A brief history first on my journey along the NFS series.

NFS has always been a staple of my video gaming diet. Whenever I play that is. I haven't played enough to really write home about. The very first racing game I played was Road Rash followed closely by NFS II. I've lost count of the hours I've spent playing that both solo and split screen. I haven't played any game split screen on a PC since and I must say I sorely miss zippin around in a UFO (obtained using cheats of course :D)

Then I was taken away from the gaming world for a long time. To not let it disturb my studies they said..well I was only a casual gamer (still am though im waaay more addicted now) so I didn't really mind. I do remember playing Porsche..mentioning the whole name alone gives me shivers! That game gave me nightmares..

So needless to say I was a bit apprehensive about approaching Hot Pursuit 2 but it had me completely blown away! To date it still remains a fun game to play I'd say...nothing beats roaring down a scenic Mediterranean route in a Lamborghini Murcielago while a cop vainly tries to PIT maneuver you.

The next game I played was Underground 2. From here on I've been more consistent with the series. As much as I liked the game, having to drive to every single race or shop got pretty tedious..fast! Still it was always a pleasure to slap a neon on your car's underside! Err..moving on..

Most Wanted: Personal opinion but this was THE Need For Speed game for me and still remains to date the most thrilling NFS game I've played. I don't remember any other game having captured the excitement of being chased at hi-speeds by angry cops or the tension. And nothing ever nailed the triumph of finally escaping by the skin of your teeth, especially towards the end where the game required you to be suicidal. It made you feel every bit like you earned your notoriety cause it was that grilling and bloody memorable too. Facing blacklist members one on one, gaining more heat, under more pressure from the cops who keep snapping at your heels the game made you feel every bit like an empowered criminal always taunting and outfoxing the cops. Cheesy FMV cut-scenes aside this game got everything right!

Carbon: Totally taken by MW I followed every word posted on the net on this one..believed every word of the hype surrounding it (oooohhh autosculpt!! Ooohhh canyon races!! OOOHH NIGHT-TIME!!) And I thought most wanted was dust compared to this. I mean it was a dream come true what could go wrong? Turns out, quite a lot. I could never point out what the problem was but the game just wasn't worthy..I learnt the hard way of course to NEVER believe in hype, have too high expectations and also learnt that publishers used every wordplay trick in the book to make mundane features sound ever so exciting. Lesson learnt. Or did I?

Pro Street: The concept just didn't click..I mean what was EA thinking?? I wasn't sure what to make of it. I decided instead to just wait for the game to come out. Still I couldn't help but be curious. When the game came out I played it to completion..didn't dislike it as much as people seemed to, it was a boring game nonetheless. Doing a wheelie with muscle cars in a drag race however was just jaw dropping cool!

Undercover: Cinematic. Uh-huh. Cops and free roaming are back. Uh-huh. Bigger map. Uh-huh. Highway Battles. Oh I can feel the adrenaline rush...zzzzz. I wasn't falling for this one! Stayed away and for once my instincts proved right. Can't say further since I haven't played it

Shift: Quite a literal name I'd say. When they announced it I was shocked and pretty pleased too. They seemed serious, I could just sense it. Revival was just beyond the horizon. The cockpit mode was a sight to behold! The detailed interiors, working gauges, tunnel vision at high speeds, copious amounts of blur, subtle effects that gave an in-car experience that was unmatched. The game is pretty decent. I've spent quite a few hours on it and while I'm not blown away I'm most definitely pleased and hoping EA continues in the right direction.

So till the next NFS instalment!