In 2003, the Need for Speed universe, and racing games everywhere, changed forever with the release of Underground. Moving away from the exotic supercars of the first six titles, it focused heavily on illegal street racing and the import tuner market, which had grown exponentially in popularity with the release of blockbuster films like The Fast and the Furious.
Underground featured something nobody ever thought a Need for Speed game would: a storyline. Also new was the ability for players to completely customize their cars with name-brand upgrades to the exterior or under the hood. Another new feature was that all races took place at night in an anonymous city that looked like a composite of several major American locales. New game modes included Drag, Circuit, and Drifting, a challenge that didn’t involve getting the best lap time.
In an effort to discourage illegal street racing, the game began with a disclaimer featuring Need for Speed producer Marc De Vellis warning players to keep their extreme driving within their game consoles.
Release Date: 2003-11 Rating: E Platform: Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, CARS A radical departure from the first six Need for Speed games -- which featured supercars, exotics, and other drool-worthy machines -- Underground was based largely around modified tuner vehicles.
Acura Integra Type R Acura RSX Dodge Neon Ford Focus ZX3 Honda Civic Si Coupe Honda S2000 Hyundai Tiburon GT Mazda Miata MX5 Mazda RX-7 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Mitsubishi Lancer ES Nissan 350Z Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 Peugeot 206 S16 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS Toyota Celica Toyota Supra Volkswagen Golf GTI
TRACKS / WORLD The first Need for Speed game to have a storyline, Underground was set in a generic city with all of its races taking place at night. Underground was the last track-based Need for Speed game until ProStreet was released in 2007.
