Need for Speed: Most Wanted

I’ve played racing games off and on for years since the 1980s on the Atari 2600 and the Apple ][. However I didn’t get hooked until one Christmas when Karen bought me Need for Speed – Porsche Unleashed for the PC. I’ve been hooked on NFS games ever since and no other racing games could even compare until I discovered Burnout for the Xbox this year.

Last month the latest version of this great franchise came out – Need for Speed: Most Wanted. For the first time, I also bought an NFS game that wasn’t for my PC – I bought the Xbox version. It was with great anticipation that I started it up.

I was not disappointed.

EA has such great production standards for it’s racing franchises that even though NFS and Burnout come from different developers, they share a lot of the same great qualities:

1. Kick-butt graphics


2. Ultra smooth frame rates


3. A real feeling and sense of speed

NFS:MW follows a story line of you trying to work your way up through the street racing leagues in a metropolitan area that includes urban, rural, suburban and industrial areas. The races are varied and extremely absorbing and – most of all – lots of FUN!

But racing is only part of the challenge. Borrowing from the NFS: Hot Pursuit titles, you also have to dodge the cops in ever increasingly difficult pursuits. Not only do you have to get into pursuits and escape them without getting busted, but you also have to achieve certain milestones to continue. These include:

1. Escaping in under a certain time


2. Escaping after a certain time


3. Running up a defined damage total


4. Getting charged a certain number of infractions

The longer a pursuit lasts, the higher your “heat” rating will be. As this rating goes up, the cops use more sophisticated methods to stop you such as roadblocks, spike strips, SUVs, and helicopters.

The game allows you customize your car like the previous two NFS: Underground titles did. However the drift and short track race types from Underground 2 are no longer there. Instead of requiring customization to get status points like NFS:U games, you will want to continually customize the look of your cars because it reduces their “heat” rating (since the cops won’t recognize them).

I loved this game and it met all my expectations of a Need for Speed title.

I’ll give it 9.5 out of 10

Xbox 360 - My Thoughts

The first of the “next-gen” gaming systems are upon us with the much-hyped release of the Xbox 360. As with most new console launches, Microsoft started selling the console without having enough product to feed the demand. This will, of course, disappear over the next few months because they don’t want people to have to wait too long and then move to another platform.

Yes, as an Xbox gamer, the 360 is very cool. With enhanced performance and a killer graphics engine, the games that have come out already really look great. It’s leaving a lot of Xbox (and other) gamers wondering if they should go out and shell out the big bucks for this new gaming system (if they can find one).

I’m one of those people on the fence. It’s a really cool new toy and there are certain emotional geek-needs that could be satisfied with having the top gaming console on the planet. For $200 ($170US) it would not even be a question to ponder – I’d be playing it right now.

However at $500 ($425US) without even a single bundled game, the rational side of me has a chance to take over and beat down the emotionally-needy geek. Yes, that is the “deluxe” package; however you really do not want an Xbox 360 without a hard drive and some of the other features which come in that bundle. The basic version is for people who can’t get the deluxe and will end up buying the hard drive anyway.

So, what is great about the Xbox 360 that has me thinking hard about buying one:

1. Performance – This is the best gaming platform on the market right now. The games that are out look fantastic.


2. HDTV – The current-gen Xbox has HDTV capability. The Xbox 360 is designed for HDTV and the higher resolutions. All games designed specifically for the 360 will probably support true widescreen high resolution HDTV.


3. Xbox Compatibility – There is an ever-growing list of Xbox games that Microsoft has certified as being compatible with the 360. This makes it very compelling for the person who already has a good selection of their favourite Xbox games and wants to continue playing them. In order to do this, you have to have access to Xbox live (either through your computer with a CD burner or direct to the Xbox 360) to download an emulation program to the hard disk (thus the need for the “deluxe” package).

Now, why haven’t I gone out and purchased the Xbox 360:

1. Price – I know that this time next year, the price will come down and there will be the ever-present “holiday” bundles just in time for Christmas. (Depending on sales, maybe even “back to school” bundles). The Xbox 360 games are also $10 more at regular price than Xbox games.


2. Competition – Next year, Sony will release the PS3 and Nintendo will release the Revolution. Why jump now when in 6 months or so, I can make an educated decision and choose the next-gen platform that I think is best? The PS3 has awesome performance (event if the controller looks like a boomerang) and is building on the most successful platform ever. The Revolution has a very unique (or “revolutionary”) controller and there is word that the entire Nintendo back-library for Game cube will be accessible online. Microsoft has only sold about half of the Xbox 360 units they allocated to Japan because people are waiting for the other two platforms to come out (that, and the Xbox failed miserably in Japan because it was seen as shoddy workmanship).


3. EB Games and Blockbuster – HUH? Why did I mention theses? Because both of these companies (at least in Canada) will buy your old games from you and they also sell used games. So, if I move away from Xbox, I can always trade in my Xbox games (and even the console) for store credit and purchase new or used games which will run on my next console.

So, even though it is very hard for me, I think I will hold off getting a next-gen console until I have some choice in the matter. None of the launch titles for Xbox 360 are “must-haves” for me and the Xbox will still see new games for at least another 12-18 months because of the large installed base out there.

My bottom line recommendation is to wait and make a decision comparing three shipping consoles unless there is a game only available on the 360 that you absolutely must have. If you want to prepare for a next-gen console, get a high-definition compatible TV and a 5.1 (or 6.1 or 7.1) home theatre system which you can enjoy right now (and if you have a current Xbox play current-gen games in HD).

P.S. I know I have been lax in posting game reviews, but I have been too busy playing. With new games just around the corner (Christmas!!!), I will try and post reviews for the following over the next week:
Need For Speed – Most Wanted (Xbox)
Phoenix Wright – Ace Attorney (DS)
Tiger Woods (DS)
Wallace & Gromit – Curse of the Wererabbit (Xbox)
Psychonauts – (Xbox)
Crimson Skies – High Road to Revenge (Xbox)