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{{Cleanup|date=September 2007}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Short description|2006 racing video game}}
{{Infobox VG
{{Infobox video game
|title= Need for Speed: Carbon
| title = Need for Speed: Carbon
|image= [[Image:Nfsc-cover.jpg|256px|Cover art]]
| image = Need for Speed Carbon Game Cover.jpg
|caption=
| caption = European cover art featuring a [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution#Evolution IX|Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX]] and a [[Dodge Challenger]] drifting through a corner.
|developer= [[EA Black Box]] <br> [[EA UK]] (PS3, Windows and Mac OS X port)
| developer = {{plainlist|
|publisher= [[Electronic Arts]]
* [[EA Black Box]]
|distributor=
* Team Fusion (PSP)
|designer=
* [[Exient Entertainment]] (DS)
|series= ''[[Need for Speed series|Need for Speed]]''
* Pocketeers (GBA)
|engine=
* [[Rovio Mobile]] (mobile)
|version= 1.4 (2007-06-08)<ref name="v1.4 released">{{cite web |url=http://www.nfsplanet.com/en/news/3938 |title=NFS C: New Patch released! |publisher=NFS-Planet |date=2007-06-08 |accessdate=2007-06-13 }}</ref>
* [[TransGaming]] (Mac OS X)<ref name="allgameoverview">{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=52899&tab=overview |title=Need for Speed: Carbon - Macintosh Overview|last=Leach |first=Gracie |publisher = [[AllGame]] |access-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114233150/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=52899&tab=overview |archive-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref>
|released='''[[PlayStation 2]], [[Xbox]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]]<br />
* [[Global VR]] (arcade)
{{vgrelease|NA=[[October 31]], [[2006]]}}
{{vgrelease|EU=[[November 3]], [[2006]]}}
'''[[Xbox 360]], [[Wii]]'''<br />
{{vgrelease|NA=[[November 16]], [[2006]]}}
'''[[PlayStation 3]], [[PlayStation Portable]] and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]'''<br />
{{vgrelease|NA=[[November 19]], [[2006]]}}
{{vgrelease|EU=[[December 8]], [[2006]]}}
'''[[Mac OS X]]'''<br />
{{vgrelease|NA=[[August 17]], [[2007]]<ref name="Mac OS X">{{cite web
|title=EA Ships Four Games for the Mac |url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?epi-content=NEWS_VIEW_POPUP_TYPE&newsId=20070817005520&ndmHsc=v2*A1187348400000*B1187413360000*DgroupByDate*J1*N1000837&newsLang=en&beanID=202776713&viewID=news_view_popup }}</ref>}}
|genre= [[Racing game|Racing]]
|modes= [[Single player]], [[Multiplayer game|multiplayer]]
|ratings= {{vgratings|BBFC=PG|CERO=B|ESRB=E10+|OFLCA=G|PEGI12+|USK=12+}}
|platforms= [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii]], [[PlayStation 2|PS2]], [[Xbox|XB]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GCN]], [[Mobile phone|Mobile]]
|media= [[Compact disc|CD]], [[DVD]], [[Blu-ray Disc]], [[Wii Optical Disc]], [[Nintendo Gamecube Game Disc|GCN Game Disc]]
|requirements=
'''Windows'''
* Windows [[Windows 2000|2000]]/[[Windows XP|XP]]
* 1.7 GHz [[central processing unit|CPU]]
* 512 MB [[RAM]]
* 5.3 GB [[hard disk]] space
* [[DirectX]] 9.0c compatible 64 MB [[graphics card]] with one of these chipsets [[Radeon R200|Radeon 8500]]; [[GeForce 4 Series|GeForce 4 Ti]]
* [[DirectX]] 9.0c compatible [[sound card]]
* 8x DVD drive (DVD edition) / CD drive (CD edition)
'''Macintosh'''
* [[Mac OS X v10.4|Mac OS X 10.4.9]]
* 1.83 GHz [[central processing unit|CPU]] [[Intel Core Duo]]
* 512 MB [[RAM]]
* 6 GB [[hard disk]] space
* [[Radeon R520|Radeon X1600]]; [[GeForce 7 Series|GeForce 7300 GT]]
* DVD-ROM drive
|input= [[Personal computer|PC]]: Keyboard, Mouse, or [[USB]] Steering Wheel/Gamepad, or [[Wii Remote]] & Nunchuck
}}
}}
| publisher = {{plainlist|
'''''Need for Speed: Carbon''''', also known as '''''NFS Carbon''''' or '''''NFSC''''' is an [[Electronic Arts]] video game belonging to the ''[[Need for Speed series|Need for Speed]]'' series. It is the tenth installment, preceded by ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted]]'' and succeeded by ''[[Need for Speed: ProStreet]]''.
* [[Electronic Arts]]

* [[Global VR]] (arcade)
==Background==
}}
''Need for Speed: Carbon'' was first shown in [[Electronic Arts|EA]]'s montage at [[Nintendo]]'s [[E3|E³]]2006 conference and booth and was the cover story in the ''[[Game Informer]]'' magazine issue of [[July 2006]]. ''Carbon'' is the first in the ''[[Need for Speed series|Need for Speed]]'' series to be released for all [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh generation]] consoles. ''Carbon'' features some of cars of its predecessors; namely [[Need for Speed: Underground 2]] and [[Need for Speed: Most Wanted]], but also incorporates many new additions including the [[Audi Le Mans quattro]], the [[Chrysler]] [[Chrysler 300C|300C SRT 8]], [[Chevrolet|Chevrolet's]] [[Chevrolet Chevelle|Chevelle SS]] and the [[Toyota]] [[Toyota MR2|MR2 Spyder]]. Carbon features the [[Canada|Canadian]] actress and model [[Emmanuelle Vaugier]] as [[Need for Speed series characters#Nikki 2|Nikki]], the player's main source of help and ally in the Career storyline. The game is now available for use with [[Mac OS X]]. <ref>{{cite web | title="EA Brings Hit Portfolio To Apple MAC OS X" | url= http://www.ea.com/article.jsp?id=mac | date=2007-06-11 | accessdate 2007-7-3}}</ref> ''Need for Speed: Carbon'' debuted at number one on the UK All Format Gaming Chart on its first week of release, beating [[Konami]]'s ''[[Pro Evolution Soccer]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title="Christmas charts take shape" | url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/24722/Christmas-charts-take-shape | date=2006-11-13 | accessdate=2006-11-13}}</ref>
| series = ''[[Need for Speed]]''

| engine = <!-- override wikidata -->
===Collector's Edition===
| platforms = {{plainlist|
The '''''Need for Speed: Carbon Collector's Edition''''' features 4 exclusive cars, 10 pre-tuned cars (out of the box), 6 new races, 3 unique challenge events, 10 unique [[Decal|vinyls]] and a Bonus DVD showing the making of Carbon and showcasing all the cars used in the game. The Collector's Edition also features alternate box art and metallic finish packaging. Although the Mac edition doesn't display the Collector's Edition title, it contains all Collector's Edition features.
* [[Windows]]

* [[Mac OS X]]
===EA Download version===
* [[PlayStation 2]]
The downloaded version of the game features the Ultimate Performance Kit, 2006 [[Pagani Zonda F]] and the 1971 [[Dodge Challenger]].
* [[PlayStation 3]]

* [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
===''Own the City''===
* [[Xbox 360]]
{{Infobox VG
* [[GameCube]]
|title= Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City
* [[Wii]]
|image=
* [[Zeebo]]
|caption=
* [[Arcade game|Arcade]]<ref name="monkey" />
|developer=[[EA Canada]]
* [[Game Boy Advance]]
|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]
* [[Nintendo DS]]
|distributor=
* [[PlayStation Portable]]
|designer=
* [[Mobile game|Mobile phone]]
|series=''[[Need for Speed series|Need for Speed]]''
}}
|engine=
| released = {{collapsible list|title=October 31, 2006|'''Mobile'''{{vgrelease|UK|October 27, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |last=James |first=Chris |title=New on O2 |url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/o2-mobile-charts/new-on-o2/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=www.pocketgamer.com |date=October 27, 2006 |language=en |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204832/https://www.pocketgamer.com/o2-mobile-charts/new-on-o2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>|NA|November 30, 2006}}'''DS''', '''GBA''', '''GC''', '''PSP''', '''Xbox'''<br />
|version=
{{vgrelease|NA|October 31, 2006<ref name="release">{{Cite web |title=EA peels out PC NFS Carbon demo |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-peels-out-pc-nfs-carbon-demo/1100-6160611/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204827/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-peels-out-pc-nfs-carbon-demo/1100-6160611/ |url-status=live }}</ref>|EU|November 3, 2006<ref name="euro">{{Cite news |date=2006-10-30 |title=NFS Carbon PC demo |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer.net |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/news301006nfscarbon |access-date=2023-03-29 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204823/https://www.eurogamer.net/news301006nfscarbon |url-status=live }}</ref>|AUS|November 9, 2006}}'''PS2''', '''Windows''', '''Xbox 360'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|October 31, 2006<ref name="release"/>|EU|November 3, 2006<ref name="euro"/>|AUS|November 16, 2006}}'''PlayStation 3'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|November 17, 2006<ref name="release"/>|PAL|March 23, 2007<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-03-22 |title=PS3 launch line-up finalised |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer.net |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/ps3-launch-line-up-finalised |access-date=2023-03-29 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204827/https://www.eurogamer.net/ps3-launch-line-up-finalised |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sony's PS3 to hit Europe, Australia on March 23 |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/183294/ps3-13.html |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Macworld |language=en |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204824/https://www.macworld.com/article/183294/ps3-13.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}'''Wii'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|November 19, 2006<ref name="release"/>|EU|December 8, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-12-08 |title=GONE IN 60 SECONDS…ALMOST! |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gone-in-60-secondsalmost |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204825/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gone-in-60-secondsalmost |url-status=live }}</ref>|AUS|December 14, 2006}}'''Mac OS X'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|August 17, 2007<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hoor-EA! Mac games hit Apple store today |url=https://www.engadget.com/2007-08-17-hoor-ea-mac-games-hit-apple-store-today.html |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Engadget |date=July 15, 2016 |language=en-US |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329204823/https://www.engadget.com/2007-08-17-hoor-ea-mac-games-hit-apple-store-today.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}'''Arcade'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|2008}}}}
|released=Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PSP:
| genre = [[Racing game|Racing]]
{{flagicon|USA}}2006-10-31<br>
| modes = {{plainlist|
{{flagicon|EUR}}2006-11-03<br>
* [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
{{flagicon|AUS}}2006-11-09<br>
* [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
{{flagicon|JPN}}2006-12-21 (PSP)<br>
}}
2007-10-25 (PSP)<br>
| composer = [[Trevor Morris (musician)|Trevor Morris]]
|genre= [[Racing game|Racing]]
|modes= [[Single player]], [[Multiplayer game|multiplayer]]
|ratings= {{vgratings|ESRB=E (GBA, NDS), E10+ (PSP)}}
|platforms= [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]], [[Game Boy Advance|GBA]], [[Nintendo DS|NDS]]
|media= [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] (PSP), [[Cartridge (electronics)|GBA Cartridge]] (GBA), [[Cartridge (electronics)|NDS Game Card]] (NDS)
}}
}}
'''''Need for Speed: Carbon''''' is a 2006 [[racing video game]] and the tenth installment in the [[Need for Speed|''Need for Speed'' series]]. Developed by [[EA Black Box]], [[Rovio Entertainment|Rovio Mobile]] and published by [[Electronic Arts]], it was released on October 31, 2006, for the [[PlayStation 2]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[Xbox 360]], [[GameCube]], [[Windows]], and [[Mac OS X]], and on November 19, 2006 as a launch title for the [[Wii]] and in 2008 for [[Arcade game|arcade cabinets]]. A portable version, '''''Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City''''', was released for the [[PlayStation Portable]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Nintendo DS]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/743/743342p1.html|title=''Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City'' Review|access-date=June 24, 2008|work=[[IGN]]|date=November 1, 2008|archive-date=February 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084032/http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/743/743342p1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Zeebo]],<ref name="gamasutra">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23776|title=Zeebo Officially Launches In Brazil With ''FIFA'', ''Need For Speed'', ''Brain Challenge''|first=Leigh|last=Alexander|publisher=Think Services|date=May 27, 2009|access-date=January 18, 2010|archive-date=November 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112032021/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23776|url-status=live}}</ref> While it featured similar gameplay to the console version, the portable versions included new or modified gameplay elements, a different setting and storyline, and a different selection of teammates. This is the final installment in the series to be released for Game Boy Advance.
The [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]], [[Nintendo DS]], and [[Game Boy Advance]] versions of the game are called '''''Need For Speed Carbon: Own the City''''', and is set in a fictional city named Coast City with a different storyline. This version features different AI abilities<ref name="OTC IGN">{{cite web |url=http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/743/743342p1.html |title=Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City Review |accessdate=2008-06-24 |work=IGN |date=2008-11-01 }}</ref> and also features the Audi TT and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS.


''Carbon'''s storyline takes place after the events of ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005 video game)|Need for Speed: Most Wanted]]'', and sees players conducting illegal [[street race]]s within the fictional city of Palmont City. The story focuses on the player's character taking control of the city from various street-racing gangs. While the gameplay is similar to its predecessor, ''Carbon'' introduced a number of new features, including crews and racing wingmen, [[Street racing#Japan|Touge]]-styled racing events, and greater customization options.
==Plot==


Upon the release of ''Carbon'', the game received positive reviews from critics, though it faced some criticism over elements of its gameplay mechanics, including a lack of emphasis on police chases compared to its predecessor. A special ''Collector's Edition'' version was also released for PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox 360. It included additional content; such new cars, new customization items and new events for two of its game modes. As of 2021, download versions of the game are no longer available for purchase in any online stores, and online play was shut down on September 1.<ref>{{Cite web|last=EA_David|date=May 31, 2021|title=An-announcement-about-some-older-NFS-titles|url=https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-Need-for-Speed-Games/An-announcement-about-some-older-NFS-titles/td-p/10386697|access-date=June 15, 2021|website=EA Answers HQ|archive-date=November 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113025639/https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-Need-for-Speed-Games/An-announcement-about-some-older-NFS-titles/td-p/10386697|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Max_Joker|date=May 31, 2021|title=Sun is setting on some older NFS titles – it's not you, it's us|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/needforspeed/comments/np6uig/sun_is_setting_on_some_older_nfs_titles_its_not/|access-date=June 10, 2021|website=r/needforspeed|archive-date=June 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621180344/https://www.reddit.com/r/needforspeed/comments/np6uig/sun_is_setting_on_some_older_nfs_titles_its_not/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Driving through Carbon Canyon in route to Palmont City, a flashback of what seems to be a race against Kenji, Angie, and Wolf comes to the player's mind. A police incident at the end of the race forces the player to make a hasty escape from Palmont. In present day, former Police Sergeant now turned [[bounty hunter]] Cross in his [[Chevrolet Corvette]] chases the player down the canyon<ref>Need For Speed Carbon Career Intro Cutscence</ref> leading to his [[BMW M3 GTR]] being totaled. Shortly before Cross can arrest the player, Darius and his crew arrive. Darius compensates Cross, and the player meets up with Nikki, an ex-girlfriend, on bad terms.<ref>Need For Speed Carbon Cutscence after initial pursuit against Cross.</ref>


The game was succeeded by ''[[Need for Speed: ProStreet]]'' in 2007.
Darius tells the player with the help of Nikki to clean up his image by beating the rival racing crews to gain territory and to reclaim his reputation as a respected street racer in Palmont. Winning races one by one, the player acquires territories and ultimately districts from Kenji ([[Tuner (car)|Tuners]]), Angie ([[Muscle cars]]), and Wolf ([[Supercar|Exotics]]). Beating each racer one by one, the player meets up with racers who want to join the player's crew; several of the defecting crew members slowly reveal their observations regarding the night the player took off from Palmont.

Owning all three districts, Darius asks the player to meet up with him, where he reveals he was just using the player all along to get more territory. When Darius leaves, the player, in brink of being arrested by Cross, is saved by Nikki who tells him that she now realizes everything that happened months ago after piecing together her view of the night and the viewpoints of the other racers. Realizing that Darius was ultimately liable for the player's fall that fateful night, the Player attempts to conquer Silverton, and oust Darius and his "Stacked Deck" crew, to clean up the player's reputation once and for all.

Winning races against "Stacked Deck", the player gets his chance to meet Darius in the canyon. But he tells the player that he will again have beat the previous three bosses in the canyons to battle him. Beating them, the player ultimately fights Darius and defeats him. Knowing the rules,Darius hands over his [[Audi Le Mans Quattro]] to the player and leaves from Palmont but not without warning the player to ''"enjoy it while it lasts, there's always someone out there who's a little faster than you are, and sooner or later they're gonna catch up..."''


==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
===Overview===
The gameplay is based upon rival [[street racing]] crews.
[[File:NFSCarbonAudiLeMansQuattro&LamborghiniLP640.jpg|left|thumb|A heavily modified [[Audi Le Mans quattro]] compared to a stock [[Lamborghini Murciélago]] LP-640, showing the "Autosculpt" feature of the game.]]
In the game, players take part in illegal street races that focus on different styles of races, utilizing a variety of licensed real-world cars (available at the time of the game's development and release) that can be upgraded and customized with new parts, while contending with the involvement of the police in their efforts to impede the player. Racing Events focus on competitive races with other drivers on circuits or point-to-point routes, checkpoint races, and races involving sprints or [[Drifting (motorsport)|drifting]] (the latter being absent in its predecessor), with players able to use Nitrous Oxide and Speedbreaker whenever needed – either to help win races or get out of tight spots – both of which recharge over time. The game itself features four game modes – Career, Quick Race, Challenge Series, and Multiplayer – with the latter featuring online gameplay available in all console and PC versions of the game, except the [[Wii]]'s edition.


The game operates on the same gameplay mechanics used in previous entries in the series, including its predecessor ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005 video game)|Most Wanted]]'', though ''Carbon'' introduced new elements. A new element exclusive to ''Carbon'' is Canyon events – special racing events styled after Japanese [[Mountain pass|Tōge]] racing, in which players compete in competitive racing on canyon roads outside the game's main setting. These events consist of sprints, drifting and duel events, in which the latter two feature a majority of destructible guardrails that the player must avoid crashing through or risk losing these respective events as a result. Duel events on these circuits operate differently to events involving major rival racers in ''Need for Speed'' games, as these are conducted across two stages on a canyon circuit – in each stage, one driver acts as the chaser and pursues the other at close proximity, with the first stage seeing the player as the chaser and scoring points the closer they can tail their opponent, while in the second stage their opponent becomes the chaser and the player must keep as much distance as possible to avoid losing too many points before the stage is completed. At the end of both stages, the car who took the lead wins if their score is positive, otherwise, their opponent wins if they turned it negative. Apart from scores, an instant win is possible depending on which mode the Duel is conducted in – in Career mode, the player can win instantly if they can stay ahead of their opponent for ten seconds, but lose if they fall behind for too long; in Online Multiplayer, a player wins if their opponent crashes through a guardrail.
Players run a crew and can hire specific street racers to be in their crew. Each hirable street racer has two skills, one which is a racing skill (scout, blocker, and drafter) and a non-race skill (fixer, mechanic, and fabricator). Each skill has different properties from finding hidden alleys/back streets to reducing police attention.


[[Police pursuit]]s, a staple of the series, function similar to ''Most Wanted'' in that police can turn up at any time during a race and attempt to impede the player during the event, except in Canyon Race events and checkpoint races; in Career mode, the police can also turn up during Free Roam, but will not act against the player unless they have a [[Arrest warrant|warrant]] (for evading a previous pursuit) or committed an offence in their sight, whereupon they focus on blocking in and arresting the player unless they can lose them and find a safe spot to hide until they lose their heat. As the player is pursued, they can either attempt to evade the cops or knock them out of action by ramming their cars or using destructible props called Pursuit Breakers to impede their pursuit, though extensive pursuits will cause the player's heat level to rise, leading to stronger pursuit tactics including [[spike strip]]s, [[roadblock]]s, and the involvement of state/federal authorities. ''Carbon'' modified the pursuit function by making police less dominant in arrest tactics at higher heat levels, and reducing the chance a Pursuit Breaker blocks/destroys a pursuing vehicle.
In career mode, players have to race tracks to conquer territories and face off against bosses to conquer districts.
Unlike ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted'' and ''Underground'', ''Carbon'' removed drag racing. However, ''Carbon'' features the return of [[Drifting (motorsport)|drift]] racing, a mode that had been included in two previous installments ''[[Need For Speed: Underground]]'' and ''[[Need For Speed: Underground 2|Underground 2]]'', but omitted from ''Carbon''{{'}}s predecessor, [[Need For Speed: Most Wanted|''Most Wanted'']]; and new style of race, Canyon Racing, based on Japanese [[Touge]] races. There are four types of Canyon Races: Canyon Duel, Canyon Race, Canyon Checkpoint and Canyon Drift. Canyon Duels consists of two stages. In the first stage the follower gains points contingent on how tight and aggressive he/she can follow the leader. In the second stage the follower takes the lead and loses points depending on how good the first stage leader follows the follower. The follower wins the duel by reaching the finish line with the most points. The leader loses the race if the follower passes the leader for ten seconds. The follower loses the race if he/she falls behind for ten seconds. Either car will lose the race if one falls off the cliff. Checkpoint races works the same way Tollbooth races worked in ''Most Wanted'' &mdash; players must get from one point to another within the allotted time.


Licensed real-world cars used in the game are divided into three tiers (performance level) and three classes – [[Exotic car|Exotic]], [[Import scene|Tuner]], and [[Muscle car|Muscle]]. For example, a [[Nissan 240SX]] is a tier 1 tuner car, while a [[Chevrolet Corvette (C6) Z06|Corvette Z06]] is a tier 3 muscle car. Each car class also has advantages and disadvantages in terms of driving styles. Tuner cars have the best handling and cornering but have the lowest acceleration and top speed. Muscle cars have the best acceleration but have poor handling. Exotic cars have the highest top speed and better handling than Muscle cars but are not as agile as Tuners. Cars receive visual damage during the game, but no physical damage. Cars can be upgraded in performance through new components and fine-tuning of each component – such upgrades can help, for example, to improve speed, or improve braking. ''Carbon'' added the ability to customize visual parts via autosculpt parts, which allow adjustments of components for example, while adding flexibility with vinyls and decals by allowing them to be placed in layers over each other, with the ability to modify these in shape and size, and place them anywhere on the car. Additional cars and customization parts can be acquired through completing Reward Cards – each card consists of a set of challenges for the player to complete across the game modes, and reward the player either with a new vehicle to use or new parts for customization.
There is also the ability now to upload one's in-game screenshots to [http://www.needforspeed.com/ the ''Need for Speed'' website], complete with stats and modifications. Also, the [[personal computer|PC]], Xbox 360, and PS3 versions features an online only, "Be the Cop" racing mode, wherein the fastest player has to try and evade the others who are all police; once someone overtakes the fastest player they then become the hunted car.


=== Career Mode ===
In the PS2 edition of the game, some of the aftermarket wheels cannot be unlocked, only can be seen on other racers.
The game's main mode focuses on the player competing in races against rival street racing crews, instead of individual racers like in ''Most Wanted'' and ''[[Need for Speed: Underground 2|Underground 2]]''. When starting in Career mode, players must choose a class that is not only permanent for their playthrough in this mode, but also dictates which of the initial three districts in the game's setting they begin in and which racing events are available first. Additional cars and classes become unlocked as the player progresses in this mode; any cars earned from Reward Cards for Quick Race mode are also available but without limitation. Players operate their own crew in Career mode and can recruit AI wingmen to assist them, each of whom operates under a different role – Blocker, Drafter, and Scout – and specialty – Fixer, Mechanic, and Fabricator. The type of role and specialty that each wingman operate under dictates how they assist the player – some can find shortcuts during races, while others can help to reduce police heat – with their role also dictating which car they drive in; the first two wingmen the player unlocks have their cars match the player's chosen class. During races, players may use their wingmen for a period of time, after which they must wait a while until their wingmen gauge has recharged before they can use them again, with the exception of scouts, who use their role for the entire race to find shortcuts.


To win career mode, players compete in races against other crews to secure territory – each district has a number of territories, each controlled either by the district's main crew or a minor crew through a series of racing events. Winning a majority of the races in a territory converts control to the player's crew and unlocks additional races elsewhere. Races that have been won can be engaged again, but the prize money offered is reduced as a result. Taking control of all territories will unlock a duel event with the main crew's boss, in which winning the event will allow the player to unlock special rewards, in a similar manner to the rewards offered in rival events in ''Most Wanted''. As the player accumulates territories, they can lose any earned by losing control over its racing events to minor crews, either by failing to defeat them in takeover challenges or forfeiting the right to do so.
===Controls===
Control of the actual game play varies on among the different consoles. The [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]] control steering through the use of their joysticks, while acceleration and braking as well as other controls can be configured and mapped to the different buttons on the controllers. On [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], joysticks and wheel controllers are supported, as well as those that support [[force feedback]].


=== Quick Race===
The [[Wii]] lacks online game play, but fully supports the use of the [[Wii Remote]].
Quick Race mode allows players to create custom events for single-player or multiplayer – both splitscreen or online – making use of any circuit and cars in the game, and altering various factors such as the difficulty of opponents, track conditions and so forth; what cars and circuits can be used depends on the player's progress in Career mode, though all players can be allowed to use wingmen they have unlocked in these events, provided this option is allowed.


===Challenge Series===
==Features==
Challenge Series consists of a series of racing events that are divided into 12 categories, each divided further into three difficulty levels. Each challenge event requires the player to complete a specific goal, depending on the type of event, using a set car on a specific course in the game. Players may choose any category to begin with, unlike in ''Most Wanted'', but must complete in order of Easy to Hard. Completing all of the difficulty levels of a challenge unlocks either a new car or customization option for the player to use in other modes.
=== Car customization ===
[[Image:NFSCarbonAudiLeMansQuattro&LamborghiniLP640.jpg|left|thumb|200px|A heavily modified [[Audi Le Mans Quattro]] is compared to a stock [[Lamborghini Murciélago LP640]] , showing the "Autosculpt" feature of the game.]]


=== Online Multiplayer ===
''Carbon'' features a new car customization option called "Autosculpt", enabling players to utilize aftermarket car parts and shape/mould the parts to their liking. Players can also have multiple customed vinyls as well. Performance tuning has been redone so that players, as upgrades are purchased, can tune the car for a number of different properties, such as higher top speed or higher acceleration. Unlike ''Most Wanted'', all of Carbon's performance tuning/enhancing and car customizing is done inside the safe house.
Online Multiplayer mode includes circuit, sprint, canyon duels, and two multiplayer exclusive events – Pursuit Knockout and Pursuit Tag:
* In Pursuit Knockout, players compete in laps of a circuit, with each player in last place being knocked out and returning as cops to hinder the other players. The winner is the player who ends the race in first place.
* In Pursuit Tag, one player is a racer and must evade the others, who operate as the cops. If the player is arrested by another, they switch roles. The winner is the player who spends the most time as the racer.


===Characters===
== Plot ==
=== Setting ===
As with ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted'', players will interact with key storyline characters (Darius, Nikki, Cross, Angie, Wolf, and Kenji) ranging from antagonists, and selectable "crew members" in which some claim to be connected to the player's central plot.
''Carbon'' takes place within the fictional city of Palmont, which encompasses four boroughs linked by a highway system; Kempton, which houses the city's industrial complexes; Downtown, which houses the city's metropolitan and financial buildings; Fortuna, which houses the city's residential area; and Silverton, which houses the city's casino & resort facilities. The city is also surrounded by three canyons known as East, West, and Carbon, which feature their own layout of the route, but which are not connected to Palmont. In the game's story, which takes place during a fixed period at night, the player is not able to access Silverton until they have made progress in career mode and only can access the canyon routes during events.


=== Story ===
The player will run a crew throughout career mode and will run into several '''major crews''', '''minor crews''', and "hirable" crew members as career mode progresses.
Several years prior to the events of ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005 video game)|Most Wanted]]'', a street racer (whose role is assumed by the player) took part in a major street race around Palmont for a large cash prize. The three other racers were each the leader of a street racing crew: Bushido's Kenji ([[Ken Kirby]]), 21st Street's Angie (Danielle Kremeniuk), and T.F.K. (The Fortuna Kings)'s Wolf (Shaw Madson). However, the racers were ambushed by the Palmont Police Department (PPD), who had [[Special Weapons And Tactics|SWAT]] immobilize the player's opponents with an [[Electromagnetic Pulse|EMP]] and began arresting everyone involved. The player escaped with the help of Darius ([[Tahmoh Penikett]]), the leader for the Stacked Deck, and his then-girlfriend Nikki ([[Emmanuelle Vaugier]]); before leaving she handed over the bag containing the race's prize money, but it turned out to contain paper. Under Darius' advice, the player quickly fled Palmont after being accused of sabotaging the race.


Following his narrow escape from Rockport, the player returns to Palmont but is pursued along a canyon route by former police sergeant Jonathan Cross, who after previously appearing as a police officer in ''Most Wanted'', now works as a [[bounty hunter]] and seeks revenge against him. After a long and heated canyon chase, the player's [[BMW M3 GTR]] gets totaled, and Cross attempts to arrest them for the 150-thousand-dollar bounty on their head but is paid off by Darius. Offering to help the player, Darius asks Nikki, who now dates him, assist him despite her belief that the player betrayed everyone for the prize money. With Nikki's help, the player receives two crew members{{snd}}Neville ([[Chris Gauthier]]) and Sal ([[Elias Toufexis]]){{snd}}to help in races and a safehouse to operate from. On Darius' advice, the player begins taking part in street races for control over territories controlled by rival crews across three of the city's main boroughs. In the process, he also engages against Kenji, Angie and Wolf, defeating them and securing a member of their crew to aid them, each of whom confides in the player that they suspect someone else set up both them and each crew member's former bosses as Yumi ([[Melody (Japanese singer)|Melody]]), Colin (Steve Lawlor), and Samson ([[Noah Danby]]) were all at the race between the player, Angie, Wolf, and Kenji, and each of them saw a vital piece of evidence to confirm the race had been rigged and doomed to an ambush by the PPD all along.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Need for Speed: Carbon|developer=[[Electronic Arts]]|publisher=Electronic Arts|date=2006|platform=[[PlayStation 2]]|quote=Need For Speed Carbon – various cutscenes after unlocking Sal, Colin of TFK, Yumi of Bushido, and Samson of 21st Street.}}</ref>
Nikki: Casted by Emmanuelle Vaugier. Drives a Ford GT. The player's girlfriend, who eventually becomes a selectable crew member later in the game. (Drafter/Mechanic)


After securing all three boroughs, Darius calls a meeting with the player, only to reveal that he sought to use the player to take control of the city from the other crews, betraying him to Cross. After leaving, Nikki arrives to save the player after making a secret deal with Cross. She soon reveals that Darius was responsible for setting up the player for the theft of the prize money{{snd}}Darius had tipped off the police, and in the chaos that ensued, switched out the prize money while leaving the player to take the blame by helping them escape the [[police sting]].<ref>{{cite video game|title=Need for Speed: Carbon|developer=[[Electronic Arts]]|publisher=Electronic Arts|date=2006|platform=[[PlayStation 2]]|quote=Need For Speed Carbon cutscene after beating the last crew.}}</ref> Now aware of the truth, Nikki sides with the player to help take control of the last city borough, leading Darius to reinforce his crew with assistance from Kenji, Angie and Wolf to prevent this.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Need for Speed: Carbon|developer=[[Electronic Arts]]|publisher=Electronic Arts|date=2006|platform=[[PlayStation 2]]|quote=Need For Speed Carbon Cutscene after unlocking Nikki.}}</ref> The player eventually defeats Darius and his crew, gaining control of all of Palmont's territory and wins Darius's [[Audi Le Mans quattro]] in a pink slip, despite Darius warning them to enjoy their victory before someone faster than them takes over.<ref>{{cite video game|title=Need for Speed: Carbon|developer=[[Electronic Arts]]|publisher=Electronic Arts|platform=[[PlayStation 2]]|date=2006|quote=''Need For Speed Carbon'' Cutscene after beating Darius.}}</ref>
Darius: Casted by Tahmoh Penikett. Drives an Audi Le Mans Quattro. Leader of Stacked Deck gang, located in silverton. Helps the player escape in the beginning, but apparently has a hidden agenda as the game progresses.


== Development ==
Cross: Casted by Dean McKenzie. drives a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Formerly a police sergeant who lost his job after failing to stop the player from escaping Rockport in NFS:MW. Currently works as a bounty hunter bringing street racers to justice.
''Need for Speed: Carbon'' was first shown in [[Electronic Arts|EA]]'s montage at [[Nintendo]]'s [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] 2006 conference and booth and was the cover story in the ''[[Game Informer]]'' magazine issue from July. ''Carbon'' is the first in the [[Need for Speed|''Need for Speed'' series]] to be released for the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Wii]] consoles and also the final in the series to be released for [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[GameCube]], and [[Game Boy Advance]]. ''Carbon'' features some of cars of its predecessors, namely ''[[Need for Speed: Underground 2]]'' and ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005 video game)|Need for Speed: Most Wanted]]'', but also incorporates many new additions including the [[Audi Le Mans quattro]], the [[Chrysler]] [[Chrysler 300#SRT|300C SRT 8]], [[Chevrolet]]'s [[Chevrolet Chevelle|Chevelle SS]], and the [[Alfa Romeo Brera]]. Carbon features the Canadian actress and model [[Emmanuelle Vaugier]] as Nikki, the player's main source of help and ally in the Career storyline. The game is available for use with [[Mac OS X]]<ref>{{cite web|title=EA > GAMEFINDER > ''Need for Speed Carbon'' |url=http://findgames.ea.com/game/needforspeedcarbon |access-date=December 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220163304/http://findgames.ea.com/game/needforspeedcarbon |archive-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref> and is the only game in the ''Need for Speed'' series available on a Macintosh computer. The minimum system requirements for Mac OS X include an [[List of Intel processors|Intel Core Duo processor]].<ref name="allgamesystemrequirements">{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=52899&tab=sysreqs |title=Need for Speed: Carbon - Macintosh System Requirements|last=Leach |first=Gracie |publisher = [[AllGame]] |access-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114233150/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=52899&tab=overview |archive-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> ''Need for Speed: Carbon'' debuted at number one on the UK All Format Gaming Chart on its first week of release, beating [[Konami]]'s ''[[Pro Evolution Soccer]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Christmas charts take shape|url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/24722/Christmas-charts-take-shape|date=November 13, 2006|access-date=November 13, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926233635/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/24722/Christmas-charts-take-shape|archive-date=September 26, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>


''Carbon'' was also the first game in the series to feature detailed character animations for the Windows and seventh-generation releases using [[facial motion capture]], where in-game models of characters such as Neville, Darius, Wolf, Angie and Kenji appear in real-time cutscenes taunting or remarking the player in a race or at certain points.<ref name="Orvalho">{{Cite book |last1=Orvalho |first1=Verónica Costa |last2=Orvalho |first2=João |date=2011 |journal=Business, Technological, and Social Dimensions of Computer Games: Multidisciplinary Developments |title=Character Animation: Past, Present and Future |chapter=Character Animation |pages=49–64 |doi=10.4018/978-1-60960-567-4.ch004 |isbn=9781609605674 |chapter-url=http://www.igi-global.com/chapter/character-animation-past-present-future/53921 |language=en |access-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920204607/https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/character-animation-past-present-future/53921 |url-status=live }}</ref> This has however been omitted on the sixth-generation and Wii versions due to platform limitations.
Angie: Casted by Danielle Kremeniuk. Drives a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T. Later 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept. Leader of 21st Street Gang, located in Kempton, prefers muscle cars.


The '''''Need for Speed: Carbon – Collector's Edition''''' was released for PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox 360. It features four exclusive cars, ten pre-tuned cars, six new races, three unique challenge events, ten unique [[Decal|vinyls]] and a Bonus DVD showing the making of ''Carbon'' and showcasing all the cars used in the game. The Collector's Edition also features alternate box art and a metallic-finish sleeve encasing the case of the game. Although the Mac edition doesn't display the Collector's Edition title, it contains all Collector's Edition features. The downloaded version of the game features the Ultimate Performance Kit, 2006 [[Pagani Zonda]] F and the 1971 [[Dodge Challenger]] R/T. An arcade version of the same name was released by EA Arcades in 2008.<ref name="monkey">{{cite web|url=http://www.monkeygamesroom.co.uk/arcade-machines/driving-arcade-machines/need-for-speed-carbon-twin-driving-arcade-machine/prod_568.html|title=Arcade Machines – Driving Arcade Machines – ''Need For Speed Carbon'' Twin Driving Arcade Machine|work=Monkey Gamesroom|access-date=March 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204055047/http://www.monkeygamesroom.co.uk/arcade-machines/driving-arcade-machines/need-for-speed-carbon-twin-driving-arcade-machine/prod_568.html|archive-date=February 4, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="arcade">{{cite web|url=http://www.primetimeamusements.com/arcadegame.php?id=221|title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' – Standard Model|work=PrimeTime Amusements|access-date=March 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016001013/http://www.primetimeamusements.com/arcadegame.php?id=221|archive-date=October 16, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Kenji: Casted by Ken Kirby. Drives a Mazda RX-7. Later Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Leader of Bushido Gang, located in Downtown Palmont, prefers tuner cars.


The arcade version was developed by [[Global VR]].
Wolf: Casted by Shaw Madson. Drives an Aston Martin DB9. Later Lamborghini Murcielago. Leader of TFK Gang, located in Fortuna, prefers exotic cars.


== Soundtrack ==
Colin: Casted by Steve Lawlor. Drafter/Fabricator as a crew member.
The game features a licensed soundtrack by EA Trax just like other games developed by EA. Unlike most other games, there are different songs depending on what car category you are using. For Tuners, it mostly plays electronica music performed by artists like [[Gary Numan]], [[Ladytron]], [[The Presets]], as well as [[Melody (Japanese singer)|Melody]] (who is known for portraying the Bushido crew member Yumi in the game). For Muscles, they mostly play rock songs performed by artists like [[Eagles of Death Metal]], [[Wolfmother]] and [[Kyuss]]. For Exotics, its mostly rap songs performed by Ekstrak, [[Pharrell Williams|Pharrell]], Sway, [[Spank Rock]] and [[Dynamite MC]]. These songs can only be heard during free roam or checkpoint races. The game also has a composed soundtrack performed by Trevor Morris that mostly plays during race sequences and canyon duels. Some of the pursuit chase music performed by Paul Linford that was originally featured in ''[[Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005 video game)|Need For Speed: Most Wanted]]'' also plays during pursuit chases.


== Reception ==
Neville: Casted by Chris Gauthier. Blocker/Fixer as a crew member.
{{Video game reviews
| MC = (PC) 78/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Aggregate score for PC at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=February 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211191459/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(X360) 77/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360|title=Aggregate score for Xbox 360 at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=January 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106235303/https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(PS3) 75/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3|title=Aggregate score for PlayStation 3 at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=March 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304135546/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(GC) 75/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube|title=Aggregate score for GameCube at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=February 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224233832/https://www.metacritic.com/game/gamecube/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(PS2) 74/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Aggregate score for PlayStation 2 at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=February 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214171240/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(Xbox) 74/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox|title=Aggregate score for Xbox at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=May 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522064034/https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(PSP) 73/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=psp|title=Aggregate score for PlayStation Portable at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=March 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315150212/https://www.metacritic.com/game/psp/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(NDS) 70/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=ds|title=Aggregate score for Nintendo DS at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=February 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227202731/https://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(Wii) 67/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/need-for-speed-carbon/critic-reviews/?platform=wii|title=Aggregate score for Wii at Metacritic|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 2, 2023|archive-date=February 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216172121/https://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/need-for-speed-carbon|url-status=live}}</ref>
| GSpot = (PSP) 7.9/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-6161502/ |title=PlayStation Portable review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716223812/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-6161502/ |archive-date=July 16, 2013}}</ref><br />(PC, X360, Xbox, & NDS) 7.6/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6161048/ |title=PC review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229191300/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6161048/ |archive-date=February 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6160883/ |title=Xbox 360 review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228175638/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6160883/ |archive-date=February 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6160932/ |title=Xbox review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217084630/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6160932 |archive-date=December 17, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6161494/ |title=Nintendo DS review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219192059/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6161494 |archive-date=December 19, 2011}}</ref><br />(PS2, PS3, & GC) 7.4/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6162200/ |title=PlayStation 3 review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724005937/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6162200/ |archive-date=July 24, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6160933/ |title=PlayStation 2 review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720043442/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6160933/ |archive-date=July 20, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6161044/ |title=GameCube review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723220647/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6161044/ |archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref><br />(Wii) 7.1/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6162626/ |title=Wii review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222011905/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6162626 |archive-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref><br />(GBA) 6.5/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-6161483/ |title=Game Boy Advance review at GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719194152/http://uk.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-carbon/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-6161483/ |archive-date=July 19, 2013}}</ref>
| IGN = (PC) 8.2/10<ref name=IGNPC>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/10/28/need-for-speed-carbon-review-6?page=3 |title=PC review at IGN|date=November 2021}}</ref><br />(PS3) 7.9/10<ref name=IGNPS3>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/16/need-for-speed-carbon-review-2?page=2|title=PlayStation 3 review at IGN|date=November 2021|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-date=December 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213031429/http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/16/need-for-speed-carbon-review-2?page=2|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(GC & Xbox) 7.8/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/10/28/need-for-speed-carbon-review-3?page=3 |title=GameCube review at IGN|date=November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/10/28/need-for-speed-carbon-review-5?page=3 |title=Xbox review at IGN|date=November 2021}}</ref><br />(NDS) 7.5/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/04/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-2|title=Nintendo DS review at IGN|date=November 2021|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-date=January 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107074622/https://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/04/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-2|url-status=live}}</ref><br />(Wii) 7.4/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/12/05/need-for-speed-carbon-review?page=3 |title=Wii review at IGN|date=November 2021}}</ref><br />(PSP & GBA) 7.0/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/02/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-3|title=PlayStation Portable review at IGN|date=November 2021|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-date=January 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110194413/https://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/02/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review-3|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/09/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review|title=Game Boy Advance review at IGN|date=November 2021|access-date=March 14, 2013|archive-date=January 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102223054/https://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/11/09/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city-review|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Macworld = (Mac) {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Peter|title=Need for Speed: Carbon - Mac Review|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/188681/nfscarbon.html|publisher=Macworld|access-date=March 19, 2024|archive-date=March 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319175916/https://www.macworld.com/article/188681/nfscarbon.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Play = 76%<ref>Play magazine review, issue 151, [[Imagine Publishing]]</ref>
}}


''Need for Speed: Carbon'' was met with generally positive reviews. ''[[IGN]]'' gave the PC version an 8.2 out of ten<ref name=IGNPC /> and the PlayStation 3 version a 7.9 out of ten.<ref name=IGNPS3 /> ''[[GameSpot]]'' gave praise for adding more movie clips, customization and solid gameplay, but was critical about frustrating boss battles and underutilizing police chases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Need for Speed Carbon Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review/1900-6161048/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=June 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624211238/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/need-for-speed-carbon-review/1900-6161048/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Sal: Casted by Elias Toufexis. Scout/Fabricator as a crew member.


''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' gave the game an average score of eight.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3151671|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718055520/http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3151671|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 18, 2012|title=PC Game, Need for Speed: Carbon}}</ref> ''[[Hyper (magazine)|Hyper]]''{{'}}s Daniel Wilks commended the game for its "large gameworld", but criticized it for its easy drift course mechanics and the actors in the cutscenes.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilks|first=Daniel|date=December 2006|title=Need for Speed: Carbon|journal=[[Hyper (magazine)|Hyper]]|publisher=[[Next Media]]|issue=158|page=72|issn=1320-7458}}</ref> The Australian video game talk show ''[[Good Game (television series)|Good Game]]'' gave the game five out of ten.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s1803922.htm| title=Good Game stories – ''Need for Speed: Carbon''| publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation| date=December 5, 2006| access-date=June 11, 2010| archive-date=September 8, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908221908/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s1803922.htm| url-status=live}}</ref>
Samson: Casted by Noah Danby. Blocker/Fixer as a crew member.


''[[Macworld]]'' editor Peter Cohen gave the Mac OS X port four out of five stars, praising the variety of different cars to choose from and engaging storyline. Mild criticism was noted relating to performance issues.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Peter|title=Need for Speed: Carbon - Mac Review|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/188681/nfscarbon.html|publisher=Macworld|access-date=March 19, 2024|archive-date=March 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319175916/https://www.macworld.com/article/188681/nfscarbon.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Yumi: Casted by Melody. Scout/Mechanic as a crew member.


The [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] nominated ''Need for Speed: Carbon'' for "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Racing Game of the Year|Racing Game of the Year]]" at the [[10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2007&idGameAwardType=120 |title=2007 Awards Category Details Racing Game of the Year |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |website=interactive.org |access-date=8 November 2023 |archive-date=November 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128141605/https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2007&idGameAwardType=120 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Race types===
[[Image:Nfscarbon.jpg|right|thumb|400px|A [[Mitsubishi]] [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution|Lancer Evolution IX]] and a [[Lamborghini]] [[Lamborghini Gallardo|Gallardo]] in a Canyon Duel--a game mode that resembles [[touge]].]]
''Need for Speed: Carbon'' features 10 race types as follows: sprint, circuit, drift, checkpoint, race wars, canyon duel, canyon sprint, canyon drift, canyon checkpoint, and speedtrap. Some race types are accessible only through the game's challenge series set.


''Need for Speed: Carbon'' has sold 3.2 million copies in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Totu|first1=Florian|title=100 million ''Need for Speed'' Games Have Been Sold to This Day|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/100-million-Need-for-Speed-Games-Have-Been-Sold-to-This-Day-125015.shtml|website=[[Softpedia]]|publisher=SoftNews NET SRL|access-date=August 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402024311/http://news.softpedia.com/news/100-million-Need-for-Speed-Games-Have-Been-Sold-to-This-Day-125015.shtml|archive-date=April 2, 2012|date=October 22, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Its PlayStation 2 version received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the [[Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association]] (ELSPA),<ref name=dpelspa>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520070249/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3945 |url=http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3945 |title=ELSPA Sales Awards: Double Platinum |work=[[Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association]] |archive-date=May 20, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.<ref name=gamasutrasales>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |title=ELSPA: ''Wii Fit'', ''Mario Kart'' Reach Diamond Status In UK | author=Caoili, Eric | date=November 26, 2008 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Most of ''Carbon's'' focus lies through various canyon races, which the game's theme is based on. Players have to race against other racers, drift through canyons, or even face off against an opponent in a one-on-one competition known as a "canyon duel", borrowed from Japanese [[Touge]] races.


== ''Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City'' ==
===Pursuit system===
=== Gameplay ===
As with ''Most Wanted'', cops are everywhere in ''Carbon''. Police chases can break out at any time, including when in Free Roam mode, when racing, or just after a race is completed. Some races do not have a chance of a police pursuit, such as Canyon races, and Checkpoint races. As with ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted'', there are 5 conditions. Players have to be careful to avoid getting pursued by state or federal authorities.On the Collectors Edition,there is an additional 'heat' level,Heat 7.
''Own the City'' features similar gameplay to the console editions, but while the Autosculpt function, Canyon Race events and drifting events are absent, the portable edition allows for free-roaming around the game's setting of Coast City, offers three new racing events, and modification to some of the gameplay mechanics. The new events consist of Escape, in which players attempt to escape from a rival crew's territory; Delivery, in which players and their crew race to a designated area with a package and attempt to beat other racers doing the same thing; and Crew Takedown, in which players to eliminate a set number of rival racers to win. During free roam, the player can explore the city and seek out crates scattered across the game's setting, in a similar manner to the hidden package system in ''Grand Theft Auto'', which when broken unlock rewards ranging from cash to game art. Police pursuits can occur in ''Own the City'', but only in free roam; the player is not pursued during racing events.


Players can hire up to five wingmen for their racing crew, in which two members may be active for use in racing events, though like ''Carbon'' they cannot be used in the game's Lap Knockout, Escape, and Crew Takedown events. Wingmen are divided into three classes – Brawlers, Drafters, and Assassins. While the first two classes operate in a similar manner to ''Carbon''{{'}}s wingmen roles of Blockers and Drafters respectively, Assassins replace the console's role of Scouts, and can be used to take out multiple rivals with deployable spike strips. The game's main mode of gameplay requires players to take control of territory – unlike the setting of Palmont, Coast City features around 13 areas of territory across 6 districts, with each area that is conquered unlocking new items for purchase and a new wingman for the player to recruit.
The police cars in Carbon are almost identical to that of [[Most Wanted]]'s.The only difference is the police department logo(Palmont Police Department)and the change of the [[Corvette C6]] to [[Corvette Z06]].The helicopter however only appears in cut scenes in Carbon and will not be involved in chases unlike that of [[Most Wanted]].


=== Plot ===
Although the pursuit system is similar to ''Most Wanted'', this feature has been reprogrammed in ''Carbon'' to ensure that police were not too dominant in arrest tactics in high pursuit levels. Some of the police tactics (such as the spike strips) while at the same time to make pursuits much harder to escape once a pursuit initiates.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
The player and their brother Mick compete in an illegal street race with two other racers, seeking to see who will own the whole of Coast City amongst them. However, the race ends in a terrible car crash that kills Mick and leaves the player in the hospital with amnesia. In the aftermath of Mick's death, his control over the city's territories is divided up between various street racing crews. When the player wakes up six months later, they are greeted by Mick's girlfriend Sara and his wingman Carter, both of whom help the player regain their memories of the race when visiting their brother's grave.


The player sets out to find who killed Mick, forming a crew to help them race and defeat the other crews, regaining territory and asking the defeated crew bosses what they know about the race's accident. During this time, Sara disappears. Eventually, the player is informed that a young driver named Buddy caused the crash, whereupon a crew boss known as EX helps the player to locate Buddy. When they confront the driver, the player learns that Buddy was hired by someone to kill Mick, and hands them a phone. Upon completing more races, the player encounters and defeats an undercover police officer named MK, who uses his connection with the city's police to trace Buddy's employer. The player soon discovers that EX planned Mick's murder, and so pursues after and defeats him, leaving him to be apprehended by MK and the city police.
===Cars===
<!--PLEASE ADD CARLISTS!-->
Players can choose from many licensed cars divided into three classes as follows: Tuners, Muscle cars, and Exotic cars. Each car has its own characteristic ranging from easy cornering to well-balanced road performance. Players have to learn how to master each car class in order to play the game well. Players can choose a class to start career mode on which the set of unlocks will be different.


Sara soon returns and instructs the player to race her, whereupon she reveals that the player arranged for EX to kill Mick. Sara reveals that the player's brother had a monstrous personality that led to her and the player being hurt, so the player arranged for Mick to be killed in an accident during a race to be rid of him, thus allowing Sara and themselves to be free. Sara soon embraces her freedom, handing over Mick's watch and stating how different the player is to him.
There are 3 types of cars featured in the game:


== References ==
*Tuner Cars - Their strongest point is handling, with decent acceleration but a low top speed. They consist of Japanese cars and mainstream European models. Like: [[Mazda RX-7]], [[Mazdaspeed3]], [[Toyota Supra]].
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
*Exotic Cars - Their strongest point is their top speed, but they also have decent acceleration and handling. Most of the cars in this class are from European companies. Many players of the game choose this class because it is the most balanced car type in the game. Like: [[Lamborghini Gallardo]], [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]], [[Porsche Carrera GT]].
*{{moby game|/need-for-speed-carbon}}
*{{moby game|/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city|''Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City'' (PlayStation Portable)}}
*{{moby game|/need-for-speed-carbon-own-the-city_|''Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City'' (Nintendo DS)}}
* {{IMDb title|0790814|Need For Speed: Carbon| (2006 Video Game)}}


*Muscle Cars - Their strongest point is acceleration and a decent top speed. Their handling is poor though, and such cars are prone to sliding. Most cars are from companies of the United States. Like:[[Shelby GT500]] (1967), [[Chevrolet Corvette Z06]], [[Dodge Charger]] SRT8.

Players can also unlock cars that are reserved for quick races as the players progress throughout the game and earn reward cards.

<!--PLEASE ADD CARLISTS!-->

==Location==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:City layouts.jpg|thumb]] -->
The game is set inside the fictional city of Palmont which exists alongside of [[Rockport (Need for Speed)|Rockport]], which was used in [[Need for Speed: Most Wanted]], [[Bayview (Need for Speed)|Bayview]], which was used in [[Need for Speed: Underground 2]], and Olympic City, which was used in [[Need for Speed Underground]]. On the "Eternity Pass" canyon course (the track in which the player faces off against Darius), you can see all of Palmont and, in the shadows, Rockport, the island to the left; and Bayview, the island to the right, by breaking the first barrier you come across.

There are three major canyons in '''Palmont''', East, West and Carbon canyon. A major coastal area covers the southwestern part of the city. There are also some major rivers and a lake near Carbon Canyon.

The city is divided into four parts at the beginning of the game, one for each of the major crews. However, when you complete the career mode, Palmont is no longer divided, because all of the city is your territory. There is a highway system going around all of Palmont.

Also note that the location for Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City is not Palmont City but a fictional city named Coast City.

==Soundtrack==
By default, hip-hop songs are played when the player is driving an exotic car, electronic songs are played when the player is driving a tuner car, and rock music is played when the player is driving a muscle car. Though, this setting can be turned off. These songs were released by EA in very limited quantities on a special edition disc.

The songs played within the safe house and other game menus, as well as a small number of races were composed by [[Ekstrak]], and was released widely by EA, and is available from online retailers such as iTunes, as well as hard copies.

Other music, most played in major races, such as Race Wars and Canyon Battles have been widely released akin to the Ekstrak release. This actual soundtrack consists of music composed by [[Trevor Morris]], who has gone on to work with [[Steve Jablonsky]] for the 2007 EA [[Real-time strategy|RTS]] game, [[Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars]].

==Reception==
<div style="font-size: 90%;float:right;border-left:1em solid white">
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Review scores'''
!Publication
!Score
|-
|[[GameSpot]]
|PS2: 7.4 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PS2) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-02]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|PS3: 7.4 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PS3) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-21]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|PSP: 7.9 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (PSP) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-10]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|GCN: 7.4 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (GCN) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-03]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|Wii: 7.1 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/wii/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Wii) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-12-01]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|GBA: 6.5 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Frank Provo |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (GBA) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-10]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|DS: 7.6 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Frank Provo |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ds/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (DS) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-10]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|Xbox: 7.6 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-02]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|Xbox360: 7.6 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox360) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-01]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>|PC: 7.6 out of 10<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan Davis |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/driving/needforspeedcarbon/review.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PC) review at Gamespot |publisher=GameSpot |date=[[2006-11-03]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
|-
|[[IGN]]
|PS2: 7.8 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglass Perry |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PS2) review at IGN |url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/742/742412p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-11-27]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>PS3: 7.9 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Roper |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PS3) review at IGN |url=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/746/746311p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-11-15]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>PSP: 7.0 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Roper |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (PSP) review at IGN |url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/743/743342p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-11-01]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>GCN: 7.8 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglass Perry |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (GCN) review at IGN |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/742/742428p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-10-28]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>Wii: 7.4 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglass Perry, Mark Bozon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Wii) review at IGN |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/749/749047p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-12-05]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>GBA: 7.0 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Lucas Thomas |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (GBA) review at IGN |url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/745/745041p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-11-09]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>DS: 7.5 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Craig Harris |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (DS) review at IGN |url=http://ds.ign.com/articles/744/744078p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-11-03]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>Xbox: 7.8 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglass Perry |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox) review at IGN |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/742/742408p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-10-27]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>Xbox360: 8.2 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglass Perry |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox360) review at IGN |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/742/742381p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-10-27]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>PC: 8.2 of 10<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglass Perry |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PC) review at IGN |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/742/742405p1.html |Publisher=[[IGN]] |date=[[2006-10-27]] |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
|-
|''[[X-Play]]''
|Xbox360: 4 out of 5<ref>{{cite web |author=Jason D’Aprile |url=http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1346/Need_for_Speed_Carbon_.html |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' review at X-Play |publisher=G4 |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
|-
!colspan=3|Compilations of multiple reviews
|-
|[[Game Rankings]]
|colspan=2|
PS2: 74.8% (based on 27 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933687.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (PS2) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>PS3: 76.6% (based on 35 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/932990.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (PS3) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>PSP: 72.1% (based on 14 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933688.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (PSP) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>GCN: 73.9% (based on 13 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933686.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (GCN) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>Wii: 66.8% (based on 23 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933689.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (Wii) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>GBA: 69.3% (based on 3 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933685.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (GBA) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>DS: 66.5% (based on 8 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933647.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (DS) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>Xbox: 73.4% (based on 20 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933690.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>Xbox360: 77.6% (based on 63 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/933691.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox360) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
<br>PC: 77.9% (based on 16 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/934371.asp |title=''Need For Speed: Carbon'' (PC) at Game Rankings |publisher=Game Rankings |accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref>
|-
|[[Metacritic]]
|colspan=2|
<br>PS2: 74% (based on 26 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PS2) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>PS3: 75% (based on 31 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PS3) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>PSP: 73% (based on 14 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/psp/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (PSP) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>GCN: 75% (based on 12 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/cube/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (GCN) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>Wii: 67% (based on 21 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Wii) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>DS: 70% (based on 6 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ds/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon Own the City'' (DS) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>Xbox: 74% (based on 19 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbx/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>Xbox360: 77% (based on 52 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (Xbox360) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br>PC: 78% (based on 17 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/needforspeedcarbon |title=''Need for Speed: Carbon'' (PC) at Metacritic |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |publisher=Metacritic.com}}</ref>
<br/>
|}
</div>
Many magazines reviewed the game well. ''[[PC Format]]'' gave it a score of 7.8, saying that it was "engaging enough," but lacked innovation. [[IGN]] gave it a 7.9 and 8.2 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions respectively, out of 10 possible points. "It's not revolutionary, it's not brilliant, but it's good, deep racing," said IGN.com. [[Gamespot]] gave praise for adding more movie clips, customization and solid gameplay but was critical about frustrating boss battles and under utilizing police chases. Wii is also praised for its motion controls but lacks online play.

Another major criticism of ''Need for Speed: Carbon'' was that with its release, many of the anticipated cars such as the Porsche 911 Turbo and Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 were inaccessible in game. After much criticism from common Need for Speed forums such as NFSUnlimited.net and [[NFScars.net]], EA's representative later discussed this as a minor problem made during the late production of the game, and respectively, EA released packages of the locked cars available for download for $5.00 USD on the game's website.

''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' gave the game an average score of 8.0.<ref>[http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3151671 Need for Speed: Carbon PC Game, Need for Speed: Carbon<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Windows Vista issues===
The unpatched PC version of the game has compatibility issues when playing under [[Windows Vista]] and crashes after the EA Logo screen, although most issues have been resolved in patch version 1.4.

According to EA's Website Support page,<ref>[http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=14022&p_created=1155764696&p_sid=EpoffPoi&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MSZwX3Byb2RzPTAmcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD12aXN0YQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1 EA Customer Support Page] ''Is my game supported on Windows Vista?'' Accessed December 21, 2006</ref> they have not released any games that are supported under Windows Vista and suggest changing the compatibility mode to play EA games if necessary.

In versions prior to 1.4, the game will load with both 32 bit and 64 bit editions of Windows Vista if the compatibility mode is changed to either Windows 98 or 95. However, the game still crashes frequently. Deleting or renaming the MOVIES folder, however, alleviates the problem. This has also been linked to the 1.3 upgrade patch. Some users have also successfully run the game out of the box on Vista 32-Bit [[Software_release_life_cycle#RTM_or_RTW|RTM]], suggesting that the issue may have been related to issues in Vista's pre-release code.

In version 1.4 of the game these conflicts with Windows Vista are solved, according to EA.<ref name="v1.4">{{cite web |url=http://www.ea.co.nz/en-nz/downloads/patches/nfsc1-4patch |title=ELECTRONIC ARTS New Zealand | File downloads - Need for Speed™ Carbon v1.4 Patch |publisher=Electornic Arts New Zealand |date=2008-03-24 |accessdate=2008-03-24 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ea.com/nfs/carbon/us/index.jsp Need for Speed: Carbon Home Page] Official Site (US)
*{{moby game|id=/need-for-speed-carbon |name=Need for Speed: Carbon}}
*[http://www.nfszone.com/NFS_Carbon/ Need For Speed Zone: NFS Carbon]
*[http://wiki.nfsunlimited.net/wiki/Need_for_Speed_Carbon NFSWiki: Need for Speed Carbon]
{{Need for Speed series}}
{{Need for Speed series}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 07:48, 18 December 2024

Need for Speed: Carbon
European cover art featuring a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and a Dodge Challenger drifting through a corner.
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Trevor Morris
SeriesNeed for Speed
Platform(s)
Release
October 31, 2006
  • Mobile
    • UK: October 27, 2006[1]
    • NA: November 30, 2006
    DS, GBA, GC, PSP, Xbox
    • NA: October 31, 2006[3]
    • EU: November 3, 2006[2]
    • AU: November 9, 2006
    PS2, Windows, Xbox 360
    • NA: October 31, 2006[3]
    • EU: November 3, 2006[2]
    • AU: November 16, 2006
    PlayStation 3
    Wii
    • NA: November 19, 2006[3]
    • EU: December 8, 2006[6]
    • AU: December 14, 2006
    Mac OS X
    Arcade
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)

Need for Speed: Carbon is a 2006 racing video game and the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. Developed by EA Black Box, Rovio Mobile and published by Electronic Arts, it was released on October 31, 2006, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, Windows, and Mac OS X, and on November 19, 2006 as a launch title for the Wii and in 2008 for arcade cabinets. A portable version, Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City, was released for the PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS.[10] and Zeebo,[11] While it featured similar gameplay to the console version, the portable versions included new or modified gameplay elements, a different setting and storyline, and a different selection of teammates. This is the final installment in the series to be released for Game Boy Advance.

Carbon's storyline takes place after the events of Need for Speed: Most Wanted, and sees players conducting illegal street races within the fictional city of Palmont City. The story focuses on the player's character taking control of the city from various street-racing gangs. While the gameplay is similar to its predecessor, Carbon introduced a number of new features, including crews and racing wingmen, Touge-styled racing events, and greater customization options.

Upon the release of Carbon, the game received positive reviews from critics, though it faced some criticism over elements of its gameplay mechanics, including a lack of emphasis on police chases compared to its predecessor. A special Collector's Edition version was also released for PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox 360. It included additional content; such new cars, new customization items and new events for two of its game modes. As of 2021, download versions of the game are no longer available for purchase in any online stores, and online play was shut down on September 1.[12][13]

The game was succeeded by Need for Speed: ProStreet in 2007.

Gameplay

[edit]

Overview

[edit]
A heavily modified Audi Le Mans quattro compared to a stock Lamborghini Murciélago LP-640, showing the "Autosculpt" feature of the game.

In the game, players take part in illegal street races that focus on different styles of races, utilizing a variety of licensed real-world cars (available at the time of the game's development and release) that can be upgraded and customized with new parts, while contending with the involvement of the police in their efforts to impede the player. Racing Events focus on competitive races with other drivers on circuits or point-to-point routes, checkpoint races, and races involving sprints or drifting (the latter being absent in its predecessor), with players able to use Nitrous Oxide and Speedbreaker whenever needed – either to help win races or get out of tight spots – both of which recharge over time. The game itself features four game modes – Career, Quick Race, Challenge Series, and Multiplayer – with the latter featuring online gameplay available in all console and PC versions of the game, except the Wii's edition.

The game operates on the same gameplay mechanics used in previous entries in the series, including its predecessor Most Wanted, though Carbon introduced new elements. A new element exclusive to Carbon is Canyon events – special racing events styled after Japanese Tōge racing, in which players compete in competitive racing on canyon roads outside the game's main setting. These events consist of sprints, drifting and duel events, in which the latter two feature a majority of destructible guardrails that the player must avoid crashing through or risk losing these respective events as a result. Duel events on these circuits operate differently to events involving major rival racers in Need for Speed games, as these are conducted across two stages on a canyon circuit – in each stage, one driver acts as the chaser and pursues the other at close proximity, with the first stage seeing the player as the chaser and scoring points the closer they can tail their opponent, while in the second stage their opponent becomes the chaser and the player must keep as much distance as possible to avoid losing too many points before the stage is completed. At the end of both stages, the car who took the lead wins if their score is positive, otherwise, their opponent wins if they turned it negative. Apart from scores, an instant win is possible depending on which mode the Duel is conducted in – in Career mode, the player can win instantly if they can stay ahead of their opponent for ten seconds, but lose if they fall behind for too long; in Online Multiplayer, a player wins if their opponent crashes through a guardrail.

Police pursuits, a staple of the series, function similar to Most Wanted in that police can turn up at any time during a race and attempt to impede the player during the event, except in Canyon Race events and checkpoint races; in Career mode, the police can also turn up during Free Roam, but will not act against the player unless they have a warrant (for evading a previous pursuit) or committed an offence in their sight, whereupon they focus on blocking in and arresting the player unless they can lose them and find a safe spot to hide until they lose their heat. As the player is pursued, they can either attempt to evade the cops or knock them out of action by ramming their cars or using destructible props called Pursuit Breakers to impede their pursuit, though extensive pursuits will cause the player's heat level to rise, leading to stronger pursuit tactics including spike strips, roadblocks, and the involvement of state/federal authorities. Carbon modified the pursuit function by making police less dominant in arrest tactics at higher heat levels, and reducing the chance a Pursuit Breaker blocks/destroys a pursuing vehicle.

Licensed real-world cars used in the game are divided into three tiers (performance level) and three classes – Exotic, Tuner, and Muscle. For example, a Nissan 240SX is a tier 1 tuner car, while a Corvette Z06 is a tier 3 muscle car. Each car class also has advantages and disadvantages in terms of driving styles. Tuner cars have the best handling and cornering but have the lowest acceleration and top speed. Muscle cars have the best acceleration but have poor handling. Exotic cars have the highest top speed and better handling than Muscle cars but are not as agile as Tuners. Cars receive visual damage during the game, but no physical damage. Cars can be upgraded in performance through new components and fine-tuning of each component – such upgrades can help, for example, to improve speed, or improve braking. Carbon added the ability to customize visual parts via autosculpt parts, which allow adjustments of components for example, while adding flexibility with vinyls and decals by allowing them to be placed in layers over each other, with the ability to modify these in shape and size, and place them anywhere on the car. Additional cars and customization parts can be acquired through completing Reward Cards – each card consists of a set of challenges for the player to complete across the game modes, and reward the player either with a new vehicle to use or new parts for customization.

Career Mode

[edit]

The game's main mode focuses on the player competing in races against rival street racing crews, instead of individual racers like in Most Wanted and Underground 2. When starting in Career mode, players must choose a class that is not only permanent for their playthrough in this mode, but also dictates which of the initial three districts in the game's setting they begin in and which racing events are available first. Additional cars and classes become unlocked as the player progresses in this mode; any cars earned from Reward Cards for Quick Race mode are also available but without limitation. Players operate their own crew in Career mode and can recruit AI wingmen to assist them, each of whom operates under a different role – Blocker, Drafter, and Scout – and specialty – Fixer, Mechanic, and Fabricator. The type of role and specialty that each wingman operate under dictates how they assist the player – some can find shortcuts during races, while others can help to reduce police heat – with their role also dictating which car they drive in; the first two wingmen the player unlocks have their cars match the player's chosen class. During races, players may use their wingmen for a period of time, after which they must wait a while until their wingmen gauge has recharged before they can use them again, with the exception of scouts, who use their role for the entire race to find shortcuts.

To win career mode, players compete in races against other crews to secure territory – each district has a number of territories, each controlled either by the district's main crew or a minor crew through a series of racing events. Winning a majority of the races in a territory converts control to the player's crew and unlocks additional races elsewhere. Races that have been won can be engaged again, but the prize money offered is reduced as a result. Taking control of all territories will unlock a duel event with the main crew's boss, in which winning the event will allow the player to unlock special rewards, in a similar manner to the rewards offered in rival events in Most Wanted. As the player accumulates territories, they can lose any earned by losing control over its racing events to minor crews, either by failing to defeat them in takeover challenges or forfeiting the right to do so.

Quick Race

[edit]

Quick Race mode allows players to create custom events for single-player or multiplayer – both splitscreen or online – making use of any circuit and cars in the game, and altering various factors such as the difficulty of opponents, track conditions and so forth; what cars and circuits can be used depends on the player's progress in Career mode, though all players can be allowed to use wingmen they have unlocked in these events, provided this option is allowed.

Challenge Series

[edit]

Challenge Series consists of a series of racing events that are divided into 12 categories, each divided further into three difficulty levels. Each challenge event requires the player to complete a specific goal, depending on the type of event, using a set car on a specific course in the game. Players may choose any category to begin with, unlike in Most Wanted, but must complete in order of Easy to Hard. Completing all of the difficulty levels of a challenge unlocks either a new car or customization option for the player to use in other modes.

Online Multiplayer

[edit]

Online Multiplayer mode includes circuit, sprint, canyon duels, and two multiplayer exclusive events – Pursuit Knockout and Pursuit Tag:

  • In Pursuit Knockout, players compete in laps of a circuit, with each player in last place being knocked out and returning as cops to hinder the other players. The winner is the player who ends the race in first place.
  • In Pursuit Tag, one player is a racer and must evade the others, who operate as the cops. If the player is arrested by another, they switch roles. The winner is the player who spends the most time as the racer.

Plot

[edit]

Setting

[edit]

Carbon takes place within the fictional city of Palmont, which encompasses four boroughs linked by a highway system; Kempton, which houses the city's industrial complexes; Downtown, which houses the city's metropolitan and financial buildings; Fortuna, which houses the city's residential area; and Silverton, which houses the city's casino & resort facilities. The city is also surrounded by three canyons known as East, West, and Carbon, which feature their own layout of the route, but which are not connected to Palmont. In the game's story, which takes place during a fixed period at night, the player is not able to access Silverton until they have made progress in career mode and only can access the canyon routes during events.

Story

[edit]

Several years prior to the events of Most Wanted, a street racer (whose role is assumed by the player) took part in a major street race around Palmont for a large cash prize. The three other racers were each the leader of a street racing crew: Bushido's Kenji (Ken Kirby), 21st Street's Angie (Danielle Kremeniuk), and T.F.K. (The Fortuna Kings)'s Wolf (Shaw Madson). However, the racers were ambushed by the Palmont Police Department (PPD), who had SWAT immobilize the player's opponents with an EMP and began arresting everyone involved. The player escaped with the help of Darius (Tahmoh Penikett), the leader for the Stacked Deck, and his then-girlfriend Nikki (Emmanuelle Vaugier); before leaving she handed over the bag containing the race's prize money, but it turned out to contain paper. Under Darius' advice, the player quickly fled Palmont after being accused of sabotaging the race.

Following his narrow escape from Rockport, the player returns to Palmont but is pursued along a canyon route by former police sergeant Jonathan Cross, who after previously appearing as a police officer in Most Wanted, now works as a bounty hunter and seeks revenge against him. After a long and heated canyon chase, the player's BMW M3 GTR gets totaled, and Cross attempts to arrest them for the 150-thousand-dollar bounty on their head but is paid off by Darius. Offering to help the player, Darius asks Nikki, who now dates him, assist him despite her belief that the player betrayed everyone for the prize money. With Nikki's help, the player receives two crew members – Neville (Chris Gauthier) and Sal (Elias Toufexis) – to help in races and a safehouse to operate from. On Darius' advice, the player begins taking part in street races for control over territories controlled by rival crews across three of the city's main boroughs. In the process, he also engages against Kenji, Angie and Wolf, defeating them and securing a member of their crew to aid them, each of whom confides in the player that they suspect someone else set up both them and each crew member's former bosses as Yumi (Melody), Colin (Steve Lawlor), and Samson (Noah Danby) were all at the race between the player, Angie, Wolf, and Kenji, and each of them saw a vital piece of evidence to confirm the race had been rigged and doomed to an ambush by the PPD all along.[14]

After securing all three boroughs, Darius calls a meeting with the player, only to reveal that he sought to use the player to take control of the city from the other crews, betraying him to Cross. After leaving, Nikki arrives to save the player after making a secret deal with Cross. She soon reveals that Darius was responsible for setting up the player for the theft of the prize money – Darius had tipped off the police, and in the chaos that ensued, switched out the prize money while leaving the player to take the blame by helping them escape the police sting.[15] Now aware of the truth, Nikki sides with the player to help take control of the last city borough, leading Darius to reinforce his crew with assistance from Kenji, Angie and Wolf to prevent this.[16] The player eventually defeats Darius and his crew, gaining control of all of Palmont's territory and wins Darius's Audi Le Mans quattro in a pink slip, despite Darius warning them to enjoy their victory before someone faster than them takes over.[17]

Development

[edit]

Need for Speed: Carbon was first shown in EA's montage at Nintendo's E3 2006 conference and booth and was the cover story in the Game Informer magazine issue from July. Carbon is the first in the Need for Speed series to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles and also the final in the series to be released for Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. Carbon features some of cars of its predecessors, namely Need for Speed: Underground 2 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted, but also incorporates many new additions including the Audi Le Mans quattro, the Chrysler 300C SRT 8, Chevrolet's Chevelle SS, and the Alfa Romeo Brera. Carbon features the Canadian actress and model Emmanuelle Vaugier as Nikki, the player's main source of help and ally in the Career storyline. The game is available for use with Mac OS X[18] and is the only game in the Need for Speed series available on a Macintosh computer. The minimum system requirements for Mac OS X include an Intel Core Duo processor.[19] Need for Speed: Carbon debuted at number one on the UK All Format Gaming Chart on its first week of release, beating Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer.[20]

Carbon was also the first game in the series to feature detailed character animations for the Windows and seventh-generation releases using facial motion capture, where in-game models of characters such as Neville, Darius, Wolf, Angie and Kenji appear in real-time cutscenes taunting or remarking the player in a race or at certain points.[21] This has however been omitted on the sixth-generation and Wii versions due to platform limitations.

The Need for Speed: Carbon – Collector's Edition was released for PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox 360. It features four exclusive cars, ten pre-tuned cars, six new races, three unique challenge events, ten unique vinyls and a Bonus DVD showing the making of Carbon and showcasing all the cars used in the game. The Collector's Edition also features alternate box art and a metallic-finish sleeve encasing the case of the game. Although the Mac edition doesn't display the Collector's Edition title, it contains all Collector's Edition features. The downloaded version of the game features the Ultimate Performance Kit, 2006 Pagani Zonda F and the 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T. An arcade version of the same name was released by EA Arcades in 2008.[9][22]

The arcade version was developed by Global VR.

Soundtrack

[edit]

The game features a licensed soundtrack by EA Trax just like other games developed by EA. Unlike most other games, there are different songs depending on what car category you are using. For Tuners, it mostly plays electronica music performed by artists like Gary Numan, Ladytron, The Presets, as well as Melody (who is known for portraying the Bushido crew member Yumi in the game). For Muscles, they mostly play rock songs performed by artists like Eagles of Death Metal, Wolfmother and Kyuss. For Exotics, its mostly rap songs performed by Ekstrak, Pharrell, Sway, Spank Rock and Dynamite MC. These songs can only be heard during free roam or checkpoint races. The game also has a composed soundtrack performed by Trevor Morris that mostly plays during race sequences and canyon duels. Some of the pursuit chase music performed by Paul Linford that was originally featured in Need For Speed: Most Wanted also plays during pursuit chases.

Reception

[edit]

Need for Speed: Carbon was met with generally positive reviews. IGN gave the PC version an 8.2 out of ten[42] and the PlayStation 3 version a 7.9 out of ten.[43] GameSpot gave praise for adding more movie clips, customization and solid gameplay, but was critical about frustrating boss battles and underutilizing police chases.[52]

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an average score of eight.[53] Hyper's Daniel Wilks commended the game for its "large gameworld", but criticized it for its easy drift course mechanics and the actors in the cutscenes.[54] The Australian video game talk show Good Game gave the game five out of ten.[55]

Macworld editor Peter Cohen gave the Mac OS X port four out of five stars, praising the variety of different cars to choose from and engaging storyline. Mild criticism was noted relating to performance issues.[56]

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Need for Speed: Carbon for "Racing Game of the Year" at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[57]

Need for Speed: Carbon has sold 3.2 million copies in the United States.[58] Its PlayStation 2 version received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[59] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[60]

Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City

[edit]

Gameplay

[edit]

Own the City features similar gameplay to the console editions, but while the Autosculpt function, Canyon Race events and drifting events are absent, the portable edition allows for free-roaming around the game's setting of Coast City, offers three new racing events, and modification to some of the gameplay mechanics. The new events consist of Escape, in which players attempt to escape from a rival crew's territory; Delivery, in which players and their crew race to a designated area with a package and attempt to beat other racers doing the same thing; and Crew Takedown, in which players to eliminate a set number of rival racers to win. During free roam, the player can explore the city and seek out crates scattered across the game's setting, in a similar manner to the hidden package system in Grand Theft Auto, which when broken unlock rewards ranging from cash to game art. Police pursuits can occur in Own the City, but only in free roam; the player is not pursued during racing events.

Players can hire up to five wingmen for their racing crew, in which two members may be active for use in racing events, though like Carbon they cannot be used in the game's Lap Knockout, Escape, and Crew Takedown events. Wingmen are divided into three classes – Brawlers, Drafters, and Assassins. While the first two classes operate in a similar manner to Carbon's wingmen roles of Blockers and Drafters respectively, Assassins replace the console's role of Scouts, and can be used to take out multiple rivals with deployable spike strips. The game's main mode of gameplay requires players to take control of territory – unlike the setting of Palmont, Coast City features around 13 areas of territory across 6 districts, with each area that is conquered unlocking new items for purchase and a new wingman for the player to recruit.

Plot

[edit]

The player and their brother Mick compete in an illegal street race with two other racers, seeking to see who will own the whole of Coast City amongst them. However, the race ends in a terrible car crash that kills Mick and leaves the player in the hospital with amnesia. In the aftermath of Mick's death, his control over the city's territories is divided up between various street racing crews. When the player wakes up six months later, they are greeted by Mick's girlfriend Sara and his wingman Carter, both of whom help the player regain their memories of the race when visiting their brother's grave.

The player sets out to find who killed Mick, forming a crew to help them race and defeat the other crews, regaining territory and asking the defeated crew bosses what they know about the race's accident. During this time, Sara disappears. Eventually, the player is informed that a young driver named Buddy caused the crash, whereupon a crew boss known as EX helps the player to locate Buddy. When they confront the driver, the player learns that Buddy was hired by someone to kill Mick, and hands them a phone. Upon completing more races, the player encounters and defeats an undercover police officer named MK, who uses his connection with the city's police to trace Buddy's employer. The player soon discovers that EX planned Mick's murder, and so pursues after and defeats him, leaving him to be apprehended by MK and the city police.

Sara soon returns and instructs the player to race her, whereupon she reveals that the player arranged for EX to kill Mick. Sara reveals that the player's brother had a monstrous personality that led to her and the player being hurt, so the player arranged for Mick to be killed in an accident during a race to be rid of him, thus allowing Sara and themselves to be free. Sara soon embraces her freedom, handing over Mick's watch and stating how different the player is to him.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ James, Chris (October 27, 2006). "New on O2". www.pocketgamer.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "NFS Carbon PC demo". Eurogamer.net. October 30, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "EA peels out PC NFS Carbon demo". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "PS3 launch line-up finalised". Eurogamer.net. March 22, 2007. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. ^ "Sony's PS3 to hit Europe, Australia on March 23". Macworld. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "GONE IN 60 SECONDS…ALMOST!". GamesIndustry.biz. December 8, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  7. ^ "Hoor-EA! Mac games hit Apple store today". Engadget. July 15, 2016. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Leach, Gracie. "Need for Speed: Carbon - Macintosh Overview". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Arcade Machines – Driving Arcade Machines – Need For Speed Carbon Twin Driving Arcade Machine". Monkey Gamesroom. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  10. ^ "Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City Review". IGN. November 1, 2008. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  11. ^ Alexander, Leigh (May 27, 2009). "Zeebo Officially Launches In Brazil With FIFA, Need For Speed, Brain Challenge". Think Services. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
  12. ^ EA_David (May 31, 2021). "An-announcement-about-some-older-NFS-titles". EA Answers HQ. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Max_Joker (May 31, 2021). "Sun is setting on some older NFS titles – it's not you, it's us". r/needforspeed. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  14. ^ Electronic Arts (2006). Need for Speed: Carbon (PlayStation 2). Electronic Arts. Need For Speed Carbon – various cutscenes after unlocking Sal, Colin of TFK, Yumi of Bushido, and Samson of 21st Street.
  15. ^ Electronic Arts (2006). Need for Speed: Carbon (PlayStation 2). Electronic Arts. Need For Speed Carbon cutscene after beating the last crew.
  16. ^ Electronic Arts (2006). Need for Speed: Carbon (PlayStation 2). Electronic Arts. Need For Speed Carbon Cutscene after unlocking Nikki.
  17. ^ Electronic Arts (2006). Need for Speed: Carbon (PlayStation 2). Electronic Arts. Need For Speed Carbon Cutscene after beating Darius.
  18. ^ "EA > GAMEFINDER > Need for Speed Carbon". Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  19. ^ Leach, Gracie. "Need for Speed: Carbon - Macintosh System Requirements". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  20. ^ "Christmas charts take shape". November 13, 2006. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
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