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Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii)

common sense media says

Average street racer makes players flout driving laws.

parents & educators say
See all 4 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this colorful, fast-paced racing game centers around illegal street racing. Racers willfully break the law, evade -- and sometimes fight back against -- police who try to stop them, destroy property, and run roadblocks. The developers include disclaimers before the game starts, which explain the dangers and illegality of street racing. They also remind players to wear safety belts in real life. Still, the police are treated as bad guys -- or at the very least wet blankets who want to spoil everybody's street racing fun. None of the drivers are ever hurt during the game, but that might give younger players the erroneous impression that high speed crashes aren't necessarily a serious thing.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: There's a pretty strong anti-authority message in this game. It is clearly stated, both by the narrator and by a disclaimer before the game starts, that street racing is illegal. But in the game, the police are treated as bad guys -- or at the very least wet blankets who want to spoil everybody's street racing fun. If the police try to pull you over, you either outrun them, run them off the road, or sic them on one of your opponents. Also, racing well down a stretch of road can magically color it with what is referred to in the game as graffiti. No one is ever seen spraying the graffiti. One type of competition rates drivers by how fast they can blow through police speed traps. Note, too, that since drivers are never shown injured after crashes that kids could get the impression that high speed car accidents aren't necessarily all that serious.
Positive role models: The racers in this game flout authority, perform illegal acts, show no concern for destruction of property, and drive recklessly.
Ease of play: There are multiple control schemes players can choose for this game -- and they are not all created equal. The horizontal remote "wheel style" works very smoothly. The one-handed steering style proves incredibly difficult to use.
Violence: Points are awarded for crashing into destructible objects, such as street signs and cacti. Police cars slam into racers in an attempt to slow them down; racers can, in turn, bang into police cars and sometimes cause them to crash. No one is seen getting hurt and everyone appears to keep driving even after a crash.
Sex: If children pay attention to the lyrics in the soundtrack songs they might catch some suggestive material.
Language: One song in the soundtrack uses the word "skank."
Consumerism: All the playable cars in the game are real makes and models from real-world car companies. Expect to see lots of logos: Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, etc.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Need for Speed: Nitro

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about the importance of abiding by traffic laws, how defensive driving keeps people safe in real life, and the need for seat belts.

  • Parents can also ask their children how they feel playing a criminal in a video game. Do they have fun doing things in a game that they know they never could or should do in real life? Is there a catharsis in it? Or does it teach kids the wrong lessons?

  • Parents who have teens learning to drive may want to consider a study that suggests playing some racing games can lead to taking more driving risks in real life and share it with their children.

What's the story?

What's the story?

In NEED FOR SPEED: NITRO drivers compete in an illegal street racing circuit in an attempt to earn enough money to get out of the dangerous lives they're stuck in. Races take place all around the world, in exotic locales like Rio and Egypt. Police cars try to shut down the competitions and often meet resistance from the drivers. As wins are racked up, players can buy newer, faster cars and upgrade the ones they have.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Need for Speed: Nitro is a decent racing game, and certainly fun in an adrenaline-rush kind of way, but doesn't bring that much new to the racing genre. If you've played lots of racing games before, you'll find many of the standard elements here: Earn points and power for drifting around tight corners; use a nitro boost for quick bursts of speed; start with a Volkswagen van and earn money to buy better cars as you go along. Being able to paint and customize the looks of your cars is one very nice bonus feature. None of this means NFS: Nitro is a bad game at all, though, and it makes a very nice introduction to the genre for gamers who are new to racing sims.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo Wii
Not available online
Genre: Racing
Developer: Electronic Arts
Released on: November 3, 2009
Price: 49.99
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Mild Lyrics, Mild Violence
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This review was written by Christopher Healy
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

Gamereveiwer233
adult
10
 
You think that illegal street racing and vandalism is alright for kids then you are mistaken Need for speed nitro really uses both those and the characters are stuck up and BRAG ALOT do not buy this game for kids under 10 or at least talk to your kid before starting to play Need For Speed Nitro i did with my kid and he understood it
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helped me decide (3) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (6)
acribit
teen, 13 years old
10
 
I agree that the police are treated as bad guys.In need for speed nitro I have a corvette zr1.but I love the game!
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helped me decide (6) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (3)
vanessapawprints12
teen, 15 years old
9
 
well it's great if you know your kids or family are mature
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helped me decide (2) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (4)
Drake123432
adult
8
 
Not bad at all
This is a fun arcade game. It does include police chasing but nothing compared to other Need For Speed games. If your kid knows that street racing is illegal and wrong there are no concerns about this game.
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helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (3)

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