Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (cube: 2002): Reviews

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Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2


7.5

based on 16 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 14 votes
Read user comments
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GAMES:

Cheat Code Central

Official Website

Become the "Champion Road Racer" by conquering numerous racing events, all carrying rewards such as: cars, tracks and high performance upgrades. The game challenges the driver to dodge traffic, police and natural elements in high speed and high style... true NFS style! Evade any cops encountered, as getting busted just might end your career. [Electronic Arts]

PUBLISHER:	Electronic Arts
DEVELOPER:	EA Seattle
GENRE(S):	Racing, Driving
PLAYERS:	2
ESRB RATING:	E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE:	October 1, 2002

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly

Killer aerial shots, intense chases, and a rock-infused soundtrack make for a heart-pounding ride. [18 Oct 2002, p.124]

Nintendo Power

Packs in lots of game play and replay value, with dozens of challenges set in beautiful locations. [Nov 2002, p.219]

BBC Sport

With plenty of racing challenges it should have a decent amount of longevity but their repetitive nature might grate for some.

Game Informer

The graphics are great and the only deterrents are some questionable physics and the idea that a cop could catch me in my Opal. [Nov 2002, p.134]

Nintendophiles

The amount of events available makes for a busy amount of things to do, with a great multiplayer mode to complement it. The control can sometimes be a bit tight though.

GameZone

The sluggish pace may be a bit too much for gamers who need a fast and furious racing game, but those with the patience to get past the speed issue will find a good arcade-style racer with some great ideas.

IGN

While I appreciate the car and track diversity in Hot Pursuit 2, the sluggish pace of it and sticky framerate heavily detracts from the overall experience, which doesn't bode well for the two-player value either.

GameCube Europe

Although it has more than its fair share of good points, Need for Speed 2 should have been so much more and you can't help but come back to that annoying frame rate.

GameSpot

The Xbox and GameCube versions of Hot Pursuit II have slightly detuned graphics and mushier controls, and, inexplicably, they omit a variety of minute but tangible features found in the PlayStation 2 game.

GameSpy

A disappointment when held up against its nearly peerless PlayStation 2 counterpart.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

It feels more like a Sunday drive down a busy city street... Go straight for the PS2 game. It's far and away the best of the three. [Nov 2002, p.306]

Yahoo! Games

At the core of any racing game should be the feeling of fast movement, and the Gameube version just doesn't seem to deliver in this regard.

netjak

Does Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 deliver an exciting, high-octane console racing experience? Yes, if you own a PS2.

Gaming Age

The GameCube version's tracks aren't as vibrant as PS2 or Xbox, and this is a bit of a puzzle. Blurry backgrounds hurt Nintendo's offering severely, but not as bad as the chuggy, sluggish framerate.

TotalGames.net

The most obvious problem is the handling, which feels more like you’re controlling a breezeblock than a car, and this carries right through to the crash dynamics, which are now virtually non-existent.

GamePro

This unfortunate version of HP2 is just plain slow and its handling just doesn’t feel right. If possible, stick with the stellar PS2 edition or the strong Xbox game.

The average user rating for this game is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

D. P. gave it a9:
I hesitated to get this game because of the reviews saying there were framerate issues. Well I've played it for over five hours and I haven't noticed any problems. It's an excellent game. Addictive gameplay. It's fun to be chased by the cops and to do the chasing. The graphics are lovely, some of best I've seen on the Gamecube. Don't hesitate to get this.

BEAT THE GAME gave it a10:
Very fun game to play. I am a former PS2 owner (now PS3) and it has wonderful graphics. the cars are of your wildest dreams and corect statistics. Feels awesome to blast the volume ad let the cars tak you through the game. Very addictive and very hard to beat.

Anouk P. gave it an8:
Hot Pursuit 2 is a great racing game; by the way, the rest of versions of this game do not feature as much differences as the press usually point out. The frame rate is not 'terrible', and graphics are crispier than those in the blurry NFSU & NFSU2. In terms of fun, Hot Pursuit 2 is also much more enjoyable than the 'underground' spinoffs, and its background music is by far much more friendly for every listener than the stupid tracks in NFSU1 & 2. Maybe it was necessary to punish the GC version for something it does not have. But the truth is that Hot Pursuit 2 is one of the most satisfactory racing games I've played since Beetle Adventure Racing and Ridge Racer Type 4

Hooded Justice gave it an 8:
The game is addictive. There may be some downsides but it's a definite buy. The speed is there and it's good enough to keep you going back until you get all golds.

mRant gave it an 8:
I enjoyed this game first night out of the box. My daughter enjoyed placing on championship mode while I took on the man in hot pursuit. I've seen nothing inherently wrong with the game. It is a pure arcade racer, no sim. So if you like thrills without all the head scratching go for this offering from the nfs crew. I got it for 20 bucks...!

Yarg gave it a 6:
Fun game. Choose the incar view and you CAN feel the speed the other views you can forget.

Bobby C. gave it a 9:
It's the game I constantly turn back to. Excellent racing, decent variety of tracks and cars - good action overall! I like it!!