Need for Speed is Back in Black!

Well, the Need for Speed Franchise has been around for quite a while now. I still enjoy racing Ferraris and Lamborghinis in the scenic countryside in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2. My son and I both enjoyed illegal street racing in Need for Speed Underground 1 & 2 I really loved the graphics and Underground 2 was actually one of my favorite games to play on my movie screen. The arcade style physics are also a bit easier to handle than the realistic Gran Turismo series. I still think that series is the racing sims king, but alas, it is only on Playstation with its limited 480 interlaced graphics.

My son enjoys racing games, and has begged me for the past several months to get Need for Speed - Most Wanted. Well, we spotted the Black Edition at our local game stop and made the plunge. If you, unlike us, have picked up the X-Box 360, this game is also available for the 360. Our review is for the X-Box version of the game. If you have difficulty with it, you can always look for hints, cheats and faqs on Need for Speed Most Wanted.

So how did we like the Need for Speed - Most Wanted: The Black Edition? Actually, we like it, we like it a lot! For the record, the Black Edition just has a few extra races and a couple extra cars you can unlock.

The PLOT Yes, racing games aren't just racing games anymore, you have a reason to race! You start the game with one sweet BMW that is souped up to the max. This car has great handling, and was the first car we got to test out our new Logitech Wireless controllers with (look for an upcoming review). The car races great, but after winning a couple races, you catch the attention of the top listed racer on the infamous "Black List". Razor races you for pink slips and unfortunately for you, he is a bit of a cheater. Soon your precious awesome ride becomes the property of Razor after you mysteriously spring an oil leak. To get it back, you have to work your way up the "Black List" to win your ride back from Razor.

The Black List is the Most Wanted racers in Rockport. You don't get to just challenge each racer however, you must first gain their attention by winning some races, getting a bad rap with the police and having some street cred. You do this by passing certain "checkpoint" challenges. It may be as simple as achieving a certain speed, evading the police for a certain amount of time or within a certain amount of time. Then, and only then do you get to challenge your rival. However, if you win, you may win anything from a "Marker" for some sweet rewards ranging from getting out of paying fines or unlockable parts. You can also win your opponents ride, which is yours to race or sell.

The Graphics The graphics look very good, I am sure they are even sweeter on the 360, but they are on pair with NFS Underground 2, even a bit better. The people look real, and the racing feels real, especially as you reach top speeds. You get a sort of blurred streaky look to the racing, yet, you are still able to keep your car in control. You can also press a special button that gives you a "Matrix" type slow mo effect. (Or for fans of Max Payne, it is similar to "Bullet Time"). The cars look realistic and it's great to watch on the big screen, except when the darn sun hits you in the eye when you are trying to do a buck eighty down a country road outside the city.

The Soundtrack Alright for me, I wasn't as thrilled with the soundtrack as with previous Need for Speed games. It is pretty much a straight up hip hop soundtrack. If you are into hip hop, thats great, but I preferred the mix of hip hop, trance and rock'n'roll in the previous titles. If you are a big fan of hip hop, you will be happy. The sound effects of the car, racing and other related game effects are just fine.

Controls First of all, I love that you can choose from TEN different control schemes. My son likes to race with the analog stick. I prefer the D - Pad. We each get to choose the race set up we prefer. You can also change the control set up on the fly. Say there's a race I can't quite beat. My son can change the race set up and race it for me. When did this occur? I used to be the one to beat a hard boss, or win a tough race for him. Ah well, the controls are very responsive, and the cars respond as well as their handling dictates. Of course if you race a Corvette with bad tires, you will crash into the wall, but the car you start with gives you the top dog in the game, and you can see right from the get go how great the cars will handle once you get them souped up (or as one of my son's friends says "Pimped OUT"). I also love the fact that each individual controller is customizable. For two player races, my son will race with the analog stick and I can race with the D pad. For some reason my sons controller seems to work better than mine sometimes. Once you have your control scheme down, it feels pretty natural.

The Cars You get to pick from many cars in Most Wanted, but the Black Edition also give you a couple extras. You get a couple Porsches, Mercedes Benzes, two Lamborghinis, a couple Audis and several other cars, including the special Corvette for the Black Edition game. Of course, not all are available to start, they must be unlocked. However, I did enjoy the car collection in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and NFS's rival series Gran Turismo a lot better. I especially miss the Ferraris of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2.

Customization You do get to tune your ride up with steadily upgradable parts from suspension, tires, engine upgrades, NOS packages, spoilers, body kits, and of course customized paint schemes and decal sets to make your ride uniquely yours. The performance upgrades make your ride easier to handle and harder to beat.

Fun Factor Both the Career Mode and the Quick Two Player races are fun and entertaining. I enjoy watching the screen become a blur as I raced my son in a variety of races, this is a fun game without a steep learning curve. If you've played any racing game, you should be able to pick up the basic skills needed here. Physics are very forgiving and even a head on collision with a truck won't stop you from racing. Moreover, if you cause some property damage, especially to support pylons, you can cause a structure to collapse right on pursuing police cars! And don't fret, if you lose your ride in a race, you always have the option to restart!

Other Stuff to Know Sytem Link Nope, we can't play head to head on our own wirelessly system link X boxes. ( : ( ) However, the split screen looks good. X Box Live, yup! 480p graphics, Yes. In game Dolby Digital, yes.

Black Edition Extras Need for Speed - IT'S BACK IN BLACK! You get a custom 67 Camero SS and a BMW M3 GTR, and a sweet custom tuned Porsche, Corvette and Mercedes AMG edition. Three races not included on the original game are on the Black Edition. You also get a bonus DVD with behind the scene extras, concept art and all that fun stuff!

Nick's Comments It's fun to ram through road blocks and smash other cars off the road! My Audi A4 rocks, and will kick anyone else to the curb! If you want a lot of bounty quick, smash into the police SUVs from the side into their front headlights or back headlights! You can also do a quick one eighty on the cops by jamming on the brakes, press slo mo for optimal performance, spin around and hit the police in the front of the car. Don't forget to change your cars look at the custom shop to avoid the police!

I gave it four stars. My son gives it Five Stars. Some more exotic cars, and a soundtrack more to my liking and somewhat more realistic physics would have given it five stars, but for what it is, its a fun game that combines the police chase excitement of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and the customization and fun factor of illegal street racing from Need for Speed Underground. When I do pick up an X-Box 360, its also a game I'd get for it.