November 17^th, 2003 (12:00am) - Electronic Arts today announced that Need for Speed Underground has shipped to retail nationwide. The latest installment in EA’s legendary racing franchise, Need for Speed Underground is now available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PC.

Need for Speed Underground thrusts players into the adrenaline-filled world of urban racing, challenging gamers to win cash, cars and respect as they put their driving skills to the test in their own fully-customizable urban exotic supercar. The game features 20 of the most sought-after tuner cars from manufacturers including Nissan Motor Co., Honda, Toyota, and Mitsubishi Motors. Gamers will be able to customize their cars with hundreds of aftermarket parts from 52 manufacturers, including NOS, Sparco, HKS, and more.

Featuring a thrilling sense of speed created by a team led by an OSCAR-nominated special effects expert, the game features more than 100 events including circuit races, drag races, drift races and more. Need for Speed Underground also supports online play for the PlayStation 2 console (requires Broadband connection and Network Adaptor for the PlayStation 2) and PC (requires Internet connection). The game lets player take their customized cars online and compete with up to three other racers online. It is also the first racing game to allow PlayStation 2 and PC gamers to compete in head-to-head gameplay online.

The game’s EA GAMES TRAX soundtrack features new tracks and remixes from today’s biggest artists, including The Crystal Method, Rob Zombie, Rancid, and more.

Need for Speed Underground, which was developed by EA Canada, is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB and retails for $49.95 on console platforms, $39.95 for PC, and $29.95 for Game Boy Advance.

For more information on the online features of the product, see the platform-specific pages at www.needforspeed.com, the official home page for Need for Speed Underground.