Back when I was a wee babby, I didn't have access to many games. If anything, I was surprised that I even had access to videogame consoles. Granted, most of them were gifts from people outside of my close relatives (meaning my dad, mum and sister). As a result, if I got a game and I ended up liking a lot, there's a big chance that I'd exploit the hell out of it.
So, it was... 2007, I believe. I was allowed to get one PS2 game (for my birthday, most likely). Naturally, I had my eye con Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. My mum, however, was concerned with the age rating (understandable, I was around 10), and after a few arguments with my sister, I ended up NOT getting San Andreas. Defeated, I gazed my eyes on the game that was right next to it: Need for Speed ProStreet. I had already dabbled with the franchise before, through Most Wanted, one of the most beloved games in the franchise. As with many gamers back then, I expected high octane street racing out of this title. Instead, what we got professional racing on closed circuits. Many people disliked ProStreet because of this. Long gone was the open world, the high-speed racing through the streets, much to the dismain of the denizens of the city, and the police chases. With ProStreet, it was all legal.
And yet... I liked it? A lot? The basic core was still there, and my car interested self had a lot of fun. Throughout the years, I thought I was in the wrong for thinking the game was good. I mean, it was universally reviled, for crying out loud. Maybe it was the nostalgia speaking? However, after replaying it now on the PS3, I can safely say that Need for Speed ProStreet is a heavily underrated game that stood the test of time and that was simply misunderstood because it broke the mold in a landscape filled with arcade racers.
NOTE: despite the fact that this review is marked as PS2, it will focus on the PS3 version. However, there will be mention of the PS2 version here and there.
ABANDONING THE PAST, PROGRESSING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
It's not about being the best. It's about making sure HE isn't the best.
Need for Speed ProStreet puts us in the feet of Ryan Cooper (who I heard is the protagonist of a previous Need for Speed, but this could be false), a former street racer who is never seen without his helmet (probably a scheme by BlackBox so that they don't have to model his face) that decides to dip his toes into professional, legal racing. After being victorious in the D-Day, he's invited to Battle Machine, one of many events held by the company that hosts the racing in this game. But it's not all easy for Ryan, because he has a single detractor: Ryo Watanabe, considered the best pilot currently. He doesn't believe in Cooper's skills as a drive, and so he challenges him to take away the title of Showdown King from him. He's not alone, however, because the other Kings are also there to stop Ryan from being the best there ever was. Will Cooper be up to the challenge?
And that's all the plot you're going to get in ProStreet! It's not the first time that Need for Speed forgoes narrative in favor of gameplay, and seeing its history with telling a story... it might be for the best. I think it's great! Because there's not much story, there's not much presence of cut scenes that interrupt the flow of gameplay, which is an excellent decision. The few cut scenes you do get, however, are excellent. They either help set up Ryo as this antagonistic force that despises Ryan Cooper for no real reason or introduce the Kings at what they excel at. Other than that, you won't get constantly barraged with useless exposition. More games should try this, in my opinion.
PROFESSIONAL AND STREET RACING, UNITED AS ONE
The lack of story helps the game focus on the gameplay, which I'm glad for, because Need for Speed ProStreet has one of the better gameplays in the series. The reasons for this are varied, and I intend to cover them all.For starters, let's discuss the various game modes. There is four main ones, with a few sub-modes scattered in there:
Grip
The most basic game mode. It's as simple as racing. Each track has several laps, and the one who reaches first place after the last lap wins. Pretty much every Race Day (which is how each set of races is called) has at least one of this. Speed and handling are key to victory. Aside from normal, straightforward racing, you also have the following sub-modes:
- Grip Class: this sub-mode was mysteriously absent from the PS2 version. It's pretty much normal Grip, but the racers are divided into groups depending on the performance, so you only have to compete against those in your group.
- Sector Shootout: the track has several radars dispersed at strategic points. A counter is displayed above, and quickly depletes over time. If you pass the radar, you get awarded the points displayed on the counter... provided that it's bigger than the record in the radar. You have three laps to achieve the highest score.
- Time Attack: like Grip, but you compete for the fastest lap time. You have three laps to achieve this.
Drag
Drag is all about being the fastest in a short track. After heating up the wheels of your car, you have to traverse a quarter of a mile or half of a mile in the shortest period of time. This mode is surprisingly technical, and it's the only one that demands using manual gearbox. Aside from that, you also have Wheelie, which is pretty much a quarter mile track but instead of being the fastest, you have to do the longest wheelie. Only certain cars are qualified for this.
Speed
Speed is about being able to balance high speed and control. The tracks in this mode are designed to let you run at high speed constantly, with minimum turns (and if there are any turns, they can be done while speeding). As such, having top speed (and being able to reach it easily) are paramount for success. Aside from normal speeding, you also have Top Speed Run, which is like Sector Shootout but you with the highest speed instead of a score. Speed races are, by far, the most difficult ones because it's very easy to total your car, especially on certain tracks.
Drift
Very self explanatory: drift and get points based on how well you drift. As a result, the tracks are short and have lots of turns, to allow for high quality drifting. Unlike other game modes, there's only one type of Drift. It's a bit difficult to understand how to drift, but once you do it, it feels fantastic.
The variety in game modes is one of many strengths of Need for Speed ProStreet, as they ensures that there's variety throughout the Race Days. This, combined with a variety of tracks from several locations through North America, Europe and Japan make for a very satisfying gameplay loop. This loop is somewhat broken with the specific events that focus on Grip, Drag, Speed and Drift, but it's understandable, given the context. One very cool thing about the Race Days is that each individual has an unique record, and if you break 10 of them, you can play the specific Events and face the King at the end. These records are very reasonable: not too easy that you can beat them by performing poorly, but not too hard that you need the best car ever to meet the requirements. The difficulty comes more from specific tracks than anything else, but with enough practice and perseverance, nothing is impossible. A quick note: after defeating each of the Kings (including Showdown), you get their signature car... which is stupid, because the car you use to beat them will be miles better (with the exception of the Drift King, and only because the Mazda RX-7 is one of the best cars for drifting, AND EVEN THEN your hypothetical RX-7 will be better).
Speaking of records, to break them you have to earn a certain amount of points (the amount depends on each race), and you get said points depending on your position, how far away you're from the set time and the damage of your car. What, the damage of your car? That's right. In previous entries, damage was purely aesthetical and had no effect whatsoever. Not the case in here! As you take damage, not only does your car look worse and worse, but it also performs worse, and can even be totalled, requiring a forced repair. In theory, this system is good because it forces you to drive properly, striking a nice balance between speed and control. In reality, it's more annoying than anything, and is more decisive when it comes to getting a record than at gimping your ranking (especially because heavy damage, the only one that actually affects your performance in a significant way, is noticeably harder to acquire). The fact that you have to repair the damage with money or markers (which also cost money) adds salt to the wound.
A VARIETY OF CARS FOR YOU TO CHOOSE
The iconic Mazda RX-7 comes back, being one of the best cars for every mode.
The different game modes aren't just for variety: they also have a purpose. When you acquire a car, you have to choose a mode for it to be used on. Afterwards, said car can ONLY be used for that mode. At first, this seems annoying, because it forces you to use, at least, four cars. However, once you sink your teeth into the game, you notice that this is actually a great idea, for one simple reason: it makes each car worth using, because each car excels in a particular mode (it helps that certain Race Days give you cars once you beat them the first time). The Toyota Supra is a great example: for as iconic as it is, it's actually a very subpar vehicle. On Grip, it even ranks amongst the worst cars. However, it's amongst the top 5 best cars for Drag. Hell, even the Nissan 240SX that you get at the beginning is a high tier Grip (and Drift!) car. Granted, you have to experiment a bit (or look it up online), but this freedom is unparallelled amongst racing games, which tend to give you progressively, objectively better cars. Not here: an early car CAN be better than a late one on specific circumstances. For this reason, if there's a car that you like but find that it underperforms, try it out in a different mode, which can be done as many times as you want. As for the roster of cars, it's excellent: filled to the brim with iconic cars from the series.
This leads me to my next point: Need for Speed ProStreet has among the best, if not the best, customization in the series. And I'm not talking about just the visual tuning (the body kits, in particular, affect performance, which I think is genius), which is extremely detailed on its own because you can place decals wherever you want. The performance itself can be tuned as well! Some of the tuning performed is extremely straightforward (for example, the engine related settings should always be slid to the right, because it gives you more power with 0 downsides). However... I have to keep it real: the rest of the tuning is not well explained by the game (some of the explanations provided by the game are confusing and unclear), so it takes a lot of investigation and figuring out on your own to truly master this art. If you manage to do it, however, you have high quality customization that I'm pretty sure no other game in the series has managed to accomplish. On the other hand, I wouldn't blame you if you gave up and looked up guides online, because it really is complicated. So complicated, in fact, that even after several playthroughs I don't think I could explain to you how it works.
Handling is an important part of any racing game. If the handling is bad, then the game isn't going to be good. It's as simple as that. Fortunately, because the game is good, so is the handling. It's noticeably more weighty than the previous games, which is understandable given its more focus on realism. This also means that now you actually have to turn instead of using the walls and other cars to help you with that (which makes the damage system even better). Some cars, such as the Subaru Impreza, have such amazing handling that it almost makes you forget that other cars turn like crap. As usual, it's all a matter of perspective.
AN IRREPLICABLE ATMOSPHERE
ProStreet compensates the overall lack of color with tracks filled with graffiti and banners, which cements the PROfessional STREET feel of the game.
The art style and the soundtrack chosen for Need for Speed ProStreet can only be described with a word: perfect. Not so much because it has great music (I think it has great tracks, tho) or because the art style is timeless (it's appealing), but because it's exactly how a mixture between street and legal should look and sound like. The soundtrack has grown on me a lot because of this, with a variety of artists such as Bloc Party, The Horrors, Digitalism and Neon Plastix. With the exception of Junkie XL (which is credited as the main composer for the game), every song belongs to a single artist or group. And Need for Speed doesn't need to rely on a specific vibe like with Most Wanted, no, no. There's plenty of genres here: drum 'n bass, electro, hip hop, rap, rock, metal... because of this, it's hard to describe the vibes of Pro Street. The same thing happens with the art style: it's not consistent, but in a good way, with each event having its own theming and art style. This even extends to the events of the Kings, which gives them a personality that, otherwise, they wouldn't have.
PERFORMANCE, SIXTH VS SEVENTH GENERATION AND WHAT NOT
Even on PS3, applying decals and vinyls can take a while sometimes.
On both the PS2 and the PS3, the performance is far from desirable, especially on the PS2. The PS3 suffers from ocasional stutters, such can mess you up during certain points (such as when turning). Fortunately, they don't happen THAT often that it's a deal breaker. On the PS2, on the other hand, the issue is worse. You can tell that this game was designed for the seventh generation of consoles, because aside from stutters and overall poor framerate, the game takes a LOT to load decals and to apply changes in size to them. This is particularly annoying because one of the selling points of ProStreet is its amazing aesthetic customization, and if you don't interact with it you're missing out on looking cool. Also, this may or may not be significant, but my save file got deleted a bunch of times on the PS2 version. Not sure if that was the game or my memory card, but it's good to take into account.
And... if it were just performance, it wouldn't be that bad. Despite everything I said, the PS2 version is perfectly playable. But the thing is that the game is missing content. A lot of cars are missing, Grip Class is nowhere to be seen. Hell, I'm pretty sure that certain modes, such as Speed, had less opponents. And saving took longer. I'd only go for the PS2 version if you can't emulate/don't have access to PS3. As for the PC version, which is the best version because it has unique goodies such as more Race Days and more tracks, it has a very annoying bug where the game will sometime freeze after completing a race. It can be fixed by editing a file, but it's still annoying.
FINAL WORDS
I think the hate that ProStreet gets it's only because it's a Need for Speed. Had it a different name, it'd be fondly remember. I think. It's a load of fun, and I can attest that with the fact that, despite losing my save file several times (even once on PS3 recently!), I'd still go back to it often. There's no other game like ProStreet, which is, in part, a shame.I'd like to finish by recommending some cars for each mode, in case you want to play the game and have a smooth sailing until you beat Ryo and the Kings (the Kings themselves are optional, but you should do them as well because they're not that hard and add more meat to the game).
- Grip: the Porsche 911 Turbo is considered the best car because it has the best combination of handling, speed and cost possible, although you can't get it until late. The Mitsubishi Evo X is similar and it can be obtained earlier for cheap, but the handling is a bit worse. The Subaru Impreza has some of the best handling in the game, but it's not as fast. The Pagani Zonda F is the fastest, but it's absurdly expensive and has wonky handling. The Nissan 240SX is amazing as well.
- Drag: the Toyota Supra is considered the best, both for normal Drag and for Wheelies. Other valuable options include the Dodge Charger R/T, the Lotus Elise, the Pagani Zonda and the Chevrolet '67. Actually, any muscle car is great in here.
- Speed: once again, the Porsche 911 Turbo is the best overall, but if you don't want to repeat, you also have the Ford GT (expensive), the Audi TT (you can get one for free with cheat codes, but doesn't have that much top speed) and the Nissan GT-R Proto.
- Drift: muscle cars work great here as well. In addition, the Mazda RX-7 is widely considered the best, and some good options are the Nissan Silvia, the Mazda RX-8, the Cadillac, the Mustang '03 and the Nissan 240SX.
Pros
- + Some of the best, if not the best, customization in the series
- + Great selection of cars
- + Good variety of game modes to keep things lively
- + Unique art style
- + Good soundtrack
- + Good handling
Cons
- - Performance is iffy
- - It sits in a weird middle ground where it's not arcade enough but doesn't quite reach simulation
- - The damage system can be annoying
- - Can be grindy depending on the situation
10
Gameplay
Unparalelled gameplay thanks to everything mentioned. The fact that every car is usable even during end game gives ProStreet a unique niche.
8
Graphics
The graphics themselves are alright, but the art style makes the game stand out even if most of the tracks have PS3 era colors.
9
Story
There's no story, nor does it need one. What's here is enough. Granted, the writing can be a bit cringe sometimes. They thought they were cooking.
10
Sound
While far from being the best soundtrack in the series (that honor goes to Undercover), it's unique and remarkable.
10
Replayability
I think racing games are an inherently replayable genre because driving is fun, but ProStreet takes it to the next level by making all cars usable, which makes each playthrough unique.
9.4
out of 10
Overall
Need for Speed ProStreet is a victim of being born in the wrong family. A lot of people focused on the fact that it was a Need for Speed game, so they glossed over its unique qualities. I genuinely think that this is the NFS game that holds up the most nowadays, and I'd rather a second entry than another arcade racer.
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