Need For Speed: Underground has become huge over the current generation of home consoles. I've lost count over how many EA has managed to release and there are certainly more games of this nature coming to both current and next gen machines too. Today we're looking at the first of the NFS games to grace the PSP platform, the first of two - because Most Wanted will be coming out for the system soon enough. When playing Need For Speed Underground Rivals, I can't help thinking that there are better racing titles out there for the PSP, including a better street racing game in Midnight Club 3 too. Rivals isn't a bad game though and there's a lot to be said in its favour, but there are also a lot of games that steal its sunshine too.

NFS Rivals loads up quickly - which is its main advantage over titles like Midnight Club 3, but more of a normality when it comes to games like Wipeout Pure. Its quick loading times give you the edge when it comes to short journeys. To cut time down further, you can get into a game quickly once you have initially configured your first car for the first time. Quick racing modes are here, one of them allowing you to jump into a high intense race with a pre-made beefed up car and race to your heart's content. Another quick race mode allows you to configure some basic settings before getting into a race. However, most of the races do sport some degree of urgency - Need For Speed Underground Rivals does a great job of getting you into the action fast.

Circuit races allow you to select levels of difficulty before selecting race types and getting right down to action. Fans of the genre will feel at home with the selection process - it's all done on a menu and progress is displayed with little bars. It's quite rewarding to see these bars on the rise as you progress through the game and it's rather addictive too - almost like levelling up in an RPG. Classic NFS races are here: normal circuit matches, Drag Racing, which is satisfying in its own right, and Nitrous Run, which sees you going around a track, blasting at high speeds through gates to stop the time from depleting and refill your Nitrous tanks to help you keep the gate times down. Eventually the game will end, but modes like these add a sense of speed.

And the rest of the game could do with speeding up too. Sometimes the normal races feel a little sluggish - occasionally you can gain the lead in the first lap and remain there for the rest of the race, yawning as you go. The AI sometimes displays acts of bravery and challenge, while at other times they seem to pull to the side and let you overtake like you're a member of the law enforcement community. Overtaking when the AI puts up a fight, normally seen on the harsher difficulties, can be very gratifying. When messages flash up at top congratulating you on a 'Nice Shift' or saying that you're the 'Lap Leader' it fills you with a sense of achievement.

Controlling the game can be carried out using either the D-Pad or the Analogue stick, both of which have their major advantages, but at the same time, have their flaws too. The D-Pad is great for shifting lanes and overtaking, whereas the Analogue stick offers precision around corners. However, both methods of control feel a tad over-sensitive, which sometimes puts you into an out of control spin and can even interfere with a burst of Nitro. As you probably know, Nitro is under your control, as using it depletes the Nitro bar, but at least you can use it when you feel safe. For the most part, NFS is easy enough to get to grips with and control, but I've had my fair share of cornering difficulty in the past that more than frustrates me.

Customisation isn't too bad in this game. It seems shaved down a lot from the console versions and feels dated compared to Midnight Club's on the fly customisation too. Visual appearance objects are mostly all locked from the start, so you'll need to race and unlock parts (racing can also win you new cars too) - but the visual side of things doesn't touch Midnight Club at all. Performance upgrades are used by spending points on all sorts of different parts and as you do a bar fills up in that certain area, much like the race progress bars. It's nice to see this increasing but it's all a little bit basic. NFS normally comes branded to the maximum - funnily enough, the only branding here are on the optional decals. No more in-game advertising either - which can only be a good thing!

Multiplayer, in my eyes, looks like a missed opportunity. Midnight Club has fantastic multiplayer for up to six people, with a whole host of weird and wonderful modes. NFS Rivals has wireless multiplayer for only two players and the exciting single player modes aren't available for this type of multiplayer either. The better option here is just having one PSP - all the modes are open and you can pass your PSP around a maximum of four players to compete for scores and stuff. This is very similar to NBA Showdown's one PSP multiplayer and these options are very welcome.

Graphics are a mixed bag of stunning and eye hurting. The car models are pretty dire, to say the least. They almost look, dare I say, on par with the DS. However, the environments, streets and sign-lit buildings look superb. Neon lights on the front of hotels, balconies and 3D street shelters, all rendered nicely - lighting effects in the mostly-dark game come through the PSP screen beautifully. Because the graphics are nowhere near as good as Midnight Club, there isn't much slowdown at all and the loading times are cut down dramatically. Although the cars look rather plastic, the quick loading times tend to make up for it.

The sound is quite good; EA Trax is back, so you can listen to the music in a separate mode, in case you want to use the game as a music disc, which is a great idea. It's a shame that Midnight Club didn't do something like this, because their music is far superior to what's on offer here. Unfortunately, the music in this game is mainly rock, roll and a bit of rap, which only suits the street races half of the time. I've never heard of some of the artists that lend their music to the game either. Sound effects are mainly good, all the usual car sounds come through the PSP speakers well enough.

Suffice to say that NFS fans will love Need For Speed Underground Rivals a passion. Its familiar interface will make fans feel at home and its straight into the gameplay nature cuts out the unnecessary parts and entertains right off the starting line. I just can't help feeling that there are better racers out there however, which offer better controls, better graphics and simply better gameplay. For fans then, this is a must, but if you're just looking for a great racing game, then you should check out our reviews of Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, Ridge Racer and Wipeout Pure for starters, before you make a decision - as there are better games on offer for the same money.

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).