3/5 ★ – drifferx's review of Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0.

NFS Most Wanted 5-1-0 is a good game, a good NFS game but a not so good Most Wanted game. Starting with the good points, the graphics. The game looks really great overall. The soundtrack is the same or almost the same from the PS2 version so it is absolutely badass. Handling is a bit wacky but bullet time kind of fix it so it's OK. Altough this game has the most useless nitrous boost of all time. It doesn't do anything. And is very noticeable because another good thing is the sense of speed. Customization is also good. Now, the problems. First of all, there are no cutscenes or anything like it so there is no conexion with the original Most Wanted. What is the blacklist? What is that BMW on the intro? Nothing. [SPOILER] And what is even crazier is that Razor doesn't own the M3 GTR. He does, but not the one we know. The GTR we know is owned by the number 3 on the blacklist!! WTF!? And we you buy it you can't install the bodykit on it. So you have a "base" M3 GTR with the blue while Razor's GTR has the bodykit but not the blue vinyl and you can't modify it. Again, WTF!? There's no emphasis on the blacklist, the characters, the cars, barely nothing. [END OF SPOILER] Then, the game is repetitive. Races are too damn long. I've heard most people start the game but never attempt to finish it because of this two things. And the cops' rubber banding is something else. It would not be that bad if we could fight them like in the PS2 version. Here, nope. They hit you, they make you spin, etc, but you can't do anything. Most races are ruined by this, it is very frustrating. At the end of most races, you can bet on running away from the cops. I don't recommend doing that. You will lose most of the time because of what I said. Additionally, there is a "catch the tuner" mode (I guess, I don't know how it is called in the english version) exclusive for this version which I find weird. I mean, it makes sense on Hot Pursuit but in Most Wanted... I don't know, hey, maybe. Therefore, I would recommend this game if you are a die-hard Need for Speed fan. I played the PS2 version when it came out and this PSP version in 2025, so that's almost 20 years apart and it felt like playing it again for the first time, considering there isn't an open map and some stuff is cut off, it's a portable version. But there are actually a few better racing games on the PSP, so do some research if you don't really care about being the Most Wanted.