Picking out a racing game is sort of like ordering a pizza. Do you want a high-speed realistic title heavy on the realism? How about a fun and lightweight kart racer, light on the realism? Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is sort of like the cheese pizza of racing games; it’s extremely enjoyable, but depending on your taste – you could be left craving more.

In all honesty, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is one hell of a racing title. It’s built on break neck speeds, high risk, and dangerous collisions. Regardless of which side you play on, you’re sure to enjoy your time with Criterion’s interpretation of the long running racing franchise. Be warned though, those who are looking for a deeper experience, complete with customization and story may want to look elsewhere. Though it may not be perfect, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is still one hell of a ride.

Though it bears the name of the long running franchise, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit isn’t like any other in the series. Rather, it feels much more like Criterion’s other well known franchise, Burnout. If you’ve played Burnout before, you’re sure to feel at home with Hot Pursuit, the cars control the same and there are even some of the same effects in use, but there’s more at steak here. You play as either an illegal street racer or one pissed off cop trying to bring said racers in. Regardless of which side you play as, the game is incredible fun. In true Criterion fashion, you’ll gain rewards for driving dangerously and performing specific maneuvers.

As you progress through Hot Pursuit, you’ll unlock new equipment to use against your opponents. Mapped to the d-pad, this equipment – which includes spike strips for the law and more powerful NOS tanks for the racers – are available only in limited supply, which goes a long way in making the game even throughout. Think about it, how many times have you been playing a racing game with weapons online, only to be cheesed out by an opponent who uses them persistently? What’s even cooler is that as you play through the game you’ll require bigger and more impressive upgrades to your ride, like longer spike strips and bigger barricades. This, combined with a truly remarkable and unpredictable AI system makes for game that’s different each time you play.

Let’s be honest though; you’re dodging in and out of traffic but deep inside, you’re yearning to see some kick ass crashes, and Hot Pursuit delivers in spades. When you wreck, the game slows things down (yes, like in Burnout) so you can see every detail. In truth, the entire game is full of incredible detail. Environments are strikingly realistic change depending on the action on the screen. Criterion are known for fantastic looking racing games, but they’ve outdone themselves here. There are a few quirks though, like a bit of slowdown when the online action gets too hectic and a quirky series of camera cuts that throw off your driving (which can be incredibly unnerving when you’re desperately trying to shave a few seconds off your time).

You’re unlikely to run out of things to do in Hot Pursuit thanks to a rather impressive feature set. Though it doesn’t support local multiplayer, the online modes are incredibly fun. The online races support up to eight players and don’t feature weapons, so pure racers will enjoy it, but most will spend the majority of their time in the Hot Pursuit events which breaks the eight players into four cops and four racers. the cops job is to stop the racers from crossing the finish line. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s one of the best online games you’ll play this year.

As impressive as the features in Hot Pursuit are, they won’t please everyone. There’s no story here, and while that may please some, I did find myself questioning why I was going on at certain points. Yes, it’s cool to upgrade your car, but there’s really no real motivation to go on during the game’s second act.

The Blast Factor: Quirks aside, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is simply the best racing game this year. The gameplay is fast and fun and the crashes are incredibly wicked. Most importantly, the game features plenty of content and awesome features that are sure to keep players coming back for more. This isn’t just a reimagining of the Need for Speed franchise, this is a new series entirely.

LOS ANGELES — EA remains the fan-pleasing factory of gaming titles to entice both new and hardcore gamers alike. At this year’s E3, there weren’t any huge surprises, other than Crysis2 not sucking. (because, admit it, we all thought C1 totally did.)

I had the chance to demo a few games, and was escorted to “family games” before I got a chance to get my hands on the beef.

Some of the family-oriented games, like Monopoly and Hasbro Family Game Night 3, are right on cue for ages 4-444, with bold graphics and customizable characters based on your Mii or XBLA avatar so any member of the family can own their pwnage. A newer version of the classic Risk was on show as well.

One rising star in the all-ages genre is a new game by EA Bright Lights, the team responsible for the newest title in the Harry Potter series, Spare Parts. Part WALL-E -meets-Spyro, it will be one that kids play and awaken the inner-gamer in mom and dad. (Yes, I do want to play it; no- it has nothing to do with me being a girl. Shut it!) It may become the secret guilty-pleasure for many gamers. Who doesn’t like Robots? EA dubs this a “cooperative action adventure”, trending toward the online co-op capabilities that is becoming the norm these days in the gaming scene.

The Need for Speed franchise made a comeback with a return to it’s roots- a classic cop-chasing-bad guy game, complete with Lamborghini cop cars in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. The cars are typically unrealistically hard to handle, but what do you expect from a memorizable game? In the realm of graphic quality I’ll hand it to them, however. The cars are rockin’, and the hot rod shown at E3 to catch our attention was one hot tamale.

When the boys finally let me come to the yard, I have to admit, I totally got schooled in the Medal of Honor demo. I was just too distracted by how fast and smoothly the game rendered, a sign of a great engine, and well thought out gameplay. I was happy to sit back and watch the diehards go at it, and contribute to the death of an insurgent or two. Electronic Arts los Angeles is handling the single-player action, but DICE stepped it up for the online co-op. You die fast and hard, thanks to what DICE calls “faster bullets.” Remind me to thank them for my lesson in humility.

Crysis 2 is a vast improvement on the original, but I have to shame the developers in picking NYC as it’s location of destruction. As much as I love the idea of NYC as the futuristic dystopian gamer’s paradise, it is, perhaps, too soon to see iconic New York City fall to the ground in a blaze of alien-gutted glory. The gameplay is rich, thrilling and maybe this will be the redeeming title for the still neophitic development team of Crytek who didn’t quite walk the walk with Crysis the first time around. The big news with Crysis 2 is the expectation of 3D capabilities. The gameplay is engaging and frenetic, adding to the overall atmosphere of doom and destruction; AI placement has been done well, and those aforementioned icons of NYC are easily recognizable with a nice depth quality.

All titles will be released between the fall and holiday seasons. Family titles will be available for about $39.99.

Other titles expected for release include sports giants like Madden NFL 2011, FIFA 2011, NCAA Football, and NHL/NHL Slapshot. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Pt 1 — which grew up with the apprentice sorcerer into something close to a third-person shooter — and the Sims3 round out the mid-range, with killer titles like Dead Space 2 and Bulletstorm rounding out the hardcore gamer genre, and are expected to be well received, leaving EA living up to its reputation as a powerhouse publisher.

Electronic Arts today launched a Need For Speed: NITRO application on the uber-popular social-networking site Facebook, so that when you’re not playing the game on your Wii and sit down to stalk check up on friends, you can get your racing fix.

Now, as a rule, I don’t install any apps on my Facebook account in an effort to stay clutter-free, but, according to word from EA this morning, the application is a mini social game where enthusiasts can pick a car, and race against friends for “cash, street cred, and bragging rights.”

Best of all, every car from the Wii version is available in the App and so is every city, and most tracks!

Need for Speed: Nitro on Facebook

Electronic Arts look to knock you down a notch, and strip some of your ego away next month when they release Team-Based downloadable content for the award-winning and highly praised Need For Speed: Shift.

The Team Racing Pack, Shift’s first DLC release, hits Dec. 1 and 10 for Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively, and brings five new vehicles, and the new Team Racing Mode into the racing fray.

In this mode, team of up to six racers must work together, because, as EA said in its press release “Individual driving strategy and playing it safe won’t work.”

No real mention was made of just how you’ll have to work together, but when the DLC hits next month, we’ll find out, won’t we?

Here are the new autos yuo can add to your garage next month as well, followed by them imaged.

· 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427

· 1967 Shelby GT-500

· 1969 Dodge Charger R/T

· 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T

· 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV

Electronic Arts today announced that the storied Need for Speed franchise has sold over 100 million units since it first arrived on the scene over 16 years ago in 1994.

The latest installment in the Need For Speed series, “Shift,” pushed the sales figure to the gargantuan level, and we don’t see why not, it was awesome you know.

“Few videogame franchises ever reach the 100M units mark, so this is a
huge honor. We have millions of fans to thank for driving us to this
milestone,” said Keith Munro, vice president of Global Marketing, Need
for Speed. “With the launch of Need for Speed SHIFT and the upcoming
release of Need for Speed NITRO, we hope to continue to deliver the most
entertaining, action-packed racing experiences.”

How about some statistics, those are always nice, right?

Since the NFS began in 1994, the series has…

* ‚  ‚  ‚  Released in 22 languages in over 60 countries
* ‚  ‚  ‚  Players have raced over 279 billion miles of roads & race tracks
* ‚  ‚  ‚  Generated over 17 trillion user-generated vehicle customizations
* ‚  ‚  ‚  Featured actors, models & musicians including: Brooke Burke
(Wild On), Christina Milian (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Emmanuelle
Vaugier (Two and a Half Men), Josie Maran (Sports Illustrated swimsuit
model and actress), Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III), Kanye West, Yeah
Yeah Yeahs and The Prodigy
* ‚  ‚  ‚  Debuted exclusive remix from Snoop Dogg of The Door’s classic
song Riders on the Storm
* ‚  ‚  ‚  Sold more games than all new passenger cars sales in the U.S
since 1994**

* ‚  ‚  ‚  ‚  If Need for Speed boxes were laid out end-to-end, it would
span 173,609 football fields

* ‚  ‚  ‚  ‚  100M units represents nearly every household in the United
States and is 3x the population of Canada

*Launched 15 blockbuster titles across more than 14 platform

Here’s to you, Need For Speed! I’ll drink to that this weekend.

Hey all,

Hope you’ve been keeping up with the missions. Today’s mission is a simple one. Draw a picture of your dream car and then tweet it over to NeedforSpeed. As usual, don’t forget the #hashtag on your post. This mission will have 34 winners. 33 winners will receive Need for Speed T-shirts and one lucky winner will get 20 free EA Games! So bust out Paint and start sending in the entries.

We’ll have the next mission posted tomorrow as well, so keep checking back for your assignments.

Good Luck!

The Need for Speed M3 Missions Sweepstakes has begun. The first mission is pretty simple. Head over to NeedForSpeed’s Twitter and make sure you’re following them. When you see a tweet from their account about any Need for Speed SHIFT TV spots, just retweet it. Include the #NFS hashtag in the order so that your entry is eligible. There will be 34 daily winners: 33 get a copy of the game and one lucky winner gets an Xbox 360 with a wireless racing wheel.

You have your mission, have at it. This post will terminate in 3. 2. 1.

EA is attempting to breathe fresh air into the tired lungs of a struggling franchise with Need For Speed: Shift, and with the project due out in less than week, it’s time for everyone’s favorite facet of game marketing; viral.

Dubbed the “Accolade Trailer,” this video splices together laudatory phrases and intriguing in-game images, but it’s nothing we haven’t already seen. Have a look for yourself.

Need for Speed Shift is coming out September 15 but we have a treat for all you loyal readers today! To celebrate the start of the work week, we have game play footage to pass on to you guys. Fans of the Renault Sport Megane R.S. car are going to love the clip since it shows the car in action. The clip highlights the realistic driving physics, which has been improved on for the latest addition to the series, and the game’s overall visual appearance. Enjoy the clip and feel free to comment below!

Need for Speed: Shift will be released September 15 for PS3, PSP, Xbox 360 and mobile phones.

Full disclosure: I’ve never been behind the wheel of anything more powerful than a bicycle, let alone one of the high-speed, high-performance beasts featured in Need for Sheed: Shift (unless you count the times when I was sitting on someone’s lap because my feet didn’t reach the pedals). So, suffice it to say that I wasn’t exactly the best representative of EA’s target demographic at the NFS Shift NYC Event which took place in downtown Manhattan late last week.

NFS Shift represents a conscious effort on EA’s part to cater to hardcore fans of the sim-based racing genre. Which doesn’t mean that the mega-developer/publisher has decided to neglect the arcade junkies who used to compose the franchise’s core audience”"EA’s also putting out Need for Speed: Nitro for Wii later this year, with Need for Speed: World Online to follow. EA’s Andrew Meakin represented this new direction for the series to me as an initiative akin to the foundation of EA Sports, a large umbrella under which gamers of all tastes and persuasions have been invited to shelter.

As Andrew explained, “The idea behind the game is all about the true driver’s experience”"it’s all about the g-forces, it’s about the crashes, it’s about the cockpit, it’s about being the driver. When you are at speed, you feel the speed. When you crash, you feel the concussion.”

My driving naivetƒ© prevents me from distinguishing between true and false driver’s experiences, and I can’t tell you whether the cars handled like they should (though the fact that I was more or less able to handle them after a brief period of smashing into every available obstacle bodes well). However, I can report that Andrew wasn’t kidding about feeling the concussion. Granted, I was standing mere inches away from a very large screen, so your mileage, as they say, may vary. But EA has done an excellent job at depicting a crash as something very much to be avoided”"and, perhaps, to be secretly and guiltily enjoyed.

The psychological impact of the faux-physical impact begins with the level of detail presented on-screen. Andrew assured me that in the unlikely event that I ever do find myself steering one of the game’s 67 playable vehicles (including the ’09 BMW M3 GT2 featured on the cover) in real life, I’d recognize every curve of the cockpit and light on the dashboard, since every detail has been painstakingly modeled in-game. Swiveling the joystick while playing from the in-car view doesn’t just move some disembodied camera; it shifts the driver’s head and perspective. Side and rear-view mirrors perform the functions for which they were intended, and various readouts alert the player to overheating engines and other motor-vehicle minutia.

When your inherent lack of coordination conquers these assorted aids (and the color-coded guide paths superimposed on the road’s surface) and you hurtle head-on into a thoughtfully placed barrier, another set of visual effects takes over. The screen assumes a reddish tinge, followed by a black-and-white vista drained of all color, and a blurry haze and careening camera make you want to rub your neck and blink a few times in sympathy.

The attention to detail apparent in the visuals also extends outside of the vehicles. Each course has been meticulously researched and rendered. Again, I can’t tell you how well they resemble their real-world counterparts, but they sure are pretty. Windmills turn, balloons float by, barely glimpsed spectators snap pictures, and very convincing clouds of dust accompany the squeal of tires. Velocity changes aren’t only reflected on the speedometer”"the motion blur and tunnel vision employed to suggest the effect of g-forces make glancing at your instruments only partially necessary.

As you drive through NFS Shift’s scenic environments, regardless of mode, race type, or success level, the game will constantly update your driver profile in response to your tendencies and achievements. The points you earn will allow you to fan the flames of your car fetish with abandon, but the game also classifies your style as “precision” or “aggression” depending on how you drive. Cutting corners cleanly is considered precise, while ramming opponents and knocking them off the track will result in your being labeled an aggressive driver. Fortunately, the game won’t force you to enroll in a remedial driving program if its sorting hat places you in the racing equivalent of Slytherin; these classifications are made purely for online matchmaking purposes, so you can always race how you want, and against whom you want. Even when you’re racing offline, your adversaries will show some personality; 20 different driver personalities have been included as an alternative to rubberband AI and a pack of opponents racing in unison.

Of course, every aspect of every car can be micromanaged, but EA has also included more simplistic sliders for the less seasoned automobilistas among us. In addition, the devs have inserted the option to take a test drive at the start of your experience, during which the game’s AI will determine, Left-4-Dead-director style, exactly how far it can push you before you break. Nice to know that EA’s still looking out for those of us who wouldn’t know a carburetor from a camshaft.

Be sure to check out the latest trailer and screens. Need for Speed Shift will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, PC, and a smartphone near you on September 15.

The Need For Speed brand name has suffered as of late, but Electronic Arts hopes to buck the trend this fall when it releases “Need For Speed: NITRO” on Nintendo consoles Wii and DS. Blast sat down (kinda, sorta) with Gil Rimmer, Art Director at EA for the brand new IP and talked about the unique art director for the game (Wii) and how it plans to win our racing hearts over. Enjoy!

Blast: The Need For Speed franchise is one of the most famed, beloved, and recognizable racing experiences the video game world has ever seen, but since the coming of Nintendo’s Wii in 2006, the shiny white console has seen seemingly lackluster ports of high-end PS3/Xbox 360 versions. Can you explain the reasoning behind building a brand new IP from the ground up and designing it, visually, from the art style you chose to employ?

Rimmer: We set out to tailor the Need for Speed (NFS)‚  experience for the Wii, starting from the ground up, because we recognized the importance of understanding the console, which is very different from the PS3‚  or X360.‚  With NITRO, we studied and analyzed the Wii to capitalize on its strengths, delivering something new and unique. The art is there to complement and enhance the experience.

Blast: I’ve read the phrase “fresh and unique” as the main way to describe NITRO visually, can you explain what this quip exactly means, and how you’re going about achieving it?

Rimmer:Visually we are breaking ground as well. NFS is all about hardcore street racing in a realistically enhanced world. The Wii has a strong arcade foundation, stylized and bold visually. NITRO is all about bringing these two together. A good example is the vehicles. We pushed the proportions, aiming to achieve an extreme and aggressive visual edge, while at all times‚  maintaining the identity of each car. A NITRO Audi R8 has extreme proportions and added aggressiveness but still looks like an Audi R8.

Blast: Customization seems to be a trending topic across the entire spectrum of video games these days. What steps is NITRO making in the customizable department in regards to the vehicles in-game?

Rimmer:We wanted to not only provide the extensive range of customizing provided by traditional NFS titles, but to give the player something new and unique to the Wii.

Simply by manipulating the Wii remote you can choose brushes and paint your car like you would in a paintshop. Add decals and stickers or paint your own designs and apply them to your car.

For the ultimate bragging rights, you can design a unique art style to attach to your ride. As you overtake your competitors ,your art will overtake the world

To top it off we’ve collaborated with brands like tokidoki, I am 8-bit and Upper Playground! These brands provided NITRO with over 150 original designs including stickers, decals and preset cars.

Blast: I’ve always been a sucker for background environments as I cruise around at top speed, sometimes even stopping (when possible) to revel in the digital creation. What types of environments will gamers spend their time in in NITRO, and why should we be excited?

Rimmer: For locations we researched emerging race scenes. We also wanted to expose players to experience driving outside of a North American setting.

The cities we picked were Rio De Janeiro, Cairo, Madrid, Singapore and Dubai. Each city is visually unique so progressing through the game will be a fresh experience.

Blast: As a video game artist, what was your proudest accomplishment in the process of creating NITRO and why?

Rimmer: For me designing is knowing what you’re taking on, both artistically and technically.

I get the biggest kick from executing a vision successfully. So when I saw the lighting coming together after months of hard work from our talented art team, I was very pleased.

Blast: How does artistic design and its many faces change when constructing a “meant-for Wii” title, like NITRO?

Rimmer: Art and technology are co dependant on the Wii. Every time we wanted to add a feature or change a gameplay point we had to reconsider art and the visual impact. It’s a delicate balance and keeping artistic flexibility is key.

Blast: Your publisher EA also has another team diligently crafting “Shift” another series reboot, this time with emphasis on realism. What does NITRO offer, in its stylized beauty, that Shift, in its photo-realistic manner, cannot?

Rimmer: SHIFT is all about an authentic racing experience, NITRO is pure speed with a strong arcade feel.

NITRO has some amazing cop mechanics, fast paced tracks and aggressive competitors, all coming together to deliver an exciting, high-speed racing experience. It really is addictive!

Blast: Mario Kart is the unquestioned master and commander of the Wii racing space, so are you aiming to appeal to Kart’ers longing for a more serious racing title to gravitate to, or are you skirting the Kart sensation and attempting to tap into a new market with NITRO?

Rimmer: NITRO carves out its own place in the racing game world, be it on next gen or Wii.

NITRO is for any racer who’s looking for a fresh twist on the familiar racing game and at 60 FPS it really thrusts players into the centre of adrenaline-pumping speed and excitement.

Blast: As an ender, please explain why NITRO, from an artistic standpoint, is an attractive option for Wii racing fans everywhere.

Rimmer: Visually, NITRO is like nothing you’ve seen on the Wii! Not only can you customize a car to your every whim and fancy, but you’ll have access to art from some of the world’s most celebrated lifestyle brands in tokidoki, Upper Playground i am 8-bit.

If you want to know what it’s like to race fast and stylized cars through the streets of exotic destinations at 200 MPH with a push of a button – I suggest you pick up a copy of NFS NITRO. You’ll have a blast.

Need For Speed: NITRO hits shelves for DS and Wii November 17.

A brand new Need for Speed Shift trailer debuted at Gamescom during the EA press conference today. This game looks AMAZING. Shift takes the physics of the real world and applies it to a racing game, a simple idea which has evaded developers for so long. Looks like the reboot of the Need for Speed franchise is going as planned, at least based on our early looks. Check out the trailer below.

Need for Speed Shift will be available on September 15th on PS3, PSP and Xbox 360. A PC release will occur sometime later.

Gaming on the go via something other than a DS is rapidly growing in popularity due to the iPhone/iPod Touch so it comes as no surprise that major publishers are flocking to the handheld to make some quick cash.

Electronic Arts today announced that Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Need For Speed Undercover arrived on the App store today marking the advent of two of EA’s largest franchises on the portable machine.

As you’d probably expect, both games take clear advantage of the systems’ accelerometer functionality both in drawing back and swinging the club in Tiger Woods and evading police cars in Need For Speed respectively.

Both titles look very robust as Tiger Woods allows users to play as a number of seasoned pros including the obvious Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Natalie Gulbis, Vijay Singh, and Reteif Goosen on 7 different real-world courses.

Need For Speed Undercover on the other hand allows for the total customization of 20 different models of cars and executing hairpin turns at 150 mph with the literal flick of your wrist.

Both Tiger Woods and Need For Speed will set you back $10 in the App Store.

In-game images below.

Tiger Woods

More Swing

Swing

customization

Evading Police

In an effort to reach out to faithful fans, BlackBox and Electronic Arts unleashed today two DLC packs for Need For Speed: Undercover.

The Challenge Series features sixty events in two gameplay modes: Highway Wars and Highway Checkpoint, offers the opportunity to earn three new cars if successful and is totally free.‚  The Boss Car Pack on the other hand will set you back $5/400 MS Points.

In Highway Wars, racers will speed through traffic filled highways against three AI opponents in a race to the finish line.‚  So it’s kind of like O.J. Simpson’s famed failed getaway? Awesome.

Highway Checkpoint is pretty self explanatory and challenges drivers to again weave through highway traffic, but this time must clear specific checkpoints in the time allowed.

As far as the aforementioned unlockable cars are concerned, completing the first thirty events will yield the stylish Mazda RX-7, and the Porsche 911 GT2 becomes available after completing all sixty endeavors. ‚ Finally, the Corvette Z06 is reserved for players who dominate a minimum thirty one races.

Purchasing the Boss Car Pack will bring every high powered boss car from the story to your virtual garage including the following:

• Carmen’s Shelby GT500
• Chase’s BMW M6
• Chau Wu’s Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
• G-Mac’s Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
• Hector’s Nissan 370Z
• Nickel’s Dodge Viper SRT10
• Rose’s Porsche 911 GT2
• Zack’s Volkswagen Scirocco

Both content packs are available on Xbox Live, The PlayStation Network, and PC right now!

In recent years, the‚ Need For Speed series has been going through what you could call an identity crisis. The last few titles have been a mix of track style and open world gameplay, incredibly cheesy cut scenes and action sequences that would even make the‚ Die Hard movies blush.‚ Need for Speed Undercover plays as if someone took all of these ingredients and smashed them together into one game. What results is a fun and entertaining title that get’s it fair share right, but strangely manages to fail–miserably even– at the fundamentals.

Undercover offers players the freedom to cruise around the game’s world–the fictional city of Palm Harbor freely. In theory, the sandbox style gameplay should be a welcome change from the tried and true, point A to point B track race formula, but the developers seem to have missed the point entirely.

Other than driving from mission to mission, there doesn’t seem to be much of incentive to explore the city. There are no hidden missions, no way to hunt down opponents–everything happens in a linear fashion in‚ Undercover. A number of the missions almost scrap the open gameplay by sectioning off an area of the map you’re allowed to go. The true allure of these open world games is to explore, and it seems like‚ Undercover is more interested in a leisurely drive. Palm harbor is an immersive setting, it’s just a shame that the developers at Blackbox didn’t go the extra mile and take advantage of the setting — especially when Burnout Paradise did just that in amazing fashion earlier this year.

That’s not to say that Palm Harbor is void of all life. Yes, the cops are back in‚ Undercover — and yes they’re pissed. While the AI starts off easy going and fun, that quickly changes, and it becomes aggressive and frustrating. In fact, about halfway through, the AI becomes so obnoxiously aggressive that players, especially those new to the series may be tempted to put down the controller.

It’s not like the game is hard either. Apart from the enemy AI, it’s a safe bet to assume that this‚ Need For Speedtitle was aimed at the casual market. It’s not unusual to beat a slew of high performance cars, with a much lower rated car. It’s understandable that with the success of movies like the‚ Fast and The Furious and the incredibly hot street racing scene, the developers would want to open their game up to a wider audience, but the uneven difficulty levels distract from the overall experience.

It would be nice to say that using the game’s new RPG like leveling system helps deal with the horrid AI and uneven gameplay, but in reality, it manages to do the exact opposite.‚  This new system, which borrows heavily from games like‚ World of Warcraft, rewards players for completing missions and races with stat points which can in turn be used to better your driving skills. These stats are also used almost as a rep system; the higher your stats, the more cars and missions are available to you.

While upgrading your “driver level” seems like a logical way to get on an even field with your opponents, the game’s AI seems to ramp as your stats do the same. This tactic of games adapting to the level of players has been done successfully in games like‚ Zelda: The WindWaker,‚ Resident Evil 4 and even this year’s Madden;‚ Undercover’s system comes off as unfair and frustrating.

It looks like everyone was saving the E3 news for Leipzig this year.

Electronic Arts and tis Black Box studio released some new details on Need for Speed: Undercover, which comes out November 18 in the U.S. for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 2 with PSP, DS and mobile versions available.

“Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate,” the companies said Wednesday in a statement. “The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine’ — a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles.”

“Need for Speed Undercover puts you at the center of a big-budget Hollywood movie with all of the drama, action and dazzling chase scenes, right on your gaming console. The unique Heroic Driving Engine will give you ultimate control over the hottest cars and push you to use every ounce of skill to outrun the law and take down criminal adversaries,” said Executive Producer Bill Harrison.

The game will mix graphics/CGI with live-action movies with 80 miles of open-world to explore, to get the gamer to really feel the “Tri-City Bay Area” experience. It looks like GTA without all the guns.

“Need for Speed Undercover features more aggressive and intelligent cops whose sole purpose is to take down the player quickly and by any means necessary,” the statement read.

Cars featured in the game include the Audi R8, BMW M6 and Lexus IS-F.

EA is also unveiling information on the Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince game and Godfather 2.

In every gamer nerd’s fantasy, they’ll get to compete not only against a game’s developers, but also against some of the girl gamer gods who will probably kick their asses.

Electronic Arts is encouraging gamers to register now and “to put your competitive mettle to the pedal.”

Starting Friday, January 11 on Xbox Live, the Need for Speed ProStreet Live Race Weekend will feature a live leaderboard tournament to crown a champion on the Portland International Raceway, a 72-hour contest with prizes every hour, EA said Wednesday.

“[This is] a multiplayer showdown that pits gamers against the developers of ProStreet, an opportunity to challenge the PMS clan and a chance at even more exclusive content,” EA said. The PMS clan is an all-girl gamer team.

For details on the Live Race Weekend visit http://www.xbox.com/prostreetlive. Registration is open now.

Live Race Weekend schedule:

• Play & Win Sweepstakes: January 11, 12:01 a.m. PST through January 13, 11:59 p.m. PST (All Weekend)
  • Just register your gamertag, play a multiplayer match online, and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of 72 hourly prizes, plus a sweet grand prize package!
• Game with the ProStreet Dev Team: January 11, 2-6 p.m. PST
  • This is your opportunity to compete against the developers of Need for Speed ProStreet. Can you beat them at their own game? Keep an eye out for these gamertags and give it a shot: NFSMrkt1, NFSMrkt2, NFSCommMgr, NFSProdu1, NFSProdu2, NFSProdu3, NFSProdu4, NFSCreatDir.
• Play with the PMS Clan: January 12, 6-8 p.m. PST
  • The fierce faction of female gamers will be lighting up the streets for “Girl’s Night In” during the Need for Speed ProStreet LIVE Weekend. Be on the lookout for these gamertags: Agent PMS, Jumper PMS, PMS Epidemic, PMS Genevieve, PMS Harlequin, PMS Jacked Up, OneBad PMS, X Reaper PMS x, PMS Kitty.
• Leaderboard tournament: January 13, 12:01 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. PST
  • Go up against the best drivers in the world during the leaderboard tournament for a shot at winning a grand prize package including a limited-edition Need for Speed ProStreet Xbox 360 console, VIP Accessories Kit, Wireless Racing Wheel, and more.

Need for Speed: ProStreet is the epitome of a solid racing game. Electronic Arts made some changes to the game from the a growing dried up style of racing game we’re starting to see.

While there are some dramatic changes made in the game, what really sells it, are the little things — the soundtrack, the comfort of the controls and the natural storyline.

The storyline puts us right in the life of Ryan Cooper, a former street racer who is trying to “go legit.” The plot isn’t the selling point of this game, which could be expected since this is a racing game. You have a rival named Ryo, who gets quite annoying with his messages about how much better he is than you, and how he could beat you in a race anytime.

The storyline is where we see the classic Need for Speed game where you start of with the crummy car, race against other people and make enough money to either improve your current car, or purchase a whole new one. Customizing your car is fun to do, whether adding a new paint job, or a new engine.

The Artificial Intelligence is realistic and much better than in previous Need for Speed games. In this game, if you fall behind, nobody is going to slow down for you so you can catch up. It’s now your responsibility to catch up. Likewise if you take the lead, the computer doesn’t speed up. This flies in the face of past games where the computer would always try and make it a close race.

One thing that gets rather annoying is the announcer guy who always repeats himself and has a bunch of cheesy lines, but that’s what volume control is for.

The different racing and gameplay styles deliver in their own ways. The tracks are challenging and well done graphically. There is also a drag racing mode which is getting popular with the online crowd.

The graphics are fantastic. The cars, the people and the environments all seem real. There are also tons advertisements on the track like in every Need for Speed game, but you learn to ignore them after awhile. Need for Speed Pro Street is a graphic dream come true, and a huge step forward from the previous Need for Speed games.

The audio is good. Not as much for the sound of the cars, but the soundtrack that Need for Speed is known for. The songs are like what you could expect to hear in racing movies, such as “The Fast and the Furious” series. Even if you don’t like the genre of music that the soundtrack includes, it just feels right with the game.

The multiplayer needs no explanation really. It’s good. You can race with your friends over Xbox Live, or you can find people at your personal level and compete against them. Drag Racing is a popular choice because it’s quick, fun, and competitive. Everyone tries to claim #1 Drag Racer on Live.

Overall, Need for Speed is a solid addition to the franchise. EA does an excellent job keeping it fresh and fun to play. The changes that needed to be made, were made, and Need for Speed: Pro Street is the best one to date.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: EA Games
Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed), Playstation 3, Wii, Playstation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2 (local) up to 8 online
Release date: November 15, 2007

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 5 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars