Need for Speed Underground (mobile)

Need for Speed Underground in its mobile version for Java and Symbian brought the popularity of the tuning series to phones even before touchscreens were common on them. EA Mobile bet on what made the computer and console original iconic - night streets, neon lighting, and cars modified with hand-picked parts - and packed it into a form that even a 2004 phone could handle.

Given the performance of the hardware of the time, it was a game with simpler, more pseudo-3D or view-based tricks on the track rather than a full 3D world like on PlayStation 2. The controls relied on directional keys for steering and two keys for gas and brake, and car tuning was limited to choosing from pre-made sets instead of the detailed customization of the computer version. Even so, the game offered a sense of speed and track duels that was rare on mobile at the time and a new experience for many players. Short race circuits and quick restarts also meant the game got along well with the limited memory and battery life of phones of the day, so it could be played in short bursts anytime during the day.

The game was sold as a paid title through carrier portals, with no ads or additional payments in it. Today it's among the defunct mobile titles - the Java game stores have long been offline and there's practically no legal way to download it, so the game can only be tried through enthusiast archives or old-phone emulators.

Why play it: Interesting as evidence of how quickly big brands moved onto phones even in the feature-phone era - though today unfortunately with no official availability.