Need for Speed: Underground (2003)

 

Need for Speed: Underground was developed by EA Black Box and released on November 17, 2003. This was the first NFS game to require Hardware Transform and Lighting in Graphics Cards. Most of the new elements in Underground became defining marks of later installments in the Need for Speed series.

Underground shifted from semi-professional racing and isolated circuits to the street racing style of other arcade racing series: all circuits became part of a single map, Olympic City, except for drifts. Underground introduced two new play modes (Drag and Drift) and more tuning options than in the earlier High Stakes. Underground was also the first game in the series to feature a story, told via pre-rendered videos.

Underground features tuner cars and has a wide variety of tuning options such as widebody kits, bumpers, spoilers, etc., as well as performance upgrades such as engines and nitrous. City street racing is the primary focus of the game.

There were no police in Underground and Underground 2, which drew criticism as police had been an important part of previous titles.