Need for Speed NITRO (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

After becoming dull and lifeless after recent editions, EA decided to halt the releasing of the Need for Speed franchise and went back to the drawing board to see how they could reclaim its street racing crown. With this year's iterations taking on two distinct styles, EA has decided to develop a title catering specifically to the power of Nintendo's home console, choosing the more arcade-y style of street racing that has punctuated the likes of the early Burnout racers, allowing for all the trademark drifting and nitro boosting that the series has come to know. Does this finally bring about a return to form for the series or does has it stalled at the starting line?

Gameplay

Need for Speed Nitro returns the franchise back to some very basic routes here, similar to those seen in the early Burnout titles. The open world frolicking has been abolished (thankfully) in favour of a more arcade-y setup. From the menu, you'll have access to a Career mode and an Arcade one, with the multiplayer options being neatly tucked away within both of these. The Career mode will start you off in Rio de Janeiro and, after selecting from a paltry selection of starting motors, you'll hit the track and take part in one of the game's many types of events. Being of a more arcade-y nature means that there is a clear distinction between the events within which you'll race, with the menus for each of the game's 5 cities progressively unlocked as you take part in them. The event types include the likes of circuit races, drifting competitions and time trial competitions where you get to drive a more powerful car which becomes unlocked later in the game.

Taking part in these events on their own does not equate to the unlocking of the remainder, nor does it unlock the other cities. EA has implemented a star based system across both of their new Need for Speed titles this year with there being a set number of stars available to get from each event for things such as podium position, fastest lap time and style points. It is these that you'll need to collect if you wish to complete all of the events in each of the cities or unlock the other cities themselves. It also means there's an incentive to go back to the game's races after completing them in case you miss out on a particular star. Also as a result of the stars, the gameplay changes as you'll need to employ both nitro boosts and drifting, two key mechanics for the game, to rack up style points and help you get those podium places and fastest lap times. Both the drifting and the boosting have been implemented seamlessly, and one should have hoped so seeing as they have now become a constant within the genre, making the races more exciting, especially in the higher tiers of the three tiered Career mode. Progressively completing these events not only unlocks more for you but also gives you access to more vehicles, which can be purchased with your race winnings, as well as new paint brushes, decals, and vehicle modifications for the very robust customisation options. Cars can be painted however you want, with layered decals or even free hand allowing for an extensive amount of potential in the designs you can come up with. The lack of online support to share your creations is a slight missed opportunity but hopefully it'll return next year because the editor really does allow for a lot of freedom and it would be nice to share.

While the game may have gone back to basics, the racing does introduce some interesting elements into the fold. Within the editor, you can set backgrounds and graffiti which will be plastered around the track so long as you are leading the race. It's a very nice touch but feels underused and could easily have had a zone capturing mode or event tied to it. With the game being all about street racing around real world cities, it was a given that the cops would turn up and while some would think it'd ruin the game, ala some of the previous Need for Speed games, it works great here, especially in multiplayer. As the race progresses, more and more cops will appear and throughout the tracks there are police badge style picks ups that can lower your star rating or raise the rating on other cars in the hope of shaking them. But they won't be fooled easily and indeed, they put up a heck of a fight bashing into you or trying to box you in at the edge of the course. It increases the tension yet always remains enjoyable. As said, it works even better in multiplayer where, when playing in the elimination style events, if your friends are eliminated they get to continue play but as the cops and so some heated competitive spirit is insighted and it's fantastic. The game's multiplayer extends to both the Career and Arcade mode options, allowing up to 4 players to play through all modes at the same time which is a very nice touch, although some event types made available in the Career aren't made available in the Arcade mode which is a slight drawback.

Controls

Every conceivable control option has been included for your privilege so as to give everyone a setup that appeals to them. There are 5 in total, 2 of which make use of motion steering while the remaining 3 make use of the Nunchuk, the Classic Controller and the Gamecube controller. The first setup makes use of the Wii-mote on its on, being held in the standard position and twisting left and right for turning. It feels very strange at first but it works surprisingly well once you've gotten to grips with it. If that doesn't take your fancy, you can place the Wii-mote into the Wii Wheel shell and steer like Mario Kart and again, it works incredibly well. All 3 standard analogue setups also work extremely but there is a slight learning curve to getting to grips with the steering. The cars all feel rather heavy and so standard steering won't do you much good on most of the corners so you'll have to really use the drift option, done by hitting the brakes and turning the car into the corner, and this is where the motion controls really show their form, being the best of the lot for the drifting. But regardless of what setup you use, after a slight bit of learning, the controls are all very easy to get to grips with and all work well.

Graphics

This being a game developed specifically for the Wii has meant that the graphics have been designed using the Wii's hardware and not simply ported down. Gone are the attempts at realism and in that wake comes a more cartoon-y look, with accentuated characters and exaggerated car models. It all looks great with impressive lighting effects acting as they should around the 5 different cities. The cities and tracks themselves show a slight bit of repetition in their scenery but it's only a small qualm in the grand scheme of things. The cars, as stated, bear an exaggerated look but are all licensed vehicles, with their being 30 in total from the likes of the VW Beetle to the Pagani Zonda and everything in between, and through their designs they all look fantastic. Textures aren't quite up to the standard of the design, looking low res on the scenery and on the vehicles, with the latter becoming extremely evident when the game's poor damage system merely replaces paint and windows with a slightly different, scuffed version of what was their previously. Even as it is, the game still manages to look impressive and maintains a steady frame rate throughout.

Sound

Having ditched the licensed soundtrack in some of their sports titles on the Wii this year, it wouldn't have been a surprised to see the same happen here. But then it just wouldn't be Need for Speed and so EA has provided a soundtrack that is sure to both entertain and disappoint with genres such as hip hop and rock taking pride of place. It's decent enough, and of a very high standard aurally, but it's a bit thinly spread. The cars, however, roar around the tracks with realistic sounds, definitely sounding the part, and yet at the same time managing to sound slightly exaggerated to suit their new aesthetic.

Final comments

Going back to the drawing board has certainly worked in EA's favour as Need for Speed Nitro is perhaps the best racing game in the franchise and perhaps the best arcade racer on the console. The new setup seems initially shallow in offerings but there is plenty there to entice even the most spurned of former franchise fans and the move to a more arcade-y setup really helps the franchise come into its own on the console, as does the new art style. There are things which could be improved upon, such as the textures, some better implementation of the graffiti concept and the inclusion of an online setup for sharing designs, but as a foundation from which to start, the Need for Speed franchise can only go from strength to strength on the console.

Pro: Superb, arcade style racing, numerous control options all of which work extremely well, editor is fantastic, new visuals look great
Con: Textures are of a low quality, implementation of some concepts not done to their fullest potential, lack of online for sharing designs
Final score: 7.9

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