Need for Speed: Underground 2
| Need for Speed: Underground 2 | |||
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| Studio |
 EA black box
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| Publisher |
 Electronic Arts
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| Senior Developer | Matthew Tomporowski | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
Windows November 9, 2004 November 19, 2004 December 22, 2004 PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube & Game Boy Advance November 9, 2004 November 19, 2004 December 22, 2004 Nintendo DS May 10, 2005 May 27, 2005   |
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| platform | Windows , PS2 , PSP , Xbox , GameCube , GBA , Nintendo DS | ||
| genre | Racing game | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer ( internet , network , split screen ) | ||
| control | Gamepad , keyboard | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
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| medium | CD-ROM | ||
| language | English , German | ||
| Age rating |
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Need for Speed: Underground 2 ( NFSU2 for short ) is the eighth part of the Need for Speed racing game series developed by Electronic Arts and was released on November 18, 2004 for Windows , PS2 , Xbox , GameCube , GBA and Nintendo DS . The version for PSP was released between January and September 2005, depending on the release region.
Gameplay
This part of the series, like the previous ones, is about driving illegal races and upgrading your vehicle. To do this, you have to be successful in your career in order to receive money. A new "free ride" mode has been added, in which you can now move freely through the fictional city of Bayview over a distance of more than 200 km, which is divided into five sections and is strongly reminiscent of several metropolises on the coast of California. The individual sections will be unlocked as the game progresses.
Compared to its predecessor, five new race types were introduced (Outrun, Street X (Street Cross), URL (Underground Racing League), Downhill Drift, off-road vehicle racing), the number of tuning parts doubled, 14 cars added and the performance tuning deepened. In addition to the improved online mode for up to six players, which Xbox owners can now enjoy thanks to Xbox Live support, the LAN mode requested by fans is now available again for multiplayer games. Updates are currently available from EA Games. In the meantime, Electronic Arts has taken the servers for PC online multiplayer and Xbox Live offline.
plot
The plot follows on from Need For Speed: Underground from 2003. It begins when the player defeats Eddie's street gang "TheEastsiders" in Olympic City. After the last race, the player receives an invitation from a man unknown at the time to join his team. This turns out to be a trap: The player is hit by a yellow Hummer H2 and his Nissan Skyline is destroyed.
Six months later, the player can be seen on a flight to Bayview. He has a note from Samantha relating to Rachel Teller and a car key. The player arrives at Bayview to find Rachel's green Nissan 350Z in the airport parking lot.
Upon arrival, the player is instructed to drive to a car dealer and choose their first car. Before that, however, the player has the opportunity to take part in three racing events with Rachel's car.
The player meets the leader of "The Wraiths", Caleb Reece. It turns out that he is the driver of the mysterious Hummer. Rachel Teller reveals to the player that Caleb Reece is trying to take control of the Bayview racing scene by manipulating sponsorship deals in his favor.
The player finally meets the team "The Wraiths" as well as the female member Nikki Morris, who drives a Ford Mustang GT. After the player wins several races in the Underground Racing League against Nikki Morris, she switches sides. Caleb is not happy and challenges the player to one final race in a Pontiac GTO .
Events
Need for Speed: Underground 2 features a variety of different racing events. Players can unlock upgrades and cars by winning events.
- Circuit - The player competes against other racing drivers in closed circuits with a fixed number of laps.
- Drag - The player competes against other racers on a closed straight road. Whoever completes the route fastest wins the event.
- Drift - Players must drift around corners to score points along a closed track. Depending on the speed and angle of the vehicle, players get more points. The winner is the player with the highest score.
- Outrun - The player must overtake the opponent and drive out a distance of 300 meters. If you win enough outrun races, special parts will be unlocked.
- Sprint - The player competes against other racers on a given track from point A to point B.
- Street X - Players compete against other racers in closed circuits along tight corners with a certain number of laps.
- SUV Events - A selection of track and sprint events where only SUVs can race against each other.
- Special Event - The player must complete a distance from point A to point B before time runs out. The route is freely selectable.
- Underground Racing League - Players compete against other racing drivers in a tournament on a closed circuit. Racers receive points after each race based on their position. The winner is the driver who has collected the most points after the last race. Every URL win unlocks a car.
Game world
The action of Need for Speed: Underground 2 takes place in the fictional city of Bayview . Bayview is made up of four major boroughs: City Core, Beacon Hill, Jackson Heights, and Coal Harbor.
City Core
This area is already accessible to the player from the start. City Core is similar to a typical big city center. There are some high-rise buildings but also parts with older buildings and narrow streets. There is also a tunnel that tunnels under the center. City Core is surrounded by Highway 27 and is divided into seven smaller districts.
- City Center is located in the north-east and is the downtown area of Bayview. You can find many high-rise buildings and business headquarters there. Beacon Hill and Highway 27 can be accessed via the underground freeway.
- Hotel Plaza is a relatively large district, which is located in the north-west. Many skyscrapers and hotels can be found here.
- Stadium is a small district near South Market. There is the stadium where drift events take place.
- South Market is located in the south and includes several casinos and a covered casino strip.
- Fort Union is primarily a residential district and can be found in the east. Fort Union is often confused with El Norte, as the game shows El Norte at certain points even though the player is in Fort Union.
- El Norte is in the south-east and is mainly characterized by old, partly broken houses and graffiti.
- Bayview International Airport is located in the far east of Bayview and is connected to the Airport Freeway. The Dulles International Airport in Virginia seems to have been used as a model for the airport.
Beacon Hill
This district is the second district that the player can enter after unlocking it. Beacon Hill is at the foot of Jackson Heights and is home to many winding roads.
- Beacon Hill East is to the east. There you will find shops, a shopping center, some high-rise buildings and the Bayview City Hall.
- Beacon Hill West runs from Beacon Hill East to the coast and is similar to Beacon Hill East.
- Pigeon Park is located east of Beacon Hill and is a large park. There is the Brad Lawless Memorial and a greenhouse and restaurant.
Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights is located in the Bayview Mountains and is unlocked as the third part of the map. The observatory is located in the northeast. In the east there are several villas and a polo club. In the north is the summit and the transmitter mast.
Coal Harbor
Coal Harbor is the southernmost borough of Bayview and is the industrial district. The district is unlocked in the last two chapters.
- Coal Harbor East is the first part that the player can unlock and connects City Core with the harbor. The district consists of old houses and factories, a business center and the port. Two highways connect Coal Harbor East with the other districts: Highway 7 runs directly to City Core, the Coal Harbor Freeway leads via Bayview International Airport to City Core.
- Coal Harbor West is the last unlockable part of the map and houses the rest of the harbor, heavy industry and a freight yard.
Bayview Speedway
The Bayview Speedway is a closed racetrack, which cannot be reached in "Freeroam" mode. In addition to the URL events that take place there, the Dyno for performance optimization is also located there.
vehicles
| Vehicle list | ||
| Acura RSX Type S | Lexus IS 300 | Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R |
| Audi A3 3.2 quattro | Lincoln Navigator | Opel / Vauxhall Corsa 1.8 |
| Audi TT 3.2 quattro | Mazda MX-5 / Miata MX-5 | Peugeot 106 S16 |
| Cadillac Escalade | Mazda RX-7 | Peugeot 206 S16 |
| Ford Focus ZX3 | Mazda RX-8 | Pontiac GTO |
| Ford Mustang GT | Mitsubishi 3000 GT | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 | Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX | Toyota Celica GT-S |
| Honda Civic Coupe Si | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII | Toyota Corolla GTS AE86 |
| Hummer H2 | Nissan 240SX | Toyota Supra |
| Hyundai Coupé GT V6 / Tiburon GT V6 | Nissan 350Z | Volkswagen Golf IV GTI |
| Infiniti G 35 Coupe | Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. | |
- ↑ Only in the version for North America.
- ↑ Only in the version for Europe.
- ↑ Only in the version for Europe.
- ↑ Only in the version for North America.
Soundtracks
| author | song |
| Capone | I need speed |
| Chingy | I do |
| Christopher Lawrence | Rush hour |
| Cirrus | Back on a mission |
| Felix Da Housecat | Rocket Ride (Soulwax Remix) |
| fluke | Switch / Twitch |
| FREELAND | Mind Killer (Jagz Kooner Remix) |
| Helmet | Crashing Foreign Cars |
| Kill radio | Scavenger |
| Killing Joke | The Death & Resurrection Show |
| Ministry | No W |
| Mudvayne | Determined |
| Paul Van Dyk feat. Hemstock & Jennings | Nothing But You (Cirrus Remix) |
| Queens of the Stone Age | In My Head |
| Rise Against | Give it all |
| Septembre | I am Weightless |
| Skindred | Nobody |
| Sly Boogy | That'z my name |
| Sin | Hard EBM |
| Snapcase | Skeptic |
| Snoop Dogg feat. the Doors | Riders On The Storm (Fredwreck Remix) |
| Sonic animation | E-Ville |
| Spiderbait | Black Betty |
| Terror Squad | Lean back |
| The Bronx | Notice of Eviction |
| Tom Salta | Do it again |
| Tom Salta | Scuzz Missile |
| Unwritten Law | The Celebration Song |
| Xzibit | LAX |
Underground rivals
Need for Speed: Underground Rivals is the first version of Need for Speed for the PSP and was released in January, March and September 2005 in the USA, Japan and Europe. This version mainly features Japanese and some American cars such as the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Corvette C5. Playfully it is similar to Underground 2.
Reviews
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The game received mostly positive reviews. The game achieved a meta-rating of 89% for the Windows and PS2 versions on the Metacritic side , which adds up the ratings of several game magazines. The game was praised, among other things, for the varied races, the great freedom of movement and the numerous tuning options. Among other things, the arbitrary distribution of the competitions, the lifelessness of the game world and the missing damage model were criticized .
Web links
- Need for Speed: Underground 2 at MobyGames (English)
- Need for Speed: Underground 2 in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Official need-for-speed website
- Need for Speed Wiki NFSUnlimited.net
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Need for Speed: Underground 2 FAQ / Walkthrough for PC by chilas - GameFAQs. Retrieved May 13, 2019 .
- ↑ Need for Speed: Underground 2 FAQ / Walkthrough for PC by Falktrue - GameFAQs. Retrieved May 13, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c d Test: Need for Speed Underground 2 (4players.de)
- ↑ a b gameswelt.de
- ↑ videogameszone.de
- ↑ gamepro.de
- ↑ gamespot.com
- ↑ gameswelt.de
- ↑ uk.ps2.ign.com
- ↑ gamepro.de
- ↑ gamespot.com
- ↑ a b c Metascore from Need for Speed: Underground 2 (metacritic.com)