A driving game is really only as good as its control. You could stack on a billion tracks and the most elaborate damage model in the world, but if the cars themselves aren't fun to drive, none of that extra stuff really matters. Given the fairly limited control options of the Nintendo DS, NFS Underground 2 takes a stand and assigns all your steering control to the D pad, rather than trying to concoct some sort of unwieldy touch-screen steering, like Ridge Racer DS did. This has its ups and downs. The standard, conventional control is easy to pick up, but the inherently coarse control of a D pad isn't as smooth as an analog-based solution would be. So you'll have to tap the D pad carefully to navigate turns, or you'll have to deal with a lot of oversteering and correction. Either way, it's something you'll get used to, although the game still doesn't control as well as any other recent entry in the Need for Speed series.
Graphically, Need for Speed Underground 2 has made a trade-off. The plus side is that the game runs at a great, smooth frame rate at all times, something that's key for a fast-moving racing game. But that speed comes at the cost of graphical quality. You'll notice a great deal of pop-up as you drive, and the overall look of the tracks is pretty muddy and poorly defined. Still, the car models look quite good, and overall, the smooth frame rate and nice-looking cars make the graphics palatable. The sound in the game doesn't fare quite as well. The MIDI-style music just doesn't fit with the action, in most cases. It just sounds hokey. Stuff like engine noise and the screech of your tires sounds much better.
Overall, Need for Speed Underground 2 gets the job done. There's enough variety here to keep you busy; it delivers a strong sense of speed; and the control, while not perfect, is good enough to keep you coming back. If you're a DS owner in need of a good driving game, NFS Underground 2 most definitely fits the bill.
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