I love it, it has nothing bad for kids to watch. It's a definate buyer
Need for Speed Carbon
(2006, Video Games - Racing, Rated E10+, Play it on: Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Mean, nasty street-car racing, not at its best.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 10–13
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Need for Speed Carbon was written by Andrew Bub
Parents need to know that this game features illegal street racing and most of the trappings found in "pimp my ride" culture: Everything is neon, everyone sports an attitude, and lawlessness is "cool." A lot of emphasis is put on spending money to "trick" cars out with cool accoutrements. The game glorifies illegal acts, to put it lightly, and EA is aware of this. They've included a video warning at startup, reminding kids and parents not to try this on their local streets.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why safe driving is important and why people should never participate in street racing in real life. Parents might want to remind kids that this game has an unrealistic lack of consequences. Families might also want to discuss the racing car culture -- why does it have such a strong pull? Why do people have such loyalties to different types of cars?
Do you play it? Review It!
More on Need for Speed Carbon
What’s the Story?
In NEED FOR SPEED CARBON, players assume the role of a racer with a checkered past. The story challenges you to take over the fictional town of Palmont City one borough at a time (or defend what you've taken) by tweaking your car, picking the right wingman to mess with rival cars, and winning races against rival gangs. The focus is on arcade-style racing -- cars never get damaged and stay glued to the road -- but there's a strategic layer that makes the game feel deeper than your average racer. A new concept, "wingmen," allow you to have a computer-controlled car help you win races by messing with rival cars (by blocking, bumping, or harassing them).
Is It Any Good?
The graphics are beautiful, offering a wide variety of city streets and twisting, turning canyons to race in. All races take place at night, which gets boring after a while, but the neon and headlight effects are often stunning -- particularly when you watch a replay of a race.
While the addition of wingmen is cool, their practical effect is that they make the game too easy: As a consequence, initially, moderately experienced racers will win most races. However, that winning streak will come to a screeching halt when faced with Boss races, intense competition where you can actually win territory, because those races are incredibly hard and frustrating. Need for Speed Carbon would have been a better game if the developers had found a happy medium between these two levels of racing difficulty.
Publisher’s Details
Developer: Electronic Arts
Released on: 12/05/2006, Price: $59.99, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Violence
Released on: 12/05/2006, Price: $59.99, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Violence
Our Members Say
See all 25 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Easy to play
perfect for all ages 10+
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
The Best Car Game!!!
What is SO fun about this game is that you can get police's attention and they chase you. AWESOME!!
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Negative role models
- Safety is an issue
IT SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it sucks really nfs most wanted is way better so do your self a favor and don't get this game get most wanted and most wanted is cheaper than carbon
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Horrible!
I don't really like this game. To be honest I don't even like any of the car chasing games. But my brother is so into this. -Bummer-
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