Next Gen Toys: NEED FOR SPEED UNDERCOVER WITH D-BOX MOTION review

In 1994 Electronic Arts released the first Need for Speed game for the Panasonic 3DO console. Almost 15 years later, followed by many sequels on different platforms, EA releases Need for Speed Undercover. While the technical quality was greatly improved and the legality of the (virtual) racing activities modified over the years, the essence of the series remains: speed! This new entry in the series marks the first time motion is used to add to the gaming experience.

Many reviews for Need for Speed Undercover have been written so far but unless I am mistaken, none of them reviewed the entire game, which includes video, audio AND motion! So remember, you read it here first! :) I will be using my D-BOX SRP-120 Motion Platform (see my previous review for more details).

The installation of the game and the motion configuration panel is standard. As you would expect in any PC game, you can set your video, audio and control options through the in-game menus. The motion configuration panel allows you to change the intensity of the motion effects.

The graphics are good: they are not stunning but they are still high quality. The video sequences between the playable parts are also high quality. Furthermore, the story (presented by these video sequences), while basic, is a nice touch for a racing game. And that is where the Undercover title comes from... Many different cars are available, ranging from the basic Ford Focus to the classic 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, a personal favorite of mine! You can win money to upgrade your cars to give them better handling, more power or a cooler look.

Many activities are available to earn money and progress through the story. You can do standard races but you can also do races without a fixed track where you need to reach the end line taking any street you want in the city. Other races require that you outrun an opponent for a fixed amount of time or distance. You have to race against time in time trials with check points events. You also have missions where you need to escape from the cops in a stolen car. On the other hand, in some events you have to actually take out some police cars. As you can see, there are many event types and lots of fun to be had with these.

Since the previous games I played using my D-BOX SRP-120 Motion system were simulations, I was wondering how it would perform with an arcade game. Simply put, it works wonderfully! Of course the physic engine is probably not as advanced but when you jump, ram other cars (opponents and police) and use nitro, it is awesome to have motion. You can feel the engine vibration, the shake effect of a nitro boost, the acceleration of your car and the impacts against the other cars or the environment. You even feel the motion and vibration when you take off from a jump and even more when you land! The only minor disappointment is that motion is available only when you control your car. There is no motion during the video sequences and the event introductions.

I have said it before but I will say it again: explaining motion with words is not an easy task so I made some videos. Unfortunately you cannot really see the vibration. You may also notice that I am starting to get better at video editing :). The first video shows the D-BOX SRP-120 platform. At the beginning of the race I ram the cars to show the motion effects, then I get serious and play to win the race (I let my pride speak... and ended up with a domination time on top of that!). The second video shows the general gaming system!