The Need For Speed series was almost dead. We called the coroner, he got in his car, and was a block away from NFS’s near-dead body, but then Electronic Arts came to their senses and breathed new life into the franchise.
EA released Need for Speed: Shift, an uber-realistic, high-definition racing simulator recently to overwhelmingly great reviews, but what if you own a Wii and want a slice of the tasty racing cake?
Ah ha, enter Need For Speed: NITRO, a game EA is calling the “hottest arcade racer of the holiday season!” and winner of best racing game for Wii and DS at E3 this year and one that wants your gaming dollar.
“Need for Speed NITRO pushes the limits of racing on the Nintendo platforms to deliver the ultimate racer of the holiday,” said Joe Booth, Senior Producer. “With deep track designs and intense speeds, as well as accessible controls, NITRO promises insanely competitive races that will appeal to all levels of players.”
We chatted with the art director for the game in August and we liked what we heard, but now that the game’s out in the wild, exclusively for the Wii and DS, gamers will decide just how “great” the game is!
Had the game for a few days now, and my take is this – I’m glad to finally see a Need For Speed on Wii that feels like it was actually developed for Wii. While I’m not sure how much replay value this will have for me long-term, in the short-term it’s providing some great, thrill-a-minute fun…I love how intense the speed feels in this game and overall I just enjoy playing an arcadey style racing game better than a realistic sim.
Also, props to EA for a great soundtrack, especially for the inclusion of Earl Greyhound’s “Oye Vaya†– it’s the ultimate driving song.