Need for Speed: Underground 2 - Retrospective
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2023
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Need for Speed: Underground 2 is to core millenials what Most Wanted and Carbon are to zillenials. Like with most things, zillenials have significantly better taste than their older cohort. - เกม
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I feel called out...
Hahaha Old
Bro I was 5 when I played this🤣 still never left Bayview airport cuz I was young and had no internet 😭.. well untill halo 2 came out.
Don't we all?
This game not only gave me so much fun when I was a pre-teen, it's my reason that I want to tune up my first car
for me, it was Initial D that hooked me on the idea of tuning up an import
Genki Racing Project's TXR and Kaido series anyone? Of course you can't forget C1 grand prix racing battle.
Whats your first car?
Hey car guy here, I’d recommend you getting a nice reliable car and get a 2nd project car or something to play with on the side. Modding makes cars not that reliable and it gets expensive, down times etc. You want to have a car and not have to walk places and rely on others. I know it’s hard to hear I was there once but I was glad to have gotten that advice I now daily a Manual Scion IM and have built a Twin turbo Z32 and it’s mostly done over the last 6 years.
@@VeilSideZ32 show us
Underground 2 to Carbon were so heavy on the 2000s aesthetics and for me it certainly work in their favour, the cutscenes are chessy great and the art design is memorable from cities to cars. They also aged well despiste their minor annoyances.
no its street racing aesthetics, its still like that now my guy
Still my favorite NFS game to date, the atmosphere, the city map, the verticality of the city, its such a nice world to race in
Dude yes..one of my favorite things about it is how they basically opened up the world to you and let you cruise around and choose what you want to do..and the music...ahhh the 2000s. What a time 👌
@PatriotJedi THIS NEEDS A REMAKE 😊
And they chose night time so it is such a big mood
In those era these need for speed has such a different vibe that you dont get in post 2012 NFS games.
I know 😢
The EA Black Box era...
PC version of this + widescreen fix = heaven
and upscaled hud, novisualrep and fast travel
@@d1ogo8351 No to fast travel, it's a driving game and you should drive for traveling. I rather have no borders during the race but you have to discipline yourself not to cheat the race. Feels like a true street racing.
Maybe if the open world had more stuff to do, even in ps2 they could pull of some of heat's challenges or rivals head to head to make the point a to point b routine less tedious. If not... fast travel then.@@n_core
holy shit, aint no way 19 years passed since this g(old) launched
we old friendo
I can believe it. I'm turning 30 in August
@@sambeezy007 hell yh man, happy birthday
@@kremzski6760 thanks 👍🤜🤛
19 in 5 months yes
Honestly, the cutscenes, the energy of cinematic cuts and thriller-horrorish type, felt like a 10/10 movie. This is what games are missing today. We never saw the driver, we were the driver. Today everything is spoiled, bunch of random characters 0 creativity. Recycled garbage hehe. Thanks for nostalgia!
The "energy of cinematic cuts"? What does that even mean?
@@apictureoffunction means that you can feel it, either it was mysterious or good action cutscene to keep your momentum with the game. Lets say you're tired and you wanna quit after this mission, but you keep playing cuz you like how it is presented.
Yep I always loved the aspect of misterious driver.You couldnt see the face.Even though I was never fan of the cutscenes.I feel like this game never needed any cutscenes.Thats how good this game is.
Agree nfs 2015 i believe was the closest we got to nfs underground but don’t get me started on unbound why tf do we have drawn special effects like tire smoke whos bright idea was that 😭😭
One of the best games ever growing up, I actually just brought a mint copy not long ago haha
That's a dope collector's piece
@mitchelldiedrich thanks so much Mitchell, I almost don't wanna play it, even the manual is near perfect !! Can't wait to watch this video, loved the most wanted, carbon and pro street videos too, it's a shame that they don't take the best from that whole gen and bring it up to speed literally haha
If I remember correctly, NFS U2 was released in 2004. But in 2012 from the Philippines, this game was as new as anybody else. I saw this game getting played everywhere near local internet shops in my place. This, and Most Wanted 2005.
What I like about this game is that, the car runs slower than the latest ones, you can see the area around you more clearly. It's like vivid memories flashing back again. You know, cars running at 140 MPH, it's not as wacky as Heat or Unbound, or Most Wanted reboot, and I miss that part.
Edit: Most Wanted 2005
There's no Most Wanted 2, only the Criterion reboot (or Undercover as it is internally named "MW2").
I've seen internet shops carry NFSU2 and later MW on their PCs in the mid to late 2000s and I do recall my cousin and the neighbourhood kids at the time yap about drag racing in Underground.
@@blakegriplingph Undercover is called MW2? I never knew about anything like that can you enlighten me?
Odd, i am also from the Philippines but i played this game until Carbon with my PC with okay specs back in the late 2000s.
@@harold6953 Yes, at least according to the asset files when you open them using modding tools.
@@blakegriplingph You don't even have to use the modding tools, just explore the files under tracks directory and you find the name for it
I love the depth you went into, two things to note though
1: in europe they gave us the peugeot 106 instead of the civic, i prefer the civic haha
2: the brand of parts does have an effect on cost, you get a discount on any brands you are sponsored by and i thinknthe decals may have had an effect too
& the Vauxhall Corsa 1.8
@@jordangalea9560and I believe the Corsa replaced the Acura RSX from the NA release
Don't get me wrong, I love Underground 2 as much as the next guy. But Underground 1 will always take a special place in my heart. In fact, iirc Underground had open world map in development, but due to time constraints it had been scrapped. One can only imagine if Blackbox wasn't forced by EA to release Need For Speed games annually. And that not even counting various NHL, NBA and Skate games developed on the side at the same time.
Same for me, enjoyed underground 2 but Underground 1 was just more memorable for me. Something fresh and different from previous NFS titles, i spent tons of hours on it while occasionally going back to HP 2 just for the thrill of cop chases and great soundtracks (ps2) . It also released during what was for me, Peak Fast and the furious era. As for potential without time restrictions, it would've been interesting to see what could've been from the first underground. Reminds me of halo 2 and the mess they had to go through, a lot more was planned but scrapped.
An Underground 1 and 2 remaster or remakes sounds cool, giving Underground 1 open world would be cool of they remaster it
I'm also in agreement. The first Underground is superior in my eyes. I don't mind that the game isn't open-world and has linear progression. The graphics, music, and sense of speed all make the game for me.
@@zippo71111 Yeah. 1 was the precursor to 2 and MW/Carbon. It made the street racing genre what it is. The music was top notch as well.
@@sunofabob Yup, the music is probably the reason why my music taste has variety. Loved the rock music from HP2 and Underground introduced me to new music which i also liked a lot. The game is iconic and a big step in the racing genre. Ironic how NFS high stakes almost made fun of those types of cars in the opening video, not long after and it became a big deal.
The level of customization you can make with your cars was insane. Missed playing this game.
In my country Australia around 1999 to 2006 there was a huge car culture here where everyone would Do up their cars and take over either major intersections or industrial areas. There were a lot of violence that came with it especially with the Noble park riots of 2005 but I was obsessed with these car cultures and The fast and furious along with need for speed underground one helped with my obsession.
🍻
I feel the comic book cut scenes aged way better than whatever we got from most wanted
its goofy and for me it makes it better
tbh Most Wanted aged beatifuly. It's silly and campy, but it has always been. And age made even more so.
@@meurer13danielnah, it did not age that well, it just has a loud fanbase that's all, on so many aspects the game falls flat compared to its modern counterparts, and yes, i played those games without nostalgia and rated them fairly, and i also have a pair of new eyes with me, even then he agreed that MW05 is overrated asf lol
@@TheCapitalWanderer I was taking about the live action cutscenes man
But Most Wanted had still better acting than the Fast and Furious franchise
The thing about the Star rating for cars is you could just have one of your cars to tack on as many visual things as possible while keeping your main driving car clean. Just make sure to tune the engine enough to get to the photo spots in time tho.
I remember that long ass 5 laps race stretched across the entire bayview map, not sure if it was the final race.
I also recall that you unlock full bodykits only after you finish the game!! which was outrageous cuz you had no reason to show them off anymore.. at that point you just replaying previous races or wandering the empty map.
you can also unlock bodykits in the last stage by winning a certain amount of Outrun races.
However those kits can only be applied to the car you used to win the Outrun events.
@@shariqhasan6220 do you know how many outrun races you need to win?
@@grantcanty7294You keep winning in every stage until the racers don't show up again. It's either that or you keep doing it and only a few races happen then they all disappear. But do win every time until they don't show up again in every stage
My opinion is very much that I have made better videos in the past, and that I will make better videos in the future. I think my enthusiasm for this style of game has waned after doing Most Wanted, Carbon, Undercover, and now this one all in such quick succession. I am excited to work on The Run and (probably) Driver: San Francisco; they should provide a welcome change of pace.
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@@isimpforshiver Yours truly, minus some hair
The game just doesn't have that much to talk about that hasn't already been said. Plus your witty, sarcastic humor tends to be delivered better in reviews about games that have a lot of negative aspects to criticize, and U2 has very few of them. Still, the video is really good.
@@LuciusVulpes You have perfectly described the problem that I had making this video: my bread and butter comes from playing with bad (or even just unique) mechanics, and this game didn't have those. Amazing for its time, but not really interesting to talk about 2 decades later. Glad you enjoyed it, regardless.
Just one thing: Caleb (the final racer) was the guy who made you crash your car in the first cutscene.
Nostalgic Vibes, NFS Most Wanted, Carbon and Underground 2 are by far my favourite NFS games of the Franchise. ☯️👌
Agreed mines too. ✊🔥✊
YES MINE TOO 😊
One of the 3 games i played last year (MW, C, U2). Had a huge stroke of nostalgia and euphoria seeing them with your jokes. Thank you, Mitchell Diedrich 😁😁
This video just made my night. I was reminiscing with an old friend about "the good ol days" which included him coming over to smoke bowls and take turn playing this game. We were 23 yrs old...it feels like another lifetime.
You got a new subscriber, dude.
the production quality of your videos has improved so very much over the last couple of months. excited to see where you're taking this channel to in the future
first 10k subs are the hardest
Quick note:
The manufacturers matter a little. If you have the decals of that specific manufacturer on your vehicle, upgrades using that manufacturer can be purchased at a discounted price!
This is not true at all, what are you on about?
Underground 2 isn’t just a game, it’s part our 90’s baby culture. Just like G-Unit, Fast and Furious, MTV, Nickelodeon etc
*2000s
I´m replaying this right now.
It aged really well. Yeah ok the graphics are dated, but it still looks nice, the progression is rock solid (almost like an rpg)
and it´s just so much fun to slowly build up your shitty starter car to an absolute monster of a machine.
sooooo good
Dude your channel is popping off i subscribed thanks for the nostalgia!
The remarks are legit clever and well delivered. I haven't even finished watching this vid and I LOVE IT
I discovered your channel recently and tbh man I am absolutely loving it. The editing that you are putting into this is so clear and I am all for it. Keep it up man. Can't wait to see more.
18 years... i still remember playing the demo on burnout 3 way back when lol
i play burnout demo on nfs u1 PS2)))
Man i remember this game was 18 when it came out. So sick... I remember this dude my friend knew, had a riced out civic and i went to his house and he was playing this. Was the first time i seen it.
Did he have the bad ass “vetch” engine one?? That was poppin in the US back in the day. The vtech was godlike lol
Nice video, explaining un-mentioned stuff like aspects on the map were unique to this video only. Here are some corrections and fun facts about UG2:
• The "Caleb" you're racing against at the end is the guy who crashed you out 2 years earlier, he mentions it at the cutscene before the race.
• Body parts "do" affect performance, but it is a lot simpler. Basically, if you get a spoiler (or a bumper IIRC), the tuning options for aerodynamic unlocks. Long as you have one body part it doesn't matter. This is why both UG2 and MW2005 speedrunners buy a spoiler as early as possible.
• The Star rating limitations are checked in a very basic matter. The second you enter free roam with a car with enough star rating, the new photography events appear. If you don't want your car to look like an abomination, you can buy expensive parts, exit to freeroam, enter the garage, and un-equip all of the parts you don't want. You can do the events no matter the CURRENT rating of your car.
• You can press "T" (i think its dpad on controller?) and scroll to the right to see your career progression. If you're a kid that just opened the game you'll probably get stuck in stages due to star ranking or race count (Blackbox' titles were relatively shoddy and rushed, it'd take days to explain every since-beta changes, concepts and development issues in Blackbox... Let's just say, have you wondered where the drag races take place? Map has been shrunk (there was going to be a desert themed area above the airport, with possible drivable train tracks).
• Did you notice that the StreetX events take place in the Drift locations from UG1? Another possibly cut-corner due to dev time.
• Unironically, the Toyota Corolla from the starter selection is by far the best car in the game. The sheer amount of cornering ability is uncomparable to any other car, you can basically turn 1.5 to 2 times as much as other cars, making you take corners way faster.
• In European version of the game, instead of Civic and Miata at the start, there is a Peugot 106 and a Vauxhall Corsa, the Miata unlocks next to the SUV's, and the civic is completely gone. You can use the ExtraOptions mod to have both regional cars, among a lot more little tweaks to play around with.
The starter Peugeot it's not the 106 but the 206, the civic got replaced by the other model
I remember the first time playing nfs underground 2 i accidentally soft locked myself by buying upgrades for my car without realizing that they effect the final parts of the game, where the star rating go hand in hand with the customization, so the game wouldn't spawn any events and i was confused on what to do so i just drove around and went against freeroam racers but after roughly 2 hours i figured out that visual customization would effect star rating meaning you're forced to rice out your car
NFSU2 is the "you should not to meet your heroes" type of game. It was my fav when i was a kid, but playing it as an adult...Started at least 3 times, but never finished it. Especially i hate URL races. But i know i will finish the game some day.
I wish they finished the highway construction. You can use the updated bridge and tunnels during drag races.
great video! thank you mitchell
Dammit now that I'm 26, I'm only finding out all the fan service characters in UG to at least MW talk with non-stop sexual innuendos and puns. I started playing these games when I was 10.
The Australian version didn't get the Acura RSX or the Civic coupe at the start.
Also, Brooke Burke was a major hottie.
she's a mom by now
I feel they took a loooot of concepts from both high profile titles such as GTA III/VC, but also Midtown Madness. The open city and direction arrow and race type come to mind. And MM1/MM2 came out in '99/'00 respectively
The cutscene at the start of the game when you go to the Car Lot will be different if you do any of the races on offer, also the cutscene shows you in an RX8, not a 350z.
Also, the cars you get at the start depend on the game's region.
Yes its old, but it doesn't need to be abandoned, it just need something new a refreshment, more cars graphic mod pepega mod overhaul etc. These will revive the game, but unless its online things will be tough
Being on camera is hard as shit, great work on the intro and keep it up
I haven’t played this game in almost 10 years. I would love to play it again soon.
humor is top tier, subscribed
I remember when you'd put the speaker in the trunk the music's bass would boost! That was so amazing to me as a kid 🤣
I always come back to this game, mostly after 2 years or so i make time to fully finish it, do extra stuff and leave it again
Having to drive like you are insane to fill up nitrous is a small but so rewarding little touch. It incorporates an extra level of decisionmaking and risk-reward mechanic into the game. I can see how they excluded it for Most Wanted's police chases. But I wish it got in more recent NFS titles. I loved heat. But a nitrous system like this would have been so much better.
Hot Take: Underground 1's card handling felt better and cars looked better than 2.
So I'd push Carbon of the Top 3 because The weird car tier system.
I love this channel you have me laughing
I want more videos like this 😂😂😂😂❤
Honestly, i love UG2 (it's my favourite NFS) and i love fine tuning the cars in the dyno (yes i'm one of the 4 people who actually takes time to set cars up in racing games instead of sticking with the default). I remember exactly how different my RX7 felt in URLs compared to StreetX event for example.
The soundtracks in games from this time are amazing, especially this game
The cut scenes were the freaking best what lol
"No one considers downforce over he!l yeah that looks sick" - best quote of 2000's race games
The cutscenes are amazing 🤣
best voice in any videogame youtube channel
I'll always remember the time i went into a KB Toys back then when this game was about to be released "or it was already released" and there was this huge TV right next to the counter playing the game's intro over & over.
I was so hooked by that video alone that i forgot what i came to the store for and i remember begging my dad to get me the game so badly, man was i not disappointed when i had it in my hands and started playing it back at home and spending hours on it like i was possesed or something.
This game and NFS Underground shaped my love for cars to a extend and i'm glad it did.
I used the Nissan 240SX until the end. I loved this car. Awesome video! And a great history lesson.
All beginner cars are really good. 240sx is easily in the top 3-5 cars in the game
Ahh the memories. The reason why I want a 350z
Why so unconfortable? You look fine! Perfect alt country musician look lol 😜👌.. Still hoping for a 1+2 remake
"Perfect alt country musician look" Holy shit I love you
Thats been a dream of mine for so long. Combine nfsu1&nfsu2 into a remake and just maybe add in a nfsu3.
@@KimmySavageValkyrie92 Yes! Like Thps 1+2 for every platform
@@KimmySavageValkyrie92 that's never gonna happen.
It will never happen. Accept it.
Great video! 👏
Back when this game was released, the car tuning scene here in Slovakia was insane. People just modded and tuned their cars like crazy thanks to both Fast and Furious series and Need for Speed Underground 2. And oh boy, I was a part of all this craze being a teenager back in 2004-ish. So besides all the nostalgia and all the other shebang, this game also had a massive cultural impact on the car scene. I still like re-installing this game from time to time and give it a nice, nostalgic run now myself being 35 years old.
Its interesting to hear about all those old NFS games before i started playing the franchise and especially read all the comments going on nostalgia that i can't relate, let alone see an appeal of
Very interesting
i had NFSU2 and "Killradio - Scavenger" banging in my ears and i was happy :D
I think my favourite part of this game was how good all the cars sounded. Most of what came later was shyte. Hopefully newer ones will do a good job of integrating ATG's engine simulator
Just bought the game yesterday I’m loving the drag race mode
This was one of my first PC games ever played and back then I was unable to understand what's the dialog about. I was treating this game as an RPG and it was amazing. I've had the same experience with MW, Carbon and Pro Street. Scuh a good time!
I think we can all agree. Underground 1 solos all its successors. The Adrinalin rush that game gives at high speeds is fucking insane and no other game could come close to it.
That's my two cents about it. Take it or leave it xd
My 1st NFS game. Loved it and the soundtrack.
Burnout 3 was a classic too.
I wasn't expecting learning about WW2 after clicking on a NFSU2 video
i could watch you give me history lessons honestly. your voice is nice to listen to.
16:15 - if you pick SUV race in the garage menu you can enter this race with regular car. And it looks kinda comical. I am not sure if it was patched by on disc version on PC you can do it this way. In this same menu you can also find hidden races you had missed. The races you missed you can find marked as unfinished or without your time in the info - not sure how. It is too long ago to remember.
this game was my entire childhood... i never enjoyed any other nfs more... this is a legendary game
Cool fact: the cutscenes from the begining are recorded in Underground 2, but the events happen in Underground 1
The cutscenes were very good at that time!
Underground 2 literally changed the projection of my entire life cause if it wasn't for it I wouldn't be who I am so it will always be my favorite game of all time
I also have to mention it; this game made everyone who had a junkyard car (Honda Chitbicch, or Foord Fuk-us) with the exhaust cut off made the junkyard car fast!
Underground 1 was amazing as well. And is what got me into car culture. Hot pursuit 2 got me into nfs and underground got me into that. While i believe nfsu2 was a bit better of a game. Nfsu has a more soecial place in my heart. Either way. Nfsu - carbon is still my favorite era of nfs and its popular for a reason.
For those who don't know, Bayview South Market where the casinos are is a real world location inspired by Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas
Wasn't expecting a WWII lesson but I'm not complaining either
I'm ready to fight about prostreet (not really but I felt compelled to comment because this was a good video :D)
There's even a nos glitch I found in this game. Idk if it still works. But, there's a road that goes under a highway close to the airport, if you boost with nos and jump the hump, you hit under the overpass, crash and land and gain double the nos for some wierd reason.
"is it true?" yes. it is. It's basically the template for open world racing games
Yeah, a street racing game without an open world nowadays is a borderline non-starter. Very impressive legacy for this game.
You should do these type of videos with the modern nfs games, i really enjoy these.
I was 22 when this came out wow and I remember playing this on my PS2 with my brother till the early morning. Wow time flies.
It looks great even today
I know the video has been out for a while and this is a 04' game lol, but I completely disagree about your comments on performance upgrades being specific instead of general upgrades. Most car lovers are going to appreciate that upgrades actually mean something and you're not just doing "generic upgrade 1". It also allows you higher levels of customization, like for example you could have a car be fully maxed out but not add turbo to keep it NA. And the great thing about this game is that the car sounds actually reflects that, it's truly amazing sounds for an 04' car. You can actually feel the difference in each upgrade. Starting and finishing the game with my starter car Vauxhall/Opel Corsa (europe version) was an amazing experience.
I also feel like the specific options for performance go really well with the dyno tuning system. In my opinion, they achieved a near perfect balance between arcade and realism for a NFS game. Introducing some more realistic concepts like setup tuning (that are actually functional and somewhat realistic) with a game that handles in an extremely arcade way is a great concept.
I really suggest putting on light bg music and if it's going to be about early 2ks games, put on jungle dnb, goes well. Great vid!
If this game were to re release with only graphics update it would sale very well this came out at a perfect time for car culture where movies, music, customs were all in sync
The turbo manufacturers that you choose (GREDDY, hks, turbonetics) makes a difference with the cars sound
YESSS I WAS WAITING FOR NFSU2 REVIEW FROM YOU SINCE I FOUND YOU LAST WEEK.
Most wanted was the reason i bought my cobalt ss as my first car what a beautiful series and beautiful time of our lives
The thing I remember most from playing Underground 2, was how I was driving randomly through the city, only to then get a text message frantically telling me some Decal Designer Legend is just finishing their last day in the city, and it may be my one and only chance to catch them and buy some one of a kind decals for my car.
When I got there, Did I like any of the Decal Designs? Idunno.
Did I make sure to buy one, and parade it on my car for the rest of the game? Absolutely.
edit:
Oh, and on my second playthrough I made sure to do all the races before turning in the green car for the first time, and all the Lady acquaintance did was send a text after each race, only to then threaten diplomatic sanctions on me.
Yes this makes me feel old, 31 to be exact. But iam so glad that this was part of my youth. UG1, UG2, MostWanted and ProStreet I still play today, while modern NfS titles dont really appeal to me.
becuz its all supercars, muscle cars or regular cars are generic these days
@@prostreetfairladyz8402 The cars in UG1 & most of UG2's were the lowest trim models, can't get more generic than that lmao
Just bought a 23 WRX and put on this game soundtrack and drove around all night.
18:31 The manufacturer does matter. Using the same manufacturer for multiple packages or having their decals on your car gives you a discount. The discount is small but it still does exist
don't you dare slander NFSU2 again
4:26 after finally playing unbound, I can understand fully why you said this.
You look so different from what I pictured in my head.
how does this video have positive likes? most people love underground 2 and it would do objectively amazing if it was re released in HD
Dude... This is the first game i played when i was a kid, and i realised that this game is older than me 😅 (im 17 BTW) My first race game on my dad Old Pentium PC and my second game that i play on my friend PlayStation 2... It's a legend, even im still playing on my idepaad gaming 3 laptop now.
I love ya man. Keep making more videos
My headcanon is now that Mike Ehrmantraut is both a real person and that he enjoys my videos. Thanks homie
@@mitchelldiedrichyep, definitely a Reddit user. I had my suspicions with using the term “chud” but this seals it.