The main mode features over 100 different races, but you'll see the same tracks time and time again. Circuit racing, standard one-shot runs, and knockout-style circuits are all included, and all offer slightly different takes on the plain old race, and drag racing and drift racing change things up nicely. Need for Speed Underground contains a good variety of different races that help keep the action varied, though a lack of unique tracks keeps most races from feeling different from one another. The game offers what appears to be a large city, but going off the track will simply reset your car back onto the proper street. Because of this, you really have to pay attention to your map as you drive to make sure you're prepared to take the right path. The game uses the old Ridge Racer trick of opening up or closing certain pathways to reconfigure certain sections of a track while using the same sections over and over again. The tracks in Need for Speed Underground are well designed, but even though there are well over 20 different tracks in the game, they get pretty repetitive. They start out simple, such as racing stripes and designs, but you can eventually put brand stickers from many different aftermarket part and stereo makers all over your car. The main reward you get for your style point total is access to vinyl stickers for your car. As your rating gets higher, the multiplier bonus you get on your style points increases, which lets you unlock other rewards more quickly. Purchasing spoilers, body kits, replacement hoods, neons, headlights, taillights, or window tinting for your car, or making other major changes to your car's appearance, increases your reputation rating. The visual upgrades also have a positive effect on your car. The game contains a lot of actual aftermarket brands for its parts, so when you purchase an upgrade, you'll have limited control over which brands you're buying, but the brand makes no difference-all the brand packages perform equally well. These upgrades include turbocharge, better engines, weight reduction, enhanced braking, computer-chip tuning, nitrous oxide boosts, and so on. Performance upgrades come in multiple levels and must be unlocked before you can purchase them. The car upgrades are broken down into visual and performance upgrades. The import racing scene is heavy on modifying cars with aftermarket parts, and Need for Speed Underground duplicates this aspect pretty well. Though the different cars are rated in handling, acceleration, and top speed, in practice the cars don't drive all that differently, especially once you've purchased some upgrades in the career mode. You'll also find a VW Golf, Acura Integra, Toyota Supra, S2000, Ford Focus, Dodge Neon, Mazda Miata, and a few more. Right off the bat you'll find a Honda Civic, which is one of the more popular rides in the scene. Need for Speed Underground contains a decent-sized car roster. Style points accumulate regardless of the mode you're playing in, and you can unlock rewards each time the style points meter is filled. Driving with finesse earns you style points in a system similar to the one found in the Project Gotham Racing series, though this one is much more lenient and awards points for the simple acts of powersliding, drafting, and catching air. As a result, the game is quite easy to pick up and play, though some portions require a little more finesse than others. It's definitely been designed with accessibility in mind rather than focusing on Gran Turismo-like simulation aspects. In this respect, Need for Speed Underground does a pretty great job. Now Playing: Need for Speed Underground Video ReviewДЄ driving game is only as good as its handling and physics model.

By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

Need for speed underground all cars