Quality Index: 6.8 (WEAK)
Gamestats Score: 7.3
IGN Score: 7.0
Gamespy Score: 6.0
Gamespot Score: 7.2
Metacritic Score: 6.5
The world of late-night illegal street racing comes to the Nintendo DS with EA Games’ NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND 2. The game includes a variety of cars, tracks, and upgrades plus all of the exciting night racing NEED FOR SPEED fans have come to expect from the UNDERGROUND series.
Players start the career mode of the game by selecting one of two cars, both of which need some work. Only by winning races and points, however, will players be able to upgrade their cars or purchase new ones. New cars are unlocked, as well, so racers will always have a few new options. Visual upgrades are also unlocked, giving players the option of changing a car’s paint job, equipping custom rims, and adding other visual options that don’t affect the car’s statistics.
In addition to the career mode, the game also includes standard racing and a challenge mode. Here, players will participate in a number of challenges, including beating the clock, knockout races that eliminate the last place car each lap, and own the zone, where racers speed through zones to claim the fastest time and, thus, ownership of the zone.
There’s also a drag racing mode that tests a player’s ability to shift and avoid obstacles while at high speed. Racing gamers and fans of the NEED FOR SPEED series who have been waiting for the series to hit the DS need wait no longer. NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND 2 is sure to satisfy their night-racing craving.
