With Underground, EA gave the right injection to the Need for Speed series and since then they really don't want to change direction too much. And who can blame them when seeing that every new episode can be found in the top 10 of the sales charts.

The Need For Speed series has been around for quite some time, changing it's theme from Underground street racing, Police chases, and (more recently) simulation racing. I should say to begin, this game has many clans set up online and there will always be enough people to play.

Like so many of Electronic Arts' franchise titles, Need For Speed: Carbon (Carbon) is less about revolution than evolution. The core gameplay is more or less unchanged since the advent of video gaming, so the real measure of the game is how the small tweaks and additions (or subtractions) it makes...

Great graphics; Tons of customization options; A wide variety of race types

Online play is unwieldy at best; completely &%$@*^# useless at worst; You have to wander aimlessly around the city to participate in some races

You'll also face off with the different crew bosses in the canyons, and these events may test your patience. Once you've taken enough turf for a crew boss to challenge you, you'll first race against him in a standard city-street event.

More solid FMV sequences; loads of customization options; solid core gameplay

Frustrating boss battles; underutilizes police chases

EA: more regular than Santa. You know it's holiday season because the annual editions of Madden, FIFA, Tiger Woods, NBA, NFL and Need For Speed start appearing on store shelves. It's unashamed and very much calculated, each franchise performing extremely well against any rival software every year.

Genre: Racing Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA Canada Release Date: October 31, 2006 In a crowded launch lineup that featured three solid racing games, Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the Xbox 360 was a surprising breath of fresh air.

Need for Speed: Carbon takes you by the scruff of the neck and throws you straight into the world's most dangerous and ferocious form of street racing. With over 50 real-world licensed cars, including the Mazda RX-8, BMW M3 GTR Street, Dodge Viper SRT10 and Lamborghini Murcielago, there should...

of …" in today's gaming world. In fact, it's almost used like "aloha" in gaming circles. Just like aloha can mean hello and goodbye, getting the "

Introduction: Around this time last year, gamers were introduced to the first next-gen installment of EA's Need for Speed franchise. Most Wanted inclu

Need for Speed Carbon doesn't significantly alter the successful formula from the past few games, it still offers some exciting changes and updates that help to keep the series fresh. Adding crews and gangs gives you a more interesting backstory, though it doesn't always work and can be distracting.