[tempted]

Full Info..

May 22, 2004 - A sequel to EA's Need for Speed Underground was inevitable. The game sold millions and millions of units across four platforms worldwide. EA knows when it sees a good thing and it took full advantage of the tuner craze made popular by The Fast and the Furious. The publisher has slowly leaked information on the game. We've managed to scrounge up some screens and new info on the latest addition to the street racers of 2004.


EA says that the game had ditched the menu-driven system in favor of a free-roaming city with, "five distinct interconnected neighborhoods." We're thinking that these five neighborhoods will each feature a different art style, look and feel.

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The game will still feature Circuit, Drift, Drag and other modes, but EA is promising even more modes of play which, at this time, remain secret. We do that that racing will take place in a free-roaming environment. Expect to cruise around a la Midnight Club II and SRS.

It remains to be seen whether or not we'll be locked out of certain areas when a race does start or if this is truly a free-roaming environment. The publisher has only confirmed online play on the PS2. But it's almost certain that the PS2, PC and Xbox versions will all see online multi-player goodness as EA now has a Xbox Live itch.

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This time around we'll have more than 30 cars. That's more than a dozen new cars. EA has shown the Mazda RX-8, Nissan 350z, Lexus IS 300 and Subaru WRX STi. Other vehicles have yet to be announced but we do know that Mitsubishi, Toyota, Ford and VW are all in the game. That sounds like the Evo VII, Eclipse, Supra, MR2 Spyder, Focus, Mustang and R32 to us. Keep your fingers crossed that EA lets us have more than one car at a time; that was a bit of a buzz kill in the first game.

No date has been announced, but we're positive EA wants this one out before Christmas. We'll be back as soon as we get pry some more info and screens from EA. Looks like it's time for neon, scissor doors and a whole lotta bass. We're super excited that Underground gets an update, but let's just pray they get good music this time around.

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