While those with an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 take the more realistic driving route with Need For Speed Shift, Nintendo Wii owners have their own speedy alternative with Need For Speed: Nitro.
The game features a Career mode where you show off your street racing skills across the globe. A variety of events are available, including elimination (where the last place driver is gone after a certain amount of time) and team race (where you work together to secure the victory). Unfortunately, there's very little here to unlock, with only 15 courses, a handful of events and 30 available cars.
Actually playing the game, however, is a great deal of fun. Need For Speed: Nitro handles very well for an arcade racer, letting you pull off drifts, nitro boosts and other fancy moves without having to worry about getting in a nasty fender bender. There are multiple control types, but we highly recommend using the Wii remote/Nunchuk combination or, even better, a GameCube controller. Trying to race with the Wii remote by itself is a real chore. You have to hold the thing like it's an actual steering wheel, which will tire your wrists over time.
One huge added bonus to Nitro is the inclusion of police. Pass a cop too quickly and they'll be in hot pursuit, trying to ram you off the road. Stay in the chase for too long and their forces multiply, with bigger, badder Hummers and speed traps set up to stop you. This adds a tremendous amount of excitement to the game.
You can race with up to three friends in competitive and cooperative fashion, depending on which mode you choose. It's enjoyable, even though the screen splits up into four sections, one for each racer. It's just a shame that EA couldn't find a way to include online play through the Wi-Fi Connection.
While Nitro may not be as visually stunning as Shift, it's one of the better-looking racing games on the Wii. The frame rate holds at a rapid 60 frames per second, even with a fleet of cops right on your tail. The tracks, which take place across worldwide locales such as Egypt and Rio de Janeiro, look fantastic, with plenty of spots to test your drift and battle skills. As for the cars, they're beauts, even if they take very little damage over the course of each race.
As for the soundtrack, it fits the overall mood of the game. There isn't a single rock tune that'll stay with you afterwards, but it works during play. The engine effects and wailing police sirens sound great, too.
EA's latest Need For Speed effort on Wii would've benefited from online play and several more tracks and cars. As it stands, however, Nitro is an enthralling racing game, with plenty of rubber-burning action for you and your friends. Put the pedal to the metal and enjoy the ride.
Final Score: 7 (out of 10)
Reader Comments (1)
Glad to finally see a Need For Speed on Wii that feels like it was actually developed for Wii. While I'm not sure how much replay value this will have for me long-term, in the short-term it's providing some great, thrill-a-minute fun. The game is FAST, and handling the cars with anything other than the GameCube controller is still hard for me at this point. Love having the cops back in the game - takes me back to the old days when I was a kid first playing the NFS series. Also, props to EA for a great soundtrack, especially for the inclusion of Earl Greyhound's "Oye Vaya" - it's the ultimate driving song.