Introduction:If you love import cars and pimping out your ride you'll enjoy this game Street Racing Syndicate. Even though it's been a few years since the Street Racing / Fast & Furious media wave crashed down. Street Racing Syndicate is a great way to fill your need for speed without being arrested.

The Game:Street Racing Syndicate will be called a clone of EA's Need for Speed: Underground, but the truth is that SRS was scheduled to be released before NFSU by the now vanquished 3D0. Namco saved the title by picking it up and finishing it and now finally have the urban racer, Street Racing Syndicate for our consoles.

The coolest aspect about Street Racing Syndicate is that you can decide how you ride. Some of you might spend all your money on cosmetically personalizing your car, adding some flash, bling, shoes and all that! Others might worry about what's under the hood. Then you could always be one of the quantity over quality guys, and try and collect all the cars in the game. The bottom line cosmetics matter only to the driver and it's the engine that gives you the fast machine to win the cash. So get lighter, and push all the horses out that you can get if you want to lead the pack in SRS.

SRS is mainly centered around 'Street Mode' where you will start out with a little bit of cash and race up the ranks of street credibility to fame, money, and women. Right of the bat you will have decent ride (my choice: Subaru Impreza RS 2.5) and be able to do it up fairly nice. After I spent a portion of the money I had my 2002 Subaru knocked up with 250+ hp, fully loaded with Nos. Once you have tricked out your car you are out on the street trying to earn more cash. SRS plays in free-roam style, you cruise around looking for the next objective or you can jump there to save time. I am surprised I didn't have to drive around in an old Honda trying to outrun other beat up junkers.

The challenges in SRS are pretty standard stuff; one cool part is you can wager a bet with the other racers to win extra cash. Some races are to win more cash as well as your reputation. The races are dived into different categories, crew meets; street challenges, and sanctioned street races. There is also the respect challenge where you get the chance to woo some the ladies and win a video of them doing their thang!

There is nothing in SRS that you haven't seen or done before in a racing game. If you drive recklessly you might be chased by the police. You have your standard arcade physics... slam head on with another car going over 100mph, no problem. Keep on moving and finish that race! SRS cars do show damage and it affects your cars performance mildly. Like I mentioned, I could have a head on collision and only come out with a little dent in the hood, and a whimper of a stutter in my engine. I didn't expect realism or great car physics in SRS so I wasn't disappointed. If you're into realism I would recommend trying out a Codemasters racing title. If you don't mind arcade style racers and you are into the whole import car racing deal then you will enjoy SRS even with its shortcomings.

Graphics & Sound:In the graphical department is where they could have used some extra work under the hood. SRS is another example of the super glossily looks which is taking over the majority of racing games. I don't mind the gloss so much on the cars, but at night the road looks like your driving on glass. It is bothersome and even though you'll get used to it, it's a touch that if could should have been avoided. At first I thought it was raining?! Then I said to myself, Where is the rain? Well the ground looks wet? But nothing is coming from the sky... Then I realized it is just those developers with their gloss. They should be making donuts!

The car models looked good, not line for line perfect, but good enough. They are the best part of the graphic department in SRS. The backgrounds and environments are standard have a generic look to them and the city the game takes place in seems to have an awful lot large LED billboards around the town, it reminded me of an anime movie. SRS doesn't break any ground and remains average overall in the graphics department. Next time, please diss the glossomatic button.

The sound scopes in SRS are like the graphics - average. The strong point of the audio is the soundtrack which keeps the game going at a good pace with some upbeat music. The audio also does a fair job recreating the crazy exhausts and sounds of these turbo lawnmowers, umm I mean imports. The combination of the car wine and the loud music is great. This game is better with the sound cranked, in Dolby Digital surround. The downfall to all this in the audio department is the lousy work in the voice over department. The levels are all wrong and these girls! Where did they find these ladies?

Innovation:Street Racing Syndicate has arrived a little too late to be truly innovative. SRS just borrows concepts from other games and really don't excel at any of them. Although, It doesn't mean that they didn't sneak some interesting ideas into the game because they did. What I found to be the most innovative aspect on Street Racing Syndicate is how they totally homed in on their target audience and gave them what they wanted. Flash, Speed and Girls. It's true that some people could live without the female aspect that equation, but instead of racing just for money and fame it gives the player another objective. If it seems corny, its not! I could give you the phone number of a few people who have purchased a car, or car accessories in the hopes of picking up some ladies. BMW = Girls. I though it was cool that they made the woman a goal in the game, but what about the female players?

Mojo:Hood Rat Heaven or SRS has half-full tank of mojo. Like I mentioned in the innovation section, this is one game that goes directly for a target audience and doesn't miss. The models they used in the game look good, but there is some strange air of cheesiness in their videos you collect. The game has some cool mojo, if you like the selection of cars. I wish their where more cars and models from each company. Of course we can't have everything, but what about at least one compact domestic car. The Focus does up nice! There are aspects to love, but you'll just wish they added a little bit more. Overall SRS has some great moments of mojo satisfaction, but it fades in a second.

Lowdown:You can take out your aggression, get your adrenaline pumping without being arrested, killed or injured in Namco's Street Racing Syndicate. SRS isn't a bad game at all; it just doesn't deliver how you'd expect. I would recommend SRS for more import racing fans then just your average racing fan. Rent it and check it out.

Gameplay: 6.5, Graphics/Sound: 6, Innovation: 5, Mojo: 7. Final: 6.5