|
The battle starts on the streets of Palmont but is won in the canyons as Need for Speed: Carbon immerses you in the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled forms of street racing. After battling for control of Palmont streets, the action shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. With captivating graphics and stunning visual effects, players will be completely immersed in a gut-check race around the canyons where more than just winning is at stake. The battle starts on the streets of Palmont city, but is won in the canyons as Need for Speed: Carbon take street racing to a whole new dangerous and white-knuckled level. Do you have the need for speed? 
Wii takes the cop chases and turf wars to a new level! | 
The battle in Palmont city quickly spills over into neighboring Carbon Canyon. View larger. | 
Buy and combine over 300 individual parts, with Autosculpt technology. View larger. | 
Special "Blocker" teammates can cause distractions and take out enemies. View larger. | 
Will the cops turn up the heat before you can claim all the territories as your own? View larger. | What happens in the canyon, stays in the canyon
What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed: Carbon weaves a story line that players won't soon forget in locales that are as detailed as they are deadly. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. Boldly expanding on the key features that have made the Need for Speed franchise a hit for more than a decade, Need for Speed: Carbon turns up the excitement and intensity by introducing all-new canyon racing. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. With multiplayer racing and the most detailed Wii graphics and car customization tools ever, Need for Speed: Carbon is the ultimate next generation racing game. Need for Speed: Carbon on the Nintendo Wii introduces the world to a whole new way to play Need for Speed. Offering the classic Need for Speed controls and immersive gameplay experience, with the addition of the Wii's unique controller scheme takes NFS Carbon gameplay to levels previously not possible. A simple yet intuitive control scheme using the Wii controllers, the player will instantly recognize and feel the physics differences between the extensive list of Muscle, Exotic, and Tuner cars, as they use their crew to win Canyon races, customize their cars using Autosculpt technology, and battle to take control of the streets of Palmont. A streamlined focus on game physics has resulted in a truly authentic racing experience, as each of the game's three distinct car classes have been designed to maximize differentiation and enhance performance. Over 50 rides to drive and customize
Carbon offers more than 50 custom rides in three distinct classes: Tuner, Exotic, and Muscle -- each with unique attributes. Muscle are best on straightaways, of which there are precious few in Palmont. Need for Speed: Carbon gives you the power to design and tweak your car in every way - including over 300 different parts - using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology. As with other racing games you hold either end of the Wii Controller and tilt it to steer your car. If you'd rather not take the motion-control plunge EA thoughtfully provides five different steering configurations, including using the Nunchuk's analog stick. Our advice is to forget about old school -- the Wii Remote is the way to go. How did we ever enjoy racing games before it was invented? Birds of a fuel-injected feather
New to Need for Speed in this generation are the three kinds of wingmen (and yes, that's what the game calls them). Scouts search for shortcuts. Blockers create distractions and slow rivals. Drafters give you a second of speed boost for every second you can stay behind them. All three also give you moral support via wireless communications. Scouts are most useful the first few times you run a course. Drafters are of limited use on Palmont's twisting thoroughfares. Practically indespensible are Blockers, who are always willing to lay their precious paint jobs on the line so you can cross the finish line first. Now that's true friendship. In total, Need for Speed: Carbon takes racing on the Wii to the next generation, and never looks back. With extensive customization, multiplayer options, revolutionary control, and an intriguing story, owners of the Wii may not be able to put this title down for a long, long time.
|
 Give it a chance..the fun ramps up as you play |
| Review Date: July 8, 2007 |
| Reviewer: P. Webb, Bozeman, MT United States |
| Initially I was not really feeling this game at all, the graphics are nice for the Wii and the Wii specific control seems too simple at first, but after some time put in I ilke this NFS best of all. Terrific and fun car controls are all you need to put this into the realm of an adrenaline rush classic like F-Zero GX. The controls also probably make this the most accesible NFS title yet once you practice them for a small amount and upgrade your cars HANDLING ability, the interface using the Nunchuck is a little convuluted and confusing, as are the menus but then it wouldn't be an EA game without them would it. Overall worth it if you wanna go FAST on your Wii- think excite truck with more realism and SPEED |
A Solid Racing Title for the Wii
|
| Review Date: June 20, 2007 |
| Reviewer: IT SuperFreak, San Diego, USA |
| Yes it will take you a while to get used to the controls, but once you do, it is a very fun game. There are many racing modes and the story is not half bad (for a racing game); it gives you an incentive to come back and play time after time. Tuning the car is easy and fun to do. There is a lot more depth here as compared to "Excite Truck", which is fun in its own, but not deep at all. Although all of the racing takes place during night time, the graphics is one of the best on the Wii. I recommend at least a rental for all racing fans out there. |
Pretty dang fun.
|
| Review Date: November 18, 2006 |
| Reviewer: T. Lemelin, California |
Alright, here's the deal. NFS: Carbon isn't the best racing game, and I'm not trying ot say it is. But, on its own merits, it's a great game.
Canyon racing is a nice little aspect of the game. I almost wish there were more places that you could go off the edge at. All boss races are decided by a final race on the canyon. It's honestly not all that difficult. As long as you don't royally mess up, chances are you won't lose, but by no means that that detract from the fun factor. Canyon races are all skill. No NOS, no speed breaker (which I've personally only used once, and didn't like), and the control is a little more loose. After beating the boss you get to flip over "cards" and you win bonus prizes. My first boss coughed up his RX-7 to me. Needless to say, I was a happy camper and immediately switched over to it.
Drift events are fun, and frustrating. Basically, you either nail it, or you don't. My only piece of advice is floor it, and don't stop.
Speed trap - Tally the speed that you hit each trap at, and at the end the highest total wins. However, if someone crosses before you, you end up losing points. If *you* want to win, your best bet is to bring a blocker, not a scout.
Wingmen - Blocker, Scout, Drafter. When you activate a blocker, they attempt to run into the person closest to them and put them into the wall, or just slow them down. You "activate" them to tell them when to go, so if they can't do their job, they're probably too far when you try to use them. Scouts have glowing trails that come off the back of their car to make it easier to tail them. They find shortcuts for you (which is good because many are hard to find yourself) and they almost always sprint ahead of you. (Which is where a scout should be.) Good for helping you win a race as they'll frequently finish before you, good for winning speed traps as well. As for drafters, when you activate them they get in front of you and attempt to allow you to stay close to them and draft them, and then when you deactivate them you shoot around the side of them. Honestly, I have no drafter wingman yet, but eventually I plan on it. Downside, wingmen do often get in the way. Especially the dang scout.
I enjoy unlocking single upgrades per race. There are some races that would otherwise be difficult if you didn't get upgrades along the way. And speaking of upgrades; being able to tune your car for acceleration versus top end, under-steer versus over-steer, NOS duration versus volatility... all very cool ideas. (I don't know if other NFS games do this or not.)
Also, speaking of unlocked, I like that there are out of career mode "unlockables". Side challenges that you can do to get extra things in career mode. The first thing I went for was pearlescent paint... and holy cow was that difficult.
Anyhow, very addicting game. Granted, I haven't played it 7 hours a day for 4 days straight and beat it... but unfortunately the game does feel a little quick. Next thing I do after that will be to create a new alias with a different car type. (The car type you select determines the unlocks you get... which is told to you at the beginning of the game.) |
The worst NFS game... 2.5 stars overall
|
| Review Date: November 3, 2006 |
| Reviewer: whwh, |
To the point: I've played Most Wanted and Underground II and loved them. This game, however, makes me think "uh, why does it suck?" I'd wager this thought will cross your mind too, more than once.
The graphics is a step down. While not neccesarily bad, overall the graphics are more cartoony. In-game, the player models look like zombies with brown teeth. These are graphics one associates with consoles games from before 2000.
Game is extremely easy and brief. There are essentially only 4 bosses -- I beat this game in 2 days. You take over bits of subarea territory by taking over at least 2 of 3 races. When a full area is taken over (which can be done in about 6-8 races), you square off against one of the bosses, first doing an ordinary race and then racing on a Canyon. While I'm sure there are some circuits which I haven't completed, and I haven't done online or the Challenger Series yet, the central offline game just isn't satisfying. Underground 2 was so much more coherent, and Most Wanted was exciting and varied enough -- completing courses, getting bounty points, in a progressively more difficult scheme -- and the graphics and else are excellent.
Now, if the graphics in Carbon are childish, the physics is... I don't know. It's either more realistic or just more boring. Driving cars in Carbon honestly feels like the way driving a garbage truck in Most Wanted feels. Overall, there is something 8-bit about the experience... loud unrealistic tire screeches and noises, slow accelleration, unresponsive turning.
The worlds of Most Wanted and Underground were large and sprawling. This game's city scapes and roads feel small and repetitive with a lot of interlap. One doesn't feel like he's travelled much or in a coherent place as one drives around the city. Most Wanted, on the other hand, felt like a real city of its own. Carbon feels like a small-scale cartoon game. There are few short cuts, etc.. but nothing like Most Wanted- a world replete with golf course detours, stadium cut-throughs... and everything else. The world of Carbon simply doesn't feel very 3d or real -- there's nothing to digest, learn, or remember for it -- just drive, turn, left, right, accellerate, through the roads.
Some other cons: 1) Police communications and dispatch were recycled directly from Most Wanted -- no new voices, no changes. There is no real tension in fleeing from police at any point in the game... If you evade, you evade... Police pursuits don't add to the game's aesthetic or gameplay value and only consume time. 2) The drifting courses are extremely hard to beat with beginning level cars. I was only able to beat them after I had advanced level cars souped up. But indeed since winning 2/3 races in a subarea is all that's neccesary to take it over, one can play the game till the end without having to win any of them.
The pros: 1) The idea of having "wingman" drivers is good, but poorly executed. Most of the time I've found them useless. The fact that some of them are useful in sculpting body kits is a plus if you're interested in that sort of thing (and are a bored artist), but nothing to write home about. I only like communications from them in races. I think there are about 6 (very boring and unvaried) different crew you'll be able to hire, 2 "scouts", 2 blockers, 2 boosters etc.. 2) Game has a more adventure feel to it than the other games, but is too deflated, acting too mechanical, and everything too small-scale (small maps, 4 bosses) to be truly interesting. 3) The concept of territory wars is good and part of the allure of the game, but once again poorly executed, and the game too easy. 4) When squaring off against bosses, if for example you crash in anyway, a small picture-in-picture screen comes up, showing the boss in his other car laughing. That adds to the game in princiiple, but again poorly executed... The same video comes up mechanically anytime you hit a wall.
There you have it. I couldn't even mark down the pros of the game without criticizing it, and the thought occurs again... Why does this game suck? This game is disappointing in a bewildering way. It's so unexpectedly bad it'll leave you confused. Definitely not up to par with other NFS games. Worth playing only if you're a diehard fan and have nothing to do over 2 days. Otherwise, for starters looking for good racer games ought to go for Need For Speed Most Wanted or Underground II. |
Get back on the streets!
|
| Review Date: November 3, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Bryan Bugaj, California |
Need for Speed: Carbon picks up pretty much where Need For Speed: Most Wanted left off. You're on the run from Officer Cross, who's looking to collect the bounty on your head. Once again, you're behind the wheel of a sweet BMW M3 GTR, and once again, the BMW is taken away, forcing you to choose a new car and start over from the bottom all over again. An old friend who needs some talent on his racing crew decides that you'll be working for him. You start up a racing crew and look to take over the streets.
This latest installation in the Need For Speed franchise is a hybrid of Underground 2 and Most Wanted with a few tweaks added in. The action once again takes place at night, and the city's endless labyrinths of concrete are lit up with activity and lighted signs. The city's many districts are each controlled by a different racing crew, and you must win races in order to sieze control of these districts. Once you take control of a large chunk of the town, that borough's boss will come looking for you, goading you into a dangerous race down one of the city's canyons to settle the score.
You also still need to evade the police, and you'll accumulate heat levels and bounty just as in Most Wanted, but running up bounty and infractions is no longer neccessary for challenging "boss" racers. However, the police can still ruin your day; they will disrupt races, try to bust you after a race is over, and doggedly stay on your tail as you try to lose them. Getting your car impounded can mean a quick and unpleasant departure of hard-earned cash.
Another interesting change is the exotic/muscle/tuner angle. After your BMW gets totaled, you are prompted by Nikki, played by the lovely Emmanuelle Vaugier, to choose a new car. Your choice determines what types of cars will be unlocked as you progress through the game: tuner(such as a Mazda RX-8), muscle(such as a Ford Mustang), or exotic(like the Aston-Martin DB9). Each category has its strengths and weaknesses. Also, the cars are ranked in tiers; an RX-8 is a tier 1 tuner, while a Lotus Elise is a tier 2 exotic. The tiers of the cars determine what upgrades that car can receive; for example, a tier 2 car can't recieve a tier 1 turbo, you will have to unlock it.
The last new game feature is the Crew. When you race, you're no longer alone. AI-controlled team members will aid you, and they have three roles. A Blocker will look to knock out an opponent at your command, and Drafter will let you draft behind them for an extra burst of speed, and a Scout will seek out the shortcuts on a track to trim precious seconds off of your time. They will also shout out encouragement and warn you of racers attempting to pass you. Also, the crew gives you an extra chance to win; if either you or your teammate win the race, the win goes to your crew and you get the reward.
Sprint and Circuit races have returned. A sprint is one time from point A to B, and a circuit is several laps around a track. Speedtrap races from Most Wanted are also back; you must race along and hit each speedtrap at the highest possible speed, highest cumulative score wins. The tollbooth races from Most Wanted are also back, but without the tollbooths, now known as checkpoint races; you must make it from once checkpoint to another, with a time bonus for each time you beat the clock. When a boss challenges you, you take your act into a canyon, where you participate in the canyon pursuit race: you chase your opponent down the canyon, and the closer you stay, the more points you get. After that's done, the roles are reversed; your foe chases you down, and if your points are depleted before you cross the finish line, you lose. If either racer overtakes the other and stays ahead for ten seconds, they automatically win. After a one-game absence, drift races have also return, and remain challenging. You can also race outside of career mode in a number of instant races, and take your act online to participate in standard and online-exclusive races.
Once again, you can modify your car's performance and appearance in a number of ways. You can add engine upgrade, turbos, transmissions, suspensions, and other performance upgrades to make your ride a slick racing machine. Numerous hoods, spoilers, body kits, paint jobs, vinyls, and other modifications let you change your cars look till your heart's content. The new Autoscuplt feature lets you alter the look of various aftermarket body parts to create a truly custom ride. The customization options aren't nearly as numerous as in Underground 2, but you can still create a pretty pimped-out ride, or opt for an unassuming "sleeper" car.
Overall, I found this latest Need For Speed to be pretty enjoyable. As you progress, you'll receive rewards cards that help you unlock special rewards. The catchup or "rubber-band" AI from Most Wanted seems to be gone, although your opponents can still catch up, particularly if you're not on your game. The penalties for crashing are very severe; a crash robs you of nearly all of your momentum, so you have to be sharp in order to win. The slow-motion "speedbreaker" feature has returned, and is a great way to get around sharp corners or even avoid collisions. The game can be frustrating at times, and at times it seems like there's that one guy you can never catch. But it's not impossible, and with smart racing and good use of your teammates, you'll conquer the streets. So hit the pavement and make a name for yourself and your crew.
|
Wii Ride
|
| Review Date: December 13, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Michael Kerner, Brooklyn, New York U.S.A. |
The Nintendo Wii has definitely been one of the hottest toys this holiday season. Although the game system has been hot, many of the titles for the system, have also been issued for Nintendo's other console, the Gamecube. That has been the case with Legend Of Zelda: Twiglight Princess, Happy Feet, and recently, Need For Speed as well. Since its made its debut years ago, Need For Speed has definitely been recognized as one of the most popular racing franchises ever. The games have all done mostly well for the PS2, Xbox 360, and the home computers as well. Now that it has made its debut on the Wii, can it deliver as well?
Need For Speed Carbon for the Nintendo Wii, challenges drivers to face off in over 70 different races ranging from sprints, circuits, and the new canyon duels, where you go head to head against the vulgar street racer Darius, and his crew of speed demons. In the game, you and your crew have to battle your way to the top, as well as the thrills of the cahse against the police. The game also features automobiles ranging from classic muscle cars like the Dodge Charger, ans classic speed racers like the Chevrolet Corvette, the infamous Dodge Viper, and the Mclaren racers too. The game also features a challenge mode, where you are given the chance to prove you are more than just a winner in career mode. The graphics really handle well for the Wii and give out a better sense of gameplay. Although the graphics and the sound handle well, there are a few disadvantages to the game. The main disadvantage is the control. It takes awhile to get used to, considering the motion movement in the Wii controller, as you use it as if it is a steering wheel. The other disadvantage is the pursuits against the police in the career mode. There really isn't as much challenge against them as there was with Need For Speed Most Wanted from the Gamecube, which leaves a little dissapointment.
Despite a couple of flops, Need For Speed Carbon is a true delight for anybody who owns, or is planning to buy the Nintendo Wii. I love this game a lot, and if you are a Wii gamer, than you'll truly love the thrills of the chase here. This is a great introduction game for the system, and I loved racing with it, and you will too. Otherwise, you might be left in the dust.
Graphics: B+
Sound: B
Control: B 1/2-
Fun & Enjoyment: B
Overall: B 1/2+ |
fun, but has some issues
|
| Review Date: November 28, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Nim Sudo, |
In this game, you race on city streets, with light traffic, and police who sometimes chase you. In the career mode, you complete a series of races to take over territory. There is also a series of challenge events, and various multiplayer options. The city looks great, and it is fun to race through it really fast. However there were two issues with the game that bothered me.
First, it crashes a lot, at least on my new MacBook Pro. I almost returned the game as unplayable, because it seemed impossible to get through one of the first races in career mode without crashing (the software, not the car). Fortunately, I discovered that if I disconnected my external monitor, I could get through this race (and then resume playing on the external monitor for a while until the next software crash). Don't ask me what causes this behavior.
Second, the career mode seemed too easy, and therefore a bit boring. I could win most races on the first try. (Due to an unfortunate incident unrelated to the game, I had to stop playing after completing only the first third of the career mode. Also I didn't try the multiplayer. So maybe it gets more challenging.) Cars seem to be indestructible (except that you lose a canyon race if you drive off a cliff). The only hard part is to evade the police, which is kind of tedious. You have teammates who are supposed to help you in races; I could never figure out how to use them, but I didn't need them. |
Career too short, Handling too sloppy, Rental at best!
|
| Review Date: November 8, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Anna Willis, |
I simply wish to echo the previous users post. The career mode is far too short. NFSMW took quite a bit to complete, but this one has you going "what just happened"?
I too, must complain about the absurd handling in this game. The best example of this that I have seen so far is in the challenge series. Complete the first series in Bronze and Silver and you will be left with a Gold version. This involves using a Corvette Z06 with handling that is outrageous enough to justify a lawsuit by GM.
I also, must echo the crew problems. These guys get in the way more than help you from my experience. If you don't listen and actually buy the game,try to lead and hope they stay away from you.
Visually the game is no better than NFSMW and the gameplay is significantly worse. Some game makers take the time to actually drive and test these cars to ensure accuracy in their performance ability and physics. These guys scooted Hot Wheels accross the floor and observed handling using this method.
All in all, my expectations were high and the game turned out to be lame. |
Will it satisfy your need for speed?
|
| Review Date: November 21, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Jorge Asapche, Venezuela |
I've been a fan of need for speed titles for a long time, in fact I think I have purchased every one of them with the exception of porsche unleashed. I found need for speed carbon to be a great game, especially because of the variety of awesome cars and the adittion of MUSCLE CARS. Under this category you find classics such as the Shelby Mustang GT500 and some new cars like the Dodge Challenger Concept. NFS Carbon looks like a NFS underground 3 with pursuits. Although cops don't play a mayor role, it's still fun to mess around with them once in a while(If you don't look for cops you'll run into them like about 6 or 7 times in the whole career mode, which I think sucks).
One thing I found disappointing was the extremely short career mode. If you are familiar with previous NFS games, you should get around career mode in about 8 hours. I started playing a Saturday morning and on Sunday afternoon I had already completed 100% career. Once career mode is completed, the only thing left to do is complete challenges to unlock aditional cars and parts for your cars. Challenges include completing races under a limit of time or engaging pursuits that last at least the target time provided.
About the races, they're pretty much like Most wanted or Need for Speed Underground, but without traffic and there are no drag races(yes, very dissapointing!). A new feature has been added: Crew members. Although I admit it was a nice idea, the game would probably have been better without them. Many players may find crew members frustrating since they sometimes hit the brakes in front of you and make you crash. Crew members can also win races for you. There are 3 types of crew members: scout, drafter and blocker(you may only choose one of them in a race). Their functions are to find shorcuts for you, set in front of you so you can gain speed by drafting and crash opponent cars respectively. They also have special skills like being able to autosculpt parts for you(customize parts like wheels, spoiles roof scoops...). Members of crew can be hired and fired at any time without any cost, so if you need a skill from a person not in your crew, you can just fire an actual member, hire the person you need and use his skills and then re-hire the other member(pretty dumb actually).
What I think is the best of this game are the cars you can drive. I really enjoyed them. The thing is that you start unlocking them when you've completed around 65% of career mode, so it doesn't leave much of a chance to buy, drive or customize various cars.
The graphics are very similar to Most wanted. In fact, I think traffic cars hace been recycled. Your car and your opponent's cars look very nice.
In conclusion, need for speed carbon is still a great but short game. Maybe not as great as previous titles like most wanted but it's still worth it. Many fans of the series were disappointed with it's length and the often disturbing crew members. On the other hand, players are rewarded with extremely cool cars to race with. Since career mode is extremely short, I recommend you wait for the price to lower a bit before buying it. |
Excellent game.
|
| Review Date: April 3, 2007 |
| Reviewer: NYC reviewer, |
Thats the bottom line, Need for Speed carbon is an extremely intense, challenging, and immersing game for the wii. At first, the controls seem very sloppy and difficult to maneuver but after just a race or two you really master it to the point where you can drive with excellent precision and ease (Its important to skip the muscle car class and focus on cars with higher handling points).
I couldn't imagine playing this game on anything other than the wii console simply because using the wiimote as your steering wheel really gets you into the game. The challenge to the races are very balanced although the boss races require you to drive with near perfection although you always can win after a few tries.
Overal a terrific, fun, and challenging game that I recomend for every wii owner. Its just a well done game that you will really get into and enjoy. |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
Leave a Reply