Proto:Need for Speed: Underground/GameCube Preview

This page details one or more prototype versions of Need for Speed: Underground.

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

An early build of Need for Speed: Underground for the Nintendo GameCube, dated September 10th, 2003, however files of the build date back to August 16th. This build was used for a French gaming magazine at the time, and still has quite a few differences compared to the final version.

Cars

• Most cars lack texturing for badges and logos on the vehicle.
• Tires have "BLACK BOX TIRES" written on them, this texture still exists in the final game.
• While driving, rims use a texture called "speedblur" depicting a rim in motion, this texture still exists in the final game.
• The Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk.IV) and Peugeot 206 GTi, the only cars in Underground of European specification, are both RHD while they are LHD in the final version thus leaving Skyline as the only RHD vehicle in the final release.

Customization

• Paint options are expanded since the PS2 demo, but there's less options and colors still vary compared to final.
• Weight reductions, brake kits, and ECU / fuel systems were cut from the performance upgrades.
• You could select vinyls of story characters, such as Eddie, Samantha, and more.
• Decals exist in a primitive state; only three decals are available for use. Some other decals can be obtained via hex editing.
• The player could originally use decals depicting the vehicle's manufacturer - this feature is broken as the decals do not load, and was cut from the final game entirely though decal textures for each vehicle brand still exist in the final game.

Menus

• Some menus still used a slightly different version of the PS2 demo background video.
• The main menus use an early version of the endless tunnel in the background, the tunnel here looked quite different.
• The icons in the car customization and track selection screens have changed, but appear smaller than the final version. Some icons were still different as well.
• The Style Points results screen was different.

Sounds

• The clicking sounds are different. Some are unique to this build while others are just higher pitched sounds from the PS2 demo.
• There was a different sound effect when you used nitrous.
• The only song in the build is the Fabolous song "Young'n (Holla Back)", which was removed from the final game. However, on the EA Trax menu 30 songs are listed, while in the final there's only 26, meaning three other songs were cut as well. Unfortunately, we might never know what these three other songs were, since on the EA Trax menu there are only placeholder names such as "Song 1", and the only song in the sound files is Young'n.
• Many voice files including a very high number of ones unused in the final game often play when navigating through the menu.

Removed Races and Game Modes

Two races exist in this build which were cut from the final version. Both of which were one make races, the first was a Miata race and the other was a Civic race.

Two game modes present in this build were also cut. Both of which have leftovers in the game's final version. First is the Tournament game mode, which is basically the same as the final version, except here it has its own quick race entry. The Theater option is also present in this build, before being removed in the final version.

Misc.

• The HUD looks similar to the PS2 demo, except Style Points are now present. However, on the HUD it simply says "SP", and the font used when earning Style Points were different.
• Road reflections are much more intense.
• The color of the turn signs behind the road have been updated, except they're now blue.
• The sky uses a completely different orange/brown skybox with a bright moon present.
• A video message system called VidCon was cut. Messages for drag and drift tutorials exist, however the drift message doesn't work.
• When you hit a wall during the Drift mode, you would've lost 500 points.
• Headlights and taillights would break when crashing in a drag race.
• The EA Trax popup looked completely different and had a different animation.

Cutscenes

General

• Most cutscenes are mostly unfinished, with missing or different textures, lighting, sound effects, background music, different 3D models, different camera angles, and other rendering errors. There's also a chronometer in every cutscene.
• Eddie's car in some cutscenes, funnily enough, is a green HSV Coupé GT (VZ), reused from Hot Pursuit 2 as a placeholder.
• Samantha's hair style is different.
• Street Race Buddha does not exist in this prototype.

Get You Races

• The concept version of this cutscene depicts a different iteration of Samantha. Instead of wearing a tank top, skirt, and a bob hairstyle, she is seen with a different hairstyle, earrings, and wearing a hoodie.
  • Eddie's car was a Toyota Supra (A80) instead of a Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (R34).
  • Melissa is shown with a necklace and earrings.
  • Samantha's Honda Civic Si had a teddy bear air freshener, but it is not present in the final cutscene.

Your Fantasy?

• The dialogue is slightly different.

Get Respect

• The cutscene was longer.
• There is a shorter, more unfinished version. The Supra and Celica are replaced with an Acura RSX and another Supra.

Engine of Darnkess

• TJ has a different voice actor, as well as slightly different dialogue.

Samantha's Upgrades

• Samantha is seen drinking a bottle of beer instead of a can of soda.

On the street, punk! (At the track)

• There is an error where Samantha is seen with long hair and jeans. It may have possibly been one of her earlier designs.
• Samantha was supposed to drive an Acura Integra Type-R (DC2) instead of a Honda Civic Si (EM1).

Goodbye, Samantha and Samantha's Cute Car

• Samantha's Civic is instead an Acura RSX Type-S (DC5), and Melissa's 350Z is a Supra.

This is Respect

• Again, Samantha's Civic is an Acura Integra Type-R (DC2) this time.

Legend Ascendent

• Melissa is placed too far away. She also walks differently compared to the final version.

GameCube prototype	Final version