Need for Speed: Underground 2

Need for Speed: Underground 2 for the Game Boy Advance, released in 2004, brings the feeling of illegal street racing, bright neon lights and tuned dream cars to Nintendo's handheld in impressive form. While the console versions score with 3D graphics and an open game world, the GBA version offers a specially adapted experience - fast-paced, stylish and surprisingly in-depth on the go.

You take on the role of an aspiring street racer who wants to assert himself in an urban scene. In various disciplines such as Circuit, Drag, Drift and Street-X, you race through detailed cities - presented from an isometric top-down perspective. Despite the technical limitations of the GBA, the game impresses with smooth controls, varied tracks and a decent sense of speed.

The tuning system remains at the heart of Need for Speed: Underground 2: you can not only customize your vehicles visually - with spoilers, rims and paintwork - but also improve their performance with new engines, tires or nitro upgrades. This is motivating and gives the career a real sense of progression.

The whole thing is accompanied by a driving soundtrack (in typical GBA chiptune form) and stylish menus that capture the underground style of the series well.

Need for Speed: Underground 2 for the GBA is an impressively successful conversion of the tuning racer - compact, entertaining and ideal for racing fans who don't want to miss out on stylish street racing on the go. No 3D, but lots of fun!