Need for Speed: Nitro - Hands On

Looking like the weird adopted red-headed child of the NFS franchise, Nitro is a bit of a breath of fresh air at GCA. The event has been dominated by high-powered business talk, so to see a game that is all about gamers is really very refreshing. I managed to get some hands-on time at the EA stand, to race my way through a couple of tracks.

First off, it ain't pretty. This is no slick racing sim filled with accurately depicted vehicles and tracks on which you can see every lick of paint. But it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not, either. While the Wii throws out surprisingly chunky visuals, even for our little white friend, it also provides easy, intuitive car-control and a feeling of speed that I haven't felt since Sidhe's excellent Speed Racer.

Let's move on from the poor cosmetics and on to some substance. This game will satisfy your need for speed, and couldn't be more aptly named. This is an epic arcade experience, and across my time with the game I was completely glued to the screen (and to the spot - I was alerted to the fact I was standing when pins and needles set in).

The controls are basic and fairly uninspired, but that just means the pick-up-and-playability of this titles is ramped up to 11. You steer with the 'chuck, and also repair your car with it when damage gets too heavy, by pressing Z. The remote is your accelerator and brake (guess which buttons) and when you want a nitro boost and are adequately powered up for it, you'll charge ahead by shaking the remote. If you time it right, this technique can see you jump several places at once.

Under the watchful eye of Forza 3, the damage display in this game seems a bit of a joke, but the effect it has on your vehicle is enough to keep you careful on the corners. You have to watch out for malevolent foes, and the cops, who will do their damndest to get you off the road. The landscapes are rather less colourful than in Forza 3 or any of the other racers here at GCA, but there we're really not comparing apples with apples - that goes back to graphical oomph.

And graphical oomph means nothing when you're flying.

Lightning fast reactions are required when your car hits top speed, and with nitro fuelling a straight dash there is no room for error. Points are rewarded for stunts, and often the tracks fork allowing you to take the road less travelled for varying results. The repair feature will come in handy when you bite it, mashing up your wheels as you flip or roll.

Sometimes all you want from a game is to lose yourself, and with the environment whipping by and the buildings blurring into the sky, NFS: Nitro can make that happen.

Hopefully we can get a full review copy in the near future. For now, it's back into the madness at GCA 2009.

Hey, Leipziger Messe? Thanks.