October 13, 2006

New Q&A for Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City for Nintendo DS

EA has released a new Q&A for the upcoming NFS game on the NDS, Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City. Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City is scheduled to be released at the end of this month.

Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City Q&A

You have been noted for touting the drastic improvements in this year’s Need for Speed NDS title. What are some changes we can expect to see with Need for Speed Carbon Own the City as opposed to previous iterations on the DS?
This year we have a very different game then previous iterations. It was built from the ground up with a whole new real-world physics engine, unique handling for each of the 15 cars and runs at a solid 60 frames per second! We also have an interesting story to take you through career mode.

What kind of impact will the all new physics engine have on the game?
The physics engine really allowed us to differentiate how each of the 15 cars drives and feels. It’s quite noticeable and fun to try out different cars to discover their strengths and weaknesses. We worked hard on making the cars handle like their real world counterparts, while keeping the experience fun.

What’s power sliding?
Power sliding let’s you take those tougher corners at a higher speed. Basically, the tail of the car slides around the corner rather then slowing the car down and keeping all 4 tires gripping the road. Once mastered, it’s a satisfying way to cut those corners and beat the clock and your friend in multiplayer!

Can you elaborate on the story behind this year’s title?
The story begins with a car accident and the death of your brother. . You have to play through the career mode winning over different zones of the city to uncover the secret of your brother’s death. Each zone is controlled by a different crew and over the course of the game you have to beat the crew’s and their crew bosses to ‘own the city’.

Will your crew play a major factor in the outcome of your races?
Definitely! This year you have the option to bring along a wingman on your races that helps you win the races. There are two types: the Attacker and the Drafter. You order your wingman to do his thing when needed. The Attacker will race ahead and take out an opposing racer knocking him out temporarily. The Drafter allows you to follow in behind him and replenish your nitrous oxide. Using your wingman smartly will often mean the difference between winning and losing.

What are the customization features when it comes to forming the crew?
Each zone you play through will award you new wingmen with better skills that you can bring into your races. Each wingman has his or her own story and vehicle, which is fun try out.

Does the car list focus on the three car classes (tuner, muscle, exotic) like its console counter-part?
We have a nice mix of the three car classes for the user to choose from and like I mentioned before, you’ll be able to clearly feel the difference between a Subaru WRX, a Ford Mustang or the Aston Martin DB9. However, our game is quite a bit different on DS as opposed to console. On DS you’ll always be able to drive any car you want regardless of class as long as it’s unlocked and you’ve purchased it.

We’ve heard rumblings about unique car handling for all the cars in the game, can you elaborate on that?
For sure! We built a large number of real world physics variables into the game. Everything from real world gear ratios to traction and engine power to braking and suspension characteristics. This really allowed us to tweak each car to make it feel more like the real thing.

Will car customization be a large part of this game?
As is expected with a Need for Speed game! You can customize your car visually and from a performance perspective. On the visual side, you can change your paint colors, apply vinyl’s (and even create your own), you can apply various car modifications including spoilers, hoods and body kits. On the performance side it runs the gamut. You can upgrade everything from your engine power to your suspension to your brakes. Again, you can tweak your car to make it drive and look the way you want.

Can you tell me a little bit about the world that Need For Speed Carbon Own The City takes place in?
We’ve gone back to more of a night time driving experience, which provides some nice atmosphere. As you make your way through the different zones and unlock the 12 tracks you’ll experience lots of cool urban variety.

Will we see any features that take advantage of the touch-screen?
Yes! We’re very excited about our customizable dashboard feature. The touch screen acts like a real car dashboard. There are three different types you can apply – Vinyl, Carbon Fiber and Brushed Metal. Within each type there are 5 different types of instrument displays you can mount. Then there are a variety of toys and stereo components you can add like fuzzy dice or bobble heads. Lots of variety to make your dash look the way you like. But it’s not just for looks. The dashboard displays all your race information on it including a race map, lap times and positions. What’s cool about this is that it cleans up the top screen to show just the race. It’s a bit different then other race games but once you get used to it you’ll never go back!

The touch screen is also used for triggering your wingman, for a look-back feature by touching the wing mirrors, and for optionally triggering your nitrous. For advanced users later in the game you can also switch your suspension settings from Stock to Freeway to Street modes, each of which affects the handling characteristics of the car.

How does NFS OTC capitalize on the wireless/multiplayer features of NDS?
You can play up to 4 of your friends wirelessly. If only you have the game you can share it out and download it to three other DS’s so that your friends can try the game out. For those who own the game they can use their upgraded cars from Career Mode to race against their friends. It’s fun to compare your ride to your buddy’s!

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