Proto:Need for Speed: Underground 2

This page details one or more prototype versions of Need for Speed: Underground 2.

A demo version of the PS2 Need for Speed: Underground 2 was featured on multiple demo discs, including the Official PlayStation 2 Magazine Europe Demo 53 as well as a promotional demo in Burnout 3: Takedown.

The demo was built on May 26, 2004, five months before the final build, resulting in quite a few differences.

Cars

Removed Cars

• The Acura NSX (NA2) was conceptualized for the game, as its logo and menu entry remain here.
• The Honda S2000 (AP1), Acura Integra Type R (DC2), and Dodge Neon from Underground were likely planned to appear but removed from the final release. Each have logos and menu entries leftover in the demo.
• The Mitsubishi Lancer ES and Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS from Underground remain in the demo files, but unlike the other cars their menu entries don't exist though their car ID slots still remain. They were likely replaced with their performance trim variants, the Lancer Evolution VIII (CT9A) and Impreza WRX STi (GDB-D) which were both already present in the demo.
  • All removed cars were eventually restored for the PC version through the Olympic Imports mod.

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  Acura NSX Logo

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  Honda S2000 Logo

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  Acura Integra Type R Logo

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  Dodge Neon Logo

Customization

• Bumpers, skirts, and hoods are generally missing on most cars. The 350Z has all parts from Underground along with some new designs whereas new additions to the roster have a smaller selection of newer and older parts.
• Each car present has its own set of vinyls with a very limited selection for each car.
• The demo still has hood decals enabled, they can be seen on some AI Imprezas and an Evo VIII preset. This option still exists in the final game and can be enabled through the debug menu or scripts.
• Originally, there were only 4 options for custom headlights and taillights, like in Underground, but a lot more were added in the final game. Additionally, only the 350Z and Evo VIII have custom taillights and headlights available whereas all others are missing.
• Most rims in the demo were ported from Underground with a few new options present.
• Tire size can be chosen in debug customization when selecting rims with three different sizes per inch, this is still available in the final debug menu.
• According to the debug car customizer, fenders were originally going to be customizable.

Vinyls

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  350Z Octo Vinyl (Side)

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  350Z Octo Vinyl (Hood)

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  3000GT Skull Vinyl (Side)

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  3000GT Skull Vinyl (Hood)

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 1

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 2

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 3

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 4

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 5

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 6

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 7

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 8

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 9

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  Evo VIII Vinyl 10

Car Damage

Underground 2 was originally going to have an option for car damage, but it was removed similar to Underground. The option can be enabled in the demo. In this build, the damage consisted of your mirrors falling off, and a broken front windshield.

In a later pre-release video, you can also see that your trunk would've opened up and bobbled around.

Map Differences

• Every area had color tinted fog. Beacon Hill was green, Jackson Heights was blue, City Core was orange, and Coal Harbor was brown.
• Only one night skybox is present whereas the final game has three skyboxes depicting various times of day.
• The barriers during a race were different. They had a different animation, and they also moved faster here. There are also concrete barriers, like the first game, however in the final they don't exist.
• The barriers of the URL tracks were different.
• The highway system was a lot more complex and confusing here.
• Hot air balloons were cut.
• The airport originally had only 1 entrance and exit.
• The tunnel with the construction was different here. The tunnel didn't exist, neither did the construction.
• A parking garage in City Core was closed off, while in the final it is open. A green sign at the entrance was also removed.
• A big neon sign reading LOUNGE, located at a parking garage in Beacon Hill, was removed.
• Motel Inn was originally known as Morgan Inn.
• A closed off parking lot was originally present at the spot where the Megalow shop is in the final.
• A weird shaped building towards the outskirts of the map was removed.
• The control tower in Jackson Heights had a different texture, and the road leading to the tower is missing.
• Market had a highway entrance / exit.

Menus

• In the performance upgrades screen, the car's weight would have been shown. "Power" is also referred to as "Horsepower".
• When upgrading cars, the color of the stat bars were blue.
• On the main menu, Dyno Mode is referred to as "Test Track".

Sound

• The Atmosphere song "The Keys to Life vs. 15 Minutes of Fame" is featured here, but was removed from the final game.
• The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, Nissan 350Z and Subaru Impreza WRX STi all use different engine sounds.

Differences Between Demos

The PlayStation 2 Magazine Demo Disc has an unlimited timer and uses "The Keys to Life vs. 15 Minutes of Fame" as the music in the shops, while the Burnout 3: Takedown instead has a 10-20 minute timer, then will exit the player back to Burnout 3: Takedown, and uses "Switch/Twitch" by "Fluke" in the car shops.

Police Radio Chatter

The file copspeech.big includes many voice files from a pre-release version of Need for Speed: Most Wanted.