Need for Speed: Underground GBA

There was a time in the early days of Nintendo's original handheld - complete with monochrome screen - where people compared its software to the earliest of video games. In 2004, the latest version of Nintendo's portable is being compared with Sony's PlayStation. That's how far gaming has progressed, and a fine example of this is EA's Game Boy Advance version of Need for Speed: Underground. Something of a virtual representation of cinema's The Fast and the Furious, Underground, as the title implies, gives players the freedom to partake in non-legal races in city streets using a multitude of 'modded' cars and racing enhancements. In typical EA fashion, Underground includes licensed racers from the likes of Mitsubishi, Subaru and Toyota, and all are customisable thanks to part manufacturers such as AEM, Audiobahn, Nitrous Express, OZ and Turbonetics. All cars handle differently depending on their set up, and it's up to the player to choose the right configuration for the race at hand. Controls are dead simple, but tweaking your car can make all the difference. Game modes typically include the main Underground option, Quick Race and a highly competitive multi-player game. Each is appealing in its own way, but linking two GBA's together makes for a great racing experience. For a handheld game, we were surprised just how similar Underground is to its 128-bit counterparts. It handles well, it looks great and it's good value for money.