GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 11/13/2009
- Released on: 11/02/2009
- Originally published on GameSpot: Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii) Review
Need for Speed is one of the most successful racing game series of all time, and like with most long-running franchises, a face-lift now and again does some good. Need for Speed: Nitro is the first game in the series made exclusively for the Wii with a casual audience in mind. It's a lively arcade racer with a quirky design concept, and it dishes out plenty of exciting gameplay. Sadly, it's good only in short bursts: the lack of variety results in no more than a few hours of motivating gameplay.
6240134NoneNitro's cops aren't quick to give up the chase.
Need for Speed: Nitro is not an intimidating racer, which should come as a relief if you're not a diehard racing fan. The controls are responsive and simple to master, regardless of which controller option you choose. Practically every setup imaginable is supported: the Wii Remote (one-handed steering by pointing the Wii Remote forward and twisting it left or right); the Wii Remote and Nunchuk (steer with the Nunchuk); the Wii Wheel; the Wii Classic Controller; or the GameCube controller. The game supports up to four players, in both Arcade and Career modes, so you can have four different people playing with four different controllers. Besides the standard go-and-stop moves, you can execute a nitro boost a la Burnout by shaking the Wii Remote, and you can drift by tapping the brake.
You can choose to play either in Arcade or Career modes, the latter of which takes place in five locations that you gradually unlock as the game progresses. You start off in Rio and make your way to Cairo, Madrid, Singapore, and Dubai racing city cars, performance cars, and finally supercars. Although the game features real-life car models, from Beetles to Renaults to Corvettes, they've been made a lot bigger, brighter, and faster, like cartoon cars. This in part is what makes the gameplay so fun: zooming around on wide tracks with brightly coloured cityscapes in the background, giving the cops the runaround (this wouldn't be a Need for Speed game if the police weren't constantly trying to break up the party), and occasionally crashing into a wall or two just to see what will happen (you can't total your cars). There are also items to pick up along the tracks which can get you out of trouble: a wrench pickup that will instantly repair your car with the press of a button, and a police badge pickup that will shake off the cops and offload the "heat" to one of your opponents. Arcade mode is also a lot of fun, offering up a total of 10 tracks (two in each city) and events like team race, elimination race, drag race, and circuit race. In Arcade mode everything is unlocked from the outset, and you can take your pick from more than 40 cars in all three classes.
The solid colours and cartoonlike design make this racer a relaxed and fun experience.
Where to buy
Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii):
$40.00 - $49.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$40.00 | Yes |
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$48.99 | No |
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RadioShack.com
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$49.99 | Yes |
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