Days of Thunder is a stock car racing game developed by Beam Software and published by Mindscape for the NES, based on the 1990 NASCAR film. From a behind-the-car view, players race as Cole Trickle across eight oval tracks — qualifying, managing fuel and tires, making pit stops with a five-member crew, and beating rivals Rowdy Burns and Russ Wheeler. It is known for its difficulty.
How To Play Days of Thunder
Control
Action
D-Pad Left / Right
Steer the car
A Button
Accelerate
B Button
Brake
Select
Shift gear / options
Start
Pause / pit menu
About Days of Thunder
Release date
NES (NA): October 1990 · NES (EU): April 1991 (Game Boy: 1992)
Developer
Beam Software
Publisher
Mindscape
Platform
NES; also Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Game Boy, ZX Spectrum
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
