Introduction:Electronics Arts popular and long running series Need for Speed is back for another edition. This time EA Canada has broke out of their mold and have provided more adrenaline fueled experience with the new pursuit aspect. It's always fun to run from the law, even if we don't have a orange Dodge Charger. Read on for more details on this multi-console release.

The Game:NFS Most Wanted plays heavy in the cinematics as you will notice right off of the start. You are greeted by some "Blacklisted" street racers, and the main man Razor, who fools with your ride and causes you to loose your wheels. You then go back in time, then rebound back, until the game actually gets on track and starts you on the path of revenge. It's not going to be easy, but with the help of hottie Mia played by Josie Maran (Guess, Victoria Secret Model) you work your way back up the Blacklisted ranks to get another shot at Razor Callahan. It's all very bubblegum, but it gets an objective to strive for and luckily the actual gameplay makes up cheese of the story. Although, what else do can you expect out of cars, street racing and the average age of their target audience.

To win back your ride you will have to take down 15 blacklisted racers first. Although, it will take a little work before you can just race one of these chumps. You have to complete a series of objectives which can go from winning races, to making the law go on a wild goose chase. After you rank up the points, and complete the objectives the main race will commence, you against the Blacklisted. Of course it starts out easy and progress harder Blacklisted members. Each person on the list will have a better vehicle then the prior member, so upgrading is curtail. You'll have to save your pennies too, because Most Wanted is a little stingy when it comes to the cash flow.

I mentioned taking the law for a ride, and like NFS Hot Pursuit you the chance to get the local police force all hot and bothered. Just perform an illegal driving act in front of an officer and you're off. The more you run, the more reckless you drive, the more the law will be gunning for you. These cops aren't push overs, well the will do their best to cut you off, block you in and set up road blocks to slow you down. This is where the adrenaline comes into play! These police chases are more intense then the normal races, at time my nerves where shot as I cooled down and waited for a big chase to cool down. The heat factor or gaining a bad reputation with the cops is a nice new feature to the game. Having to hide your ride, or changing its appearance so the fuzz wont get on your tail is great! The pursuit feature is exactly what Need for Speed Underground was lacking and what makes Most Wanted above average.

One nice switch up in NFS Most Wanted is that you don't have to drive to each challenge on the map. It was a little tedious in underground having to find hidden garages, race points and such. Now you can just jump into the action, or do it the old school way. The streets are pretty barren with life, so you most likely will be jumping to each objective, everyone in Rockport must drive because they aren't walking. Although the navigational feature works 100% better streamlined, the new bundle customization doesn't. Certain add-on parts for your car come bundles instead of straight part-by-part upgrading. This is good for the player who just wants to breeze through the game without getting too deep into the customizing aspect of Need for Speed. It might be quicker, but it's not as fun, and not good for modding enthusiasts.

Need for Speed Most Wanted is a welcomed and needed change from the Underground series, and the added just the right amount of features while keeping the rubber band arcade racing mechanics we are used to. Need for Speed is what it is, and the license knows its audience. All your importing needs are met and the multiplayer is a lot of fun. One feature I hope EA adds in the future versions of Most Wanted, assuming they keep this brand name, is the ability to play both the police and the street racer. Even if it's only in multiplayer, I think it would be a blast. Need for Speed Most Wanted is the full package and they didn't skimp out on a thing, I was extremely happy with the final product.

Graphics & Sound:Need for Speed Most Wanted uses a lot of full motion video capturing for a majority of its cut scenes which is a departure from the norm. I guess the full motion video works, but it seems out of place. Its strange to think pixilated animated characters would be better then actors, could it be true, or is it just the actors EA used. Besides the questionable FMV, Most Wanted looks great, the best of the series, and holds up on both the audio and visual ends. The soundtrack is pumping with some great artists licensed to EA trax. There isn't much to complain about, except maybe the lack of life in the city.

XBOX VS XBOX:The Xbox and Xbox 360 version are really close and can be considered a port with upgraded visuals. The shadows, textures, and car models all look a step up from its little brothers console versions. If you have a 360, it's worth the extra ten dollars, just to have the finer shine, and some extra achievements to unlock. Otherwise, It is the same deal accross the board.

Mojo:Need for Speed has plenty of mojo, and just when I though the series was going to more recycling of its former self, they hit gamers with Most Wanted. This game is fun, and the police chases are enough to get anyone hoping around in their seat. Even watching this game in action it's pretty exhilarating. The experience is deep enough, and fun enough to last until the next street racer comes out, which might be a while.

Lowdown:Need for Speed Most Wanted should be high on your wish list this year. This street racing franchise still has lots of life, and Most Wanted is provides some invigorating racing for all levels of gamers. Need for Speed is definitely on the right track and has proven itself once again. Pick this sucka up!