Patreon button  Steam curated reviews  Discord button  Facebook button  Twitter button 
3DS | PC | PS4 | PS5 | SWITCH | VITA | XB1 | XSX | All

Need for Speed: Underground (PlayStation 2) artwork

Need for Speed: Underground (PlayStation 2) review


"The Need For Speed series has always been about exotic cars on sunny, scenic roads. However, straying far from the beaten path, this installment takes you to the cold, underground world of street racing. "

The Need For Speed series has always been about exotic cars on sunny, scenic roads. However, straying far from the beaten path, this installment takes you to the cold, underground world of street racing.

You start out as a rookie driver, taken under the wing of a young woman. Under her guidance, you're lead to your first few races. Your car in the beginning is a stock, plain-jane POS, but as you progress, more cars and parts, such as custom bumpers, side skirts, light covers, after market performance parts, and colorful vinyl patterns will be unlocked, allowing you to customize your ride into the ultimate street machine. The way to unlock some of these parts range from winning races to earning style points.

Style points are earned by doing specific things in a race, such as power sliding your car. The cooler your car looks, the more points you get. When the race ends, a small bars fills, and when it gets full, you'll unlock something cool, such as a new vinyl type (like flames or stripes) or a special tribute car . As you unlock more and more things, you'll be able to personalize your machine to your heart's content.

The game also offers various modes of play, such as drag racing, circuit, sprint, and the all-new drift mode. The controls are sleek and arcade like, sliding away from the simulation craze that has recently been all the rage. The main difficulty isn't in controlling your car, but rather in dodging traffic and keeping your eye on your opponents. The racers here are very aggressive, smashing you to the wall whenever possible.

The graphics here on the cars are astounding. The shine and luster look exactly as they should. The only real problem to note is the traffic cars are bland and too small. Last time I checked, Mazda Miatas aren't bigger than full sized pick-up trucks. Other than that little glitch, the graphics are on par with the best.

The music here is a bit of a mixed bag. It ranges from rap music to hard rock. The opening main menu screen can get annoying after awhile, but thankfully, it can be turned off. During races, the music sets the perfect mood and may have you rocking along with it.

The bottom line is, this is a pretty good racer that adds something new. It may not be Gran Tourismo, but it should be pleasing nonetheless. 8.5





heroofthewinds's avatar
Community review by heroofthewinds (July 23, 2004)

A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.

More Reviews by heroofthewinds [+]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PlayStation 2) artwork
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PlayStation 2)

How many of you out there enjoy a good kill’n? I know I do. In my spare time, I like to run people over, steal fighters from military bases to wreak havoc, and go hooker beat’n. Of course, if I really did this stuff I’d probably be strapped to a table getting a tube put in my arm. But, thankfully, that’s where Grand T...
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (PlayStation 2) artwork
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (PlayStation 2)

As you sit there waiting for your new Two Towers game to begin, you begin to watch the opening FMV sequence. The first few words out of your mouth are “Ooh, Pretty…” in your most Homer Simpson esque voice possible. Then, to your surprise, you find yourself thrust into the battle fighting as King Isildur in the war of t...
SoulCalibur II (GameCube) artwork
SoulCalibur II (GameCube)

Do you like big swords? How about oversized muscle men in suspenders? If you answered yes to either questions, you’ll love Namco’s latest double edged serving of Soul Calibur II. Yum…giant steak knives…

Feedback

If you enjoyed this Need for Speed: Underground review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one in a snap. Thank you for reading!

You must be signed into an HonestGamers user account to leave feedback on this review.

User Help | Contact | Ethics | Sponsor Guide | Links

eXTReMe Tracker
© 1998 - 2024 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Need for Speed: Underground is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Need for Speed: Underground, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors. Staff and freelance reviews are typically written based on time spent with a retail review copy or review key for the game that is provided by its publisher.