Taken directly from my blog ( http://lightykd.blogspot.com )...
A few hours ago, I was finally able to sit down with a copy of "Need for Speed: Nitro." I have to say that this game is VERY pretty! The lighting effects, the reflections, the textures of the road, it all looks beautiful. For a game that uses a little over 2 gigs (garbage data brings it up to 4.3) of the 4.7 available on this disc, "Nitro" is pretty cool, from a graphical standpoint. I love the bright colors. Its not too cartoon bright but, a nice mix of realism and fantasy. Even the menu has a cool look. it was obvious that EA Games took their time to make this game look no less than a modern experience.
My major gripes comes from the game play. I HATE the fact that the police drive around in hummers. They are bulky and take up a lot of space on the race course. The courses feel a bit smaller in width but that's probably because there are too many cars on the track. Another annoyance is how drifting is handled. Its not as reactive as It needs to be. Actually if I had to describe the drifting and a lot of the game play mechanics, I would say, "TOO arcadey". I know this is a arcade racer but the game play did not have to be over the top. Anywho, its different and nice. The only thing it really misses is an online mode. After nearly 4 years of having the "Need for Speed" franchise on the Wii, one would come to expect an online mode on an online capable system.
I'm very mixed about this game. On one side, this game shows obvious signs of care from the developer. On the other side, it's lacking a lot that you expect from other games, of the same franchise. if you have the money and you want a nice holiday racer, go ahead and get this game. It's not bad. on the other hand, if you don't have the funds, wait for a "Black Friday" sale or ask somebody to buy this for you as a holiday present. It's not a bad game...just lacking.
EDIT: now after playing some more I have to say that I have a few more gripes. 1) in what f*cking city do the cops have enough money to roam around in hummers?!?! That's not a gripe from a realism POV but from a gameplay POV. The tracks are already small (width wise) as it is, HUGE ass hummers have no place in the f*cking track! all they do is block progress and make things frustrating! 2) The drifting sucks ass! Even with the turning assist off the drifting isnt nearly as responsive as Mario Kart or any of the other Need for Speed iterations. 3) Sometimes you just cant see where the hell you are going. one second it looks like the track is about to make a left turn then all of a sudden when you get to that turn, its a right turn. Also, I wonder if the "turning assist" option has anything to do with the colorful road lines. I need to check that one out.
A few hours ago, I was finally able to sit down with a copy of "Need for Speed: Nitro." I have to say that this game is VERY pretty! The lighting effects, the reflections, the textures of the road, it all looks beautiful. For a game that uses a little over 2 gigs (garbage data brings it up to 4.3) of the 4.7 available on this disc, "Nitro" is pretty cool, from a graphical standpoint. I love the bright colors. Its not too cartoon bright but, a nice mix of realism and fantasy. Even the menu has a cool look. it was obvious that EA Games took their time to make this game look no less than a modern experience.
My major gripes comes from the game play. I HATE the fact that the police drive around in hummers. They are bulky and take up a lot of space on the race course. The courses feel a bit smaller in width but that's probably because there are too many cars on the track. Another annoyance is how drifting is handled. Its not as reactive as It needs to be. Actually if I had to describe the drifting and a lot of the game play mechanics, I would say, "TOO arcadey". I know this is a arcade racer but the game play did not have to be over the top. Anywho, its different and nice. The only thing it really misses is an online mode. After nearly 4 years of having the "Need for Speed" franchise on the Wii, one would come to expect an online mode on an online capable system.
I'm very mixed about this game. On one side, this game shows obvious signs of care from the developer. On the other side, it's lacking a lot that you expect from other games, of the same franchise. if you have the money and you want a nice holiday racer, go ahead and get this game. It's not bad. on the other hand, if you don't have the funds, wait for a "Black Friday" sale or ask somebody to buy this for you as a holiday present. It's not a bad game...just lacking.
EDIT: now after playing some more I have to say that I have a few more gripes. 1) in what f*cking city do the cops have enough money to roam around in hummers?!?! That's not a gripe from a realism POV but from a gameplay POV. The tracks are already small (width wise) as it is, HUGE ass hummers have no place in the f*cking track! all they do is block progress and make things frustrating! 2) The drifting sucks ass! Even with the turning assist off the drifting isnt nearly as responsive as Mario Kart or any of the other Need for Speed iterations. 3) Sometimes you just cant see where the hell you are going. one second it looks like the track is about to make a left turn then all of a sudden when you get to that turn, its a right turn. Also, I wonder if the "turning assist" option has anything to do with the colorful road lines. I need to check that one out.
