Need for Speed: Underground cover

Need for Speed: Underground

Critic score2 critics
First release
Nov 17, 2003
Developer
EA Black Box
Engine
EAGL
Genres
Racing

Need for Speed: Underground is a 2003 racing video game and the seventh installment in the Need for Speed series. It rebooted the franchise, ignoring previous Need for Speed games that featured sports cars and exotics. Underground is the first game in the series to offer a career mode that features a comprehensive storyline, as well as a garage mode that allows players to fully customize their cars with a large variety of brand-name performance and visual upgrades.

Also known as NFS Underground, NFSU, NFSUG

Attributes

No Attributes added.

Details

Storyline, release dates, time to beat, age ratings, modes, links, keywords

Storyline
The player arrives in Olympic City as an unknown street racer, guided by a contact named Samantha who introduces them to the local illegal racing scene. As they climb through the ranks by defeating circuit, drag, and drift specialists, they attract the attention of The Eastsiders, a dominant racing crew led by the city's top underground racer, Eddie. Eddie dismisses the newcomer and forces them to race Samantha to continue climbing, a decision that fractures their friendship. After working their way to the top of every racing board and reclaiming Samantha's stolen car from a rival mechanic, the player confronts Eddie and defeats him, only to face a final challenge from an unidentified driver revealed to be Eddie's girlfriend, Melissa.Read more

The player arrives in Olympic City as an unknown street racer, guided by a contact named Samantha who introduces them to the local illegal racing scene. As they climb through the ranks by defeating circuit, drag, and drift specialists, they attract the attention of The Eastsiders, a dominant racing crew led by the city's top underground racer, Eddie. Eddie dismisses the newcomer and forces them to race Samantha to continue climbing, a decision that fractures their friendship. After working their way to the top of every racing board and reclaiming Samantha's stolen car from a rival mechanic, the player confronts Eddie and defeats him, only to face a final challenge from an unidentified driver revealed to be Eddie's girlfriend, Melissa.

Release dates
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Nov 17, 2003
PlayStation 2
Nov 17, 2003
Xbox
Nov 17, 2003
All 10 release dates
Nintendo GameCube
Nov 17, 2003
PlayStation 2
Nov 21, 2003
Xbox
Nov 21, 2003
Nintendo GameCube
Nov 21, 2003
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Nov 28, 2003
PlayStation 2
Dec 25, 2003
Nintendo GameCube
Dec 25, 2003
Time to beatIGDB · recorded
Main + Extras
10h
Game modes
Split screen, Multiplayer, Single player
Perspective
First person, Third person
Keywords
burnout, street racing, drifting, split-screen multiplayer, polygonal 3d
… All 19, licensed soundtrack, motion blur, non-player character, vehicle customization, sprinting mechanics, licensed cars, dolby digital, arcade driving physics, sports cars, product placement, greatest hits, professional gaming, dead multiplayer, interactive achievement awards 2004

At a Glance

Critic Score
77
Main + Extras (IGDB)
10h

How it plays

Languages

  • Englishinterface
IGDB · recorded 26 Oct 2026

Language data: IGDB · recorded 26 Oct 2026