Need for Speed : Pro Street

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Game Information

Developed by EA Black Box (Exient Entertainment for the DS platform)
Published by Electronic Arts
Platform : PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mobile
Genre : Racing
Age Rating : 3+
Players : Single player and Multiplayer
Additional Contents Provided : None
Release date : (NA) November 14 2007, (EU) November 23 2007, (JP) January 31 2008

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Synopsis

Need for Speed: Pro Street brings the underground street-racing scene into the light with sanctioned competitions held across the globe. Multiple events are held on such real-world tracks as Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, Willow Springs, and the Autobahn. The goal throughout each point-to-point or closed circuit course is to be crowned "street king" by defeating rivals in drag, grip, drift, and speed challenges. A wide assortment of cosmetic and performance enhancements are available to tune cars, and a real-time damage system means prized vehicles can actually be totaled during races.

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Gameplay

This Need for Speed took it to a whole new level for me personally. The customization, the control of the cars were amazing and really made you feel as if you were behind the wheel. In the game there are all sorts of races and challenges that you can complete that will earn you money and maybe even cars if you're racing for pink slips. The game is really adrenaline rushing as you race in the streets beating other opponents for 1st place and trying to win the challenge day. The challenge day or race day is a series of various events if Ryan Cooper (your driver) wants to progress into getting better cars to compete in the harder races. These challenge days consists of Drag, Drift, Grip and Speed. All 4 have a King in which you will eventually race to challenge them for their crown to become the street king. Obviously, EA made these kings hard as hell to beat but it can be accomplished in a few tries and if you're in the right car it will definitely help you out. One of the best game modes that I experienced was the Wheelie competition in the Drag race I believe. I was put along side another car that was against me and the challenge was to see who can do a longer wheelie. This is great fun and it's awesome when you're pulling ahead of your opponent doing the longer wheelie. Be careful not to get to cocky though because you might end up smashing your car by landing the wheelie awkwardly. Yes, this does take getting used to but it's all worth it in the end when you can sit back and beat a King in their specialty which always is great feeling. There are various cars to drive in the game and you can include more if you purchase the downloadable content. Some of these vehicles might aid you if you're having a little trouble with certain races. Would also be cool to get a really nice car early on and progress through the stages pretty quickly. Only problem that I had is that when you smashed your car up and you couldn't drive it you would have to pay for a complete repair which could cost quite a lot of money. Sometimes you might not have that much money especially if you are a reckless driver and you're low on cash. The game also has multiplayer compatibility so you can go online against random people and you can online against your friends to see who is a better driver. The game has online leader boards so you can also push yourself to become better than your opponents. If you're not driving recklessly and taking risk then you might not win your races. Other than that, gameplay is great and it's definitely enjoyable.

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Graphics

Graphics in this are actually quite amazing. Everything comes to life when you're playing in HD and when you crash into other cars and debris is flying everywhere it does have an enjoyment factor to it. The environments that you race around in are really well composed and look almost realistic. Once again, EA include the fans and crowds behind the racing boundaries and their faces are hardly visible and their bodies are blurry but we're not concentrating on the audience, we're concentrating on the race. It's just annoying to see that in 2011 they still haven't addressed this issue which is sad. It's something small but these small things can be game changing. In this instance, that isn't the case. Other than that the graphics are great, they suck you in and leave you twisted your controller like a maniac trying to go around corners.

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Controls

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Overall, this game is really fun and leaves you coming back for more as it's adrenaline rushing every time you play it and is really exciting. With all the downloadable content that has come out with it, it does give a better variety for you and makes the game's longevity last longer. Game can be purchased for quite cheap now as it's an old game but it's a classic and it's definitely worth picking up. 15 pounds on the Games on Demand is not to shabby but you could pick up a cheaper pre-owned version in a local game store.


Game Rating : 7/10 (Gameplay is enjoyable and easy to adapt to, graphics are stunning in High Definition and everything handles really well)