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As we move closer to Christmas there are more games appearing for all consoles, there are a few games released every week now that genuinely look like must-haves. Due to this, PALGN has provided a lot of reviews in the last month and not too much else. We’ve decided to add a bit more variety into our content by starting a new column that goes by the name of Sequelitis.
Just about every second title released this year has actually been a prequel / sequel to another game, just off the top of our head we can name Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Jak III and Sly 2. While our reviews try to look back at predecessors in a game’s history we can only touch upon this aspect quickly before having to focus on the game we’re actually writing on. As far as we can tell at PALGN, there are no columns around which physically compare a game title and its sequel, we thought it was about time that someone created one, so what better titles to start with than the best selling game of 2003 and one of our most recently reviewed titles, Need for Speed: Underground and Need for Speed: Underground 2.
Need for Speed: Underground 1&2 are best described as The Fast and the Furious in game-form. Both games centre heavily around illegal street racing and modding your car with both performance enhancing parts and visual modifications. Both games focus heavily on gamers earning reputation and cash to drive their way to be the number one illegal street racer. So, which one is for you? Which one is better? Well, let’s break it down a little further.
Features:
Need for Speed: Underground:
The original game featured a linear menu selection screen which was linked together with a few short in-game FMV’s. There were literally millions of customization options, a drag mode, online play for the Playstation 2, Twenty vehicles, 100 events and Drift, Drag and Circuit modes. The game was also one of the first to introduce Nitro into racing games and when the cars were using their Nitro the screen blurred to create an amazing sense of speed.
Need for Speed: Underground 2:
Underground 2 took everything that its predecessor had and upgraded it immensely. EA now claimed their were up to 70 billion possible car upgrades, twice the visual customization options and new race modes including U.R.L and Street X. Online play was now included for the Xbox and Playstation 2 owners still have the ability to play online. EA also added more vehicles to the mix and included a free-roaming city that contained many more events than the original title.
Winner: Need for Speed: Underground 2
Need for Speed Underground: Market Street.
Gameplay:
Need for Speed: Underground:
The sense of speed in the original title was fast, this was before Burnout 3 was released and the game felt extremely fast. However, due to the speed at which the game was flying by there were often times when there would be slowdown, which could ruin the overall feel of the game.
Need for Speed: Underground 2:
Underground 2 eliminated the slowdown which often plagued the original, but the sense of speed was no longer as surprising a second time around. Burnout 3 has already come and gone and had ultimately taken the crown of being the fastest racer around. However, the game does feel a lot smoother than the original Underground, It just didn’t feel as fast as it did a year ago.
Winner: Need for Speed: Underground 2
Graphics:
Need for Speed: Underground:
The original Underground had a relatively good draw-distance and extremely glitzy graphics that made the game look a lot more expansive and better than it actually was. The game was still extremely restrictive, but looked great, however, a lot of the environments just looked the same.
Need for Speed: Underground 2:
Underground 2 was set in a free-roaming city so it was a lot more expansive than its predecessor. The graphics received a huge overhaul and are really noticeable from the outset. The tracks look a little different and the game has a very distinctive urban feel. The cars look better, (albeit much shinier) the tracks look better, and the environment looks better.
Winner: Need for Speed: Underground 2
Need for Speed Underground
Audio:
Need for Speed: Underground:
Crystal Method and Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys were the highlight of this soundtrack. The car sound practically the same as its successor but the music selection was perfect for the game and featured some truly memorable songs.
Need for Speed: Underground 2:
Underground 2 featured only one really decent song which lied in Black Betty by Spiderbait. Aside from this, the soundtrack just isn’t as good as its predecessor. There are more tracks, but they are just not as good as the original Underground.
Winner: Need for Speed: Underground
Need for Speed Underground 2 - Bayview
Lifespan:
Need for Speed: Underground:
The 100 events in the original game only lasted a few days, and the linear structure meant there wasn’t much to keep gamers coming back. In fact, after a few days the game did become a bit of a distant memory and there was no real inspiration to come back to play it again, unless the gamer tried a different difficulty level.
Need for Speed: Underground 2:
The free-roaming nature of Underground 2 means that the game lasts a lot longer than its predecessor. After about a week of playing the game I was still coming back for more and those with Xbox Live support should keep playing this game for a while. There are more tracks, more cars and more customization options, of course this game will last longer, much longer.
Winner: Need for Speed: Underground 2
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Need for Speed Underground 2
Need for Speed Underground 2
Conclusion:
Looking down the list Need for Speed: Underground 2 has won most of the categories. This doesn’t make Underground a bad title, it just pales in comparison to its successor. Initially, the games look basically the same with a few minor upgrades, but after further inspection it is clear that Underground 2 has more style, and most importantly, more substance. It is worth noting that the original title values for half the price of Underground 2 though, and you truthfully cannot go wrong with either title, that is, until Need for Speed: Underground 3 inevitably debuts next year.
Overall Winner: Need for Speed: Underground 2
Keep up the good work!
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