Need for Speed Underground 2 (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.5 stars Outstanding
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 9.2 (4.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Avery Score
• Reviewed on: 07/15/2005
• Updated on: 11/17/2005
• Released on: 07/15/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Need for Speed Underground 2 (Mobile) Review

Of all the technical restrictions put on mobile developers, draconic file-size limitations are the most crippling. If a dev team's goal is to make a 120k game, and the splash screen alone uses 15k, that group is going to have to write some pretty tight code. Fortunately, Verizon's V Cast service allows for much larger, more complex games and makes streaming additional content off the network relatively seamless. EA's Need for Speed Underground 2 is the first game to fully take advantage of this technology, and the result is the longest, most engaging racing title ever made for wireless phones. The realmusic audio content alone is worth the $9.99 download price.

If you've played the console version of NFSU2, you know exactly what to expect from the mobile version. You are a washed-up street racer who, under the tutelage of the seductive Rachel--played by aging supermodel Brooke Burke, whose name and body still bear a satisfying symmetry--may once again find sponsorship, fame, and ready cash to pour into your ride. The story unfolds through comic book-style cinematics, which, while less than impressive on consoles, are mind-blowing on mobile.

Exposition is hardly Need for Speed's focus, nor really its forte. The racing is a showcase in itself, and it looks as good as software rendering possibly can. The game's streaming capabilities have allowed EA to include an unprecedented number of tracks across multiple racing districts, and each looks like a distinct part of the city. You can view these either on a world map screen or by free-roaming through the streets of your chosen district, where you may even find hidden cash bonuses. Each race is initiated via a pager challenge, and you are told how long you can expect to spend on the course. As a result, while NFSU2 is a full-fledged video game, and not really intended for casual players, it can nonetheless be enjoyed in short sessions.

Dedicated players will be rewarded, though, as NFSU2 plays just like its console counterpart. Using your emergency brake to execute perfect drifts and then nitro blasting away takes some getting used to on the mobile keypad, but racing at a high level is satisfying enough to justify perseverance. Every command available in the console game is present here, and they can all be remapped to whichever keys you prefer.

Fancy driving refills your nitro meter, so the Burnout formula (risk equals reward) applies here. As you narrowly escape crashes, a bonus multiplier builds, such that each successive near miss adds several orders of fuel to the fire. Drafting behind opposing vehicles and performing powerslides also charges up your turbo. The rival racer AI is excellent, and your adversaries will perform all these maneuvers in hopes of getting an edge on you. You may pull ahead of a souped-up Audi TT, only to have its driver draft behind you, then rocket ahead while rounding a corner. Bystander vehicles aren't stupid either and will sometimes swerve to avoid a crash.

When you do collide with a car, it will fly ridiculously over your head in a manner not unlike rag-dolling. While crashes don't seem to damage the vehicles involved, they'll cost you precious seconds and will potentially necessitate the use of nitro fuel to regain your top speed. Hitting street signs or the like will stop you cold, however. Apparently, several tons of steel is no real impediment, so long as it's on wheels. Then again, when compared to its competition, NFSU2's physics modeling is exemplary.

Although they don't crunch on impact, Need for Speed's cars look absolutely beautiful, whether in the garage or on the street. Considering the LG VX8000's lack of hardware acceleration, the highlights and reflection effects on each car's painted surfaces are incredible. Holiday lights hung over telephone wires will imbue your vehicle's exterior with shades of red, green, and blue. You will notice quite a bit of the draw-in, but the detailed architectural modeling work that's gone into this game helps to make up for it. In any case, NFSU2 manages to consistently run around 20 frames per second, which is quite a triumph for a V Cast game.

Continue reading

Compare prices for Need for Speed Underground 2

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available