There's lots to love in EA's Need for Speed™ Underground 2, but the best way to enjoy all its goodness is in the career mode. In a game where you have to start from scratch to build your car and reputation among the other street mod-racer community, every choice you make can affect your chances of success.
Here's a quick rundown of what you have to look out for and a few essential purchases to make if you're really serious about becoming the talk of the town.
Never stop to ask for directions again.
A Whole New World Need for Speed Underground 2 follows the sandbox model made famous by the Grand Theft Auto series. The streets of Bayview are busy, and there's always something for an ambitious young racer to do. Your HUD and the larger world map you bring up with the D-pad both have color-specific icons that mark the locations of race events as well as shops where you can upgrade your ride and career-enhancing special events.
You can follow your nose and explore the map at our leisure, or you can activate the GPS system, which uses a big blue arrow to guide you to your next objective. Even if you're not interested in an event, you'll be able to find and compete against other street racers that just happen to be driving by.
At its simplest level, the career mode is all about cash and reputation. If you drive fast and clean, you'll win races. If you win races, you'll earn both money and reputation points. You cannot unlock new districts or explore the entire city without participating in and winning races.
The HUD also indicates other important events, such as sponsorship opportunities and even photo shoots, which can also enhance your bank account a well as your reputation. These special events are essential for career progress, but they also earn you more cash and reputation points than most ordinary races.
It's your career—go anywhere you like!
Money = Customize! Never sit on your earnings. If you win it, spend it. The only time you should save your money is when you're saving up for something special. The best thing you can do for your career is to make your car run faster, handle better, and look sharper. The mechanical stuff like engine upgrades and suspension kits will obviously help you win races, but don't underestimate the cosmetic factor. Street racing is part automotive sport and part psychological warfare. If your car looks good, you look good, and if you look good, you're more likely to get calls from interested sponsors.
Split your budget between what's under the hood and what's on the street. The fastest car on the circuit won't do you much good if it looks like a junker, and the sweetest ride on the strip is only ornamental if it can't cross the finish line first.
Match your car's performance to your driving skill—if you're losing control during powerslides, put more money into your car's handling. If you're losing each race off the starting line, look into the engine parts that will enhance your acceleration.
Nitrous Boost From an engine standpoint, the first serious must-buy is the nitrous oxide system. You can have this equipment installed on any car for a few hundred bucks, and once it's in, you have a very powerful ace up your sleeve for every race that follows. With nitrous installed, you can activate a burst of turbo speed at any point in the race for as long as the meter holds out. This is invaluable for catching up to the leader or for sealing your margin of victory, if you're in the lead. Plus, using it creates that wicked blur effect that makes putting the hammer down so satisfying.
You can replenish your nitrous by drifting, catching air, and nearly missing other vehicles, so it's possible to do a nitrous boost three or four times in a single race. When the line separating first place from second is measured in hundredths of a second, a little nitrous boost can make all the difference.
Sweet, sweet neon.
Neon All the Way Cosmetically, I say there's no substitute for neon. You can install glowing lights under your hood, in the trunk, or on the undercarriage of our car (so that it looks like your ride is floating on a freaky cloud of light). All the chrome and spinners in the world can't compare with that sci-fi, U.F.O.-vibe that neon provides. You even have a choice of colors, so you can match the lights to the rest of your car's exterior. To be honest, I think any neon works on any car, so don't talk to me about colors that clash or combinations that look tacky. It's neon, baby. Red, blue, or yellow, neon doesn't matter. It's all good.
As you progress through the career mode, you'll earn cash, build a reputation in the underground racing world and unlock other Bayview districts, not to mention all of the new parts and accessories you'll find and the new cars you can try out. By the time you're done, you will have a car and a reputation that you built yourself, race by race and mile by mile.
