Need for Speed Nitro is an alright game for the Wii, but several flaws prevent this game from being a masterpiece.
The presentation in Nitro is pretty straight forward. However, there really isn't much of a background story or cheesy cut scenes this time around. You just mainly try to race and win enough star points to advance to the next group of races. You also don't have to be in first place to win. As long you're in at least third place, you'll still unlock races. There are still cops in the game, but they don't chase you around like you could in Carbon and Most Wanted. Also, there are no open worlds to explore either. In career mode you can play two players to help your friend win races. Also, you can use a Gamecube controller instead of a Wii remote. The Wii wheel is still compatible with Nitro as well.
Although the graphics are still not up to par with Need for Speed Carbon and Most Wanted, they still look decent enough on the Wii at least. That's because the realistic detail to the cars and environments have been absent in Nitro. Instead, it was replaced with a paint coated feel, and made it look more animated. The cars are still detailed, but it's more of like a cartoonish detail. It looks a lot like the graphics in Mario Kart Wii. You can still customize your vinyls of the cars and pain colors, but you can't necessarily change the performance of your vehicles which is a bummer.
The sounds in this game are still very generic. There is the casual hip-hop with rock music. However, the soundtracks might not be memorable and recognizable this time around.
The gameplay is also really spot on. The controls are precise and the drifting controls are pretty accurate. You'll also gain an intense sense of speed with the right car. The difficultly level of Nitro is not too easy or too hard. You can use nitro and tools to help repair your car when it gets damaged.
The lasting approval is a fun multiplayer experience. However, there is no online play, and the modes are still somewhat limited compared to Need for Speed Carbon and Most Wanted. I still recommend Nitro to any Need for Speed fan.
The good - can have a friend join you in career mode to win races, sense of speed is back, career mode is challenging and lengthy, graphics look decent but not updated, up to four players in free modes
The bad - lack of customization in cars, no open world settings, lack of online modes, music is not so memorable this time around
Presentation - 8
Graphics - 8
Sound - 7
Gameplay - 10
Lasting appeal - 7
Overall Score 8 out of 10