The Need for Speed Challenge > a half-assed review -- Need for Speed: Underground (2002)

Rrrrum-dum-dum du-ru-ru-rum-dum-dum The song that put Lil’ Jon & the Eastside Boyz on the map is the unmistakable hint that you’ve opened Need for Speed: Underground, which was the 7th instalment in the series and also made the “Need for Speed Seven” phrase sound dumb as hell. First thing to mention is that the soundrack is divided between strong hip-hop (although censored) for the menu, and excellent alternative rock with great artists from the turn of the millenium, like Asian Dub Foundation, Fluke, The Crystal Method, Rob Zombie, BT, Static-X, Nate Dogg, and Blindside, to name only a few. Although the game’s world is not open, the circuits feel that they are part of a greater city, with sections being reused and mixed, to form a lot of circuits in Olympic City. My favourite car in the game still is the Peugeot 206, and although it’s not the fastest thing in the world, it’s a lovely little rocket. I did eventually get my hand on my fully tuned 206, I even forgot I switched from the…