Need for Speed: Underground 2 - Retrospective
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
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Need for Speed: Underground 2 is to core millenials what Most Wanted and Carbon are to zillenials. Like with most things, zillenials have significantly better taste than their older cohort.
I feel called out...
Hahaha Old
Bro I was 5 when I played this🤣 still never left Bayview airport cuz I was young and had no internet 😭.. well untill halo 2 came out.
Don't we all?
Underground 2 to Carbon were so heavy on the 2000s aesthetics and for me it certainly work in their favour, the cutscenes are chessy great and the art design is memorable from cities to cars. They also aged well despiste their minor annoyances.
no its street racing aesthetics, its still like that now my guy
I like understand 2 is good
This game not only gave me so much fun when I was a pre-teen, it's my reason that I want to tune up my first car
for me, it was Initial D that hooked me on the idea of tuning up an import
Genki Racing Project's TXR and Kaido series anyone? Of course you can't forget C1 grand prix racing battle.
Hey car guy here, I’d recommend you getting a nice reliable car and get a 2nd project car or something to play with on the side. Modding makes cars not that reliable and it gets expensive, down times etc. You want to have a car and not have to walk places and rely on others. I know it’s hard to hear I was there once but I was glad to have gotten that advice I now daily a Manual Scion IM and have built a Twin turbo Z32 and it’s mostly done over the last 6 years.
@@VeilSideZ32 show us
@@VeilSideZ32 Kinda depends what modifications op had in mind. Nothing wrong with doing some small enhancements.
Still my favorite NFS game to date, the atmosphere, the city map, the verticality of the city, its such a nice world to race in
Dude yes..one of my favorite things about it is how they basically opened up the world to you and let you cruise around and choose what you want to do..and the music...ahhh the 2000s. What a time 👌
@PatriotJedi THIS NEEDS A REMAKE 😊
Underground 2 isn’t just a game, it’s part our 90’s baby culture. Just like G-Unit, Fast and Furious, MTV, Nickelodeon etc
*2000s
The game came out in 2004, definitely not the 90s lol
@@bezoekers “90’s baby” culture. Stop trynna be a smartass now
Honestly the Underground - Carbon era of NFS is probably the best time capsule you'll get into the 2000s.
The angst, the "dude"s and "bro"s, the fact that Underground 1 & 2 look like they're the background cities of a 2000s emo set and that Most Wanted's looks like a Linkin Park set, the mix of Punk, Metal and Rap all put onto a PS2 disk. Reminds me of when I unironically had a blackberry as like a 6 year old child.
In those era these need for speed has such a different vibe that you dont get in post 2012 NFS games.
I know 😢
The EA Black Box era...
I think NFS Heat has a similar vibe
Modern games dont control as good either. Shame
My opinion is very much that I have made better videos in the past, and that I will make better videos in the future. I think my enthusiasm for this style of game has waned after doing Most Wanted, Carbon, Undercover, and now this one all in such quick succession. I am excited to work on The Run and (probably) Driver: San Francisco; they should provide a welcome change of pace.
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Gotcha who's the guy in the pfp
@@isimpforshiver Yours truly, minus some hair
The game just doesn't have that much to talk about that hasn't already been said. Plus your witty, sarcastic humor tends to be delivered better in reviews about games that have a lot of negative aspects to criticize, and U2 has very few of them. Still, the video is really good.
@@LuciusVulpes You have perfectly described the problem that I had making this video: my bread and butter comes from playing with bad (or even just unique) mechanics, and this game didn't have those. Amazing for its time, but not really interesting to talk about 2 decades later. Glad you enjoyed it, regardless.
Just one thing: Caleb (the final racer) was the guy who made you crash your car in the first cutscene.
holy shit, aint no way 19 years passed since this g(old) launched
we old friendo
I can believe it. I'm turning 30 in August
@@sambeezy007 hell yh man, happy birthday
@@kremzski6760 thanks 👍🤜🤛
19 in 5 months yes
If I remember correctly, NFS U2 was released in 2004. But in 2012 from the Philippines, this game was as new as anybody else. I saw this game getting played everywhere near local internet shops in my place. This, and Most Wanted 2005.
What I like about this game is that, the car runs slower than the latest ones, you can see the area around you more clearly. It's like vivid memories flashing back again. You know, cars running at 140 MPH, it's not as wacky as Heat or Unbound, or Most Wanted reboot, and I miss that part.
Edit: Most Wanted 2005
There's no Most Wanted 2, only the Criterion reboot (or Undercover as it is internally named "MW2").
I've seen internet shops carry NFSU2 and later MW on their PCs in the mid to late 2000s and I do recall my cousin and the neighbourhood kids at the time yap about drag racing in Underground.
@@blakegriplingph Undercover is called MW2? I never knew about anything like that can you enlighten me?
Odd, i am also from the Philippines but i played this game until Carbon with my PC with okay specs back in the late 2000s.
@@harold6953 Yes, at least according to the asset files when you open them using modding tools.
@@blakegriplingph You don't even have to use the modding tools, just explore the files under tracks directory and you find the name for it
PC version of this + widescreen fix = heaven
and upscaled hud, novisualrep and fast travel
@@d1ogo8351 No to fast travel, it's a driving game and you should drive for traveling. I rather have no borders during the race but you have to discipline yourself not to cheat the race. Feels like a true street racing.
Maybe if the open world had more stuff to do, even in ps2 they could pull of some of heat's challenges or rivals head to head to make the point a to point b routine less tedious. If not... fast travel then.@@n_core
I love the depth you went into, two things to note though
1: in europe they gave us the peugeot 106 instead of the civic, i prefer the civic haha
2: the brand of parts does have an effect on cost, you get a discount on any brands you are sponsored by and i thinknthe decals may have had an effect too
& the Vauxhall Corsa 1.8
@@jordangalea9560and I believe the Corsa replaced the Acura RSX from the NA release
Holy shit you get DISCOUNTS??? That's insaneeeeee
don't you dare slander NFSU2 again
In my country Australia around 1999 to 2006 there was a huge car culture here where everyone would Do up their cars and take over either major intersections or industrial areas. There were a lot of violence that came with it especially with the Noble park riots of 2005 but I was obsessed with these car cultures and The fast and furious along with need for speed underground one helped with my obsession.
🍻
Honestly, the cutscenes, the energy of cinematic cuts and thriller-horrorish type, felt like a 10/10 movie. This is what games are missing today. We never saw the driver, we were the driver. Today everything is spoiled, bunch of random characters 0 creativity. Recycled garbage hehe. Thanks for nostalgia!
The "energy of cinematic cuts"? What does that even mean?
@@apictureoffunction means that you can feel it, either it was mysterious or good action cutscene to keep your momentum with the game. Lets say you're tired and you wanna quit after this mission, but you keep playing cuz you like how it is presented.
Yep I always loved the aspect of misterious driver.You couldnt see the face.Even though I was never fan of the cutscenes.I feel like this game never needed any cutscenes.Thats how good this game is.
Agree nfs 2015 i believe was the closest we got to nfs underground but don’t get me started on unbound why tf do we have drawn special effects like tire smoke whos bright idea was that 😭😭
Don't get me wrong, I love Underground 2 as much as the next guy. But Underground 1 will always take a special place in my heart. In fact, iirc Underground had open world map in development, but due to time constraints it had been scrapped. One can only imagine if Blackbox wasn't forced by EA to release Need For Speed games annually. And that not even counting various NHL, NBA and Skate games developed on the side at the same time.
Same for me, enjoyed underground 2 but Underground 1 was just more memorable for me. Something fresh and different from previous NFS titles, i spent tons of hours on it while occasionally going back to HP 2 just for the thrill of cop chases and great soundtracks (ps2) . It also released during what was for me, Peak Fast and the furious era. As for potential without time restrictions, it would've been interesting to see what could've been from the first underground. Reminds me of halo 2 and the mess they had to go through, a lot more was planned but scrapped.
An Underground 1 and 2 remaster or remakes sounds cool, giving Underground 1 open world would be cool of they remaster it
I'm also in agreement. The first Underground is superior in my eyes. I don't mind that the game isn't open-world and has linear progression. The graphics, music, and sense of speed all make the game for me.
@@zippo71111 Yeah. 1 was the precursor to 2 and MW/Carbon. It made the street racing genre what it is. The music was top notch as well.
@@sunofabob Yup, the music is probably the reason why my music taste has variety. Loved the rock music from HP2 and Underground introduced me to new music which i also liked a lot. The game is iconic and a big step in the racing genre. Ironic how NFS high stakes almost made fun of those types of cars in the opening video, not long after and it became a big deal.
One of the best games ever growing up, I actually just brought a mint copy not long ago haha
That's a dope collector's piece
@mitchelldiedrich thanks so much Mitchell, I almost don't wanna play it, even the manual is near perfect !! Can't wait to watch this video, loved the most wanted, carbon and pro street videos too, it's a shame that they don't take the best from that whole gen and bring it up to speed literally haha
I remember that long ass 5 laps race stretched across the entire bayview map, not sure if it was the final race.
I also recall that you unlock full bodykits only after you finish the game!! which was outrageous cuz you had no reason to show them off anymore.. at that point you just replaying previous races or wandering the empty map.
you can also unlock bodykits in the last stage by winning a certain amount of Outrun races.
However those kits can only be applied to the car you used to win the Outrun events.
@@shariqhasan6220 do you know how many outrun races you need to win?
@@grantcanty7294You keep winning in every stage until the racers don't show up again. It's either that or you keep doing it and only a few races happen then they all disappear. But do win every time until they don't show up again in every stage
The level of customization you can make with your cars was insane. Missed playing this game.
can’t play it now because you got rid of your console for no reason
At all
@@TheBriceisright938bruh
The thing about the Star rating for cars is you could just have one of your cars to tack on as many visual things as possible while keeping your main driving car clean. Just make sure to tune the engine enough to get to the photo spots in time tho.
Nostalgic Vibes, NFS Most Wanted, Carbon and Underground 2 are by far my favourite NFS games of the Franchise. ☯️👌
Agreed mines too. ✊🔥✊
YES MINE TOO 😊
Quick note:
The manufacturers matter a little. If you have the decals of that specific manufacturer on your vehicle, upgrades using that manufacturer can be purchased at a discounted price!
This is not true at all, what are you on about?
I remember the first time playing nfs underground 2 i accidentally soft locked myself by buying upgrades for my car without realizing that they effect the final parts of the game, where the star rating go hand in hand with the customization, so the game wouldn't spawn any events and i was confused on what to do so i just drove around and went against freeroam racers but after roughly 2 hours i figured out that visual customization would effect star rating meaning you're forced to rice out your car
One of the 3 games i played last year (MW, C, U2). Had a huge stroke of nostalgia and euphoria seeing them with your jokes. Thank you, Mitchell Diedrich 😁😁
I´m replaying this right now.
It aged really well. Yeah ok the graphics are dated, but it still looks nice, the progression is rock solid (almost like an rpg)
and it´s just so much fun to slowly build up your shitty starter car to an absolute monster of a machine.
sooooo good
The Australian version didn't get the Acura RSX or the Civic coupe at the start.
Also, Brooke Burke was a major hottie.
she's a mom by now
Meanwhile those who are old enough to have played the pre tuner era NFS title's...
"Hey you kids keep the noise down!"
Having to drive like you are insane to fill up nitrous is a small but so rewarding little touch. It incorporates an extra level of decisionmaking and risk-reward mechanic into the game. I can see how they excluded it for Most Wanted's police chases. But I wish it got in more recent NFS titles. I loved heat. But a nitrous system like this would have been so much better.
the production quality of your videos has improved so very much over the last couple of months. excited to see where you're taking this channel to in the future
first 10k subs are the hardest
Back when this game was released, the car tuning scene here in Slovakia was insane. People just modded and tuned their cars like crazy thanks to both Fast and Furious series and Need for Speed Underground 2. And oh boy, I was a part of all this craze being a teenager back in 2004-ish. So besides all the nostalgia and all the other shebang, this game also had a massive cultural impact on the car scene. I still like re-installing this game from time to time and give it a nice, nostalgic run now myself being 35 years old.
18 years... i still remember playing the demo on burnout 3 way back when lol
i play burnout demo on nfs u1 PS2)))
Damn you just unlocked a memory...I still remember the 2 Mitsubishi EVOs you could pick in the Demo
The cutscene at the start of the game when you go to the Car Lot will be different if you do any of the races on offer, also the cutscene shows you in an RX8, not a 350z.
Also, the cars you get at the start depend on the game's region.
I think we can all agree. Underground 1 solos all its successors. The Adrinalin rush that game gives at high speeds is fucking insane and no other game could come close to it.
That's my two cents about it. Take it or leave it xd
I feel they took a loooot of concepts from both high profile titles such as GTA III/VC, but also Midtown Madness. The open city and direction arrow and race type come to mind. And MM1/MM2 came out in '99/'00 respectively
Nice video, explaining un-mentioned stuff like aspects on the map were unique to this video only. Here are some corrections and fun facts about UG2:
• The "Caleb" you're racing against at the end is the guy who crashed you out 2 years earlier, he mentions it at the cutscene before the race.
• Body parts "do" affect performance, but it is a lot simpler. Basically, if you get a spoiler (or a bumper IIRC), the tuning options for aerodynamic unlocks. Long as you have one body part it doesn't matter. This is why both UG2 and MW2005 speedrunners buy a spoiler as early as possible.
• The Star rating limitations are checked in a very basic matter. The second you enter free roam with a car with enough star rating, the new photography events appear. If you don't want your car to look like an abomination, you can buy expensive parts, exit to freeroam, enter the garage, and un-equip all of the parts you don't want. You can do the events no matter the CURRENT rating of your car.
• You can press "T" (i think its dpad on controller?) and scroll to the right to see your career progression. If you're a kid that just opened the game you'll probably get stuck in stages due to star ranking or race count (Blackbox' titles were relatively shoddy and rushed, it'd take days to explain every since-beta changes, concepts and development issues in Blackbox... Let's just say, have you wondered where the drag races take place? Map has been shrunk (there was going to be a desert themed area above the airport, with possible drivable train tracks).
• Did you notice that the StreetX events take place in the Drift locations from UG1? Another possibly cut-corner due to dev time.
• Unironically, the Toyota Corolla from the starter selection is by far the best car in the game. The sheer amount of cornering ability is uncomparable to any other car, you can basically turn 1.5 to 2 times as much as other cars, making you take corners way faster.
• In European version of the game, instead of Civic and Miata at the start, there is a Peugot 106 and a Vauxhall Corsa, the Miata unlocks next to the SUV's, and the civic is completely gone. You can use the ExtraOptions mod to have both regional cars, among a lot more little tweaks to play around with.
The starter Peugeot it's not the 106 but the 206, the civic got replaced by the other model
Yes its old, but it doesn't need to be abandoned, it just need something new a refreshment, more cars graphic mod pepega mod overhaul etc. These will revive the game, but unless its online things will be tough
Being on camera is hard as shit, great work on the intro and keep it up
Hot Take: Underground 1's card handling felt better and cars looked better than 2.
So I'd push Carbon of the Top 3 because The weird car tier system.
Ah yes,underground 2 and ww2,my 2 favourite sequels ever
Man i remember this game was 18 when it came out. So sick... I remember this dude my friend knew, had a riced out civic and i went to his house and he was playing this. Was the first time i seen it.
Did he have the bad ass “vetch” engine one?? That was poppin in the US back in the day. The vtech was godlike lol
Thanks for actually reviewing the BlackBox NFS titles unlike most people that only look at them with the most extreme rose-tinted glasses.
I wish they finished the highway construction. You can use the updated bridge and tunnels during drag races.
I used the Nissan 240SX until the end. I loved this car. Awesome video! And a great history lesson.
All beginner cars are really good. 240sx is easily in the top 3-5 cars in the game
I'm pretty sure they used comic book cutscenes to save on memory. The game was quite large for the hardware of the time.
finally someone speaks out the truth. NFSU1 was much better than NFSU2. Just having more cars, customization and an open world doesn't mean the game is better. Pacing is the key to turn the game into a masterpiece.
16:15 - if you pick SUV race in the garage menu you can enter this race with regular car. And it looks kinda comical. I am not sure if it was patched by on disc version on PC you can do it this way. In this same menu you can also find hidden races you had missed. The races you missed you can find marked as unfinished or without your time in the info - not sure how. It is too long ago to remember.
Wasn't expecting a WWII lesson but I'm not complaining either
Wait. The final race is vs Top G, Andrew Tate himself?
This game was way ahead of its time.
"is it true?" yes. it is. It's basically the template for open world racing games
Yeah, a street racing game without an open world nowadays is a borderline non-starter. Very impressive legacy for this game.
I wasn't expecting learning about WW2 after clicking on a NFSU2 video
Recently played this masterpiece again.
On PC + Extra Options + Fast Travel/Teleportation Mod
i could watch you give me history lessons honestly. your voice is nice to listen to.
It's not "Street X". You read it as "Street-Cross", just like MotoX or RallyX, all include cross-country driving/riding and off-road. Picture StreetX as Rallycross but with tuner cars on industrial tracks.
Definitely best game ever. Spent so much of my childhood playing this in fact still playing now.
Your explanation of World War II force my hand to click the subscribe button
Lol, I knew I was getting kinda out there with that bit, but I was feeling it
Slovak republik part is new to me
Cool fact: the cutscenes from the begining are recorded in Underground 2, but the events happen in Underground 1
Ahh the memories. The reason why I want a 350z
"No one considers downforce over he!l yeah that looks sick" - best quote of 2000's race games
man that NFU2 intro gives me chills
I remember when you'd put the speaker in the trunk the music's bass would boost! That was so amazing to me as a kid 🤣
You look so different from what I pictured in my head.
8:23 If we're here to learn, the narrative about Poland in 1939 is widely misunderstood, the Polish government - after invading parts of Czechoslovakia not even in the 1938 Munich Agreement - collapsed, Germany invaded Western POL, then 2 weeks later the Soviet Union moved in to their agreed-upon defensive line in Eastern POL since GER was not supposed invade POL in the 1st place
There was no joint "invasion" of POL except between Slovakia & GER & the POL resistance largely supported the USSR as the actual evidence - as opposed to assertions by historical revisionists - shows
Yes this makes me feel old, 31 to be exact. But iam so glad that this was part of my youth. UG1, UG2, MostWanted and ProStreet I still play today, while modern NfS titles dont really appeal to me.
becuz its all supercars, muscle cars or regular cars are generic these days
@@prostreetfairladyz8402 The cars in UG1 & most of UG2's were the lowest trim models, can't get more generic than that lmao
this game was my entire childhood... i never enjoyed any other nfs more... this is a legendary game
The soundtracks in games from this time are amazing, especially this game
You can actually enter the SUV ONLY RACES WITH ANY CAR via the career progression menu in the garage, making the SUV races stupid easy
I remember getting NFSU2 on PC as a bonus to a Pizza Hut meal deal which i begged my dad to get.
The turbo manufacturers that you choose (GREDDY, hks, turbonetics) makes a difference with the cars sound
Just bought a 23 WRX and put on this game soundtrack and drove around all night.
I haven’t played this game in almost 10 years. I would love to play it again soon.
Honestly, i love UG2 (it's my favourite NFS) and i love fine tuning the cars in the dyno (yes i'm one of the 4 people who actually takes time to set cars up in racing games instead of sticking with the default). I remember exactly how different my RX7 felt in URLs compared to StreetX event for example.
Underground 2 car customization still feels special to me idk why
Production quality of your videos is good but they really need some background music to not feel so tense
Crazy to think that you could unlock other maps as opposed to it being apart of some elaborate DLC you have to pay for.
i absolutely loved this game! Got it when I was 19. Stayed up all night and had to work the next day. MX-5 with all the unique parts was O.P. edit: loved the tuning in this game
how does this video have positive likes? most people love underground 2 and it would do objectively amazing if it was re released in HD
18:31 The manufacturer does matter. Using the same manufacturer for multiple packages or having their decals on your car gives you a discount. The discount is small but it still does exist
Why so unconfortable? You look fine! Perfect alt country musician look lol 😜👌.. Still hoping for a 1+2 remake
"Perfect alt country musician look" Holy shit I love you
Thats been a dream of mine for so long. Combine nfsu1&nfsu2 into a remake and just maybe add in a nfsu3.
@@KimmySavageValkyrie92 Yes! Like Thps 1+2 for every platform
@@KimmySavageValkyrie92 that's never gonna happen.
It will never happen. Accept it.
I love ya man. Keep making more videos
My headcanon is now that Mike Ehrmantraut is both a real person and that he enjoys my videos. Thanks homie
@@mitchelldiedrichyep, definitely a Reddit user. I had my suspicions with using the term “chud” but this seals it.
Should have said something about the bitchin soundtracks, too! I think this game would be better than Most Wanted simply because some people dislike the fact that you cannot disable the police in free roam in MW and Carbon.
Also, the absolutely digusting spinners and neons and wacky stuff is what made the game cool. You could keep the car stock or make it look like a dumpster with NOS.
Too bad that the only SUVs are the Hummer, Escalade and Navigator. Could have added more.
I think that what people dislike about Carbon is that they did not copy-paste some of the wacky customisation and the police-free free roam system from UG2.
Underground 1 was amazing as well. And is what got me into car culture. Hot pursuit 2 got me into nfs and underground got me into that. While i believe nfsu2 was a bit better of a game. Nfsu has a more soecial place in my heart. Either way. Nfsu - carbon is still my favorite era of nfs and its popular for a reason.
I also have to mention it; this game made everyone who had a junkyard car (Honda Chitbicch, or Foord Fuk-us) with the exhaust cut off made the junkyard car fast!
0:45 I'd argue most believe its UG1, UG2 and Most Wanted, with most saying Carbon is the beginning of the downfall of NFS
you're probably right about UG1-MW, but I think most fans (at the time) didn't consider the franchise to be in decline until prostreet. of course, prostreet is looked at much more warmly now than it was then
12:20 That was my favorite speedometer 🤩🤩😂😂🥹
Sperged out about chuds within 20 secs of the video, TDR is truly the gift that never stops giving
Just bought the game yesterday I’m loving the drag race mode
one thing you got wrong: if you are sponsored by certain brand from contracts, those parts are a bit cheaper.
Underground 2 literally changed the projection of my entire life cause if it wasn't for it I wouldn't be who I am so it will always be my favorite game of all time
Talks about ww2 and dark times Tokyo drift music starts playing👀
Personally I feel like this video didn’t need to be as long as it did. While I agree with your critiques of the game, many points just seemed to drag on without really providing much substance to the viewer. Just my view though
The repetitive aspects of the game wouldn't be nearly as noticeable if the progression wasn't so dragged out. The game basically drip feeds you unlocks for the first two thirds, then suddenly you unlock almost everything near the end. You get an exciting text about all the new cars available for purchase, only to find your upgraded starter is already better than them by a mile
I finally found someone that is talking some sense. Got to love how you have a ton of cars to buy, only for the clapped-out piece of shit Corolla you had since the beginning of the game proceeds to shit on everything else.
Damn. People are so used to being forced to always grind by modern games that they find it frustrating already having better gear than whats supposed to be "next level".
22:34 that guy in the traffic: guess, Imma just disappear.
This man really talked about WWII. Don't tell me this isn't class
I love this channel you have me laughing
I want more videos like this 😂😂😂😂❤
This game is about 90% of the reason the Nissan 350Z is my 3rd favourite car of all time. The other 10% is it looking cool. As far as 2S-2D sports cars go anyway.
I remember cars being so expensive and difficult to get in this game, to the point where you really had to grind for a car and that was so tedious, I'm surprised you left that out, or maybe I was just really bad or don't remember well
It really wasn’t hard. I think you should play it again.. It was easier than the first one
weren't cars in nfsu2 basically free? just needed to unlock them, really
@Haminku ye I'm not entirely sure, I think I'm just remembering wrong, I mean I haven't played the game in like 9 years
@@Monwa You basically unlock them for free. But you only have 5 spaces in your garage, one for each stage. So this game unlike the later ones doesn't incentivize having a massive garage (Except in the arcade mode where you can tune as much as you want, just can't take the cars into career mode)
cars were basically free because each sponsorship contract gave you right to buy one car.
But the game didn't incentive you to buy new cars at all, considering how much money you had to spend to upgrade the new cars to match the performance of your old ones. Plus you'd "lose" your Unique parts (as in they'd be stuck in the old car) and the really cool cars were only available at the very end of the game (why would I buy a WRX or Skyline just to race the last 5 or so events before the ending?). Almost every time I played it I finished the game with the same 240sx that I started.
MW and Carbon were way better in this regard. Underground 1 probably too, if I remember correctly, cars were expensive but it carried the upgrades over to the new one
Only in a review of a street racing video game from the 2000s can I learn about World War II’s Polish Underground.
This game is the reason why i love Toyota Supra & Nissan Skyline
I know the video has been out for a while and this is a 04' game lol, but I completely disagree about your comments on performance upgrades being specific instead of general upgrades. Most car lovers are going to appreciate that upgrades actually mean something and you're not just doing "generic upgrade 1". It also allows you higher levels of customization, like for example you could have a car be fully maxed out but not add turbo to keep it NA. And the great thing about this game is that the car sounds actually reflects that, it's truly amazing sounds for an 04' car. You can actually feel the difference in each upgrade. Starting and finishing the game with my starter car Vauxhall/Opel Corsa (europe version) was an amazing experience.
I also feel like the specific options for performance go really well with the dyno tuning system. In my opinion, they achieved a near perfect balance between arcade and realism for a NFS game. Introducing some more realistic concepts like setup tuning (that are actually functional and somewhat realistic) with a game that handles in an extremely arcade way is a great concept.
This game got me hooked on racing