode, which offers more in-depth play, allowing gamers to lead a team through the competitive season, earning money, and improving their car while competing in the 12-event national IHRA Professional Drag Racing championship. The game contains more than 50 accurate and detailed vehicles, all customizable, from Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Alcohol Funny Car categories. Did we love its unsophisticted graphics and simplistic play? No, but someone will. Available for PlayStation2, Xbox, PC, and some cellphones by the holidays; online play will not be available until next year.
