Speed Burst- Need for Speed: Nitro Review

As Excitetruck and Mario Kart Wii have shown, Nintendo’s console can deliver an extremely proficient racing game. However, trouble often ensues when third-party developers try to port their graphically-rich titles onto the Wii platform. The three previous attempts to bring the Need for Speed series (Carbon, Pro Street, and Undercover) onto the system have consistently produced middling results. Prudently, Electronic Arts has chosen not to shoehorn its sim-heavy Need for Speed: Shift onto a Wii disk. Most likely, the title’s reliance of a processor-intensive physics modeling would have translated awkwardly onto the console. Instead, the recently released Need for Speed: Nitro takes a radically different approach to racing. By keeping things blindingly fast and intuitively simple, the developers have constructed a game that skillfully plays to the console’s strengths.

Nitro’s arcade mode lets player jump into a competition with any unlocked cars or tracks. To bolster your garage or available racing realms, players will have to persevere in the game’s career mode, which advances players through three tiers of vehicles, and five global locations. Each venue hosts six different types of competitions- from drift challenges, last man out races, drags, and speed trials. While the different events offer an enjoyable dose of variety, courses tends to feel undersized, and the title’s selection of fifteen tracks feels noticeably diminutive.

                                    Speeding, unsafe lane changes, and tagging will earn you an “E10” rating.

Nitro utilizes a variety of control schemes, allowing players to use the method that meshes with their personal preference. The simplest technique has players twisting the Wiimote like a doorknob to steer their cars. Gamers accustomed to move conventional approaches may use a Nunchuck/Wiimote combo, or employ the Classic or Gamecube controller. Sadly, the title’s flexibility doesn’t extend to button mapping; players are forced to use the Nitro’s default layouts.  The game also supports holding the Wiimote horizontally, either with or without a steering wheel accessory.

Despite the range of control options, racing your car is delightfully uncomplicated. One button accelerates, while another brakes and initiates a drift. For most races, player will be holding down the gas continuously as they careen around the track at breakneck speeds. At high speeds, players merely need to turn to zip through mild curves, while they will have to initiate a drift to navigate sharper corners without a loss in speed. Dexterous maneuvering rewards gamers with a generous supply of nitro, which can be used to rocket past bothersome opponents.

                 You’re looking at the remaining Seventh Wonder of the World? Who cares- check out this drift!

Nitro forgoes lavishly rendered car models and detailed tracks, instead delivering an amazing sensation of retina-searing speed. The title consistently maintains a 60 frame per second output, although the keen eye will detect very sporadic instances of slowdown. Two additional elements elevate Nitro beyond the typical Wii racing title: painting the tracks with graffiti and vehicle customization. Gamers that beat the top time for each track section will leave a colorful splash on the environment, adorning the track’s borders with a unique logo.

Arguably, one of the best elements of Nitro is the unexpectedly deep car customization feature. Players can select from a variety of after-market add-ons, and even morph parts of their car bodies. The game’s paint mode is considerably robust, and allows for a wide assortment of brushes, decals, and colors. With masking and mirror tools, creating a customized vehicle is both intuitive and effortless.

I’m getting pulled over for looking too much like the General Lee? Just wait til my lawyer, Phoenix, hears about this.