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Need for Speed: Underground is not a standalone drag-racing game; drag is one event type in EA’s 2003 street-racing game. Its straight-line races test precise gear shifts and lane changes, with traffic and obstacles appearing on later tracks.
What is Need for Speed: Underground?
Electronic Arts announced Need for Speed: Underground on April 30, 2003, positioning it around urban street racing, licensed cars and aftermarket modifications earned through competition. GameSpot’s profile lists November 17, 2003 as the game’s first release date; that is a general profile date, not a complete release calendar for every platform and region. EA’s announcement, reproduced by The Auto Channel, and GameSpot’s game profile document that context.
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The game marked a move toward tuner-car culture and extensive customization. Players could race in events including circuit, sprint, drag, drift, lap knockout and tournament formats. Drag racing is therefore a part of the larger game, rather than the whole premise.
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How do drag races work?
Drag events are straight-line contests, but success is not simply a matter of holding the accelerator. The 2003 GameSpot review describes a combination of lane-change steering and carefully timed gear shifts. An RPM meter and shift indicators help cue the player; later tracks add traffic and obstacles, so choosing a clear lane matters as well as shifting at the right moment. Jeff Gerstmann’s review contrasts this rhythm with the cornering and route choices of other race types.
#1 Best Overall
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
In career mode, events award cash and unlock cars and parts. Style points also contribute to progression: GameSpot’s preview lists powerslides, drafting, well-timed shifts, shortcuts, near misses, jumps and race position among the ways to earn them. The October 2003 preview describes the event mix and progression system.
Cars, upgrades and the game’s street-racing focus
Customization covers both appearance and performance. Reported visual options include body kits, rims, paint, decals, vinyl, spoilers and hoods. Performance upgrades include turbocharging, engine improvements, weight reduction, brakes, computer tuning and nitrous. Career progress unlocks performance parts, while visual changes also feed into reputation and style-point rewards, according to GameSpot’s preview and review.
Rank #2
- Take on 20 racing machines from Mitsubishi Motors, Subaru, Toyota and many more
- Build the ultimate street machine by earning cash to pay for body kits and performance mods
- Hundreds of ways to customize your ride. Pick from major aftermarket parts manufacturers
- Over 100 unique events give racers the opportunity to earn cash, buy more upgrades, and unlock cars and tracks while increasing their street reputation
- Racing events including - Drag Racing - Explode off of the line with three other racers, on the brink of control, as you race for the finish line. Street Racing - Heat up the cold city streets with some high octane and high speed racing.
The review characterized the handling as accessible rather than simulation-focused. Gerstmann praised the presentation and customization but criticized the reuse of road sections, which could make races repetitive, and said the career could become tedious. His review reported more than 20 track layouts and 111 career races; those are counts for the game he reviewed, not sales figures or industry-wide statistics.
Which platforms had the game?
GameSpot’s profile lists arcade, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox releases. Its listed developer and publisher credits are database entries; versions and credits may differ by platform or territory. The available coverage does not establish a complete feature-by-feature comparison across all editions.
Rank #3
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear. It may come repackaged in a generic case.
Some historically documented features do distinguish versions. GameSpot’s preview said PC and PlayStation 2 supported online play and cross-platform competition at the time; its review also described split-screen play on console versions. These are historical descriptions, not confirmation that online services still work today.
The dedicated arcade version
The arcade release is a distinct cabinet implementation, not just another name for a home edition. A Global VR system manual, revision B dated January 20, 2006, documents career play, licensed cars and aftermarket parts alongside force-feedback steering, surround sound and a six-speed shifter. Those cabinet controls should not be assumed to exist in the PC or console versions. The arcade system manual describes that installation.
Rank #4
- In Need For Speed - Underground you'll have to prove yourself against the world's best (and toughest) street racers. Dive into the illegal racing world and build up your reputation, as you tune your machine with the finest aftermarket parts
- Need For Speed - Underground 2 lets you heat up those cold city streets with high-octane thrills, as you try to rule the underground circuit! Prove you can dominate the underground as you explore a free-roaming city divided into five distinct neighborhoods, from suburban hills to an intense downtown grid -- all connected by freeways you can race. Drive over 30 of the hottest Tuner cars on the market, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, and Toyota to Ford and Volkswagen
- eed for Speed - Most Wanted is underground racing action so real, you almost smell the burnt asphalt. The thrill of illicit street racing permeates the air - out-race rivals, evade cops and exploit hundreds of miles of open road as gamers make their way up the Blacklist. Build up your street cred and Rap Sheet with gripping, White knuckle, head-to-head races with the top Drivers on the streets. Then pull daring, evasive moves to out-run and out-fox the cops that patrol the open road
How was it received at release?
GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann gave the game 7.9, labeled “Good,” on November 17, 2003. He praised its accessible handling, graphics, sound and customization, while noting repetitive reused road sections and a career mode that could feel tedious. This is one critic’s contemporary assessment, not a claim of universal consensus.
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Best Value
- Take on 20 racing machines from Mitsubishi Motors, Subaru, Toyota and many more
- Build the ultimate street machine by earning cash to pay for body kits and performance mods
- Hundreds of ways to customize your ride. Pick from major aftermarket parts manufacturers
- Over 100 unique events give racers the opportunity to earn cash, buy more upgrades, and unlock cars and tracks while increasing their street reputation
- Racing events including - Drag Racing - Explode off of the line with three other racers, on the brink of control, as you race for the finish line
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