Damn you, Vin. Damn you and everyone else in The Fast and the Furious for starting this "underground racing" trend. I'll be honest. I don't like racing games, I don't like neon, I don't like customizing my car, and I sure don't like; “hang on a minute. Let me just finish this race so I can afford some spinners. Sweet”! That in a nutshell explains my experience with Need for Speed Underground 2, and whenever a game can take a player from disdain to addiction it deserves high marks. NfSU2 gets high marks.

Gameplay:

Even if I initially didn't dig the aspect of playing a racing game, I instantly liked what my screen was showing me, because Need for Speed is one pretty, pretty game. Appropriately, the cars are the highlight, with gorgeously rendered bodies and a beautiful sheen from the tons of customs paint jobs. Every aspect of your ride looks amazing, and in motion it doesn’t' look any worse. In fact, it gets better. Not surprisingly, this game is fast, and going at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour will give you a crazy blur effect that makes NfSU2 just feel fast. Customizing your car can yield countless results, and they all look good. Spoilers, side mirrors, and all of the licensed cars look gorgeous.

The entire game takes place in a persistent city where you drive around seeking money, races, and shops where you can improve your ride. While it may be a bit strange to have a little adventure game mixed into your racer, it helps to make the game incredibly immersive. It can be downright fun to just drive around looking for shops, random racers to challenge on the road, and hidden surprises. And, if you aren't exactly the best at directions, a familiar mini-map in the left hand corner helps you to navigate (think Spider-Man 2 and Grand Theft Auto).

Graphics:

Whilst the game generally looks good, especially the licensed cars, unfortunately, the cars are just that: licensed. While it's great to see your real life vehicle represented in a game (Honda Civic owners, rejoice!) the downside is that the car never takes any damage, ever. While I understand that licensed cars are never allowed to take damage due to the manufacturers obsession with the car's image being negatively affected, it's still inexcusable that I can take my Mazda and slam it into a solid concrete wall at 150 miles an hour and not even dent the bumper. Come on guys. I don’t care if you want your car to look good, it's just stupid. Regardless, it should be noted that everything else is fairly attractive, as well. Buildings look great in the distance, if not a bit blocky up close, and the city lights are especially impressive.

Sound:

The sound effects are pretty much standard fare, with the roar of the engines and the whoosh of passers by making the game, again, feel fast. It's nice, but nothing to really write home about. The music is all licensed, and this is a complaint from me, because it's impossible to really enjoy your own custom soundtracks because EA forces you to listen to the artists they paid out the nose to acquire. If you like Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and the rest of what the underground street racing culture passes for music, then sure, Need for Speed Underground 2 will be great listening for you. For the rest of us, it's not.

Longevity:

Unfortunately, other than the exploration aspect of the game, there is very little innovation in Need for Speed. Essentially, it plays exactly like every other racer on the Xbox, save the Nitrous Oxide feature, which is just a glorified speed boost fueled by PGR's kudos system. It really feels like you should be able to get out of your car and roam the city, like a non-violent True Crime, but sadly, that isn't the case. Luckily, there are tons of game types to keep you entertained, with everything from circuits to drag racing, and even the new drift race game type.

Overall:

This brings up my biggest complaint with the game. EA seems to be nothing more than a corporate entity manufacturing games for the sake of licensing. While it's all well and good to get music to fit the style of the game, it's another thing entirely to cut off the player's ability to listen to what they want.

The fact that there are countless billboards for Burger King and Best Buy (not to mention the actual stores), the fact that you use a Cingular phone, and the fact that every car, car part, and song is licensed all combines to make Need for Speed feel more like a playable advertisement than a game sometimes.

However, that doesn't take away from what is an incredibly fun game that will bring you hour upon hour of entertainment. With addictive game play, tons of un-lockables around every corner, and - yes! - online play, Need for Speed Underground 2 is a dream come true for racing fans everywhere, not just those of the underground variety. Minor political nitpicking aside, this is a game that is loads of fun, and a game everyone can enjoy. Need for Speed Underground 2 is worth at least a rental and a serious look as an addition to your library.

Pros:

• Addictive gameplay. Two-hours-beyond-your-bedtime-addictive.
  
• Online play! An EA game with online play!
  

  Cons:
  

  • No option to play your own music.
    
  • I play games to stop watching commercials. Not to interact with one.