After all, did Fast and Furious inspire Need for Speed ​​Underground?

Living in the 2000s and not loving cars and tuning was almost impossible, given how many cool things about the niche became popular at the time. Just to name a few of the people most responsible for the craze, we had a golden era with Fast and Furious on the big screen and Need For Speed in video games — plus sticker albums and more. But did the Toretto and Brian films influence the EA franchise in any way?

Well, it’s never been explicitly stated — but there’s certainly been a big push from Hollywood into video games. Fast and Furious It doesn’t just talk about cars and tuning, but also about the entire culture that surrounds it, such as parties, friendships, rivalries and crime.

The first film in the franchise was released in 2001 and rocketed to the top of the box office at the time — attracting attention from across the entertainment industry, including major video game developers.

Need For Speedfor example, was already an established property on the motorsport tracks, but Electronic Arts decided to change its direction in 2003 — and, of course, the franchise Fast and Furious was one of the main reasons for this.

Need For Speed ​​Underground was the pinnacle of tuning in the 2000s

Released just two years after the resounding success of the first Fast and Furious, Need For Speed Underground marked the beginning of a new era for EA’s hit franchise — which debuted in 1994 on PlayStation.

With the arrival of the Underground In 2003, the racing tracks gave way to streets packed with wrapped cars and neon lights as far as the eye could see. Street races, territorial disputes, souped-up engines and famous brands were just some of the highlights of the classic — which further improved the formula in Need For Speed Underground 2.

Legendary Nissan 350-Z from Need For Speed ​​Underground 2.Font: EA

The sequel, released in 2004 for PS2, improved almost everything the first Underground set out to do. However, the cherry on the cake was his repertoire of songs, which included iconic hits such as Riders On The Storm (Snoop Dogg & The Doors), Lean Back (Terror Squad ft Fat Joe), Give It All (Rise Against) and many others.

After all, did Fast and Furious inspire Need For Speed ​​or not?

Stopping to analyze the details of the line games Undergroundwe see countless inspirations in the first films of the franchise Fast and Furious. Both celebrate tuning culture and put players/viewers in similar positions — like, for example, in street racing.

The Fast and Furious franchise marked an entire generation in the early 2000s.Source: Universal Studios

Do you find yourself always being a rookie driver at a street racing party where cars are displayed with their souped-up engines while gangster music plays in the background? Not to mention that the protagonist is always being ridiculed for his car.

When Brian activates the nitrous in his Skyline, the images become a trail across the windows and the force of acceleration pushes him back into the seat, while the exhaust crackles and sends blue fire out. Well, Need For Speed Underground It also masterfully mimics that sense of physicality when the player activates nitro or reaches stratospheric speeds with their car.

Need For Speed ​​Underground’s customization system had a lot of options available.Font: EA

Another obvious way how Fast and Furious influenced Need For Speed Underground are the vehicle customization options available in the game. Well, seeing Toretto and Brian transform a Toyota Supra into a true asphalt machine must have certainly evoked sighs from tuning fans in the 2000s.

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