Need For Speed: Underground

How on earth does EA do it? Well, here's the catch. The only way to play any NFSU game online is via its dedicated servers. Yes, that means no modem-free LAN play at all. You've got to log on to EA's lobby', open an account by setting your user name and password, choose up to four opponents to race (harder than it sounds), and then log back on to post results. The machine which set the race up becomes the server during the actual race. All clever stuff, but it doesn't hide that fact that console spods at least have the option of single-telly, split-screen, whereas we get chuff all. Charming.

Ea-Sy Does It

Ironically, EA's big brother approach hasn't stopped the cheating. A rolling message in the lobby apologises for the lack of a current league table, due to hacking. Could disgruntled LANsters be behind such stunts?

On a positive note, there's a reliable system in place to grade players by ability. The temptation to take on some punk rated impossible' proved too great, but we were soon to regret such impudence as he sprayed our windscreen with gravel and then proceeded to lap us three times - in a two-lap race.

Understandably, there was more fun to be had toying with easy' and even'-rated racers, although inexperienced drivers did seem to be a little thin on the ground. It's nigh on impossible to tell whether you're playing against a console jockey or a PC racer, so congratulations must go to EA's men in white coats for pulling off such a feat. Interestingly enough, developer Black Box reckons the two versions are nigh on identical, with both using exactly the same cars, scenery and Al. PS2 gamers do tend to suffer a blurring effect at high speeds (an anti-aliasing trick to compensate for lower frame-rates), but the advantage of those sublime dual analogue controllers over our coffee-stained cursor keys more or less evens things out. You'll also be pleased to learn that cherished vehicles which have been tuned, modded and nitro-ed to high heaven in singleplayer can be used in ranked races online, where you can choose any course and number of laps. What's more, unranked races use some powerful predetermined marques.

Feel The Need

We're pleased to see that drag and drift races are available when you're burning rubber with friends, alongside the demanding circuit loops. The drag racing sections truly capture the magic of the recent The Fast and The Furious flicks, and these one-on-one cock-fights make for a refreshing change after endless laps of spittle-covered urban wasteland.

It's Time to trade in the Ray-Bans and Soft Rock driving anthems CD for a puffa jacket and earrings, because, as those rear-window stickers of many a teenage Nova SRi driver proclaim, Need for Speed is on a mission. Yes, whereas the previous NFS outing, Hot Pursuit 2, indulged us with Ferrari fantasies amid the rolling hills of a tropical fantasy world, Need For Speed Underground follows Rockstar's Midnight Club II down to the dirty, neon-soaked streets of the urban sprawl - without the needless violence, of course.

More than 20 motors from Max Power favourites Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota and more can be souped-up with everything from InGen' engine chips and Nitrous Express Inc' boosters, to plain old panel stickers. All these strap-ons are available in the real world too, so it's sure to appeal if you spend your weekends fitting neon underlighting to Ford Capris for burnouts in Asda's car park.

Modest Beginnings

You start out with a small amount of cash, enough to buy a somewhat sluggish Golf GTi or Mazda MX-5. Win races and you'll earn more lolly for engine upgrades etc, and, eventually, a better car. All simple enough. There are three prime racing styles: Street, Drag and Drift, and these are scattered across 100-odd challenge stages, increasing in difficulty as you progress through the game.

Street racing parades the new graphics engine at its best, offering multi-lap blasts against a handful of cunning opponents. Every race is set in the city at night, so the courses demand absolute concentration. Hot Pursuit's shortcuts make a welcome return, while sprawling city centre junctions transform into single-lane back alleys at the turn of a corner.

When you peel out for the first time, you'll be genuinely impressed at the leap forward in terms of speed and graphics over its somewhat sluggish predecessors. In 1024x768, the game (running on a pukka PC) totally shats on anything you'll see in console land. Project Gotham 2? Pah!

Feel The Need?

The last three NFS games - Porsche Unleashed, Hot Pursuits and HP2 - were too slow, so it's good to see Black Box drawing inspiration from the best street racing games out there, namely Burnout and Project Gotham (both console-only). We particularly like the new speed effects, such as blurring scenery and shaky cam' once you thunder past 10Omph in the Drag races. Plus, there's also the chance to earn style points for dangerous power-slides. The Al's much more forgiving too, with competing machines swerving and shunting just enough to frustrate - unlike those bloody cops in Hot Pursuit 2, who nudged you into a spin with irritating regularity.

Heck, it's all sounding pretty favourable for Underground. Is it better than Midnight Club II, then? Streets ahead. In fact, it's up there with McRae as a highly recommended drive.